Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
October 30, 2008
Lesson 31: Teacher’s Edition
Level: Benchmark 5 and up
Topic: Staying Healthy: The Zimbabwe Hand Jive
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for main ideas, details and inference
Speaking – participating in a group discussion; expressing opinions; comparing likes and dislikes
Reading – reading a text for information; scanning a chart for information; researching websites
Writing - making notes; summarizing a text; writing recommendations
Language competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Participating in a discussion and expressing an opinion on the topic of healthy living
Listening to an interview with a dietician for detail and inference
Comparing likes and dislikes about ways to exercise
Using food idioms in context
Summarizing a text about the Zimbabwe Hand Jive
Scanning a chart from the Canada Food Guide for relevant information
Reading a text on diabetes for information and detail
Researching three Healthy Living Websites and making recommendations on how Manitoba’s could be improved
Essential Skills: Writing, reading text, using a computer, working with others, thinking skills, oral communication
Worksheets[1]: 1. Listening for Detail and Inference
2. Using Food Idioms in Context
3. Writing a Summary of a Text about the Zimbabwe Hand Jive
4. Completing a Chart Using Information from Canada’s Food Guide
5. Reading a Text on Diabetes and Answering T/F Questions
6. Researching Healthy Living Websites and Writing Recommendations
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
The Zimbabwe Hand Jive
Type 2 Diabetes – Who’s at Risk? What are the Symptoms?
Manitoba Memo
Chronic diseases affect thousands of Manitobans. Some examples of chronic diseases are type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease and some cancers. They’re called chronic diseases because once they begin, they continue throughout a person’s lifetime. They cannot be cured.
More and more people are developing chronic diseases. Health experts believe the increase can be partly explained by how we live and by the environment in which we live. Increased rates of obesity, unhealthy eating practices, decreasing rates of physical activity and smoking all contribute to the development of chronic diseases.
At one time, chronic diseases primarily occurred in adults. But now they are also occurring in children and adolescents. In fact, some experts are predicting that if trends continue, the current generation of young people will not live as long as their parents.
In the next 15 years, the Canadian Diabetes Association predicts that the incidence of type 2 diabetes among children will increase by 50 percent. The population groups at greatest risk to develop the disease are the children of First Nations, African, Hispanic and Asian descent. Children who are obese are also high risk.
But there is some good news. Simple lifestyle changes like eating healthy foods, limiting food portion sizes, watching your weight and waistline, being physically active and stopping smoking can significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes or other chronic diseases. If you are already living with a chronic disease, these same lifestyle changes will keep you healthier.
Note to teachers: The province of Manitoba produced a Healthy Living Guide in the spring of 2008 which has good supporting materials for this lesson. If you would like copies of this guide for your class, please email me: . Please write Healthy Living Guide on the subject line of your email and let me know how many copies you need and where you would like them sent. If you would like to view the guide first, go to: http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthylivingguide/index.html
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss these questions as a class (or give one question to four groups of students to discuss and ask them to report back)
} Are eating habits (what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat) in your country are different from those in Manitoba? How are they different? Who do you think eats more healthily?
} What about exercise habits? Do you get more regular exercise living in Manitoba than you did in your country, or do you get less exercise living here? What are the reasons why you get more/less exercise?
} Where is the rate of smoking higher? Do you think more people in your country smoke or do you think more Manitobans smoke? Why do you think that’s the case?
} Does your country have campaigns to encourage people to eat better, be more physically active and quit smoking? What kinds of messages are these campaigns trying to get across? Do you think these campaigns are successful?
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 which use the new vocabulary. If your students keep a vocabulary journal, they can copy the vocabulary into their journal.
Vocabulary
Zimbabwe Hand Jive A method of estimating how much food you should eat. You use your hands as a guide to tell you how much to eat from each food group.
dietician A dietitian is a health professional who has a Bachelor's degree and specializes in foods and nutrition.
measuring tools Measuring tools for food include cups, spoons and scales. They may be in metric measurement (mL’s, litres, kilograms) or in imperial measurement (cup, teaspoon, pint, pounds).
oh jeez (geez) An informal expression used to express surprise, anger or annoyance. For example, “Oh jeez, I put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Now it’s ruined!”
Canadian Diabetes Association The Canadian Diabetes Association is a charitable organization with branches in more than 150 communities across the Canada. Its mandate is to promote the health of Canadians through diabetes research, education, service and advocacy.
visual representation A visual representation is something you can actually see. Being able to see it helps you remember it.
portion size The amount of food eaten at a meal by one person.
starches Starches are the carbohydrates in food. They provide your body with energy and are found in such foods as couscous, rice, potatoes and pasta.
equivalent If something is equivalent to something else, it has the same value or is the same amount.
physician Another word for a medical doctor.
eyeball it An expression which means to estimate or guess by looking closely at something. For example, if you don’t have a scale, you might eyeball a turkey to guess how big it is and how long it will take to cook it.
diabetes[2] Your body gets energy by making glucose from foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit. To use this glucose (sugar), your body needs insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body control the level of glucose in your blood.
If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not produce insulin and you need to inject insulin into your body. Most people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed before the age of 30. It is not preventable.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or it doesn’t properly use the insulin it makes. With the help of your doctor, you can manage type 2 diabetes by monitoring the glucose level in your bloodstream. This means living a healthy lifestyle and taking diabetes medications if your doctor recommends them. Healthy meals and snacks, watching your waistline and exercising regularly can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It means that both mother and child are at risk of developing diabetes.
If it is not continually managed, diabetes can lead to very severe complications and death.
3. Predict what the podcast is about
In this story, Terry MacLeod interviews a nutritionist. Tell students that most of the interview is about three things:
food portions
hands
measuring tool
Based on these phrases and the vocabulary you have discussed as a class, ask students to predict what the interview might be about. Here are a few examples of ways they could start their sentences.
I think it might be about ….
I wonder if it’s about …
Maybe it’s about…
Quite possibly it is about......
Do you think it could be about…
I have no idea what it’s about.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear several speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – introduction and host
Terry MacLeod – CBC interviewer
Phyllis Reid-Jarvis – Dietician
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Listen for detail and inference
Ask students to work with a partner. Hand out Worksheet 1. Ask students to read the questions, then listen for information to help them with the answers.
Take up the answers as a class.
Post-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students to quickly review their pre-listening predictions. Were they able to predict what the interview was about?
2. Compare exercise likes and dislikes
Ask students to make a list of up to 10 ways to be active and get exercise. They should include things that they themselves like to do.
Ask students to circulate around the classroom to compare items from their list with other student’s lists (verbally) using one of the following phrases which you have written on the board:
a lot more than a lot less than
considerably more than considerably less than
somewhat more than somewhat less than
more than less than
Review a few examples with students before they begin.
I like playing soccer a lot more than I like playing hockey.
I like to dance somewhat less than I like to walk.
I like to play outside with my kids more than I like to go to they gym.
3. Using food idioms in context
Tell students that there are many food idioms used in everyday conversation. Have students work with a partner to complete Worksheet 2.
Take up the answers as a class.
Extension activities
1. Summarize a text about the Zimbabwe Hand Jive
Have students work in with a partner or in small groups. Provide students with copies of Appendix 2 and Worksheet 3. Tell students that they are going to work together to read and summarize information about the history of the Zimbabwe Hand Jive and how it works. The summary should be written so that other English language learners at their level would be able to understand what the tool is all about.
Suggest students follow these steps for this task.
ü First, read the text. Students can use an English language learner’s dictionary to assist with vocabulary. Remind students they do not need to understand every word. Their task is to summarize the main point of each section.
ü Second, underline or highlight key words or phrases in the text which should be part of the summary.
ü Third, do a first draft of the summary.
ü Fourth, trade their summary with another pair/group. Read each other’s summaries and make suggestions to improve content and clarity.
ü Finally, write a final draft.
Students can read their summaries aloud to the class and/or you can collect and mark them.
2. Scan a chart from Canada’s Food Guide
Have students work individually or with a partner. Each student will complete their personal chart on Worksheet 4.
3. Read for detail: Who’s at risk to develop diabetes? What are the symptoms?
Ask students to work with a partner. Provide students with Appendix 3 and Worksheet 5. Review the instructions with the class.
Take up the answers as a class.
4. Access website information and write recommendations to improve the Manitoba Healthy Living website
The Manitoba Department of Healthy Living is thinking about redesigning their website. One of the objectives is to make information about staying healthy and preventing chronic disease easy for all Manitobans to find. Another objective is to provide information that newcomers to Manitoba will find helpful and easy to use.
Ask students to work in groups. Using Worksheet 6 as a guide, their task is to provide the Department with input. What would they like to see on the website? What kind of information would be helpful to them and their families? Should the website be interactive? Do pictures speak louder than words?
Attention teachers: This is a real life task! You can send your student’s ideas and suggestions to (email subject line: Healthy Living Website). Or you can email me and I will provide a mailing address. I will forward the ideas to the department to include in their review.
Want to know more…
To learn more about Canada’s Food Guide, go to:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php.
The Guide is available on-line in English, French, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Farsi (Persian), Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Urdu. You can also order a copy and it will be mailed to you.
The Canadian Diabetes Association website is:
http://www.diabetes.ca/
The Manitoba Healthy Living website is:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/
The CBC Get Moving Manitoba website is:
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/getmoving/
For ideas about getting active, go to:
http://www.manitobainmotion.ca/
https://www.movingaroundmanitoba.ca/
This B.C. site has links to healthy living materials in different languages and some curriculum resources for teachers:
http://www.amssa.org/healthyliving/overview.html
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)
Worksheet 1: Listen for Detail and Inference
Read the questions on the Worksheet before you listen to the podcast again so you will know what to listen for. Reading the questions in advance may also give you clues which will help you better understand the interview.