Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
October 19, 2009
Lesson 48: Teacher’s Edition
Level: Benchmark 5 and up
Topic: Second-hand Smoke
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail
Speaking – predicting consequences; expressing opinions
Reading – reading a text for detail; scanning a graph for information
Writing – writing a letter to the editor to express an opinion
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Discussing attitudes toward smoking in public places
Listening for detail in a radio interview with a councillor who wants to see smoking banned from outdoor recreational areas
Reading a news article about the council debate on the ban for detail
Reading statements about second-hand smoke and deciding if they are fact or opinion
Scanning a bar graph on Manitobans’ attitudes toward smoking bans
Writing a letter to the editor to express an opinion about banning smoking
Expressing opinions about the rights of smokers versus non-smokers
Essential Skills: Reading text, document use, working with others, thinking skills, oral communication, writing
Worksheets[1]: 1. Vocabulary
2. Listen for Detail
3. Using Language to Predict Consequences
4. Read for Detail
5. Is it a Fact or an Opinion?
6. Do Manitobans Support Smoking Bans?
7. Express Your Opinion in Writing
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Text: Council Votes to Butt out Smoking in Select Areas
Graph: Support to Extend Smoking Bans in Manitoba
Manitoba Memo
Have you ever seen the award-winning television show Mad Men? It takes place in the early 1960’s. Watch one episode and you will be struck by how much attitudes toward smoking have changed in North America. In that time period, smoking was common and close to one in two Americans smoked. People smoked at work, at home and in restaurants. Women smoked when they were pregnant. Cigarette companies sponsored huge ad campaigns encouraging people to smoke their products. It wasn’t until the mid-1960’s that the U.S. Surgeon General warned that smoking was hazardous to people’s health. The effect of second-hand smoke on health wasn’t even being discussed.
Now fast forward to the year 2009 in Manitoba. High tobacco taxes have made smoking a very expensive habit. Only 1 in 5 Manitobans smoke regularly or occasionally, and a high percentage of those who do smoke are trying to quit. Smoking is banned in workplaces and other indoor public spaces. Tobacco products cannot be displayed in stores and must be kept out of sight of children and young people. Most forms of tobacco advertising are banned. In fact, advertising on the subject of tobacco is focused on the dangers of smoking and on how to quit.
In 2010, it will become illegal in Manitoba to smoke in a vehicle when children under the age of sixteen are passengers. As the dangers of second-hand smoke become more widely known, there continue to be calls to extend smoking bans. Some jurisdictions are banning smoking in parks and recreation facilities where children play, at the entrances to buildings and on outdoor patios. Will there come a time when smoking is banned in all outdoor public places? Stay tuned to the debate!
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss these questions as a class
} In your country, is it common to see men smoking in public places?
} Is it common to see women smoking in public places?
} Do attitudes toward smoking in public places in your country differ from the attitudes you have observed in Manitoba? How do they differ?
} Do you think smokers have a right to smoke around other people? In what situations? Under what conditions?
2. Vocabulary
Elicit or present key vocabulary that students need to understand prior to listening to the podcast (see suggested vocabulary and explanations which follow). You can write the words on the board and elicit possible meanings from the class or break students into groups and give each group a few words to review. Groups can then present the vocabulary to the rest of the class.
You can also ask students to mark the syllables and stress for each word, identify word families and practise pronouncing the words. You may want to ask students to think of sentences that use the new vocabulary. If your students keep a vocabulary journal, they can copy the vocabulary into their journal.
You can also ask students to complete Worksheet 1, a vocabulary exercise.
Vocabulary
legislation A law or set of laws.
to ban If you ban something, you do not permit or allow it to happen.
role model A role model is someone whose behaviour and attitudes you want to copy because you admire them.
second-hand If something is second-hand, it isn’t new. It has been used by someone else.
toxic Something that is poisonous, for example a toxic gas, liquid or substance.
data The collection of information or facts. For example, the data collected on second-hand smoke shows it can be harmful.
proximity To be near something. For example, someone might buy a house because of its proximity or closeness to a park.
U.S. Surgeon General The office of the U.S. Surgeon General oversees the operations of the U.S. public heath services. The Surgeon General also serves as America's chief health educator by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.
Center of Disease Control (CDC) The Center for Disease Control is an American organization. Its mandate is to protect heath and promote healthy living through the prevention and control of disease, injury and disability.
drifting To move slowly through air or water.
particulates Harmful dust or particles in the air.
fatal A situation that results in someone’s death.
3. Predict what the podcast is about
In this interview, Margaux Watt interviews a councillor from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The councillor, Linda Mosher is asking Halifax Regional Council to approve an outdoor smoking ban in public spaces where children are present, such as playgrounds and sports fields. Ask students to predict what kinds of arguments Linda might make to support her position. What kinds of arguments might her opponents make?
Linda might argue that… second-hand smoke is especially harmful to children.
She could argue that….second-hand smoke is dangerous.
I think her strongest argument would be that…
I don’t know what arguments she will make.
Her opponents might argue that… second-hand smoke is not harmful when people are outdoors.
They could argue that….this ban is going too far.
I think their strongest argument would be that…
I don’t know what arguments they will make.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear several speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host and interviewer
Margaux Watt - interviewer
Linda Mosher – Halifax councillor
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Listen for detail
Hand out Worksheet 2. Review it with students and have them work in pairs to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
3. Strategies used in spoken English
Play the interview again. This time, ask students to listen for examples of when Margaux’s question repeats information Linda has just said (lines 20 and 39/40) Ask students what they think Margaux is accomplishing when she asks these questions.
Tell students that this is a common strategy in spoken English. Follow-up questions are asked in order to confirm, summarize or emphasize what a speaker has said.
In line 20, Margaux asks Linda:
“Did you say even the coaches of the kids’ teams were smoking?”
In this example, her intent may be to emphasize information she has just heard and finds hard to believe.
Later, in lines 39/40, she asks:
“So the second-hand smoke outdoors can be just as dangerous as the second-hand smoke indoors?”
Here, her intent may be to emphasize or draw attention to the most important point her guest has just talked about.
You could also draw student’s attention to Linda’s use of sarcasm. In line 23, when she comments on the fact that the coaches were smoking, she says:
“ That’s a positive role model!”
Ask students what they think Linda means when she says this – does she really think the coaches are positive role models? What clues are there in what she says and how she says it that this comment is sarcastic?
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Review what arguments students’ thought would be made by supporters and opponents of a smoking ban in outdoor recreation spaces.
2. Using language to predict consequences
Tell students that we often need language to predict consequences. For example, when we talk about how things affect our health, we talk about the consequences of our taking or not taking certain actions.
Hand out Worksheet 3. Review the structure of the first conditional and the examples with students before they begin to practice conditional sentences with their partner.
Extension activities
1. Read a newspaper article for detail
Hand out and review Worksheet 4. Ask students to work with a partner to read the text and complete the Worksheet.
2. Is it fact or opinion?
Review Worksheet 5 with students. Ask students to work with a partner to determine which statements are fact and which are opinion.
Take up the answers as a class.
3. Scan a bar graph on attitudes toward smoking bans
Ask students to work with a partner for this activity. Hand out Appendix 3 and Worksheet 6. Review the structure and content of the bar graph with students. Ask the pairs to complete the worksheet.
Take up the answers as a class.
4. Write a letter to the editor expressing your opinion about banning smoking in vehicles
Tell students that they can use information from this lesson to assist them in writing a letter to the editor expressing their personal opinion on the new law banning smoking in vehicles when children under the age of sixteen are passengers.
Review Worksheet 7 with the class. Have students to write their own letter, but they can discuss content with a partner. When they have finished a draft version, ask students to exchange letters with their partner. Have the partners suggest comments to each other on ways to improve their letters. If time allows, students can re-write their letter to reflect their partner’s input.
Collect the letters to review, and/or ask some students to read their letters aloud.
5. Expressing opinions on the rights of smokers and non-smokers
Students work in small groups for this discussion. Their task is to discuss the following statement with their group and express their personal opinions on the topic. Before the groups begin, you may want to review ways to express opinions (see chart below).
Topic for discussion:
The right to clean air is more important than the right to smoke.
Ways to express agreement or disagreement:
To agree / To disagreeI agree with ______. / I disagree with ______
I completely agree with ______/ I don’t agree at all.
That’s right. / ______is completely wrong about that.
_____is making a good point. / I hear what ______is saying but…
I think _____is right about that. / I understand _____’s point of view but…
With respect, I have to disagree…
Want to know more…
The Manitoba government’s Healthy Living website has information on the current laws banning smoking, as well as other information on tobacco reduction policies. Go to: http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/smoking.html
MANTRA, the Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance website has a lot of information and links on this topic: http://www.mantrainc.ca/
The full Prairie Research Associates report on attitudes toward smoking and smoking bans can be found at: http://www.mantrainc.ca/pdf/Final%20Report.pdf
For information on the harmful effects of second hand smoke, go to: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/index.php?CategoryID=19
For a brochure with information on how to talk to your kids about smoking, go to:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/cuttingthrough.html
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)
Worksheet 1: Vocabulary
The words in the first column will help you understand the interview you are about to hear. Try to guess their meaning. In each set of words, underline or cross out the word that doesn’t have a similar meaning to the first word. Think about the relationship of the words in each set. You can use an English Language Learner’s dictionary to help you.
Vocabulary Wordlegislation / laws / rules / judges
to ban / prohibit / outlaw / permit
role model / example / ladder / leader
second-hand / used / double / old
toxic / unreliable / poisonous / harmful
data / statistics / calculation / information
proximity / nearby / close / away
drifting / blowing / moving / changing
particulates / facts / particles / flecks
fatal / serious / deadly / lethal
Worksheet 2: Listen for Detail
Sometimes when we listen, we are listening for very specific details like numbers or instructions. Other times, we are listening for details that help us to understand a situation or a person’s point of view. When you listen to the interview this time, listen for details and circle the best answer to complete each sentence. The first one is completed for you as an example.
a) Manitoba already has a law which bans_1_.
1. smoking in workplaces
2. smoking in vehicles when children are passengers
3. smoking in outdoor recreational facilities
b) Manitoba will soon have a law that bans ___.
1. smoking in workplaces
2. smoking in vehicles when children are passengers
3. smoking in outdoor recreational facilities
c) Linda Mosher became interested in the issue of banning smoking in public recreational spaces when___.
1. she saw coaches smoking at a baseball game
2. her own children were affected by second-hand smoke
3. a parent complained about coaches and parents smoking at children’s baseball games
d) In her research, Linda learned that ___.
1. second-hand smoke outdoors is toxic
2. children are unlikely to copy the behaviour of role models who smoke
3. second-hand smoke drifts away outdoors and this makes it less harmful