Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
January 21, 2013
Lesson 95: Teacher’s Edition
Level: CLB 5 and up
Topic: Making New Year’s Resolutions
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for main ideas and detail
Speaking – describing a definite plan
Reading – reading questions and answers to an on-line quiz
Writing – writing, categorizing and mapping resolutions; writing a paragraph
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Discussing bad habits and how people try to break them
Using new vocabulary in context
Listening to an interview with CBC director and writer Andy Blicq about his documentary, Slaves to Habit
Describing a definite plan for keeping resolutions using “to be going to”
Locating the on-line quiz Test Your Habits; reading, answering and discussing the quiz questions
Writing, categorizing, prioritizing and mapping personal resolutions
Writing a paragraph with a detailed description of a personal plan to achieve a goal / resolution
Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing, document use
Worksheets[1]: 1. Breaking Bad Habits
2. Vocabulary Match
3. Listen for Main Ideas and Detail
4. Describe a Definite Plan Using the Expression “To Be Going To”
5. Test Your Habits: Answer an On-line Quiz
6. Write, Categorize, Prioritize and Map Personal Resolutions
7. Write a Paragraph on How You Will Reach Your Goal
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Manitoba Memo
For centuries, people have seen the start of a new year as a new beginning. At one time, the new year began in March, but by about 300 B.C. it shifted to January. According to the Romans, January was an appropriate month to start a new year because the Roman god of January is Janus.
Janus is a two-faced god which is associated with doorways, archways and new beginnings. Some scholars believe the nature of Janus helps explain why many faiths see the new year as a time to look back and reflect, as well as a time to look ahead. The belief that the new year is the time to start over and do better is present in many faiths and cultures.
Over time, New Year’s celebrations have become more secular, especially in the Western world. The focus has shifted from an external focus of honouring a god and committing to do moral good, to an internal focus of changing one’s own behaviour and making resolutions that focus on self-improvement. New Year’s is the time of year when people think about bad habits they want to break and good habits they want to begin.
In our culture, New Year’s resolutions are usually centred on personal goals like losing weight, getting more exercise, quitting smoking, getting out of debt, saving money, volunteering more, spending more time with family, thinking more positive thoughts etc. We set goals for a new year because we feel it’s important to continue to try to improve things in our lives. A new year brings new hope of success.
The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions fits well with another part of western culture, the ongoing focus on self-improvement. Helping people improve themselves is a large and profitable industry. For example, the self-help section of any bookstore is full of books telling us how to be more fit, more healthy, less stressed etc. Most of these books are based on people’s experiences not on scientific fact. In fact, there is a debate about how helpful many of these resources actually are to their readers.
Companies and marketers also cater to people’s desire for self-improvement. You can buy mobile apps for your smart phone to help you monitor your fitness resolutions and set daily goals. There are apps like Mint, which help you track your spending.
It’s also no coincidence that television and print advertisements about weight loss or fitness equipment are everywhere at the beginning of the new year. What better time to advertise these products than when consumers are thinking seriously about changing their habits or behaviour?
Research shows that fewer people make New Year’s resolutions now than they did a few decades ago. It also shows that less than one in two people are able to keep their resolutions past the six month point. But many of us keep trying, setting and re-setting goals all year long. We try to learn from our failures and achieve our objectives. We all want to be amongst those who can say, “This year, I did it!”
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss ways to break a bad habit
Ask students to work in small groups. Hand out Worksheet 1 and review it with the class.
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
a New Year’s resolution When a new year begins, people often decide to change their habits or behaviour. For example, they decide or resolve to quit smoking or start exercising. We refer to such decisions as New Year’s resolutions.
to break a bad habit If you break a bad habit, you stop doing something that you know is bad for you, for example, you quit smoking.
a documentary A documentary is a film, television or radio program that gives detailed information about a particular subject and explores it in depth.
to struggle with something If you struggle with something, you try very hard to achieve something, even though it is difficult.
a common happening If something is common, it means it happens often and to many people in many places.
to be obvious Something that is obvious is easily seen or understood.
a tier A tier is a level or layer in something, for example, a wedding cake or an auditorium or arena which has different levels of seating.
to get one’s finances in order If you decide to get your finances in order, you take a close look at your income, your expenses and your financial goals to make sure things are working the way you want them to work.
a personal relationship A personal relationship is a close relationship, for example, with a family member, spouse or good friend.
something that’s close to you If something is described as being close to you, it means it’s something that you care about a lot and that has a significant impact on you.
to do research If you do research on a topic, you study that topic seriously and learn more about it.
to form a habit Forming a habit is the same as developing a habit. It means that you begin to do something and then you can’t easily stop, even if you want to stop.
to be universal Something that’s universal involves everyone in the world, or everyone in a particular group. For example, the experience of trying to quit smoking several times before you succeed is universal among smokers.
an automatic response An automatic response is something you do without even thinking about it. You’ve done it so many times before that it is automatic.
to forgive yourself Forgiving yourself is the act of not being angry or blaming yourself for something you’ve done or haven’t done. Instead, you focus on moving ahead or trying again.
to fail If you fail at something you do not succeed. You do not achieve what you hoped to achieve.
a process A process is a series of actions that are undertaken in order to achieve a particular result.
to feel guilty If you feel guilty, you feel ashamed and sad because you know you have done something wrong.
to feel shame If you feel shame, you feel a painful feeling of humiliation or distress because you know you have engaged in wrong or foolish behavior.
3. Vocabulary Match
Hand out and review Worksheet 2. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
4. Predict what the interview is about
In this podcast, Marcy interviews Andy Blicq. Andy has written and directed a documentary about setting New Year’s resolutions and about the difficulty people face when they try to break bad habits or start new habits. Ask students if they can predict the kinds of habits the documentary might talk about.
I think it might be about…quitting smoking.
I wonder if it will be about …developing healthy habits, like eating well and getting more exercise?
Maybe the documentary will be about …losing weight.
I’m guessing it will focus on…personal finances.
I have no idea what the focus will be.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear two speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Andy Blicq – writer and director of the documentary Slaves to Habit
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Listen for main idea and detail
Handout Worksheet 3 and review it with students. Ask students to work individually to complete it. Play the podcast as many times as needed. Take up the answers as a class.
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students if they were able to predict what kinds of habits the documentary might talk about.
Extension activities
1. Describe a definite plan for keeping resolutions using the structure “to be going to”
Handout and review Worksheet 4. Ask students to work with a partner to complete the sentences and practise the descriptions.
2. Locate the on-line quiz Test Your Habits; read, answer and discuss the quiz questions
Handout and review Worksheet 5. Ask students to work with a partner to complete the task.
3. Write, categorize, prioritize and map personal resolutions
Handout and review Worksheet 6. Ask students to work with a partner but each student will write their own resolutions and complete their own map.
4. Write a paragraph with a detailed description of a personal plan to achieve a goal / resolution
Handout and review Worksheet 7. Students can work with a partner to discuss things to include in their paragraph, but each student should write their paragraph.
Want to know more on this topic?
The CBC Doc Zone website is: www.cbc.ca/doczone/
You can watch Andy Blicq’s documentary, Slaves to Habit on-line at: www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes//slaves-to-habit
The following websites offer help for people who are trying to break habits or start good habits:
If you want to quit smoking: www.smokershelpline.ca/
For information on healthy eating and nutrition: www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/nutrition/tips.html
For tips on staying physically active: www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/activity.html
For help with doing a household budget: www.mint.com/canada/
and www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02757.html
You can find stress busting tips here: www.heartandstroke.mb.ca/site/c.lgLSIVOyGpF/b.3661267/k.7F65/Stroke__Reduce_your_stress.htm
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Worksheet 1: Breaking Bad Habits
We often identify habits or routines that we want to change or give up. Think about people in your community. What are some ways or strategies that people use to break bad habits especially at times like the beginning of a new year? Use the following questions to practise your listening and speaking skills as you discuss this topic in a group.
1. What are some common habits that people try to give up at a time like the beginning of a new year? e.g. smoking
2. What strategies or techniques do people use to help them succeed? e.g. an incentive or reward
3. What supports are there to help someone kick a habit? e.g. counsellors, products to help quit smoking
4. Many people give up and go back to their habit. Why do you think many people fail in their attempt to break a bad habit?
5. Have you ever tried to kick a habit? Would you like to share your experience?
Worksheet 2: Vocabulary Match
Learning vocabulary before you listen helps you understand the podcast. Work with your partner to see if you can you match each vocabulary word or phrase with its meaning. You can use an English Language Learner’s Dictionary to help you. The first one is completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word / Meaning1. _m a New Year’s resolution / a) / to try very hard to achieve something, even though it is difficult
2. __ to break a bad habit / b) / to not be angry with yourself, to not blame yourself
3. __ a documentary / c) / a close relationship, e.g. with family
4. __ to struggle with something / d) / to begin to do something regularly and continually and be unable to stop easily
5. __ a common happening / e) / something you do without even thinking about it
6. __ to be obvious / f) / to feel ashamed or sad because you know you have done something wrong
7. __ a tier / g) / a film, television or radio program that provides detailed information about a subject
8. __ a personal relationship / h) / a level or layer of something
9. __ to do research / i) / a series of actions that are undertaken to try to achieve a certain result
10. __ to form a habit / j) / to be easily seen or understood
11. __ to be universal / k) / something that happens often and to many people in many places
12. __ an automatic response / l) / to involve everyone in the world or in a particular group
13. __ to forgive yourself / m) / a goal you set for yourself at the beginning of a new year
14. __ to fail / n) / to stop doing something that you regularly do but you know is bad for you
15. __ a process / o) / to not succeed at something you try to achieve
16. __ to feel guilty / p) / to study a topic and learn more about it
Worksheet 3: Listen for Main Ideas and Detail