WORD - CBC

Learning English with CBC

Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students

Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts

November 6, 2008

Lesson 32: Teacher’s Edition

Level:

Topic:

Benchmark 5 and up

It’s Time to Fix Aboriginal Education

Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for main ideas, details and inference

Speaking – participating in a group discussion; comparing experiences; making an apology

Reading

– reading a text for information

Writing - making notes; completing a chart and a

Venn diagram

Language competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking

Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Language Tasks: Completing a KWL chart on Manitoba’s Aboriginal peoples

Participating in a discussion on the importance of education

Listening to a radio interview with a researcher for main ideas and inference

Using synonyms in context

Comparing the culture shock experiences of newcomers and Aboriginal people

Discussing what makes a good apology

Reading and analyzing excerpts of the Government of Canada’s apology on residential schools

Problem solving on ways to keep Aboriginal youth in school

Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, thinking skills, oral communication, problem solving

Worksheets 1 : 1. Completing a KWL Chart

2. Listening for the Main Ideas and Inference

3. Using Synonyms in Context

4. Completing a Venn Diagram to Compare Experiences

5. Reading a Text of the Prime Minister’s Apology on Residential Schools and

Answering Questions

6. Completing a problem solving chart

Appendices: Transcript of the podcast

The Prime Minister’s Apology (excerpts)

1 Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan.

Manitoba Memo 2

The Aboriginal peoples of Canada are also known as First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

They are the descendants of the original inhabitants (or Indigenous peoples) of the land we now call Canada. In early times, Aboriginal peoples gathered everything they needed to live from the land, plants and animals around them. They saw the land as sacred because it gave and sustained life.

Indigenous peoples taught the European explorers and settlers how to survive on the land.

Then, as the number of European settlers increased, some Aboriginal peoples signed treaties with government about the use of the land. Government and Aboriginal peoples have disputed the intent of these treaties for many years now. Aboriginal peoples believe their ancestors signed agreements to let the settlers share the use of the land. They did not think they were giving the land away. The Canadian government saw things differently. They took control of much of the land covered by the treaties and set aside small sections of land for Aboriginal peoples to live on. They called these areas reserves.

The Canadian government also made laws which applied only to Aboriginal peoples. The best known of these is the Indian Act, which defined who is an “Indian”. To make Aboriginal peoples more like European settlers, the government tried to assimilate their children by sending them away to Christian-run residential schools. The policy of sending children to residential schools failed on many levels. Many students did not receive a good education and they suffered abuse and neglect at these schools. The harm they experienced still affects Aboriginal peoples today.

Canadians and the federal government now recognize that the Aboriginal people of this country have been treated poorly. Many of the socio-economic problems Aboriginal communities face are the result of failed policies of the past. Now, the emphasis is on building new relationships based on fairness and respect. Aboriginal people are working hard to ensure a good future for their families, communities and nations.

Manitoba’s future is strongly tied to the future of the Aboriginal population. Fifteen percent of the province’s population is Aboriginal and this percentage is growing. One in four children in the province is Aboriginal. What will their future hold?

2 The main source of the information in the Manitoba Memo is the booklet The Aboriginal Peoples of Manitoba Welcome

Newcomers to Our Homeland . It was an initiative of Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc., an organization that provides services and programs to Aboriginal peoples in Winnipeg. It was published in 2006.

It’s Time to Fix Aboriginal Education Learning English with CBC Page 2 of 21

Pre-listening activities

1. K-W-

L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) on Manitoba’s Aboriginal peoples

Have students work in small groups to complete Worksheet 1. Ask the groups to write down what they already know about Aboriginal peoples in column one. Then ask the groups to brainstorm questions for column two

– what do they want to know about

Manitoba’s Aboriginal peoples? Tell students that at the end of the lesson, the class will work together to complete column three on what they have learned about Manitoba’s

Aboriginal peoples.

2. Discuss these questions as a class

 How important is the education of young people to the future of a country? Is

 it very, somewhat or not very important? Why is that?

Do you think completing high school and going on to post-secondary education is seen as more important in your country than in Canada? Or is it less important? Why?

 What are some of the consequences young people in Canada may face if they don’t receive a good education? What happens if they don’t graduate from high school or pursue post-secondary education?

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

Aboriginal Ab original peoples are the descendants of Canada’s

Indigenous peoples, who were the first inhabitants of the land now called Canada. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.

trend A trend is when things seem to be going in a certain direction. For example, after the Stock Market crashed, experts said that our economy was on a downward trend.


disaster

Caledon Institute contributing social requirements post-secondary education

K

– 12 mature student

First Nations precious resource adequate

A disaster is when something very bad happens. It could be a natural event (storm, tsunami, flood) or it could be because something fails (a system, a business or the stock market).

The Caledon Institute of Social Policy is a not-for-profit organization which works to inform and influence public opinion and to foster public discussion on poverty and social policy issues.

Contributing citizens are those who are able to give back to their society in different ways.

Things someone may need or ask for from government.

For example, someone many need income support

(sometimes referred to as welfare) because they have difficulty finding work.

Education beyond the high school level. This includes college, technical school or university.

How people describe Canada’s education system which generally begins in Kindergarten and ends in Grade 12.

A mature student is someone who returns to school as an adult.

In the 1970’s, people began to use the term First Nations to replace the word “Indian”. Indian bands in Manitoba began to call themselves First Nations (for example,

Peguis First Nation). The term is also used in a more generic sense, for example, “First Nations Youth.”

Something or someone you value. For example, we often talk about children as a precious resource. This means they are special and important to us.

If you have an adequate supply of something, you have enough or about the right amount. For example, you could say that a person has adequate funds to go to college, so they don’t need to get a student loan.


3. Predict what the podcast is about

In this story, Terry MacLeod interviews Michael Mendelson. Michael was a Deputy

Minister in the Manitoba government in the 1980’s and is now Senior Scholar with the

Caledon Institute on Social Policy in Ottawa. He has published a research paper about the education levels of the Aboriginal population across Canada. His study concluded that Aboriginal students are falling behind the rest of the student population, especially on the Prairies. Ask students what they think he and Terry will talk about. You may want to write the following sentence starters on the board.

I think they might talk about ….

Terry might ask him about …

Maybe they’ll talk about…

I’m pretty certain they’ll talk about…

I w onder if they’ll talk about…

I have no idea what they’ll talk about.

While-listening activities

1. Introduce the podcast

Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear several speakers. They will hear:

Marcy Markusa

– host

Terry MacLeod – CBC interviewer

Michael Mendelson – Senior Scholar from the Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Play the podcast for the first time.

2. Listen for main ideas and inference

Ask students to work with a partner. Hand out Worksheet 2. Ask students to read the questions, and then listen for information to help them with the answers.

Take up the answers as a class.

3. Listen for reductions

If your students have already studied common reductions in spoken English, play the podcast again and have them listen carefully (lines 20 and 33-35). Can they identify two common words which Michael Mendelson reduces?


If not, try again using the transcript. Write the examples on the board and ask students to listen for them when you play the podcast again. Here are the reductions used:

What You See What You Hear have to  hafta going to  gonna

Remind students that reductions are spontaneous pronunciation changes in words or sounds. They are particularly common when people are speaking quickly. Two words or three words may sound like one word. Ask students if they have something similar in their language.

Tell students that reductions are used in spoken English but not in formal written

English. They are used by everyone, including academics. Tell students that if they listen for and understand reductions they will understand more of what they hear.

Write the following reductions on the board and ask students to practice pronouncing each one. Also ask students what the written or slower speech form would be. Write these on the board as well and have students practise pronouncing both versions. hafta have to gonna whaddaya going to what do you wanna gotta donno whacha shoulda coulda woulda want to got to don’t know what do you should + have + past participle could + have + past participle would + have + past participle


Post-listening activities

1. Build vocabulary through synonyms

Tell students that synonyms – words that have similar meanings – are common in the

English language. Often, we can substitute a word for its synonym and the sentence or phrase will still have the same meaning. However, this is not always the case. It is always important to consider the context in which the word is used.

Review the instructions for Worksheet 3 and have students work with a partner to complete it.

Take up the answers as a class.

Extension activities

1. Compare Experiences of Culture Shock Using a Venn Diagram

Tell students that the interview they just heard was part of a weeklong series CBC

Information Radio did this fall called “Hard Lessons.” (If you want to listen to other stories in the series go to the CBC Manitoba link which is listed in the Want to Know

More section of this lesson.)

One of the other stories was about CBC reporter, Sheila North Wilson. She talked about the culture shock she experienced when she moved from a reserve in Northern

Manitoba to Winnipeg to pursue her education.

Tell students they are going to compare her experience of moving to a very different community or city with the experience of newcomers like themselves.

Have students work in small groups. Review the information and instructions on

Worksheet 4. Make sure students understand how to use the Venn diagram by drawing and reviewing an example on the board.

When students have completed their diagrams, discuss the similarities and differences students came up with in their groups as a class. You may want to write possible sentence starters for this discussion on the board:

Some of the similarities

One similarity is…

Another similarity is… between the two experiences are…

Some of the differences are…

One difference is…

Another difference is…


2. Discuss what makes a good apology

Start with a think-pair-share activity. Ask students to first think individually about the following questions which you have written on the board:

What are examples of common situations where people apologize to someone else?

What makes a good apology? What tone of voice should you use? What words should you use?

Why are apologies important?

Now ask students to discuss their thoughts with a partner. Ask the pairs to note some of their responses to the questions so they can share them with the rest of the class.

3

. Read and analyse the Government of Canada’s apology on residential schools

Tell students that on June 11, 2008, the Government of Canada formally apologized to

Canada’s Aboriginal peoples about the experiences their children had in residential schools which were run by the federal government. Children left home to attend residential schools and many had terrible experiences while at school. A whole generation of Aboriginal people across the country were affected by the residential school experiences.

If you have time, and computer access, you may want to have the class tour the virtual photo gallery on the Where Are the Children website at: http://www.wherearethechildren.ca/en/htmltour.html

This website provides a sense of what the school experience was like and has a lot of useful information.

Ask students to work in groups. Hand out Appendix 2 and Worksheet 5. Review the content and the instructions with students.

Discuss the answers to the questions as a class.

4. Build your essential skills: problem-solving steps

Review Worksheet 6 with students. Have students share their suggestions with the class.

5. Finish the K-W-L chart

Return to the K-W-L chart and ask the class to complete the final column. Ask students which of their questions about Aboriginal peoples have been answered. If some remain unanswered, you may want to have students do internet research on these questions in a subsequent class.


Want to know more…

The Ka Ni Kanichihk website is: http://www.kanikanichihk.ca/

The United Against Racism website is: http://unitedagainstracism.ca/index.php?action=about

To hear all of the CBC Information Radio stories on Aboriginal education or to listen to the complete interviews with Michael Mendelson and Sheila North Wilson, go to: http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/hardlessons/

Where are the Children is an amazing virtual site with lots of accessible information about residential schools. Its purpose is to promote awareness about residential schools and to try to help Canadians understand the ripple effect residential schools have had on Aboriginal life.

The organization which sponsored the site also aims to bring about reconciliation between generations of Aboriginal people, and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. http://www.wherearethechildren.ca/en/home.html

For a profile of Manitoba’s Aboriginal population, go to: http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/mb/aboriginal-profile/aboriginals.pdf

Michael Mendelson’s full report on the state of Aboriginal post-secondary education in Canada can be found at: http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/595ENG%2Epdf

If your students enjoy this lesson they might also be interested in Learning English with CBC

Lesson 2, Newcomers Take a Road Trip to Rolling River Reserve. It’s under Past Lessons on the website.

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)


Worksheet 1: Complete a KWL Chart

One way to promote understanding across cultures is to learn about them. What is important to them? What is their history?

Discuss what you know about Canada’s Aboriginal peoples with your group. Summarize what you know in column one. Are there things you would like to know about Canada’s Aboriginal peoples? Write the things your group wants to know more about in column two. At the end of the class, you can complete the third column.

1: We know

We know that….

2: We want to know

We want to know more about….

3: We learned

We learned that…


Worksheet 2: Listening to a Radio Broadcast for Main Ideas 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.

Question

1 Aboriginal students in Manitoba are falling behind.

True or

False

T

2

Manitoba’s Aboriginal population is growing at about the same rate as the non-

Aboriginal population.

3 Michael Mendelson believes that the trends he identified in his research are bad news for the Manitoba economy.

4 According to Michael Mendelson, fixing Aboriginal education is as important as building roads and hydro lines.

5 The problems with Aboriginal education begin in the K

– 12 system.

6 A lot of Aboriginal students go on to post-secondary studies as mature students.

7 It is important to provide financial and other supports to Aboriginal students who graduate from high school and want to go on to post-secondary studies.

Additional questions

1. Do you think Michael Mendelson is sympathetic to the challenges Aboriginal students face? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Circle the adjectives which best describe Michael Mendelson’s tone of voice in the podcast. Be prepared to explain your selections.

bored concerned thoughtful worried complacent uncaring

3. Why do you think he describes the situation of Aboriginal education as a “slowly accumulating massive disaster” instead of just as a “disaster”? What does he accomplish by using the longer description?


Worksheet 3: Build Your Vocabulary Using Synonyms

5.

3.

Synonyms – words that have similar meanings – are common in the English language. Many of the vocabulary words in the podcast have synonyms. You could substitute the vocabulary word for its synonym and the sentence would still have the same meaning.

Using synonyms can be a good strategy. When someone doesn’t understand a word you are using, you can replace it with a synonym. Hopefully your listener will understand the synonym.

Find the word which doesn’t work as a synonym for the word in bold in each of the sentences below and circle it. The first example is completed for you. Pay attention to the context.

1.

As the number of European settlers increased, some Aboriginal groups signed treaties with government about the use of the land

.

2. contracts agreements leases

Manitoba’s Aboriginal population is growing six times faster than the non-

Aboriginal population.

Indigenous First Nations, Métis and Inuit newcomer

Our next guest says that the state of Aboriginal education for Aboriginal people is, as he puts it, nothing but a slowly accumulating massive disaster.

4. accident failure catastrophe

You know they have to get out of school, out of high school in order to get into post-secondary.

K-12 college university

Every kid who does manage to get out of high school into post-secondary is a

precious resource. expensive valued cherished

6.

In my view they should be given better and adequate support to make sure they get through. sufficient minimal enough


Worksheet 4: Complete a Venn Diagram to Compare Experiences

CBC reporter Sheila North Wilson moved from a reserve in Northern Manitoba to Winnipeg when she was 15 years old. She left her family behind and stayed with strangers so that she could pursue a higher education.

Here are some of the things Sheila had to say about her experiences and feelings when she first came to Winnipeg.

1. She came here to have a better life.

2. She was hundreds of miles away from her family.

3. She was only 15 years old.

4. The sirens of ambulances and fire trucks made her jump.

5. Some days in class she didn’t say one word even though she knew English.

6. She missed her family a lot.

7. It was hard to find a good place to live.

8. She felt pressure to succeed and to set an example for others.

9. She often felt unwelcome in her new city.

10. People laughed at her because she didn’t know how a bus pass worked.

11.

She didn’t know a single person in Winnipeg when she first came here.

12. It was hard to make friends.

13. She quit school at 17 to have a baby.

How do you think Sheila’s experience of culture shock compares to most newcomers’ experiences? What is similar and what is different? One way to compare experiences is to use a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram is two circles which overlap in the middle. You write items that are similar for both groups in the middle, where the circles overlap. Experiences which are different are written in the parts of the circles which do not overlap.

Use the Venn diagram which follows to compare the culture shock Sheila experienced when she left the reserve to the culture shock newcomers or refugees experience when they leave their country. Take a look at the examples on the Venn diagram and follow these steps:



Read the list of Sheila North Wilson’s experiences. If her experience is similar to what you think newcomers experience, then write the experience in the area called

Similarities , where the two circles overlap.



Are there experiences Sheila had which are different to those of newcomers? Write these under Differences: Aboriginal Experience in the circle on the left.



Are there experiences newcomers have which Sheila did not have? Write those experiences under Differences: Newcomer Experience in the circle on the right.



Worksheet 5: Read a Text and Answer Questions

Before the Government of Canada apologized for what happened at residential schools, some of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples told reporters what they were hoping the apology would include. Here is what they were looking for:

 They wanted the government to take responsibility for what happened.

 They wanted to hear the words “I’m sorry.”

 They wanted the apology to be genuine and heart-felt.

 They wanted the apology to be honest.



They wanted the apology to talk about the harm which the community experienced because of residential schools.

Now read some of the apology made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Appendix 2) with your group. Discuss and answer the following questions.

1. Do you think that the Prime Minister’s apology met some of the expectations of the

Aboriginal community which are listed above? Give two or three examples of things he said which you think would have met their expectations.

2. Underline some of the phrases or words he used which made the apology emotional and effective.

3. Why do you think this apology was so important to Aboriginal peoples? What do you think it may accomplish that will help Aboriginal peoples in the future?

4. Why do you think the Prime Mini ster said “I’m sorry” in more than one language? Did this make his apology more genuine or heart-felt? Why or why not?

5. Can you recall a time or event in your country where a major apology was made to a group of people who had been wronged? What was the situation? Do you think the apology was helpful?


Worksheet 6: Complete a Problem Solving Chart

Employers consider the ability to problem solve an essential workplace skill. The best way to learn how to problem solve is to practise the skill. Here are some basic steps to follow:

1. Identify the problem

2. Identify what could be the cause of the problem.

3. Consider possible solutions.

4. Choose a solution.

5. Decide how the solution could be implemented.

In your group, choose one of the problems from the table below. Brainstorm what could possibly be done about the problem with your group. Use the chart on the next page to help you.

Reasons Why Aboriginal Students Don’t Finish High School

A Statistics Canada study published in 2001 asked off-reserve Aboriginal adults age 15 and over why they had not finished high school.

3 Here are the reasons they gave:

Reason Given

Wanted to work

Had to work

Bored with school

Percent

21%

20%

14%

Problems at home or had to help out at home 12%

Pregnancy or taking care of children 11%

Note: Some of those surveyed gave more than one reason.

3 From page 46 of the 2001 Statistics Canada Aboriginal People’s Survey: Provincial and Territorial Reports: Off-reserve

Aboriginal Population: http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-618-XIE/89-618-XIE2006001.pdf

.


Problem Solving Chart

Here is a chart for you to use, as well as an example.

What is the problem?

The problem is…

(e.g. School is boring)

What are some things that may be causing the problem?

(e.g

. Classes are not interesting)

What are some possible solutions?

(e.g. Survey students to see what could be done to make them more interesting)

What solution do you think would be the best?

(e.g. Find a way to involve the students so they are interested)

How could the solution be implemented?

(e.g. Have students work on a project on what they’d change to make school more interesting)


Speaker

Marcy

Terry

Michael

Terry

Michael

Terry

Michael

Terry

Appendix 1: Transcript

Nov 6, 2008

Podcast

Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English with CBC. Manitoba’s Aboriginal population is growing six times faster than the non-Aboriginal population, but when it comes to education, Aboriginal students are falling behind. Today’s guest tells Terry MacLeod why everyone in Manitoba should be concerned about this trend.

Our next guest says that the state of Aboriginal education for

Aboriginal people is, as he puts it, nothing but a slowly accumulating massive disaster for the Prairies. Michael

Mendelson is with the Caledon Institute of Social Policy. He’s here now. Good morning.

Morning.

A slowly accumulating massive disaster for the Prairies. That sounds extreme. What do you mean by that?

Well if ah greater and greater percentage of your ah labour force is ah not able to compete in the modern ah economy, not able to get good jobs and not able to supply ah a highly skilled labour force, Manitoba will not be a prosperous province. The other side of it is that people who can’t keep steady employment and who can’t get a decent wage and can’t buy a house ah are not gonna be, are unlikely to be highly contributing citizens and are more likely to have social requirements and demands.

I unders tand you said as well that if we don’t fix Aboriginal education, it is more important than highways, more important than building a new hydro line…

Even more important than hydro, that’s right.

If you could offer a kind of general observation, what is preventing

First Nations people from getting a post-secondary education?


10

Line

5

25

15

20

Michael The main problem with post-secondary education is K-12. You know they have to get out of school, out of high school in order to get into post-sec ondary education. There’s a few who manage to you know go as mature students, and that’s great, but ah the reality is that if we’re gonna get equity for First Nations ah peoples, than ah

, they’re gonna hafta graduate from high school in normal time at abo ut the same rate as everybody else. So it’s really K-

12 in my view where where everything starts. I don’t mean by that that we can forget about post-secondary. We hafta, every kid who does manage to get out of high school into postsecondary is a precious resource and in my view they should be given better and adequate support to make sure they get through, help them get through.

30

35

40


Appendix 2: Excerpts from the Prime Minister’s Apology on Residential Schools

Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons on Wednesday to say sorry to former students of native residential schools — in the first formal apology from a Canadian prime minister over the federally financed program.

"Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools," Harper said in Ottawa, surrounded by a small group of Aboriginal leaders and former students, some of whom wept as he spoke.

"The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history.”

"Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country," he said to applause.

"The government now recognizes that the consequences of the Indian residential schools policy were profoundly negative and that this policy has had a lasting and damaging impact on Aboriginal culture, heritage and language," Harper said.

"While some former students have spoken positively about their experiences at residential schools, these stories are far overshadowed by tragic accounts of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect of helpless children, and their separation from powerless families and communities."

"We now recognize that, in separating children from their families, we undermined the ability of many to adequately parent their own children and sowed the seeds for generations to follow," he said. "Not only did you suffer these abuses as children, but as you became parents, you were powerless to protect your own children from suffering the same experience, and for this we are sorry."

"You have been working on recovering from this experience for a long time and in a very real sense, we are now joining you on this journey," Mr. Harper concluded. "The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of Aboriginal peoples for failing them so badly."

Nous le regrettons.

We are sorry.

Nimitataynan.

Niminchinowesamin.

Mamiattugut.


Links for more of the Prime Minister’s apology: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/11/Aboriginal-apology.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.wapologymain0611/BNStory/

National/home http://pm.gc.ca/includes/send_friend_eMail_print.asp?URL=/eng/media.asp&id=2149&langFlg

=e


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