Bessie Coleman: No Flying School Would Take Her… So She Learned French and Flew
No flying school in America would accept Bessie Coleman, because she was a Black woman. So she learned French, went to France and became the first African American woman with a pilot's licence. Learn five A2 words with the true story of Bessie Coleman.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
No in America would teach her, because she was a Black woman.
So she learned a new language and crossed the ocean.
Would she ever fly?
This is the story of Bessie Coleman.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. When a school you, it says yes and lets you in.
The past is .
American did not her.
. is the language of France.
She studied in Chicago.
. When you money, you keep it and do not spend it.
The past is .
She money from her job.
. A is an official paper that says you are allowed to do something.
In 1921, she got her pilot's .
. At an , pilots fly and do in the sky for a crowd.
Thousands of people came to her .
Now, one pattern: decided to.
We use it when someone makes a choice.
She thought about it.
She decided to learn .
Ready? Let's begin.
Bessie Coleman was born in Texas in 1892.
There were thirteen children in her family, and they were poor.
Bessie picked cotton.
She walked four miles to a small school.
She was very good at math.
Around 1915, she moved to Chicago.
Her brother laughed at her: " women can fly planes. You can't!"
Bessie decided to fly.
But American did not her, because she was Black and a woman.
Would she give up?
No!
She decided to learn and go to France.
She studied in Chicago, and she money from her job.
A newspaper owner helped her too.
In 1920, she sailed to France.
In France, she learned to fly in a small, old plane.
Flying was .
The planes often broke, even in the air.
But she did not stop.
On 15 June 1921, she got her pilot's .
She was the first African American woman with a pilot's !
She did loops and other in the sky.
Thousands of people came to her .
They called her Brave Bessie.
In her hometown in Texas, Black and white people had to use different gates.
Bessie decided not to fly there with two gates.
She said: "One gate for everyone."
The people in charge agreed to one gate.
In 1926, there was a problem with her plane, and Bessie died.
She was only 34.
But many Black pilots followed her into the sky.
Let's review. American did not her.
She studied in Chicago.
She money from her job.
In 1921, she got her pilot's .
Thousands of people came to her .
And remember: she decided to learn .
Bessie Coleman's story teaches us: when one door is closed, find another way in.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
accept verb
to say yes and let someone in (past: accepted)
“American flying schools did not accept her.”
French noun
the language of France
“She studied French in Chicago.”
save verb
to keep money and not spend it (past: saved)
“She saved money from her job.”
licence noun
an official paper that says you are allowed to do something (US: license)
“In 1921, she got her pilot's licence.”
air show noun
an event where pilots fly and do tricks in the sky for a crowd
“Thousands of people came to her air shows.”
flight school noun
a school where people learn to fly planes (also: flying school)
“No flying school in America would teach her.”
dangerous adjective
able to hurt you
“Flying old planes was dangerous.”
trick noun
a clever or difficult thing you do to surprise people
“She did loops and other tricks in the sky.”
Grammar in the story
decided to + verb
We use it for: to talk about a choice someone made
- She decided to learn French.
- She decided to go to France.
- She decided not to fly.
From the story
- She decided to learn French.
- Bessie decided not to fly.
Find it in the story 6 times
Your turn
She decided to France.
Bessie decided fly until there was one gate for everyone.
Bessie to learn French.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Have you ever been on a plane? Would you like to fly one? Do you speak another language?
After you watch: Write three sentences with decided to. For example: Last year, I decided to learn English. My sister decided to move to the city. We decided not to buy a car.
Think about it: When the American schools said no, Bessie found another way. Has someone ever said no to you? What did you do?
