Eastern Mennonite University

Level II

Chapter 6
Listening Speaking

English | Vietnamese

IC3, IT, TOEFL, Best Answer

English | Vietnamese
Assessment

Education Reforms

What are the post-conflict priorities in any country?
Câu hỏi hướng dẫn:

English Language Lesson

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Introductory Motivation and Focus:

In this chapter you will think about how Đổi mới has helped in the reconstruction of Vietnam. For those of you who live in Vietnam, you are experiencing history in the making as Vietnam finds and creates its path in the world. In this chapter, you will draw on your experience with the education reforms through Đổi mới.

First, let us refresh our memories about what Đổi mới is. Listen and read the following passage about reforms in Đổi mới period in Vietnam and join the activities below:

(transcript)

Đổi mới

In 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed by the reunification of north and south, but Vietnam’s development has long been held back by war, international embargo and unsuccessful programs in collectivization. In the early 1980s, the Vietnam Communist Party explored the possibilities of programs based in a market economy. Because the results were positive, the Party introduced a program of far-reaching market-based economic reforms in 1986. These reforms became known as Đổi mới.

Đổi mới introduced Vietnam to an economic structure that was more decentralized, less subsidized, and more prone to accepting market forces as the determinant of prices and production. Agriculture, consumer goods, and export commodities took on greater importance. Foreign investment was encouraged through new laws. Agriculture was deregulated to allow for individual family farms.

Over the past decade, the living standards of the Vietnamese people have risen—especially in the cities—due to a more liberal economic and social environment that has come into being because of Đổi mới. Market reforms in agriculture have turned Vietnam from an importer of rice to one of the world’s largest exporters of rice in a very short time.

(end of transcript)

Vocabulary: Personal Vocabulary Book

(based on “Keeping a Vocabulary Book” by Ronald Jackup in
New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary from TESOL, Alexandria, Virginia, 1994.)

We often have difficulty remembering new words and phrases we encounter in our classes. Moreover, when studying current topics such as Đổi mới, we often encounter new words and new definitions for existing words. It can be useful to keep a vocabulary book in which we record and classify words and phrases to remember.

There is no right or wrong way to create a vocabulary book. Rather, the book should be created in such a way as to be most helpful to your needs as a student. Here are some suggestions:

  • Write down all the new words from one unit or chapter of a book together on the same page
  • Organize the words alphabetically, like a dictionary.
  • Keep sections of the vocabulary book for different topics or areas, such as “Đổi mới” or “people” or “sports.”

Add more to each entry than just a word’s meaning or translation. Here are some suggestions:

  • Is it a noun, verb, or adjective?
  • If it is a phrase, has the whole phrase been entered?
  • Will an example of the word in context be helpful?
  • Is there any other useful information about the word?

Review your vocabulary book regularly. Perhaps your teacher will include a review as a daily or weekly assignment.

Find out which of your classmates understands simple economics.
In the passage are many words that relate to economics and renovation.

As we have learned before, Vietnamese is a language of six tones. These tones are represented in written form by diacritical marks that indicate voice intonation. Thus, every syllable in Vietnamese can be pronounced in up to six different ways. In earlier chapters it was explained that the word “ma” can be read to mean phantom, mother, rice, seedling, tomb, or horse.

But in English, people use stress to express meaning. A shift in stress may cause a difference in meaning and pronunciation. For example, the word, “Blackboard” is stressed on the first syllable (BLACKboard) to mean a chalkboard. But if we talk about a board that is black, the stress can be on both syllables or on the last syllable (BLACK BOARD or black BOARD).

Repeat the following words by putting stress on the syllable that is capitalized:

reunifiCAtion market_eCONomy SUBsidized deREgulated deVELopment FAR-REACHing conSUmer_goods ecoNOmic emBARrgo MARket-based EXport_commodities enVIronment unsucCESSful reFORMS foreign_inVESTment IMporter collectiviZAtion deCENtralized enCOUraged EXporter

Where’s the Stress?*

eCONomy eCONomize EcoNOmical reuNITE reunifiCAtion colLECtive collectiviZAtion reFORMS reforMAtion deCENtralize decentraliZAtion deREgulate deREgulized dereguLAtion

*Look to Reading Chapter 6 for word families. Also, refer to Listening and Speaking Chapter 3 for English Stress and Intonation Patterns in Words.

We will find out what these words mean by asking questions in class.

In chapter 4, we learned the proper language for interrupting and politely asking for information in English-speaking countries. Take turns to ask questions of the class to find out the meaning of words in the reading passage. Those that know the answer, please share it with the class. If no one knows the answer, look it up in the dictionary.

For Example:

‘Excuse me, but does someone know what the word ‘embargo’ means?” or “Sorry to interrupt, but I don’t know what ‘decentralized’ means.”

Write the words and the meanings of the words as they are said in class. Use the chalkboard or white board as needed for clarifying the words.


Excuse me, but . . . . Pardon me, but . . . Sorry to interrupt, but . . . May I ask a question? Do you mind if I ask a question?

Listen to the passage again. Then form small groups of three or four classmates and answer the questions that follow. These questions would also be good for a class discussion.

  1. When did the Communist Party begin Đổi mới?
  2. Why did the Communist Party introduce Đổi mới to Vietnam?
  3. What are some of the reforms introduced by Đổi mới?
  4. After a decade of reforms, what changes have taken place because of Đổi mới?
  5. Did you learn anything new about Đổi mới from this passage? If so, what is new?
  6. From your life experience, can you compare life before Đổi mới to life after Đổi mới? What changes have you experienced?
  7. How would you translate the words “Đổi mới” into English? Is it translatable? Why or why not?
  8. Has Đổi mới changed the way that you are educated? What reforms to education has Đổi mới brought to the Vietnamese educational system?

Study Skill A:

Developing Cognitive Strategies for Listening

Listening for the main idea
Listening for details
Listening to predict

Often English teachers will ask students to be active listeners. Being active in listening is necessary in order to advance your learning of the language. When a student listens for the main idea or listens in order to predict, the student must think beyond the listening material. Sometimes listening for details requires that the student merely repeats exactly what has been heard, but to actively listen for details also asks the student to go beyond the text. The details are needed to understand the main idea and to predict. To actively listen for details, one can ask, what question does this detail or piece of information answer?

If we would take the detail from the listening passage, “Agriculture was deregulated to allow for family farms,” we can better listen by imagining what questions this sentence answers. Some questions might be:

“How has agriculture changed because of Đổi mới?” or “Why do families now own farms?”

When students formulate questions, they are more active in listening. Listening in order to construct questions requires more of the listener than listening for answers. It requires that the student gather more information and the results must be more complete.

Exercises and Activities for Speaking Skill A:

Formulating Questions Exercise

With a partner, select three of the following answers. Listen to the passage about Doi Moi without looking at the written text. Write a question for each of the answers that you and your partner have selected.

Answers:

  1. War, embargo and unsuccessful programs in collectivization.
  2. Đổi mới.
  3. Decentralized, less subsidized, and more prone to accepting market forces.
  4. Agriculture, consumer goods, and exports.
  5. Individual family farms.
  6. The living standards for Vietnamese have risen.
  7. Vietnam is no longer an importer of rice. Now it is a leading exporter of rice.

Main Idea or Detail?

1. Vietnam has made great strides in education, and achieved a 94 percent literacy rate in 2001. To strengthen the legal system in education, the National Assembly adopted the Education Law in April of 1997. The Law on Primary Education Proliferation enabled Vietnam to reach a target of universal primary education in July 2000. In major centers such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, universal junior secondary school education has also been accomplished.

Which of the following details are mentioned in the paragraph?

  1. The education reforms in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city
  2. Vietnam has achieved a 94 percent literacy rate in 2001
  3. By 2000, Vietnam has reached a target of universal primary education thanks to the Education Law in 1997.
  4. The universal junior school education has been accomplished in most big cities.

2. Vietnam views educational exchanges with foreign countries as a valuable opportunity for expanded access to academic, science, and technology centers. Approximately 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students have received education from abroad since 1990. The country has sought to attract experts in the education field -- particularly in the areas of business management, science, and technology. Some international schools operate in Vietnam. The Government receives assistance from foreign countries and organizations to help attract exchange students to the country.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

  1. Educational exchanges and cooperation bring a lot of benefits to the Vietnam education.
  2. The government receives assistance from foreign countries and organizations in developing the education system.
  3. A lot of students study abroad since 1990
  4. Studying abroad is a good opportunity to access to academic, science and technology.

3. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has approved regulations for one-door administrative management, already tested in some cities and provinces, for use throughout Viet Nam. The regulations became effective in 15 days from their publication. These regulations are part of the effort to substantially change State governance for the better and will affect relations between State administrative offices and the way in which they deal with either organizations or individuals. The one-door mechanism applies to all the activities of central, provincial and municipal administrative offices. It includes having applications and documents from either organizations or individuals dealt with by a single administrative unit.

Which of the following details are mentioned in the paragraph?

  1. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has approved regulations for one-door administrative management.
  2. These regulations are very effective
  3. The one-door mechanism applies to every administrative unit of all level.
  4. These regulations aim at improving the relationships between organizations and individuals.

Lecture/Presentation:

When a country is at war, should efforts be made to keep children in school? The following listening passage reports on an international symposium in which such a question is asked.

Pre-Listening Tasks

More Vocabulary: To prepare for the first time to listen to the passage, do the following exercises to become familiar with vocabulary used in this passage.

 

Match the following words to definitions
by putting the appropriate letter in the space provided.

1. ____symposium

2. ____strife

3. ____violent

4. ____armed conflict

5. ____post-conflict

6. ____ex-combatants

7. ____investment

8. ____intense

9. ____educational funds

10.____momentum

11.____conflict

12.____bilingual education

13.____suffering

14.____specialists

15.____isolated

16.____conditions

17.____timely

18.____benefits

19.____process

20.____interaction

a. enduring

b. exertion of physical force in order to injure and abuse

c. when violence of war is over

d. one who specializes in a particular occupation, practice or field of learning

e. educational materials taught in two languages

f. bitter struggle (sometimes violent conflict)

g. putting money or time into something hoping for benefits later

h. strength or force gained through the development of events

i. former soldiers who have participated in war; veterans of combat

j. a state of being

k. existing in an extreme degree

l. the acts of two or more people or groups influencing each other

m. war

n. onward movement towards a goal

o. supply of money for education

p. forum; conference

q. set apart from others

r. fighting with weapons—guns, bombs, etc.

s. to be useful or profitable to

t. in time

The prefix “re-“means “back again.” Study these four words that begin with “re-“and find out what they mean by using the hints that follow.

Reform Reconstruction Renovation Regain

Hints:

Latin constructus, past participle of construere, from com- + struere to build

from Old French gaaigne, gaaing, from gaaignier to till, earn, gain

Latin renovatus, past participle of renovare, from re- + novare to make new, from novus new

from Latin formare to form or shape

Form five small groups.

Each group will be assigned to take one of the following lists of phrases and words. Find out what each phrase means and put them into your own words. Then share your paraphrases with the class. You may use a dictionary, search for the meaning online, and/or make an educated guess.

Group A

  1. pay off
  2. spontaneous opportunities
  3. window of opportunity
  4. lose a generation
  5. regain momentum

Group B

  1. civil strife
  2. civil society
  3. social development
  4. social reconstruction
  5. post-conflict reconstruction

Group C

  1. donor country
  2. Latin America
  3. inter-regional
  4. conflict-afflicted countries
  5. ethnic minorities

Group D

  1. trauma healing
  2. investing in peace
  3. inevitable peace process
  4. community counseling
  5. both sides of a conflict

Group E

  1. virtual learning
  2. to heal the wounds of conflict
  3. teacher training
  4. job training
  5. documenting and disseminating

(transcript)

Education Can't Wait: Even During War, Investing in Children and Youth Pays Off in a Big Way

Voice One: Even in times of war and civil strife, governments, civil society organizations, communities and donor countries must continue to place a high priority on education.

Voice Two: The investment will pay off when the inevitablepeace process arrives, and society and the country will be in a much better position to heal the wounds of conflict and regain momentum for economic and social development.

Voice One: These were some of the conclusions of a forum held in Washington, D.C. that compared experiences of social reconstruction through education in countries that experienced or are presently suffering from armed conflict: Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Laos, Peru, The Philippines and Vietnam.

Voice Two: The conference was called the Inter-regionalSymposium on the Future of Children and Youth in Countries with Conflicts: Education and Social Reconstruction in Latin America and Asia.

Voice One: Specialists found that in most countries, investment in education during and immediately after conflict and strife can bring returns in national reconstruction. These investments include virtual learning centers for children isolated in their communities because of strife, job training for ex-combatants on both sides of a conflict, trauma healing, bilingual education for ethnic minorities, teacher training, and community counseling.

Voice Two: “During or after conflict, investing in education is investing in peace,” said José Luis Guzmán of El Salvador.

Voice One: “You can’t wait until a conflict is over to invest in education and children,” said Emily Vargas-Barón, director. It will be too late by then, and you will have lost a window of opportunity. You must have a plan for reconstruction and get started as soon as conditions allow. If a policy is not timely, you lose a generation or more.” Experience has shown that “high quality education is possible even in the most intense of conflicts,” she added.

Voice Two: According to Feny de los Angeles-Bautista of the Philippines, the benefits of investing in education in societies in conflict or in post-conflict reconstruction “are not just in schooling, but in the processes involved in education, the interaction between the partners, the spontaneous opportunities that arise.”

Voice One: Delegates to the conference adopted a plan for future action and a series of recommendations that include establishing a network to share experiences in conflict-afflicted countries, establishing education funds, documenting and disseminating information on the importance of investing in education, and conducting further studies and evaluations of the most effective projects.

Voice Two: We have to act in coordination to make sure that the Asian and Latin American experiences shared here are transferred to a larger group of countries and channeled into concrete actions," concluded Juan Carlos Navarro.

(end of transcript)

(For the complete version of this article, go to:
www.iadb.org/NEWS/DISPLAY/WSPrint. cfm?WS_Num=ws00304&Language=)

Exercises and Activities for Listening Study Skill A:

Activity 1: Cloze Test

Listen to the passage again and fill in the blanks. Use the following words to fill in the blanks. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Education Can't Wait: Even During War, Investing in Children and Youth Pays Off in a Big Way

1. communities place strife

Even in times of war and civil ______________, governments, civil society organizations, __________________ and donor countries must continue to­ ___________ a high priority on education.

2. heal off social

The investment will pay ­­­_______ when the inevitable peace process arrives, and society and the country will be in a much better position to ____________ the wounds of conflict and regain momentum for economic and ____________ development.

3. conflict Indonesia social

These were some of the conclusions of a forum held in Washington, D.C. that compared experiences of _____________ reconstruction through education in countries that experienced or are presently suffering from armed ______________: Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, _________________, Laos, Peru, The Philippines and Vietnam.

4. Asia Future

The conference was called the Inter-regional Symposium on the _______________ of Children and Youth in Countries with Conflicts: Education and Social Reconstruction in Latin America and __________.

5. conflict ethnic job

Specialists found that in most countries, investment in education during and immediately after ________________ and strife can bring returns in national reconstruction. These investments include virtual learning centers for children isolated in their communities because of strife, ____________ training for ex-combatants on both sides of a conflict, trauma healing, bilingual education for ___________ minorities, teacher training, and community counseling.

“During or after conflict, investing in education is investing in peace,” said José Luis Guzmán of El Salvador.

6. invest policy processes

“You can’t wait until a conflict is over to _____________ in education and children,” said Emily Vargas-Barón, director. It will be too late by then, and you will have lost a window of opportunity. You must have a plan for reconstruction and get started as soon as conditions allow. If a _____________ is not timely, you lose a generation or more.” Experience has shown that “high quality education is possible even in the most intense of conflicts,” she added.

According to Feny de los Angeles-Bautista of the Philippines, the benefits of investing in education in societies in conflict or in post-conflict reconstruction “are not just in schooling, but in the ___________ involved in education, the interaction between the partners, the spontaneous opportunities that arise.”

7. evaluations plan share

Delegates to the conference adopted a ______________ for future action and a series of recommendations that include establishing a network to _______________ experiences in conflict-afflicted countries, establishing education funds, documenting and disseminating information on the importance of investing in education, and conducting further studies and ________________ of the most effective projects.

We have to act in coordination to make sure that the Asian and Latin American experiences shared here are transferred to a larger group of countries and channeled into concrete actions," concluded Juan Carlos Navarro.

Activity 2: Comprehension Questions (Detail or Main Idea?)

  1. In this forum, many countries came together from Asia and Latin America. What do these countries have in common?
  2. What was the forum about?
  3. This forum was about education and conflict. Do most of the people in the forum think that education should continue during times of war and conflict?
  4. What are the benefits of education during and immediately after conflict?
  5. Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions of the conference?

Activity 3: Committee of Advisors

An oil-rich country has been lead by a dictator for several decades. He came to power with the financial help and encouragement of powerful countries interested in oil. As years passed, the leader abused his power over this country’s multi-ethnic citizenry and thousands of people died. Moreover, this leader and his family became rich off the country’s products and resources. He did not often use such financial gain for the good of the people and many were impoverished. This dictator fell out of favor with the powerful countries, and in fact, he made them so angry with his defiance and threats, that the powerful countries led an embargo against his country. The embargo greatly affected all aspects of life for the citizenry of this country. They lived in harsh conditions with poor healthcare and deteriorating infrastructure. The people suffered. Eventually the powerful countries felt the need to overthrow this dictator’s government and there was war. When the government was toppled, some felt it was time to re-build the country but the violence continues and discontent is rampant. Many citizens welcomed the overthrow of the dictator, but now they are suspicious of the intensions of the powerful countries. Some think of these countries as imperialists and occupiers. Others think that these countries have goodwill intentions. People are filled with fear and feel no security. Many think that civil war will erupt. Despite the violence and unrest, there are those who believe that peace and stability must be built.

Schools are being formed.

Help and advice is sought from countries that have already experienced and suffered from armed conflict. The citizens of countries like Vietnam whose Đổi mới reforms have been put into place seem like people who have the experience to be in a good advisory position.

Your assignment* is to form a committee of advisors (form small groups of five or six people) to present advice to this country on how to prepare for educating its youth. What aspects of education become priority during and after conflict? Consider the following:

  • Public Education: Primary, Secondary, Post-Secondary, Post-graduate
  • Curricula, textbook contents and methodologies
  • School facilities: structures, equipment, technology and communication
  • Teacher Training: Sending teachers abroad or training at home (with foreign input?)/in what subjects?
  • Libraries/Technology Centers/Computer Labs
  • Providing books, textbooks, and school supplies for students from kindergarten to high school
  • Upgrading old facilities/building new facilities
  • Administrating Schools
  • Ways to generate income
  • Identifying needs of the country, training people for these needs
  • Access to schools: local schools or transportation needs
  • Rural vs. Urban Education

*To be more aware of what Đổi mới has meant for education reform, read the article in the Taking It Further section of the IC3 Page. It is called " Đổi mới " and Education in Vietnam.

Study Skill B:

Cause and Effect:

When talking about such things as reforms, development, reconstruction and renovation, we often talk about cause and effect.

Imagine a tranquil pond. Drop a rock in the pond and circles of waves disturb the tranquility of the pond. The relationship between the act of dropping the rock and the waves that result is called “cause and effect.”

One of the ways to show sequential relationships is cause and effect or causal relationship. Cause and Effect can be expressed in these ways:

  1. Y (effect) happens because X (cause).
    Living standards of the Vietnamese people have risen because of Đổi mới.
  2. Because of X, Y happened.
    Because the results were positive, the Party introduced a program of far-reaching reforms in 1980.
  3. As a result of X, Y happened.
    As a result of market reforms, Vietnam turned from an importer of rice to one of world’s largest exporters of rice.
  4. X brings about Y.
    The creation of new laws brought about foreign investment.

Exercises and Activities for Listening Study Skill B:

Activity 1

Which is cause and which is effect? Mark the phrase that is effect with an “E” and the phrase that is cause with a “C.” The first sentence is done for you.

C = cause

E = effect

 

Because of placing a high priority on education, the investment will pay off when the inevitable peace arrives.

1. During and after conflict, investing in education brings about an investment in peace.

2. A generation was lost because of missing the window of opportunity.

3. As a result of parent participation, children succeed in school.

4. Because parent participation is important, writing it into policy is necessary.

5. New reforms were needed because of war, embargo and unsuccessful programs in collectivization.

Activity 2

Listen to the following conversations. Listen for cause and effect

You will hear short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a third voice will ask a question about what was said. Read the four possible answers and decide which one is the best answer.

1. W: it is said that the GDP this year reaches over 6 % but there are still a lot of poor people everywhere.
M: of course. There are still a lot of poor people because the economy is not developed equally everywhere.

Question: What does the man mean?

  1. It is obvious that the poor are everywhere.
  2. The economy is not developed equally everywhere
  3. The GPD rate is incorrect
  4. There are poor and rich people.

2. W: one of the drawbacks of education reform is the misuse of budget.
M: definitely. Spending money inappropriately and superficial planning bring about the ineffectiveness of the reform.

Question: What does the man mean?

  1. The reform is unsuccessful
  2. Education reform lacks money
  3. The misuse of money is one of the failure of the education reform
  4. There should be more careful planning.

3. M: it is very hard to lift the poor and illiterate out of poverty because of their lack of knowledge
W: I think we can if we start from education and practical helps.

Question: What does the man mean?

  1. We can’t educate the poor and illiterate
  2. We can’t help the poor and illiterate have a better life
  3. We can help the poor and illiterate by educating them and offer practical helps.
  4. It is very hard to help the poor and illiterate as they lack knowledge.

4. M: we should encourage foreign investments this will help lift our economy.
W: but an open economy can also bring problems too.

Question: What does the woman mean?

  1. We shouldn’t encourage foreign investment
  2. Foreign investment can help lift the economy
  3. The open economy has a lot of problems
  4. We should be careful when we operate an open economy.

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