SoapOperas

Level 4

What is your favourite TV

show?

Do you watch it on TV or do you

watch it online?

What is it about?

Tell us about a TV show that you hate.

Do your friends like it? Is it popular in Brazil?

What do you hate about it?

How many different genres of TV

programmes can you name?

What kind of programmes do you

usually watch?

What kind are most popular in Brazil?

Do you know the difference between soap

operas and telenovelas?

Read on to find out...

As you read, choose the correct prepositions to

complete the gaps.

Then decide if each sentence describes soap operas or telenovelas.

?????? are most popular ___ Latin America.

?????? are most popular ___ the USA, the UK, and Australia.

Telenovelas are most popular in Latin America.

Soap operas are most popular in the USA, the UK, and

Australia.

?????? are ___ indefinite length, and often run continuously for

decades.

?????? have a preplanned duration, and typically run ___

about six months to a year.

Soap operas are of indefinite length, and often run

continuously for decades.

Telenovelas have a preplanned duration, and typically

run for about six months to a year.

?????? usually rely ___ multiple storylines and an ever-rotating

cast of characters.

?????? typically have a main story-arc and conclusion

planned ___ the start.

Soap operas usually rely on multiple storylines and an ever-

rotating cast of characters.

Telenovelas typically have a main

story-arc and conclusion planned from the start.

?????? are usually written so that viewers can relate ___ the

realistic depictions ___ the working class, middle class and

upper class.

They tend to deal ___ controversial topics, and often

provoke heated debate.

Both telenovelas and soap operas are usually written so that viewers can relate to the

realistic depictions of the working class, middle class and upper class.

They tend to deal with controversial topics, and often

provoke heated debate.

Do you agree that telenovelas show an accurate depiction of

Brazilian society? Why (not)?

Do you agree that telenovelas are

controversial and provoke heated

debate? Why (not)?

Here are a few examples of debates

that telenovelas have provoked in

Brazil.

Child actors were forbidden from appearing in Laços de Família (2000) because the novela was not suitable for

young children.

What’s your opinion about children who work as actors?

Do you think children should be allowed to appear on shows that

are not age appropriate? Why (not)?

Several novelas have depicted characters who

suffer from eating disorders, such as Páginas da Vida

(2005) and Viver a Vida (2009).

If you found out that a close friend of yours was suffering from an eating disorder, what

would you do?

How important is it to develop healthy eating habits

from a young age? Why?

Paulo José played and alcoholic

father in Por Amor (1997): his

drinking problems were a strain on his family and

career.

Do you think the government has a responsibility towards people who suffer from addiction? Why (not)?

If so, what can be done to help? If not, who should be responsible for dealing with this type of problem?

In América (2005) the main character Sol (Deborah Secco) joins a group of people who go to the U.S.

to live as illegal immigrants.

Why do you think people decide to live illegally in a different country?

Would you like to live abroad? If no, why not? If yes, what sacrifices would you be willing to make?

End of activity

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