Learning English with CBC

Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
February 4, 2011

Lesson 65: Teacher’s Edition

Level: Benchmark 5 and up

Topic: The Housing Challenge

Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for details and inference

Speaking – giving advice; responding to offers and excuses

Reading – reading a text for information

Writing – writing a letter; writing tips/advice

Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Language Tasks: Discussing newcomer housing preferences and challenges

Listening for detail and inference in a radio interview with Paul Ash, founder of New Journey Housing

Understanding food idioms in context

Understanding and responding to offers and excuses from landlords

Reading information about the importance of tenant insurance and responding to scenarios by giving advice

Writing a letter to a landlord to request a repair

Discussing personal housing experiences and giving advice to newcomers on housing through five written tips

Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing

Worksheets[1]: 1. Listen for Detail

2. Understand Food Idioms in Context

3. Respond to Offers or Excuses from Landlords

4. Read about Tenant Insurance and Give Advice

5. Write a Letter to Request a Repair

6. Discuss Your Housing Experiences and Write Tips for Newcomers

Appendices: Transcript of the podcast

Top Reasons Why You Need Tenant Insurance


Pre-listening activities

1. Discuss as a class

}  Generally speaking, do you prefer to live in the city, in a town or in the country?

}  If you prefer living in the city, do you prefer living in the downtown area or in the suburbs? Why?

}  Do you prefer living in an area where other newcomers from your country live? Where newcomers from other countries live? Why?

}  What are some of the other things that are important to you when you are looking for housing? (For example: affordability; the condition of the home or apartment; the number of rooms/bedrooms; closeness to schools, transit and stores; the look and appearance of the neighbourhood; who else lives there.)

}  What do you see as the greatest challenges newcomers face when they look for housing?

}  What do you think people should know about the housing situation in Manitoba before they immigrate?

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.

Vocabulary

options Options are when you have different alternatives or choices available to you. An example of a housing option is having a choice between renting and owning.

bricks and mortar The expression “bricks and mortar” refers to the existence of a physical building.

misunderstandings Examples of misunderstanding are problems that are caused when someone doesn’t understand a question, situation or instruction.

New Journey Housing New Journey Housing is a private, non-profit organization that assists and mentors newcomers who are looking for housing in Winnipeg.

in a nutshell This idiom means to say something concisely or in very few words.

a resource centre A resource centre is a place where someone can go to find information and assistance.

decent A decent house is one of good quality or standards. It would not need a lot of repairs.

born and raised If you are born and raised somewhere, it means you were born there and you grew up there.

a blue collar worker Someone who does physical work is called a blue collar worker. Office workers are often referred to as white collar workers.

rental accommodation If you live in rental accommodation, you live in housing someone else owns. An apartment is an example of rental accommodation.

shabby When something is in poor or bad condition it can be described as shabby.

rundown A building that is in very bad condition can be described as rundown.

a chapter in life This expression refers to a period of time in a person’s life that has a beginning and an end, just like a chapter in a book.

struggles Struggles are difficulties or challenges someone deals with over a long period of time.

a tenant A tenant is a person who has the use of a room, house, apartment, building etc. as long as they pay rent to the owner.

a landlord Someone who rents a room, house, apartment, building etc. to someone else is called a landlord.

references References are people you ask to provide a landlord or employer with information about your character and abilities.

a referral When you suggest that someone go to another person or organization for help or assistance, that’s called a referral.

assumptions When we assume or believe things are true, but have no definite proof they are true, we are said to be making an assumption.

expectations Things you think or hope will happen are described as expectations.

3. Predict what the interview is about

In this story, Marcy Markusa interviews Paul Ash about the housing resource centre he founded. It’s called New Journey Housing and it helps newcomers to Winnipeg understand how the housing market works. Ask students if they can predict the questions Marcy will ask Paul.

Here are a few examples:

I think she might ask him…if he is a newcomer himself.

She’ll probably want to know… why he decided to start New Journey Housing.

I wonder if she’ll ask him...how the organization is funded.

I’m sure she’ll ask him…what the organization does.

I don’t know have any idea what she’ll ask him.

While-listening activities

1.  Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear two speakers. They will hear:

Marcy Markusa – host and interviewer

Paul Ash – founder, New Journey Housing

Play the podcast for the first time.

2. Listen for fast speech strategies

Tell students that both Marcy and Paul speak very quickly. Paul also uses a number of strategies often heard in informal, fast speech. He uses a lot of fillers or hesitators as he searches for the right word. His favourite is ah. He also reduces certain words that can make it difficult for listeners to figure out where one word ends and another begins. One example is y’know.

Ask students to notice Paul’s use of hesitators/fillers when they listen to the podcast.

After students have listened a couple of times, ask if they heard examples of any other reduced words. Students can use the transcript to help them. (for example, line 26: a lot of sounds like a lotta; line 41: what are sounds like whaddare)

3. Listen for detail and inference

Hand out Worksheet 1 and review it with students. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it. Discuss the answers as a class.


After-listening activities

1.  Review pre-listening predictions

Ask students whether they were able to predict some of the things Marcy asked Paul Ash.

2. Understanding food idioms in context

Ask students if they use food idioms in their cultures. If yes, can they share an example with the class? Ask students if they can find a food idiom in the transcript for this podcast. (Line 14: in a nutshell.)

Handout and review Worksheet 2. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.

Extension activities

1. Understanding and responding to offers or excuses from a landlord

Discuss the difference between an offer to help and an excuse with the class. Ask students when they might offer help to someone? When might they make an excuse? Brainstorm examples of both situations as a class.

Hand out and review Worksheet 3. Ask students to work with a partner. Take up the answers as a class.

2. Read a text on tenant insurance and give advice

Hand out and review Appendix 2 and Worksheet 4. Ask students to work with a partner to respond to the scenarios. Take up the answers as a class.

3. Write a letter to a landlord to request a repair

Handout and review Worksheet 5. Students can work with a partner to discuss the content but write their own letter. Ask some students to read their letters aloud to the class.

4. Discuss personal housing experiences and give advice to newcomers on housing through written tips

Ask students to work in small groups. Hand out and review Worksheet 6. Ask the groups to share their tips with the class.

(Alternatively, each group of students could present their tips to the class and the class could play the newcomer audience, asking questions to clarify or expand on the information provided.)


Want to know more…

New Journey Housing has a website with more information about their services. It’s at:

http://www.newjourneyhousing.com/

For more information on housing/tenancy in Manitoba, try these government websites:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/housing/about_mbhousing.html and

http://www2.immigratemanitoba.com/browse/settle/settle-housing.html

The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch also has general information on its website. Under “Resources” some of the materials (for example, information on rent increases, the responsibilities of landlords and tenants and the role of the Branch) are available in eight languages. Their website is: http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/cca/rtb/index.html

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation publishes an information guide for newcomers. Much of the information is available in eight languages. You can find it at: http://www.cmhc.ca/newcomers/

The website for the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council/Welcome Place is at: http://www.miic.ca/Default.aspx

CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Worksheet 1: Listen for Detail

Listen to the interview and decide if the following statements are true or false. Sometimes you will need to listen for details and other times you will need to listen for inference.

The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. / There are three new housing projects in Winnipeg for newcomers. / True / False
2. / Paul Ash started New Journey Housing. / True / False
3. / New Journey finds jobs for newcomers. / True / False
4. / New Journey helps newcomers find good housing. / True / False
5. / New Journey Housing is funded by government. / True / False
6. / Paul Ash grew up in a wealthy household. / True / False
7. / Paul Ash can relate to the challenges newcomers face finding good housing. / True / False
8. / Paul got the idea of starting New Journey Housing from friends. / True / False
9. / The main goal of New Journey is to help newcomers understand housing basics. / True / False
10. / The responsibilities of home ownership and renting are very similar around the world. / True / False


Worksheet 2: Understand Food Idioms in Context

The English language uses many idioms. On first glance, the following idioms seem to be about food. But don’t be fooled! They aren’t really about food – they have a different meaning entirely. Work with your partner to match the sentences with the food idiom in context with the option that best shows what the idiom means. The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. So, what in a nutshell does the organization do?

a) So, what exactly does the organization do?

b) So, what kind of nut shell does the organization do?

c) So, what crazy things does the organization do?

2. Use your noodle and you’ll figure it out.

a) Use your ears and you’ll figure it out.

b) Use your calculator and you’ll figure it out.

c) Use your brain and you’ll figure it out.

3. The best way to impress your landlady is to butter her up.

a) The best way to impress your landlady is to talk to her.

b) The best way to impress your landlady is to take her treats.

c) The best way to impress your landlady is to flatter her.

4. My landlord is very serious. You could say he’s a hard nut to crack.

a) My landlord is very serious. You could say he’s difficult to get to know.

b) My landlord is very serious. You could say he’s very unfriendly.

c) My landlord is very serious. You could say he’s nuts.

5. Yes, I’ve got a cat. But please don’t spill the beans to the landlord.

a) Yes, I’ve got a cat. But please don’t ask me to tell the landlord.

b) Yes, I’ve got a cat. But please don’t tell my secret to the landlord.

c) Yes, I’ve got a cat. But please don’t hide that from the landlord.

6. I heard through the grapevine that our rent is going up.