Level I

Chapter 5
Listening Speaking

English | Vietnamese Section

English | Vietnamese
IC3, IT, TOEFL, Best Answer
Self- and Teacher Evaluation

Who is expert in the quest to reduce poverty?
Câu hỏi hướng dẫn:
Ai là chuyên gia trong công cuộc xoá đói giảm nghèo?

Skills:  

In this chapter you will do these things:  

Vietnamese Language Skills:

• Review Tones
• Poverty Reduction Vocabulary
• Expressing “Very”: “quá”, “lắm”, “nhiều” and “rất”

English Language Lesson

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Introductory Motivation and Focus: Are you rich, poor or in-between? Interview your classmates. Go from one classmate to another filling out the following questionnaire. Make marks ( ) in the appropriate boxes. city town village hamlet farm 1. Where does your family live? city/outskirts rural remote/rural coastal mountainous 2. Is your family home urban or rural? yes no 3. Have members of your family moved to a larger city or town? economic health education opportunity other 4. If you answered yes in #3, for what reasons did family move? poor rich in-between don’t know 5. Is the place of your family’s origins of poor, rich or in-between status? Discuss in class: 1. What descriptions of your classmates can you make from such a questionnaire? For example: Do most of your classmates live in the place where their families consider their hometown? Are most of your classmates of rural or urban background? Did most of your classmates’ families move to bigger urban centers? For economic reasons? 2. Define the following words: poor, rich, and in-between. Do the definitions change when you think of the rural poor or urban poor, rural rich or urban rich? Do the definitions change when you think in regional or global terms? 3. In your opinion, what are the causes of poverty in Vietnam? Mark ( ) the lines you think appropriate. Then discuss in class. lack of farm land lack of work experience lack of capital (money) lack of educational resources poor health lazy people natural disasters unemployment social diseases poor land effects of war globalization government policy other, explain: In this chapter we will be listening and speaking about poverty and wealth and those in-between the two—the middle class. Vocabulary: Knowing many of the following words will be helpful in this chapter: Places to Live central highland city coastal area commune community delta region densely populated area district hamlet mountainous area province rapidly urbanized area region remote area rural area sparsely populated area town urban area village ward Reasons for Poverty accidents cash crop debt dependence despair disabled elderly globalization government policy lack of capital (money) lack of farmland lack of training lack of working skills lazy, laziness natural disasters poor health poor lifestyle choices premature death risk, taking risks social diseases uneducated unemployment unproductive land war wealthy people/rich people Words Indicating Poverty absolute poverty impoverished low-income poor poor areas poor households poor communes poverty gap poverty line poverty reduction relative poverty working poor Verbs for Change to achieve to alleviate to attract investment to be articulate to be independent to be potentially prosperous to be self-confident to create favorable conditions to create jobs to eliminate to empower to eradicate to gain to hope to improve conditions to improve living conditions to improve working conditions to mobilize to obtain to prioritize to provide aid to provide assistance to reduce to renovate to stabilize Who is Responsible? charity organization government international governmental organization (IGO) local government multinational corporation non-governmental organization (NGO) the Party provincial government schools unions (youth, labor, women, trade) World Bank List others . . . Study Skill A: Taking Lecture Notes In this chapter, students will listen to a lecture. A lecture is when a teacher or professor speak to the class to present information. Usually, during a lecture in North American schools, only the teacher speaks and the students listen and take notes. Often after the lecture, the teacher will invite the students to ask questions or to discuss and express their opinions on the topic. A lecture is usually organized in similar patterns to academic writing. There is an introduction in which the main idea or topic is stated. There is the body of the lecture in which the main idea is supported. And there is the conclusion of the lecture in which the main idea and support are restated. Thus, students can take notes anticipating that the teacher will use this organization. Taking notes in the West may be very different than taking notes in Vietnam. To understand the difference, look at the “Listening and Note Taking Survey” below (modified from the Penn State University—University Learning Centers—website). Take the survey, then discuss in class how note-taking in Vietnam differs from North American class expectations. Questions follow the survey to guide the discussion. Listening and Note Taking Survey Read each statement and mark the appropriate column that describes your note taking customs and habits. Never Seldom Sometimes Often 1. I read my assignments before I go to lecture. 2. I find lectures interesting and/or challenging. 3. My lecture notes are well organized. 4. I recognize main ideas in lectures. 5. I recognize supporting details of main ideas. 6. I recognize patterns in lectures, i.e. cause-effect, concept-example. 7. My lecture notes are complete. 8. I recognize relationships between lecture and readings. 9. I integrate my lecture notes with my reading notes. 10. I summarize my notes, both lecture and reading, in my own words. 11. I review my notes immediately after class. 12. I conduct weekly reviews of my notes. 13. I edit my notes within 24 hours after class. Discussion Questions: 1. Describe how students in Vietnamese high school classes take lecture notes. 2. How is this different than what is described in the survey as good note-taking? (If a student answered “Often” for all the statements in the survey, the student is considered an excellent student note-taker in a North American classroom). 3. Why should a Vietnamese student know or be aware of North American styles of note-taking? How do I take notes during a lecture? Arrive in class early enough to prepare yourself for note-taking. Have paper and pen ready. Sit where you can see and hear clearly. Observe what clues and tools the teacher has prepared for you. Perhaps the title of the lecture is on the board. Perhaps the teacher has given you hand-outs (outlines, questions to think about, other resources) When the lecture begins, listen for the main idea. Write down the main ideas, details and examples. Write down words (or pictures) that will remind you of what was said. Remember: note-taking is your study tool; it is your way to remember what was said. So design it in a way that works for you. Write down questions that come to mind as you listen to the lecture. If the teacher talks too fast: Write as much as you can Read your notes as soon as you can after class and fill in what is missing by asking the teacher or asking other students. Organize your notes by outlines, time sequence, listing, etc. In this chapter, we will use an outline to help students take notes. Exercises and Activities for Speaking Skill A: Readthe outline below. Then answer the questions that follow. Lecture Outline Date: Title of Lecture: The Link Between Education and Poverty I. Introduction (the main idea of the lecture): There is a link between poverty and education. More education=less poverty? A. Support: high percentage of poor uneducated 1. Example/Detail: Vietnam example: ________________________ ___________________________________________________________ B. Support: Why are the less educated poor? 1. They are the ones with low-paying jobs. 2. ___________________________________________ 3. Subsistence farmers C. Support: Knowledge-based economy of the 21 st Century, the uneducated will be _________________________________________ D. Support: Poor people know that education is the best escape route from a life in poverty. 1. Example/Detail: Health: An educated mother means __________ 2. Example/Detail: Escape from Poverty: a. new skills b. _______________________________________________________ C. ______________________________________________________ 3. Example/Detail: Education gives people a voice. II. Conclusion: Education gives people hope for a better life. The social and economic costs of not giving an education to children can be huge. The country loses out on a population that is self-confident, articulate, healthy and potentially prosperous .

Questions for class discussion:

1. What is the title of the lecture?
2. Do you think there is a link between education and poverty? What link?
3. What is the main idea of this lecture? How do you know?
4. How many points of support are there in this lecture? What are they?

Listen to the Lecture:

1. First, listen to the lecture once. Just listen. Do not take notes. Get used to the lecturer’s voice. Listen to the rhythm, speed and speech patterns of the lecturer.
2. Listen a second time to the lecture. This time follow the outline. As you hear the different points being made, check them off on your outline. Your teacher may stop the tape from time to time.
3. Listen a third time and fill-in the missing parts of the outline.
4. Listen a fourth time as a last chance to complete the outline.

Lecture/Presentation:

(transcript)

The Link Between Education and Poverty
(Paraphrased from www.oxfam.org.uk/educationnow/poverty.htm)

There has been much debate over the link between education and poverty. There are stories of people who have become wealthy without having a lot of education. There are also many stories of people with university educations that are unemployed.

However, what cannot be argued, is the fact that of the poor around the globe, a high percentage of them are not educated. In Vietnam, for example, 68 percent of families living in poverty are headed by someone with no education.

Why do we find the less educated among the world’s poor? Perhaps it is because they are the ones to get the low-paying jobs. They are the unemployed. Or they tend to be subsistence farmers.

And now in our knowledge-based economy of the 21 st Century, having or not having an education will be a more critical factor of wealth and poverty. Those that cannot join in on a world made smaller by globalization will be left behind in poverty.

Poor people know that education is the best escape route from a life of poverty. Education brings with it improved health, the chance of prosperity, and hope for the future. It opens the door to a life of dignity and independence, for people and countries.

Education saves lives. Each year, nearly 12 million children under the age of 5 die because of avoidable infections and diseases associated with poverty. Evidence shows that each year spent by mothers in primary schools reduces the children’s risk of premature death by 8 percent. To put it simply, the more educated the mother, the more healthy the mother and child.

Education helps people escape from poverty. Education gives people new skills, and empowers them to take advantage of new opportunities. Education can mean the difference between hope and despair.

Education gives people a voice. Education is important because it empowers people to take control of their lives. At a personal level, it provides people with the self confidence needed to make their opinions heard. At a community level, education gives people the skills through which they can protect their rights to land, schools, or participation in public life.

Education gives people hope for a better life. The social and economic costs of not giving an education to children can be huge, not just for individuals and their families, but for the country of their birth. The country loses out on a population that is self-confident, articulate, healthy and potentially prosperous.

(end of transcript)

Exercises and Activities for Listening Skill A:

Small Groups: Answer the following questions:

• Were you able to understand anything of the lecture the first time you listened? What did you hear, and why did you understand it? Examples: “I heard some of the vocabulary words.” “I caught some of the lines in the outline.” Or you may say that you were not able to understand anything: “The lecturer spoke too fast.” “I couldn’t recognize any words.” “I’m not used to the lecturer’s voice—I could not understand a thing.”
• Did your ability to understand words and phrases improve with each time you listened?
• Did the outline help you to listen?
• Were you able to complete the outline? If not, ask your classmates to help you complete the outline.

Study Skill B:

Giving Reason, Expressing Opinion

Because and Because of . . .

To answer the question “Why?” or to give a reason for something in English, people use the words “because” and “because of”.

• “Because” is followed by a clause:
• Q: Why are people in your hometown poor?
• A: Because there are not enough jobs.

• After “because of”, we use a phrase:
• Q: Why are people in your hometown poor?
• A: Because of high unemployment rates.

Expressing Opinion

“What is your opinion about __________________?” Often we’re asked for our opinions.

Some useful phrases for expressing opinions:

Function	Example
Expressing an opinion	I think/feel/(strongly) believe that . . . In my opinion . . . It seems to me that . . .
Contributing an addition point	I have an additional thought . . . There is another way to look at it . . . Following up on (name)’s comments . . .
Emphasizing a point	It seems to me that the real issue here is . . . In my opinion, the main problem is . . . As I see it, the most important point is . . .
Expressing agreement	I (quite/totally/completely) agree (with you) . . . That’s (exactly) what I was thinking . . . You are (absolutely) right . . .
Expressing disagreement	I disagree/don’t agree (with you) because. . . I’m not sure that I (entirely) agree with you because . I don’t think that . . . because . . .
Expressing partial agreement, doubt, or reservation	Yes, but . . . I agree with you to a certain extent, but . . . I see your point/what you mean, but . . .

(from “Debate as a Pathway to Academic Discussion” by Li-Shih Huang, TESOL Journal, Vol. 11, No. 4)

Exercises and Activities for Listening Study Skill B:

Exercise #1

Read the phrases and clauses below. First look at Part B: in the spaces provided, write “because” or “because of” to complete the phrase or clause. Then match items from Part A to Part B to form complete sentences by writing the matching letter from Part B in the spaces provided in Part A. The first one is done for you.

Part A c. Children cannot go to school ____Many people are unemployed ____Farmers don’t have good crops ____We cannot open new businesses ____Most people gamble ____Women can help reduce poverty ____The government cannot help create new job for people

Part B _____________they don’t get any training for job. _____________lacking capital. because their parents don’t have enough money. _____________poor land. _____________having nothing to do. _____________they don’t have policies to attract investment from overseas. _____________they can get loans from Women’s Union.

Exercise #2: In pairs, take turns creating questions for the above 7 answers.

Example: A: Why can’t children go to school?

B: Because their parents don’t have enough money.

Exercise #3: In pairs or small groups, read the following statements from this chapter. Take turns agreeing or disagreeing with the statements using the phrases for expressing opinions. Take the discussion a step further by stating your reasons using sentences with “because” and “because of”.

1. People who live in poverty are there because they deserve it. They are lazy.
2. Education helps people escape from poverty.
3. People who are poor have no power over their lives.
4. The rich countries should help developing countries out of poverty.

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