Migrants in Britain
Related Section of pack: the United Kingdom as a diverse society
Aim:
To practise reading for gist & detail; giving opinions
Materials:
Pictures of people from different ethnic groups, task sheet and 3 texts
on migrants.
ESOL level:
Access 3 – Int 1
SCQF level:
3-4
Time:
60 minutes
Preparation:
Find appropriate pictures, copy task sheets and cut up texts.
In class:
1) T shows Ss pictures of different people who appear to be from different
countries and Ss speculate about where the people come from. T then reveals
that they are all in fact British.
2) Ss read little introduction on worksheet and with a partner they try to explain
the difference between the words ‘emigrant’ and ‘immigrant’.
3) T groups the Ss each group reads about a different immigrant and answers
some comprehension questions. Ss check answers in groups.
4) Ss are regrouped and explain what they have just read and why the person left
their country. The group must then decide which of the four people faced the
greatest difficulties in settling down in their new country with reasons for their
answer. Class feedback.
5) Ss can then discuss their own situations (if not sensitive for them) and reveal
any difficulties they have found in settling in Britain.
Variation:
Higher levels may be provided with more taxing texts. T could record
the real experiences of current ESOL Ss to turn activity into a simple
or a jigsaw listening.
Assessment:
The task helps prepare learners for the following summative
assessment:
Access 3 Personal and Social English Outcomes 1 & 2 (DA9K 09)
Intermediate 1 English Language Study Outcomes 1 & 2 (DA9E 10)
Migrants in Britain
1.) Read the information below, then work with a partner and try to explain
the difference between an ‘immigrant’ and an ‘emigrant’.
If we go back far enough in time, almost everyone in Britain has their origins
elsewhere. We are a nation of immigrants - with roots in countries throughout
Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
Britain is also a country that people have left. Large numbers have left Britain as
emigrants to settle in parts of Africa, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Between 1850 and 1900, five and a half million people emigrated from England,
Scotland and Wales.
2.) Read the information your teacher gives you and answer the following
questions:
1. Where was the person born?
2. Where does he / she live and work?
3. Why did he / she come to Britain?
4. When did he / she come to Britain?
Check your answers with your group.
3.) Now move to another group and tell them about the person you read about.
Listen to the information about the other people. With your new group try to
do the following:
1. Explain why you think each person left their country.
2. Suggest other reasons for people migrating.
3. Decide which of the 3 people may have faced the greatest difficulties in
settling down in their own country.
Text 1
Maria was born in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. At college she studied English and
Russian and then started work as an interpreter.
One day she had to interpret for an English man, who was working as a telephone engineer.
By the end of his visit, they were planning to see one another again.
Jim returned to Hungary several times. They decided to marry, and to live in England. Maria
went to live in England in 1982. Today, she works for Sheffield City Council. She likes
England but misses her friends and family.
Text 2
Elma was born in Bosnia. She is a doctor and worked in the local hospital. Elma is Muslim, as
were most people where she lived, although some of her family and many of her patients
belonged to other faiths and cultures.
Until about 1990 the different religious and cultural groups in Bosnia lived together
peacefully. However, when a new leader, Slobodan Milosevic, came to power, he decided to
remove Muslims from the country.
At first Elma did not believe she was in danger. But when Muslims began to be attacked by
soldiers, and even their non-Muslim neighbours, she became worried for her safety. One day
in 1994 she treated a Muslim woman and her daughter who had been hurt because they were
Muslim. Elma realised that it was time for herself and her own daughter to leave. She
eventually claimed political asylum in Scotland in 1994.
Text 3
Henry worked in a police canteen in Kingston, Jamaica. He liked his job a lot, but decided to
apply for work in England when he heard that British Rail was looking for people to work on
the railways.
At the time there was a great shortage of certain kinds of workers in Britain and many big
organisations like British Rail, London Transport and the National Health Service were all
looking for workers from overseas - particularly from the Caribbean.
Henry applied to be a train guard. He was offered a job and he took a loan to pay his fare to
England. He arrived in London one wet night in 1960. However, he never worked as a guard
but as a shunter (a dirty and dangerous job which involves connecting and disconnecting
wagons).