Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
January 18, 2013
Lesson 85: Teacher’s Edition
Level:
CLB 5 and up
Topic:
Canadian Citizenship
Language Skills and Functions:
Listening – listening to a short interview for
information
Speaking – expressing approval/disapproval
Reading – reading a text for main ideas and detail
Writing
– writing a letter
Language Competencies:
Language Tasks:
Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking
Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Expressing opinions on what citizenship means to you
Using new vocabulary in context
Predicting whether information is true or false before listening to a radio
interview about Canadian citizenship; listening to the interview for the
information to check your answers
Expressing approval/disapproval of specific Canadian citizenship
requirements and giving reasons for your responses
Reading about strategies you can use to for multiple choice questions;
discussing your experience with multiple choice questions
Reading a short excerpt from the Discover Canada citizenship guide
and practising answering multiple choice questions on the text
Writing a letter to a friend comparing the citizenship systems of Canada
and your country of origin
Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing
Worksheets1: 1. Think, Pair, Share – Requirements for Canadian Citizenship
2. Vocabulary Match
3. Listen for Information
4. Express How You Feel about Canadian Citizenship Requirements
5. Read and Discuss Strategies for Answering Multiple Choice Questions
6. Read a Text for Detail and Answer Multiple Choice Questions
7. Write a Letter Comparing Citizenship Systems
Appendices:
1
Transcript of the podcast
Text: Message to Our Readers (From Discover Canada)
Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 1 of 17
Manitoba Memo
What is citizenship? In countries around the world, most people are citizens at
birth. Their citizenship is based on who their parents are or where they were born.
However, citizenship becomes a more complicated process when someone wants to
become a citizen of a different country.
Individual countries are responsible for setting the requirements for citizenship. The
requirements may include living in the country for a certain period of time, a payment,
passing a test, being able to speak the language, a criminal record check or a
combination of items. In some countries, length of residency is the main criteria. In
other countries, such as Canada, residency and other requirements apply.
Most newcomers to Canada want to become citizens. Permanent resident status does
not have the same rights as citizenship. A citizen can vote, run for office and obtain a
Canadian passport. Most newcomers see citizenship as the final step in their quest to
become a Canadian.
Canadian citizens enjoy certain rights but they also have responsibilities. These
responsibilities include obeying the law, working hard and taking care of your family,
serving on a jury, voting in elections, helping others in the community and protecting
and enjoying Canada’s heritage and environment.
Most western countries, including Canada, require newcomers to pass a test to
become citizens. In this country, immigrants between the ages of 18 and 54 must
achieve a specific score on a test to be eligible for citizenship. Citizenship tests and
the questions they ask can be controversial. Some critics of the tests argue that they
can be used to keep people out of the country or to prevent them from fully
participating in their adopted country.
In recent years, Canada has increased its requirements for citizenship. Now,
applicants must have proof of their language level before they can apply to write the
test. Some of the questions on the test are difficult and a higher test score is needed
to pass than was needed in the past.
These changes in the Canadian requirements are affecting some immigrant
communities more than others. The changes may put citizenship further out of reach
for newcomers with little or no formal education. Citizenship is also becoming more
difficult for immigrants who come to Canada from countries where English or French is
not a commonly spoken language and where there is little familiarity with Canadian
roots and customs. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that citizenship test
failure rates are far greater in the Afghan and Vietnamese communities, for example,
than among immigrants coming from Britain or Australia.
If they want to become citizens, many newcomers to Canada will now need to study
even harder to realize their dream. That’s especially challenging when they are also
working and raising a family. Some may be forced to accept that full citizenship is not
within their grasp until they reach the age of 55, but others will keep trying. After all,
Canada is their home.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 2 of 17
Pre-listening activities
1. Think, Pair, Share: What should be the main requirements of Canadian citizenship?
Hand out Worksheet 1 and review it with the class. When the activity is finished, ask
students to share their list of main requirements with the class as a whole.
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 citizen
A citizen is someone who legally belongs to a
country and who has certain rights and
responsibilities in that country.
a citizenship test
A citizenship test asks a series of questions
about the history, customs etc. of a country.
Immigrants must obtain a specific score on
the test to be eligible for citizenship.
the Canadian Language Benchmarks
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)
are national standards for English and
French. The Benchmarks describe, measure
and recognize second language abilities adult
immigrants and prospective immigrants need
for living and working in Canada. The
benchmarks describe tasks students need to
be able to achieve in speaking, reading,
listening and writing for each of the twelve
benchmark levels.
to apply for something
If you apply for something, you formally
request it. The request is usually in writing.
For example, you apply for a passport by
filling out an application.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 3 of 17
a refugee
A refugee is someone who has been forced to
leave their country, especially during a war, or for
political or religious reasons.
unfortunate circumstances
When people live in disadvantaged situations and
are unable to control or influence what’s happening
around them, we sometimes say they are living in
or experiencing unfortunate circumstances.
a formal education
A formal education is the kind of education you
receive at school or in college or university. It is
different from an informal education. An informal
education is the practical experience of our
everyday lives.
a requirement
A requirement is something you must do because
a rule or a law says it must be done.
to be adequate
We describe something as adequate if it is
sufficient or enough for a particular purpose. For
example: If you read the Discover Canada
booklet, you will have adequate or sufficient
knowledge of Canadian history to write the
citizenship test.
to be mandatory
Mandatory means compulsory. If something is
mandatory, a rule or law says that you must do it.
to be able to function
If someone can work and live in our society, we
say they are able to function in it.
to attain something
If you work for something for a long time and
succeed, we say you have attained it. For
example: Nooria studied for four years before she
was able to attain or reach the language level she
needed to write her citizenship test.
to encourage someone
When you give someone the courage or
confidence to do something, we say you are
encouraging them. For example: Our teacher
encouraged us to practise our English by giving us
positive feedback and telling us every day that we
were improving.
to aim for something
When you aim for something, you try to achieve it.
For example, if your goal is to complete
benchmark level four, we say you are aiming to
complete it.
an obstacle
An obstacle is a barrier. It is something you must
overcome to succeed.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 4 of 17
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, Terry MacLeod interviews Ermias Yoseph of Welcome Place about
recent changes to the language requirements to apply for Canadian citizenship. The
new requirements make it harder for some immigrants and refugees to become citizens.
Ermias talks about how the changes may affect the refugee newcomers he works with.
Ask students if they can predict any concerns Ermias might have about the changes.
Here are a few examples:
He might be concerned that his clients will… become discouraged.
He might think that the changes …are unfair.
Maybe he won’t have any concerns at all.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear three speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Terry MacLeod – interviewer
Ermias Yoseph – Welcome Place
2. Listen for information
Handout Worksheet 3 and review it with students. Ask students to work individually to
complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students whether they were able to predict any of the concerns Ermias Yoseph
talked about.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 5 of 17
Extension activities
1. Express feelings and opinions about Canadian citizenship requirements
Handout and review Worksheet 4. Ask students to work individually to complete the
Worksheet and then to discuss their opinions as a group.
2. Read and discuss information about strategies for answering multiple choice questions
Handout and review Worksheet 5. Ask students to work with a partner or in small
groups. Take up the answers as a class.
3. Read a short text from the Discover Canada citizenship handbook and practise
answering multiple choice questions
Handout and review Worksheet 6. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it.
Take up the answers as a class.
4. Write a letter comparing Canada’s citizenship system to your country of origin
Handout and review Worksheet 7. Students can work with a partner but each student
should write their own letter.
Want to know more….
The Citizenship and Immigration Canada website has information on citizenship
requirements and processes. The background information you need to study for the test
is on this website and there are sample questions:
www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/index.asp
For background information on how the 2010 changes to the citizenship test affected
different groups of applicants, go to: www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/howapplicants-are-stumbling-on-the-final-step-to-becoming-canadians/article4382633/
and
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/who-benefits-when-new-immigrants-are-heldto-high-language-standards/article4382652/
This You Tube video has examples of some the more difficult questions that could be on
the citizenship test: www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ub-IB17EM
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 6 of 17
Worksheet 1: Think, Pair, Share – Requirements for Canadian Citizenship
Imagine for a moment that you are responsible for deciding who can become a
Canadian citizen. What would you emphasize? What do you consider to be the most
important requirements for citizenship? Why?
Do you have the vocabulary you need to discuss this topic?
Think about what citizenship means to you. What should determine
whether an immigrant or refugee can become a Canadian citizen? Here
are some things to consider:










Residency - how long they have lived in Canada.
Ability to speak the local language adequately.
Ability to speak the local language very well.
Ability to get a job.
Financial resources. Do they have enough money to support
themselves when they first arrive?
Contributions to the community, e.g. by volunteering.
Whether they have family here.
Honesty and moral character.
Knowledge of details of Canada’s history, geography, customs etc.
Level of education.
If you were responsible for deciding who can be a Canadian citizen, what
three things would you prioritize? You can choose items from the list
above or offer your own ideas. What factors would be most important?
1.______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
Now, share your thoughts with your partner. Can you give reasons to
support your choices?
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 7 of 17
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
Meaning
1. _d a citizen
a)
national language standards which
describe the language abilities immigrants
need to work and live in Canada
2. __ a citizenship test
b)
something you must have according to a
rule or law
3. __ Canadian Language
Benchmarks
c)
an education in a school, college or
university
4. __ to apply for something
d)
someone who legally/officially belongs to a
country
5. __ a refugee
e)
sufficient
6. __ to experience unfortunate
circumstances
f)
to be compulsory; something you have to
do because it is the law
7. __ a formal education
g)
to get or accomplish something you have
been working toward for a long time
8. __ a requirement
h)
to give someone confidence that they can
do something
9. __ adequate
i)
to be able to live/work somewhere
10. __ to be mandatory
j)
to plan to achieve something; to set a goal
for the future
11. __ to function somewhere
k)
a series of questions which test knowledge
of Canada and of English or French
language abilities of someone who is
applying for citizenship
12. __ to attain something
l)
someone who is forced to leave their
country, especially during a war, or for
religious or political reasons
13. __ to encourage someone
m)
to be disadvantaged due to things that are
happening around you, e.g. poverty, war
14. __ to aim for something
n)
a barrier; something you have to work hard
to overcome
15. __ an obstacle
o)
to make a formal request for something,
e.g. a passport
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 8 of 17
Worksheet 3: Listen for Information
Read the sentences below before you listen to the CBC interview. Predict if they are
true or false.
Then listen to the interview about Canadian citizenship for information. Sometimes you
will be listening for specific information or details. Sometimes you will be listening for the
main idea.
1. Every year 17,000 immigrants to Canada become citizens.
True
False
2. In 2010, the federal government made the citizenship test
easier.
True
False
3. In 2011, there were more changes.
True
False
4. Now you need a Canadian Language Benchmark score of 4.
True
False
5. Many refugees to Canada did not have an opportunity to go to
school.
True
False
6. These new rules will make the situation harder for them.
True
False
7. The government feels that these new rules will help
newcomers be more successful at work.
True
False
8. The new rules will create obstacles to citizenship for some
newcomers.
True
False
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 9 of 17
Worksheet 4: Express How You Feel about Canadian Citizenship Requirements
Look at some of the requirements you must meet to get Canadian citizenship. What do you
think? Do you approve or disapprove? After you have completed the worksheet, discuss
your opinions with your group. Practise the language you need to show your approval or
disapproval and tell why you feel that way.
Requirements
1. You must have CLB Level 4 in
English or French to apply for
citizenship.
Approve Disapprove
Reason
2. You cannot become a
Canadian citizen if you have
recently been or are currently
in prison.
3. Applicants who are 55 or older
don’t have to meet the same
language requirement.
4. You may be asked to provide
fingerprints as part of the
application process.
5. You must live in Canada as a
permanent resident for a
specific period of time.
6. You must apply for citizenship
while you are living within
Canada.
Here’s some language you can use to express approval and disapproval:
I approve of ________________ because….
I disapprove of ______________ because….
I’m not sure what I think of __________ because….
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 10 of 17
Worksheet 5: Read about and Discuss Strategies for Answering
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice testing is a common form of testing that you may encounter. For
example, these kinds of questions are on the Canadian citizenship test, so it is a good
idea to become familiar with them.
Multiple choice questions usually have a very similar format. They include an
incomplete statement or “stem”, followed by three to five optional answers.
Answering multiple choice questions can be tricky. In some cases, the answers are
based on facts or numbers and it is clear that only one answer is true. In other cases,
more than one answer may appear to be true or could be true in some circumstances.
Your task is to determine which answer is the best answer.
Here is an example:
Question Stem
Possible Answers
To apply for Canadian citizenship, adult
newcomers must…
a) have lived in Canada for five years
b) meet all the legal requirements
c) hire a lawyer
d) understand English
Let’s analyze the possible answers.
(a) Is incorrect, as the requirement is that adults must live in Canada for three years
before they can apply.
(b) Is correct. You must meet all the legal requirements for Canadian citizenship before
you can apply.
(c) Is incorrect. While some people may hire a lawyer, the question stem says “must”.
Applicants are certainly not required to hire a lawyer.
(d) Is somewhat correct. Understanding English is a requirement to apply for
citizenship. However, the answer doesn’t define what “understand English” means.
And if you are applying to live in Quebec, you need to understand French, not
English.
Therefore, the best answer to this question is (b).
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 11 of 17
Basic Strategies for Answering Multiple Choice Questions
Here are some strategies you can use when you are answering multiple choice
questions. Read them with your partner. Then discuss the questions which follow.
Strategies
1. Read and listen to the test instructions carefully. How much time do you have?
Do you lose marks if you answer incorrectly?
2. Read through the test.
3. If you are allowed to, answer the easiest questions first. This way, you won’t
run out of time and miss answering questions where you know the answer. (If
your test is on the computer, or an oral test, you may not be able to do this. You
may have to answer each question in order.)
4. If you don’t lose marks for guessing, make your best guess on more difficult
questions.
5. If the questions are difficult, you could try the following strategies:

Cover the answers with your hand – how would you answer the stem of the
question if there were no answers listed? See if any of the possible
answers are close to your answer.

Decide which answers you know are incorrect and focus on the remaining
answers.

Read the stem of the question with the remaining answers one by one.
Think of each one as a true/false question. Select the answer that is “most
true”.

If two answers seem correct, compare them for differences. Read the
stem with each of these answers. Decide which one is your best answer.
Discuss the following questions with your partner:
1. Are multiple choice tests common in your country of origin? How/ when are they
used?
2. Have you written tests with multiple choice questions since you came to Canada?
In what kinds of situations? How easy/difficult were they?
3. What do you find the most challenging thing about answering multiple choice
questions?
4. Have you ever used any of the strategies you’ve just read about to help you
answer multiple choice questions? Which ones? Did they help?
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 12 of 17
Worksheet 6: Read a Text for Detail and Answer Multiple Choice Questions
Read Appendix A with your partner. The information is from the Discover Canada
Guide. The questions on the Canadian citizenship test are based on the information
found in this guide.
Practise using the strategies you just read as you answer these multiple choice
questions.
1. To apply for Canadian citizenship, newcomers must
a) have lived in Canada for five years
b) meet all the legal requirements
c) hire a lawyer
d) understand English or French
2. Newcomers have been coming to Canada for
a) 400 years
b) 500 years
c) 200 years
d) 300 years
3. Canada’s government is best described as
a) a provincial democracy
b) a constitutional democracy
c) a parliamentary democracy
d) a democracy
4. To be eligible for citizenship, immigrants between the ages of 18 and 54 must have
a) an adequate knowledge of French and English
b) an adequate knowledge of French
c) an adequate knowledge of English
d) an adequate knowledge of French or English
5. To be eligible for citizenship, immigrants must learn about
a) local history and geography
b) North American history and geography
c) provincial history and geography
d) Canadian history and geography
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 13 of 17
Worksheet 7: Write a Letter Comparing Citizenship Systems
Do you have the vocabulary to write a letter to a friend or relative back home that compares
applying for Canadian citizenship with applying for citizenship in your country? Use the
outline to help you with your letter.
Who are you writing to?
Dear ____________________________:
Start with why you
are writing the letter.
Now that I have lived in Canada for close to three years, I am
preparing to apply for citizenship. It is a long process!
The system in Canada is very (similar to / different than) the
system in our country.
Write about one main
difference / similarity.
For example, one of the main requirements here is that you
_______________________________________________
_________________________________________________.
As you know, this is (similar / different) to what happens in our
country because ___________________________________
_________________________________________________.
Write about a second
difference / similarity.
Another requirement that’s (similar / different) is ___________
_________________________________________________.
Conclude and write a
closing sentence wishing
them well
Overall, I think that the process for applying for citizenship in
Canada is (easier / harder) than it is in our country.
I hope you are ___________________________________.
Send me a note when you get a chance.
Your friend,
_________________________
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 14 of 17
Appendix 1: Transcript
December 19, 2012 (Information Radio broadcast date)
Speaker
Podcast
Line
Marcy
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English
with CBC. Every year, about 170,000 immigrants to Canada
become citizens. But becoming a citizen has become
increasingly difficult. In 2010, the federal government changed
the citizenship test, requiring a higher score to pass and
5
making the questions more challenging. Then, in November of
2012, the rules were changed again so that newcomers
between 18 and 54 must prove they have a Canadian
Language Benchmark score of four before they can apply for
citizenship. In this interview, Terry MacLeod interviews Ermias
10
Yoseph of Welcome Place about how these changes are
affecting newcomers in Manitoba.
Terry
How hard is it for newcomers to reach this benchmark level of
four?
Ermias
Um, considering the background where most of these refugees
15
come from it’s very hard because ah most of our clients ah
because of ah unfortunate circumstances did not have an
opportunity to go to school or to ah get a formal education and
ah now to ah require them to obtain a benchmark level of four
and above is ah very hard for them.
20
Terry
How did it work before these rules came into effect?
Ermias
Before these rules came into effect you didn’t have to ah have
a required benchmark level as long as you have um adequate
knowledge um of ah Canadian history and ah you are able to
communicate in English ah you can and then as long as you’ve 25
lived for ah about three years in Canada, you are able to apply.
It was not mandatory to have a benchmark level of four and
above.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
Page 15 of 17
Terry
Is it fair though to expect people to have a certain level of
English in order to function in Canadian society?
Ermias
30
Ah I understand the the reasoning behind this requirement. It’s
a to ah allow or to assist newcomer families, including refugee
newcomers, to be able to communicate effectively or to ah be
able to find work easily. But ah it should also be understood
that ah most of these refugees did not have a formal
35
education. Some of them never went to school in their lives.
So ah it’s very difficult for for them to attain that. Some may
not ever, may never be able to attain the benchmark level four,
so ah considering those facts, I don’t think it’s fair for refugee
families.
Terry
40
Now the government says the rules are in place because better
English leads to greater work success for newcomers. Are
these rules encouraging people to work harder because they
aim for a benchmark level of four, and therefore they say, I’m
going to get that, I’m going to work really hard?
Ermias
45
Ah some of these people actually ah, from the time they arrived
in Canada, they’ve been attending school. They they realize
that it’s important for them to ah to know the language or to
have the language skills in order to be successful at work.
They’ve been attending school, I know (mentions the name of
50
two newcomers he knows), they’ve been attending school
since they came to Canada, they’ve been working, they know
that it helps but the same time, it’s also bringing some
obstacles for them to ah be able to apply for Canadian
citizenship but ah it’s an ongoing problem.
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
55
Page 16 of 17
Appendix 2: Message to Our Readers2
From the Discover Canada Citizenship Study Guide
Welcome! It took courage to move to a new country. Your decision to apply for citizenship
is another big step. You are becoming part of a great tradition that was built by
generations of pioneers before you. Once you have met all the legal requirements, we
hope to welcome you as a new citizen with all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Canada has welcomed generations of newcomers to our shores to help us build a free,
law-abiding and prosperous society. For 400 years, settlers and immigrants have
contributed to the diversity and richness of our country, which is built on a proud history
and a strong identity.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a federal state.
Canadians are bound together by a shared commitment to the rule of law and to the
institutions of parliamentary government.
Canadians take pride in their identity and have made sacrifices to defend their way of life.
By coming to Canada and taking this important step toward Canadian citizenship, you are
helping to write the continuing story of Canada.
Immigrants between the ages of 18 and 54 must have adequate knowledge of English or
French in order to become Canadian citizens. You must also learn about voting
procedures, Canada’s history, symbols, democratic institutions, geography, and the rights
and responsibilities of citizenship.
Canadian citizens enjoy many rights, but Canadians also have responsibilities. They must
obey Canada’s laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others.
This guide will help you prepare to become a Canadian citizen. Good luck!
2
You can find the Discover Canada Study Guide at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/section-02.asp
Canadian Citizenship
Learning English with CBC
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