Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
April 11, 2013
Lesson 89: Teacher’s Edition
Level: CLB 5 and up
Topic: Domestic Violence
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail
Speaking – expressing opinions; calling 911
Reading – reading a text for information; reading a chart
Writing – writing complex sentences to describe
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Expressing opinions on myths/facts related to domestic abuse
Using new vocabulary in context
Listening to an interview about how Soup Sisters helps Osborne House, a women’s shelter, and putting statements about the interview in sequence
Reading a chart on the Cycle of Abuse and matching topic labels with descriptions
Reading about protection planning and answering detail questions
Reporting an incident of domestic abuse in a 911 call role play
Writing complex sentences about Osborne House using relative pronouns
Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing, document use
Worksheets[1]: 1. Is it a Myth or a Fact?
2. Vocabulary Match
3. Listen for Main Ideas and Detail
4. Read a Chart for Information
5. Answer Detail Questions about a Protection Plan
6. Call 911 to Report a Domestic Violence Incident
7. Write Descriptive Sentences about Osborne House
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Answers for Facts and Myths
Keeping Yourself and Your Children Safe with a Protection Plan
Manitoba Memo
Domestic or family violence is part of every culture, ethnicity and income group. In Canada, domestic violence is a crime. It is not acceptable. Domestic violence or spousal abuse is most often directed at women by their partners but men can also be targets of abuse. Children who live in households where domestic abuse happens may end up in violent or abusive relationships as adults.
Preventing and stopping the cycle of abuse is a priority for the Manitoba government. Without help, abusive relationships get worse. There are thirty-four agencies across Manitoba that provide help for families affected by domestic abuse. The services available to Manitobans include:
· 10 women’s shelters which offer emergency shelter and counselling for women and children who are victims of domestic violence (they can also help men find a safe place to live);
· A provincial toll free crisis line: 1-877-977-0007;
· Nine women’s resource centres that provide information and referral, individual counselling, outreach and support groups for women;
· Second-stage housing programs which offer protective, affordable, long-term housing for women who leave abusive relationships and need more services than just physical protection
· Urban support programs that provide counselling and support groups;
· Specialized programs, including supervised access services for parents and their children and couples counselling;
· Services that respect cultural needs, (e.g. for aboriginal people, newcomers and immigrant women and children).
Immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence often face special problems. For language and cultural reasons they may feel isolated from other people. In addition to physical assault, they may face threats that they will be deported or their children will be taken away. They may feel ashamed of what is happening to them and not know who to ask for help.
Even if newcomers are not Canadian citizens, they have rights while living in Canada. Among these rights is the right to not be abused, to live without fear and to control their own life and make their own decisions.
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss facts/myths about domestic abuse
Ask students to work in small groups. Hand out and review Worksheet 1. Take up the answers as a 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 unique idea A unique idea is an original idea.
a chef A chef is a skilled cook. The chef is the main cook at a restaurant.
to donate something A donation is something you give to a cause or charitable organization, for example, money or volunteer time.
a charity A charity is an organization that gives money, goods or assistance to people who are poor, sick, in crisis etc.
ingredients Ingredients are the foods you use to make a particular dish. For example, the ingredients in bread usually include flour and yeast.
a session A session is a period of time. For example: We had a two hour session in the library on how to use the computer system.
Soup Sisters Soup Sisters is the name of a Canadian charitable organization. Volunteers make soup under the guidance of a chef and the soup is donated to a charity.
a chapter of an organization A chapter of an organization is a branch of the organization. It is made up of the local members of the organization. For example, Soup Sisters has a chapter or branch in Winnipeg and in several other Canadian cities.
to give (something) back We often talk about people giving back to the community. This means that they contribute or donate their time or their money to do something good for the community.
a bunch of A bunch of is an idiom which means a group of something. For example: A bunch of people were waiting for the store to open. There were at least a dozen of them standing in front of it.
to be spectacular If something is spectacular, it is very impressive.
a woman’s shelter A woman’s shelter is a place where a woman and her children can stay if they are in an abusive relationship and need protection.
Osborne House Osborne House is the name of a Winnipeg shelter for women and their children.
a gesture Something that you say or do, especially a small act, can be described as a gesture. For example: When the class sang Happy Birthday to their teacher, it was a touching gesture.
the founder of something The founder of something is the person who helps establish or start something, e.g. a new organization.
a recipient of something A recipient is someone who receives something. For example: Jolene was the recipient of the most improved student award.
to be (emotionally) moving We describe something as moving when it makes us feel strong emotions, e.g. sadness, sympathy.
to be receptive to something If you are receptive to something, you are willing to consider new ideas. You are open to hearing these ideas.
to be rewarding An experience is described as rewarding when it makes you feel happy and satisfied because you feel you are doing something important or useful.
to have to run The idiom I have to run means that you have to leave suddenly or stop what you are doing.
to hop on (board) The idiom to hop on board means to get involved in something. For example: Our class really liked the Soup Sisters idea. We decided we would hop on board and join in by volunteering our time.
3. Vocabulary match
Hand out 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 interview, Larry Updike interviews Miriam Bronstein, founder of the local chapter of Soup Sisters, about how the organization is helping Osborne House, a shelter for women and their children. Ask students if they can predict how Soup Sisters might help Osborne House.
I think they might …volunteer to help out in the kitchen at Osborne House.
Maybe they’ll…sell soup to raise money for Osborne House.
Perhaps they’ll …make soup to take to the residents of Osborne House.
Possibly they’ll ….
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear three speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Larry Updike – host of the CBC program Up to Speed
Miriam Bronstein – founder of Soup Sisters in Winnipeg
2. Listen for main ideas and detail
Handout Worksheet 3 and review it with students. Ask students to work with a partner 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 how Soup Sisters helped Osborne House.
Extension activities
1. Read a chart on the Cycle of Abuse and match the topics with their descriptions
Handout and review Worksheet 4. Ask students to work with a partner. Take up the answers as a class.
2. Read about protection planning for people in abusive situations and answer detail questions
Handout and review Appendix 3 and Worksheet 5. Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups. Take up the answers as a class.
3. Practise making a 911 call to report an incident of abuse
Handout and review Worksheet 6. Ask students to work with a partner for the role play.
4. Write complex sentences about Osborne House using relative pronouns
Handout and review Worksheet 7. Ask students to work individually or with a partner to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
Want to know more….
If you live in Manitoba and are in an abusive relationship, or you know someone who may be, call 1-877-977-0007. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The information in the Manitoba Memo is from the Manitoba government’s family violence prevention program website:
www.gov.mb.ca/fs/fvpp/about.html
Information on immigrant women and family violence can be found at:
www.gov.mb.ca/fs/fvpp/immigrants.html
For information on services available in Manitoba’s regions, go to: www.gov.mb.ca/fs/fvpp/resources.html
For facts about violence against women, go to: www.canadianwomen.org/facts-about-violence
The Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers website is: www.soupsisters.org
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Worksheet 1: Is it a Myth or a Fact?
Think about domestic violence as it affects your community. There are many myths about this subject. Myths are ideas that people may think are true, but which are not supported by the facts. Read each statement below and decide if it is a myth or a fact. Give your opinion telling why you feel that way. Discuss with a small group. Practise the English you need to agree or disagree with someone’s opinion.
Statement / In my opinion it is a myth / In my opinion it is a fact / Reason1. / Abuse usually happens only in “problem families.” / ü / I have seen it happen in all kinds of families.
2. / Domestic violence is a family matter and should be dealt with privately.
3. / Approximately 25% of women live in some kind of physically or emotionally abusive relationship.
4. / Domestic abuse is usually something that only happens once.
5. / Domestic abuse is caused by excessive drug or alcohol use.
6. / Men don’t get battered or abused.
7. / Lesbians and gay men can also be victims of domestic violence.
After you have finished discussing your opinions in your group, read the answer guide and additional information in Appendix 2. Do any of the answers surprise you? Why/why not?
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. _d unique / a) / to give money etc. to a charity or cause
2. __ a chef / b) / to do something that makes you feel happy and gives you a sense that you have done something useful or important
3. __ to donate something / c) / a place where women and their children can go to escape from domestic violence
4. __ a charity / d) / original
5. __ ingredients / e) / impressive or amazing
6. __ a session / f) / to be willing to consider new ideas
7. __ a chapter
(of an organization) / g) / the person who has the original idea / establishes something that’s new, e.g. an organization
8. __ to give back to your community / h) / the foods you use to make a particular dish
9. __ a bunch of / i) / a period of time
10. __ spectacular / j) / a local branch of an organization
11. __ a women’s shelter / k) / a small thing you do, e.g. an act of kindness
12. __ a founder
(of something) / l) / to contribute your time to help your community
13. __ to be moving / m) / a group of
14. __ to be receptive / n) / to make someone feel strong emotions, e.g. sadness, sympathy
15. __ to do something rewarding / o) / an organization that helps people in need by collecting money etc.
16. __ a gesture / p) / the head cook in a restaurant
Worksheet 3: Listen for Main Ideas and Detail
Listen to the interview about Soup Sisters. It describes how the organization began and how it works. Listen for the clues in the interview that will help you put the following statements about Soup Sisters in the correct sequence or order. Listen as many times as you need to.
The soup is frozen in one litre containers.
Miriam Bronstein attends a Soup Sisters event in Ottawa in 2012.
Osborne House receives the soup and expresses appreciation to the volunteers.
1 / Sharon Hapton starts Soup Sisters in Calgary in 2009.
The soup is delivered to Osborne House.
Miriam asks Chef Jeremy Langemann of the Fairmont Hotel to help by providing kitchen space, ingredients and guidance to the Winnipeg chapter of Soup Sisters.
Miriam decides to start a chapter of Soup Sisters in Winnipeg and donate the soup to Osborne House, a shelter for women and children.
Groups of volunteers get together and make soup.
Worksheet 4: Read a Chart for Information[2]