Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
January 29, 2010
Lesson 54: Self Study Edition
Level:
CLB 6 and up
Topic:
Aid for Haiti
Language Skills and Functions:
Listening – listening to a short interview for main
ideas, detail and inference
Speaking – asking questions
Reading – reading a text for inference; finding
information on a web-site
Writing – writing an email to ask for information
Language Competencies:
Language Tasks:
Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking
Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Brainstorm words to describe images and feelings in a natural disaster
Listen for main ideas, detail and inference in a radio interview with Sister
Rose Desrochers about her work in Haiti
Use language to show unexpected contrast
Ask questions to protect yourself from fraudulent fund-raising
Read a text by a Haitian Canadian on how the earthquake has affected
her
Research information on the internet on an aid organization and
completing a profile chart
Write an email to an aid organization to ask for additional information
Essential Skills:
Reading text, computer skills, thinking skills, oral communication
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Article by Régine Chassagne
Answers to Worksheets
Attention students: You will need to print the lesson to be able to complete the activities.
Manitoba Memo
We watch images of the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake on television or the internet.
It's hard to believe the loss of life, the injuries, the suffering and the extent of the devastation.
We empathize with the Haitian people, even though what they are experiencing is almost
unimaginable to us. We think of what it must be like for Haitian immigrants living in Manitoba,
other provinces of Canada, and the world. We hear the voices of Haitian Canadians like
Governor General Michael Jean and Régine Chassagne of the rock band Arcade Fire. Their
lives are here now, but their roots, their culture and their souls are inextricably linked to Haiti.
Thousands and thousands of people in Canada have relatives and friends in Haiti. They spent
days waiting for news. Much of the news they received has not been good.
While we are heartened by the humanitarian response of governments, citizens and aid
organizations around the world to this unprecedented disaster, we also wonder whether simply
reacting after the fact is enough. Are there things the world could have done to help one of its
poorest nations, things which would have resulted in less destruction? As K'Naan, a musician
whose family immigrated from Somali to Canada, said in a recent CBC interview, "I don't
understand... why we kind of rally around it (Haiti) once something gets destroyed. (Why is) the
bridge is only repaired after someone has fallen?"
We know the Haitian people are resilient. They've proved their strength and spirit over and over
in many difficult times in the past. We know aid organizations and governments are committed
to helping Haiti rebuild. Will this be a turning point in the country's history? Will rebuilding deal
with some of the underlying issues that contributed to the extent of the disaster, like poverty and
failing infrastructure? Time will tell. In the meantime, our hearts are with the people of Haiti.
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Background
1. Images of a Natural Disaster
When disasters happen somewhere in the world, we don`t have to be anywhere near them
to get a sense of what is happening. The media brings reports about the disaster into our
homes. This has certainly been true with the earthquake in Haiti. Think about the media
coverage you have seen and the stories you have heard about this natural disaster or
another one that you have heard about or experienced. Brainstorm words and phrases to
describe what you saw and how you felt and write them on the chart below. There are a
couple of examples to get you started.
Describe some of the images you saw
Describe how you felt when you saw the
images and heard the stories
- fallen buildings
- injured people
- sad
- shocked
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2. Vocabulary
Before you listen, here is some of the vocabulary you need to know to further develop your
background knowledge. If you need to, you can look up words you are less familiar with in an
English Language Learners Dictionary.
Vocabulary
media coverage
When media cover an event, they report or tell us what`s
happening. For example, there has been non-stop media
coverage and news reports on the earthquake in Haiti.
(to) have a connection with
Having a connection with someone or something means to
feel close to them, to be joined together in some way.
lay person
Someone who is not a priest but is a member of a church
and takes on a volunteer role within the church.
colleagues
People you work or volunteer with.
lad
An old-fashioned or informal way to say young man.
Holy Cross Fathers
The name of a group of Catholic priests and lay persons.
deceased
Another way to say someone is dead.
to struggle
To try hard to achieve something. To work hard to
overcome obstacles.
in spite of
In spite of, or despite, are used to contrast two things or
events that you wouldn't necessarily expect to go together.
For example, the people of Haiti continue to show strength
despite or in spite of all the terrible things that have
happened in their country.
survivors
People who are still alive after a disaster.
door-to-door
When someone goes to each house on a street to sell them
something or collect money for a charity.
condolences
To express sympathy when something bad happens. When
someone dies, you express your condolences or sympathy
to their family and friends.
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3. Predict what the story is about
In this interview, Terry Macleod interviews Sister Rose Desrochers about how she is
feeling after the earthquake in Haiti. Sister Rose has run a medical clinic in Haiti for
fourteen years. What kinds of things do you think Terry will ask her?
He might ask ...how the people she knows in Haiti are doing.
He could ask...whether the clinic was damaged.
One thing he might ask is...whether she was in Haiti when the earthquake
happened.
Maybe he'll ask...
Perhaps he'll ask...
I don`t think he'll ask...
I don't know what he'll ask.
4. Get ready to listen
In this podcast, you will hear three speakers. They are:
Marcy Markusa – host
Terry MacLeod - interviewer
Sister Rose Desrochers –nun
Play the podcast for the first time.
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5. Listen for main ideas, detail and inference
Sometimes when we listen, we are listening for very specific details. Other times, we are
listening for the main ideas and for inference. When we listen for inference we go beyond
what is said and think about how a speaker is feeling and about the purpose or intent of their
words. Read the following questions. When you listen to the interview this time, listen for the
main ideas, detail and inference. Answer the questions in point form.
1) What connection does Sister Rose have to Haiti?
_____________________________________________________________
2) What has happened to some of her colleagues in Haiti?
_____________________________________________________________
3) How do you think Sister Rose is feeling during the interview? What makes you think that?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4) What does Sister Rose want people to do to help Haiti?
_____________________________________________________________
5) Terry reacts to Sister Rose's news in two ways. Initially, he pauses and there is a brief
silence. Then he says, "oh my goodness." What feeling or emotion is he expressing?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
6) In your country, how would people react to Sister Rose's news? Would they react in the
same way as Terry? If not, what would they do/say?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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6. Listen for an expression in context
In lines 32-33, when Sister Rose talks about the people of Haiti, she says:
They don't give up easily, and in spite of what we see, they will continue.
We often need language to show that what we might expect to happen in a situation is
not what is likely or going to happen. In spite of/despite or although/even though are
often used to show this kind of contrast or unexpected result. In this case, Sister Rose
is telling listeners that although we may think the situation looks hopeless, the Haitians
will not give up. They will continue to work to rebuild their country and continue to have
hope.
The chart below shows the structure, meaning and use of these expressions.
Expression
+Noun
+Unexpected Result
In spite of/ Despite
this terrible disaster,
the people of Haiti remain
hopeful.
Example sentences:
In spite of/Despite this terrible disaster, the people of Haiti remain
hopeful.
The people of Haiti remain hopeful in spite of/despite this terrible
disaster.
Expression
+Gerund
+Unexpected Result
In spite of/ Despite
losing everything,
the people of Haiti remain
hopeful.
Example sentences:
In spite of/Despite losing everything, the people of Haiti remain hopeful.
The people of Haiti remain hopeful in spite of/despite losing everything.
Expression
+Sentence
+Unexpected Result
Although/Even though
there is a lot of
devastation,
the people of Haiti remain
hopeful.
Example sentences:
Although/Even though there is a lot of devastation, the people of Haiti
remain hopeful.
The people of Haiti remain hopeful although/even though there is a lot of
devastation.
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Now it's your turn. Can you complete the following sentences so that they make sense?
In some sentences you will fill in the blank with in spite of/despite or although/even
though. In other sentences, you will complete the sentence with the unexpected
contrast. The first two are completed as examples. There will be more than one
possible answer.
1. Although the homes of so many Haitians have been destroyed, the Haitian people
continue to believe that their country can rebuild.
2. Although (or) Even though the phone lines were down, some people buried in the
rubble were able to use internet or texting to call for help.
3. Despite __________________________________, the Haitian people continue to
come together in prayer.
4. In spite of the challenges they have faced throughout history, the Haitian
people___________________________________.
5. Despite losing so much, the Haitian people _______________________________.
6. _____________ all the aid coming to Haiti, getting it to the people who need it has
been difficult.
After you listen
a) Review your pre-listening predictions
Were you able to correctly predict the kinds of questions Terry asked Sister Rose?
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b) Learn more about protecting yourself from fraudulent fund-raising
As Sister Rose says in the interview, when a disaster hits, or a charity asks you for a
donation, you want to make sure your money is going to a legitimate, well-run
organization. You also want to be certain that your donation is helping the people and
the cause you intend it to help. You may need to do a little research!
It's important to be ready to ask questions of all charities. Even well-known charities can
be victims of suspicious and fraudulent fund-raising attempts. For example:
•
In Ottawa Ontario, canvassers went door-to-door claiming that they were
collecting money for the Red Cross for hurricane relief in the Caribbean. But the
Red Cross had not authorized this fund-raising and no-one knows if the money
collected was actually donated to the organization. The scheme became public
after someone called the Red Cross to see if the canvassers were legitimate and
discovered that the Red Cross does not collect donations door-to-door.
•
In Toronto Ontario, canvassers went door-to-door asking for donations for World
Vision Canada. Someone became suspicious because the canvasser asked
them for a cash donation. They called World Vision and found out that although
World Vision was conducting a door-to-door campaign in Toronto at that time, the
organization does not accept cash donations.
•
World Vision has also experienced an email fund-raising scam, where potential
donors were asked for personal banking information so that a withdrawal could
be taken directly from their account. This too was fraud. World Vision does not
ask for confirmation of personal banking information by email.
Charities stress that if you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a door-to-door,
telephone, email or other kind of fund-raising appeal, you should contact the charity for
more information. You can always donate to the organization in another way, for
example, in person or by mail. If you do donate, write a cheque or money order
payable to the organization or donate over a secure website or telephone line.
If you want a tax receipt from a charity for income tax purposes, you can check the
Canada Revenue Agency website1 to ensure the charity is registered. Only registered
charities can legitimately provide you with a receipt. Almost all major charities are
registered, but a charity is not required to be registered by law.
1
The link is: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/advancedsearch-eng.action
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c) Ask the right questions
Can you ask the kinds of questions you need to ask to protect yourself from
fraudulent fund-raising? The first one is completed for you as an example.
1. (You want to ask the full name of the charity the person is representing)
What is the full name of your charity?
2. (You didn't understand or hear what the person said and want to ask them
to repeat the information)
______________________________________________________________
3. (You want to ask if the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue
Agency)
______________________________________________________________
4. (You want to ask for the charity's registration number)
______________________________________________________________
5. (You want to know if you will get a receipt for income tax purposes for your
donation)
______________________________________________________________
6. (You want to know more about what the charity does and what your
donation will be used for)
______________________________________________________________
7. (You want to know where you can call to ask for more information before
you decide to make a donation)
______________________________________________________________
8. (You want to know if the person can arrange for the organization to send
you more information before you donate)
______________________________________________________________
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d) Read for inference, purpose and meaning
While it's important to be able to read for detailed information, it's also important to be
able to read for purpose and meaning. Writers often tell you more than they actually say!
They give you hints or clues which help you read between the lines. When you use these
clues to get a deeper understanding of what you are reading, it's called inferring. When
you infer, you draw conclusions and make judgements based on what you know. You
choose the most likely explanation from the facts you have and from the way those facts
are presented.
Régine Chassagne is a Canadian musician and singer, and a founding member of the
indie rock band Arcade Fire. Appendix 2 is an abridged (shortened) version of an article
she wrote for the British newspaper The Observer a couple of days after the earthquake
in Haiti. Régine's parents escaped from Haiti before she was born, but she has many
connections to the country.
Read the questions below before you read the article. Note that you begin by reading
only the headline and sub-headline. After you have read the rest of the article, answer
questions 3 to 9. Remember, you do not need to understand all of the words to get a
general understanding of the text.
Questions
First read the headline and the sub-headline. Then answer the first two questions.
1. Based on the headlines, can you predict what kind of story Régine is about to tell you?
Will it be personal, factual or both? Will it be emotional? What are the clues you use to
make your prediction?
2. Based on the context, what do you think "a moving response" means?
Now read the rest of the article and answer the following questions.
3. When Régine says "These days, nothing is funny" (paragraph 2) she means:
a) no-one knows how to make her laugh anymore
b) the situation is Haiti is so depressing, it's impossible for her to find anything funny
c) she has never had much of a sense of humour
4. When Régine concludes "I saw it straight away" (paragraph 3) she means:
a) she can visualize buildings falling and people being trapped in her mind
b) she can see what is happening on her computer screen
c) she knows how easily buildings in Haiti will collapse
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5. Régine's mother would have been worried about her daughter travelling to Haiti
(paragraph 4) because:
a) it is very costly to travel to Haiti
b) her own memories of Haiti are of times of trouble and fear
c) Haiti is very different from Canada
6. Why does Régine describe the way in which she was introduced to her country as
"strange" (paragraph 5)?
7. Near the end of the article, Régine talks about her comfy home and surroundings
(paragraphs 3 and 9). Why do you think she talks about this? What does it make her
readers think about?
8. The first and last line of the article is the same: "Somewhere in my heart, it's the end of
the world." What do you think this line means? Does it summarize the article well?
Why or why not?
9. Why do you think Régine wrote this article? What was her purpose in writing it?
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e) Find out about an aid organization using the internet
When you need to find out more information about an organization or a topic, the internet is an
amazing resource. If you don't have the internet at home, you can use it at school, or at a
library or internet cafe. The internet is extremely important to aid organizations. People can
find out about the organization's work on their website and most major aid organizations
accept donations on-line.
You are going to complete a brief profile of one aid organization. Here are the steps to follow.
1. Choose one of the organizations below.
Canadian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca/
Oxfam Canada
http://www.oxfam.ca/
MCC Manitoba
(Mennonite Central Committee)
http://manitoba.mcc.org/
Partners in Health
http://photos.pih.org/home2.html
Free the Children
http://www.freethechildren.com/
Unicef Canada
http://www.unicef.ca/portal/
2. Follow the link or type the name of the organization into your browser to find the official
website for the organization.
3. Now that you have found the website, scan the headings on the website and see if you can
find the information you need to complete the profile chart below. Write the information in
point form and summarize it in your own words.
Name of the organization
What kind of work does the
organization do? What is its main
role or mission?
Is the organization involved in
helping Haiti? How?
Can you donate on-line to help
Haiti?
Is there an email address you can
use to contact the organization?
What is the email address?
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f) Write an email to ask for more information
You have decided to give a donation to the organization you researched. But there are still a
couple of questions you would like to ask before you donate. For example, you may want to
ask for more information on how your donation will be spent. Or you might want to know when
you will receive a tax receipt. You could also be interested in how they plan to involve the
people of Haiti in the efforts to rebuild.
Use the outline below to write your email. Alternatively, you can use the feedback or
information link on the organization's website and actually send an email!
Email address
Subject line (what is the
topic of your email?)
Greeting
Hi!
Who are you?
My name is _______________________________________.
Say that you are
interested in knowing
more about the
organization.
I have been reading the information on your website and
______________________________________________.
Here is my question. _____________________________
Ask for some specific
information.
_______________________________________________.
Say thanks. Say you look Thank you for_______________________. I am ____________
forward to their response.
________________________________.
Your name
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Want to know more…
For up-to-date information on Haiti, go to:
http://www.cbc.ca/haitirelief/
The Governor General's speech on Haiti is at:
http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=13485
Go to the Canada Revenue Agency site for more information on fraudulent fund-raising:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/chrts/dnrs/menu-eng.html
You can search to see if a charity is registered by typing in the name of the organization:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/advancedsearch-eng.action
If you are a fan of K'Naan (he wrote the theme song for this summer's World Cup Soccer
Tournament in South Africa), here is a thoughtful interview he gave on Haiti:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/blogs/popculture/2010/01/video_knaan_chats_backstage_a
t.html
Here are the websites for the aid organizations listed on Worksheet 6.
Canadian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca/
Oxfam Canada
http://www.oxfam.ca/
MCC Manitoba (Mennonite Central Committee)
http://manitoba.mcc.org/
Partners in Health
http://photos.pih.org/home2.html
Free the Children
http://www.freethechildren.com/
Unicef Canada
http://www.unicef.ca/portal/
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
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Appendix 1: Transcript2
Jan 18, 2010 (broadcast date)
Speaker
Podcast
Line
Marcy
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning
English with CBC. Well as the media coverage of the
earthquake in Haiti continues, it becomes increasingly clear
just how many Canadians and Manitobans have a
connection with that small, French-speaking, Caribbean
5
country. For years, nuns, priests and lay people have spent
time there, helping with medical care, schools and housing.
One person with a strong connection to the country is Sister
Rose Desrochers of Winnipeg. She ran a walk-in medical
clinic in Northern Haiti for fourteen years. In this interview,
10
she tells Terry MacLeod how the earthquake has affected
her and her friends and colleagues in Haiti.
Terry
Hello there.
Sister Rose
Good morning.
Terry
So what kind of news were you getting over the weekend?
15
The people that you know, how are they making out?
Sister Rose
Not the greatest. Ahm, it's very painful to be speaking of
Haiti, knowing so many people, ah the news that we have
been getting is not the greatest. Again yesterday, a young
lad that I knew that lived next door to me when I worked in
20
the north entered ah the Holy Cross Fathers and he was
found ah dead among many others. The news that we keep
getting also, where I have supported the ah clinic for the
sisters of St. Anne's, in Port-au-Prince, the young sister who
was studying at the University, they have found her
25
deceased, with the 600 students and teachers that were
killed in the university of Port-au-Prince.
2
The complete interview with Sister Rose Desrochers took place on January 18, 2010 and will be on the CBC Information
Radio podcast site until mid-February. The link is: http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?56#ref56
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Terry
Oh goodness, that's ...so the news is very ...Do you see any
signs of hope or are you hearing any signs that things are
30
beginning to improve?
Sister Rose
With the Haitian people, there is always hope. They have all
their life struggled. Ahh, they don't give up easily and in
spite of what we see, they will continue. They are survivors
and ah things will get better. It will take time but they will not
35
give up easily. They are really a hopeful nation.
Terry
So if people are wondering how they can best help what
would your recommendation be?
Sister Rose
Well, make sure you're giving money to well organized
groups. Don't let people come door-to-door and say we're
collecting for Haiti because you're not sure about that.
Terry
40
Well sister thanks so much, thanks for the work that you've
done in Haiti and thanks for continuing to support things and
our condolences for the loss of so many people that you
cared for down there.
Sister Rose
Thank you very much.
Terry
Thank you so much.
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Appendix 2: I let out a cry, as if I'd heard everybody I loved had died3
In a moving response to the earthquake, a Haitian singer demands that her homeland isn't
once again abandoned by the west
Régine Chassagne
The Observer, Sunday 17 January 2010
1
Somewhere in my heart, it's the end of the world.
2
These days, nothing is funny. I am mourning people I know. People I don't know. People
who are still trapped under rubble and won't be rescued in time. I can't help it.
3
When it happened I was at home in Montreal, safe and cosy, surfing the internet. Breaking
news: 7.0 earthquake hits Haiti near Port-au-Prince. Such emotion came over me. My
breath stopped. My heart sank and went straight into panic mode. I knew right away that the
whole city is in no way built to resist this kind of disaster and that this meant that thousands
were under rubble. I saw it straight away.
4
I grew up with parents who escaped during the brutal years of the Papa Doc regime. When I
was growing up, we never had the money to return. Even if we had, my mother never could
go back. I know she would have been very worried to hear that I was travelling to Haiti for
the first time last year.
5
It is strange that I was introduced to my country by a white doctor from Florida called Paul
Farmer who speaks perfect Creole and knows how to pronounce my name right. He is the
co-founder of an organization titled Partners in Health. PIH has been serving the poorest of
the poor for more than 20 years.
6
So in these critical times where death comes every minute, I urge you to donate to Partners
in Health (www.pih.org) and be as generous as you can. I know from having talked to some
staff that they are on the ground right now, setting up and managing field hospitals as well
as receiving the injured at their clinics in the surrounding areas.
7
Many Haitians expect to be let down. History shows they are right to feel that way. Haitians
know that they have been wronged many, many times. That we must respond with a
substantial emergency effort is beyond argument, but in the aftermath, Haiti must rebuild.
8
Since Haiti shook and crumbled, I feel as if something has collapsed over my head, too.
Miles away, somehow, I'm trapped in this nightmare. My heart is crushed. I've been thinking
about nothing else.
9
So I've been sitting here at my computer, food in the fridge, hot water in the tap, a nice
comfy bed waiting for me at some point… but…
10
Somewhere in my heart, it's the end of the world.
3
The unabridged article can be found at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/17/haitiearthquake-aid-casualties
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Appendix 3: Answers to Worksheets
Expressions Showing Unexpected Contrast
Answers will vary.
3. all of the terrible things that have happened to them
4.
are joining together to rebuild their country
5.
continue to have hope for the future
6.
Despite/In spite of
Reading for Inference, Purpose and Meaning
Answers to open-ended questions will vary.
3. (b)
4. (a)
5. (b)
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