Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
October 30, 2009
Lesson 49: Teacher’s Edition
Level:
Benchmark 5 and up
Topic:
How Government Works
Language Skills and Functions:
Listening – listening to a short interview for
inference
Speaking – calling an information and referral line
Reading – reading a text for detail; scanning a
chart for information
Writing
– writing an invitation to an Open House
Language Competencies:
Language Tasks:
Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking
Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Discussing how government is structured in different countries
Listening for inference in a radio interview with Manitoba’s new Premier,
Greg Selinger
Reading sentences with idioms using the word “big” and guessing
meaning from context
Scanning a chart comparing the federal and provincial governments and
answering detail questions
Reading a list of responsibilities for the three levels of government and
deciding which level is responsible for specific issues
Reading a press release about the event and writing an invitation to the
seasonal Open House at the Manitoba Legislature
Calling a central government information and referral line
Essential Skills:
Worksheets1:
Reading text, document use, working with others, thinking skills, oral
communication, writing
1. Listen for Inference
2. Idioms Using the Word “Big”
3. More about Canada’s Federal and Provincial Governments
4. Levels of Government: Who Does What?
5. Write an Invitation to an Open House
6. Who Do I Call and What Do I Say?
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
News Release on the Annual Open House at the Legislature
1
Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan.
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Manitoba Memo
Canada’s founding fathers realized that a country this large and vast needed more than one
single, central government. That’s why Canada is comprised of provinces and territories. The
founding fathers believed that provincial governments would be better able to meet regional
needs and represent regional differences.
The responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments are set out in Canada’s
constitution. Some responsibilities rest with only one level of government, others are shared.
For example, the federal government is solely responsible for defence and the armed forces,
while responsibility for agriculture and immigration is shared between the federal government
and the provinces. The provinces also delegate some of their responsibilities to municipal or
local governments.
Canadians elect representatives to their federal and provincial governments. But unlike the
United States, we do not directly elect the person who leads the government. That is the
responsibility of political parties. For example, Stephen Harper was elected as leader of the
Conservative Party and when that party won the federal election, he became Prime Minister of
Canada. In Manitoba, when Gary Doer resigned as Premier to become Canada’s Ambassador
to the United States, the New Democratic Party (NDP) elected Greg Selinger to replace him.
Since the NDP won the 2007 Manitoba election, Greg Selinger became Manitoba’s new premier.
Why is it important to understand how government works in Canada? Here’s what one wellknown Canadian historian had to say on that topic: “We cannot work or eat or drink; we cannot
buy or sell or own anything; we cannot go to a ball game or a hockey game or watch TV without
feeling the effects of government. We cannot marry, or educate our children, cannot be sick,
born or buried without the hand of government somewhere intervening.”2
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss these questions as a class




How is government structured in your country? Are there different levels of
government? How do the responsibilities of each level differ?
Is the leader of the government elected by the population at large? If not,
how is he/she selected?
Are there more women or men elected to office in your country?
Do you think government is as involved in peoples’ lives in your country as it
is in Canada? Can you think of examples where government is more
involved? Less involved?
2
Quote from Senator Eugene Forsey:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/AboutParliament/Forsey/index-e.asp
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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
Premier
The title given to the leader of a provincial government. In
Manitoba, the Premier is Greg Selinger.
councillor
Someone who is elected to serve in local (city, town, region)
government.
residents’ association When a group of people reside or live in an area and have common
interests, they may decide to form a residents’ association.
asset
An asset is something owned by someone or by an organization.
For example, if you own your home, it is considered an asset.
good relations
We speak of relations or relationships among different levels of
government when we are talking about their ability to get along and
work together.
a bridge between
A bridge is something that connects two things. For example, a
community may try to build a bridge or a connection between its
people and the police.
recession
A recession is a difficult economic time. There is less business
activity, less trade and fewer jobs than usual during a recession.
to pull together
To work together toward a common goal.
adequate
About the right amount or enough.
the big picture
A broad, overall view or perspective on an issue or problem. For
example: To get a true sense of the province’s financial situation,
you can’t just look at what’s happening within our borders. You
have to look at the big picture and at what’s happening around the
world.
bell-bottom pants
Pants that are wide at the ankle (as opposed to being cut straight
all the way down the leg). These pants were in fashion in the
1960’s.
Legislature
The house of government in Manitoba. The place where the
provincial government meets.
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3. Predict what the podcast is about
In this interview, Marcy interviews Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger. Ask students what
kinds of questions do they think Marcy will ask? Here are some examples to get
started.
Maybe she will ask him… some personal questions.
She might ask him… about the economy.
She will likely ask him about … working with the Federal Government.
Possibly she will ask about … how he plans to work with the other
premiers.
I’m sure she will ask…a question about what he plans to do about the
healthcare system.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear two speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host and interviewer
Greg Selinger – Premier of Manitoba
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Listen for inference
Hand out Worksheet 1. Review it with students and have them work in pairs to
complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Review what kinds of questions students thought Marcy would ask Premier Selinger.
How close were their predictions?
2. Using idioms with the word “big”
In the interview, Premier Selinger talks about the big picture. Tell students that the big
picture is an idiom. When you use the words together, the meaning is not the same as
when the words appear on their own. A big picture, in this context, isn’t a large photo or
big piece of art. It’s a broad, overall view or perspective on an issue or problem.
Hand-out Worksheet 2 and review the instructions. Ask students to work with a partner
to find the meaning of other idioms using the word big.
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Extension activities
1. Scan a chart about the provincial and federal levels of government
Hand out and review Worksheet 3. Ask students to work with a partner to read the
chart and complete the Worksheet.
2. Read a list of the major responsibilities of the three levels of government
Review Worksheet 4 with students. Ask students to work in small groups to read the list
of responsibilities and then answer the questions. If students are having difficulty
determining which level of government is responsible for an issue, it may help to consult
the blue pages of the telephone directory or an internet listing.
Take up the answers as a class.
3. Write an invitation to an Open House at the Legislature
Tell students that for over 20 years, the members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly
have hosted a public Open House in December.
Appendix 2 has the news release that was sent out for the 2008 event. Ask students to
read through the news release with a partner and underline words or phrases they do
not understand. Brainstorm the meaning of any new vocabulary as a class. Ask
students to predict what kind of an event it will be, for example, will it be very formal or
casual?
Hand out Worksheet 5. Tell students they are going to help out the Premier by writing
an invitation to this year’s Open House. The invitation will be shared with other EAL
students. They can use the information from last year’s News Release to help them.
This activity can be done individually or with a partner. You could have students hand
in their work, or ask some students to read their invitation aloud to the class.
4. Call a central information line for the federal, provincial or local government
Tell students that the federal government, the provincial government and the City of
Winnipeg all have central information and referral lines. People can call these
information lines free of charge. Sometimes, the person who answers the call will be
able to answer a question, but often their job is to help callers find out what government
branch or department to call to find out what they want to know.
Hand out Worksheet 6. Ask students to work with a partner to read and review it. Ask
the pairs to share their questions with the rest of the class.
As a class, choose one question you would like ask the information line of each level of
government. Using a speaker phone or a cell phone with a speaker, place the call as a
class, with one student taking the lead and the rest listening to the conversation.
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Debrief as a class after each call. Have students discuss:




How did the call go?
Was the caller understood?
Is there anything they would do differently next time?
What did the two speakers do if they didn’t understand each other?
Want to know more…
The Manitoba Legislative Assembly website has photos of the building, tour schedules and
other information:
http://www.manitoba.ca/legislature/info/pictures.html
To see photos of the interior architectural features of the Manitoba Legislature:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/renovations/leg_phototour.html
For background on Canadian government:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/AboutParliament/Forsey/index-e.asp
The federal government’s website is:
http://canada.gc.ca/home.html
The provincial government’s website is:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/index.html
The City of Winnipeg’s website is:
http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/
The CBC has a website on Canadian history, which includes information about Confederation
and has lessons teachers can use:
http://history.cbc.ca/?MIval=HistSearch.html
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)
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Worksheet 1: Listen for Inference
Sometimes when we listen, we are listening for very specific details. Other times, we are
listening not only for details, but also for inference. For example, what is the tone of the
interview? How does the person being interviewed come across? When you listen this time,
listen for inference. Circle the best answer to complete each sentence. The first one is
completed for you as an example.
a) The first question Marcy asks the Premier is _1_.
1. a bit of a surprise
2. predictable
3. shocking
b) The tone of this interview is ___.
1. formal
2. informal
3. guarded or cautious
c) The questions Marcy asks are intended to be ___.
1. informative
2. entertaining
3. both informative and entertaining
d) In the interview, Premier Selinger seems ___.
1. comfortable
2. uneasy
3. nervous
e) When Marcy says bell-bottom pants are good for her figure, she’s ____ .
1. making a fashion comment
2. paying herself a compliment
3. making fun of herself
f) During the interview, Premier Selinger speaks fondly of ___.
1. the federal government
2. his new office
3. the community of St. Boniface
g) Premier Selinger comes across as someone who is ___.
1. easy to talk to
2. difficult to talk to
3. withdrawn and anti-social
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Worksheet 2: Idioms Using the Word “Big” in Context
The English language uses many idioms, including idioms that use the word big. The following
sentences contain idioms (in bold) with the word big. You may hear these idioms in the media,
in the workplace or in casual conversation. Can you match the idiom from the sentence with
its meaning? Watch for context clues. The first one is completed for you as an example.
Sentence
When you look at Canada’s economy, you have to look at the
big picture. It’s not enough to look at what’s happening in one
province or industry.
The Premier is the big cheese in the province. He’s the boss.
That guy’s too big for his boots. Don’t you think he has far too
high an opinion of himself?
Did you know the band we’re listening to got its start in the Big
Apple? Now they’re famous around the world.
There are many theories about how the world began, including
the big bang theory.
When Manitoban Cindy Klassen won Olympic Gold in speed
skating, she hit the big time. She became a household name
and was hired as a corporate spokesperson.
Having the Human Rights Museum built in Winnipeg is a big
deal. It’s the first time a national museum has been located
outside Ottawa.
Please, please don’t make a big deal out of my birthday. I don’t
like being the centre of attention.
The Blue Bombers messed up big time when they lost the
football game in the last two minutes.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
meaning
Meanings
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
to be pleased with yourself and think you are important
to perform poorly and make a lot of mistakes
a nick name for New York City
an important and exciting event or happening
a theory that the world began with one big explosion
the person in charge
don’t draw attention to something
to become famous and important as a result of something you have done
to look at the broader view
Think about idioms in your language. Are there idioms similar to these?
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Worksheet 3: More about Canada’s Federal and Provincial Governments
The chart below provides you with current information on the federal and Manitoba
governments. Scan the chart with your partner, and then see if you can find the
answers to the questions that follow on the next page.
Leader
Current Governing
Political Party
Current Type of
Government
Total Number of
Elected Members
Current Number of
Women Elected
Name of Governing
Body
Meeting Place
Name of Elected
Representatives
Name for the Areas
They Represent
Queen’s
Representative
How Government Works
Federal Government
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
Conservative Party
Provincial Government
Premier
Greg Selinger
New Democratic Party (NDP)
Minority – no one party
has a majority of elected
members
308 [14 from Manitoba]
Majority – the NDP have the
majority of elected members
68
18
House of Commons
Manitoba Legislature
Parliament Buildings in
Ottawa
Legislative Assembly Building
on Broadway Avenue in
Winnipeg
Members of the Legislative
Assembly [M.L.A.’s]
ridings, constituencies,
electoral districts, seats
Lieutenant–Governor
Philip Lee
Members of Parliament
[M.P.’s]
ridings, constituencies,
electoral districts, seats
Governor-General
Michaelle Jean
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Worksheet 3: Part 2
Scan the chart that shows the structure of the federal and provincial governments. Think about
how the information is organized on the chart. That will help you answer the following
questions quickly. The first one is completed for you.
1. Which level of government currently has a majority government?
a) federal
b) provincial
2. Which level of government has a higher percentage of women elected as members?
(Hint: You will have to do the calculation)
a) federal
b) provincial
3. Which level of government is currently governed by the Conservative party?
a) federal
b) provincial
4. Which level of government has Philip Lee as the Queen’s representative?
a) federal
b) provincial
5. What are the members elected to the provincial legislature called?
a) MP’s
b) MLA’s
6. What percentage of members of the House of Commons are from Manitoba?
(Hint: You will have to do the calculation)
a) about five percent b) about ten percent
7. Where do Manitoba’s elected members meet?
a) House of Commons
How Government Works
b) Legislative Assembly
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Worksheet 4: Who Does What?
So far in this lesson, we’ve focused on the federal and provincial governments. But there’s a
third level of government called municipal or local government. Local governments serve
cities, towns and regions in a province. The chart below outlines some of the main
responsibility areas for each level of government. Read through it with your group. Use an
English Language Learners dictionary to help with new vocabulary.
The Federal Government’s Main Responsibilities Include:
defence
criminal law
employment insurance
postal service
census
citizenship, immigration and refugee policies
Indian affairs
national transportation policies
tax returns
money and banking
The Provincial Government’s Main Responsibilities Include:
property rights
civil rights
administration of justice
environment
workplace safety
health care
education
day care, housing and social assistance
natural resources
employment standards
Municipal Government’s Main Responsibilities Include:
water and sewage
garbage and recycling
public transit
land use planning
libraries
fire fighters, paramedics, police services
animal control and licensing
local economic development and related permits
recreation facilities like skating rinks and pools
Work with your group to answer the following questions. Can you identify which level of
government is responsible for each issue?
Issue
1. You need to purchase a license for your dog.
2. You have a question about your tax return.
3. You want information on finding a family doctor.
4. You want information on family re-unification policies because
you would like to bring your parents to Canada.
5. You want to know about your rights as a tenant.
6. You want information on whether you are entitled to holiday
pay from your employer.
7. You want to know if you are eligible for Employment Insurance
8. You are concerned about safety at your workplace.
9. You want to know when the local wading pool will open.
10. You need an occupancy permit for your business.
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Level of Government
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Worksheet 5: Write an Invitation to the Annual Open House
For over 20 years, the members of the Manitoba Legislature have hosted a seasonal
Open House in December. Your task is to read the news release for last year’s event in
Appendix 2 and write an invitation for this year using the framework below.
Here are a few new details you need to know:
 This year’s event will be held Saturday, December 5th
 The event will be hosted by Manitoba’s new Premier, Greg Selinger
 The kind of entertainment for the children and the kind of music at the
event will be the same as last year, but the performers may be different
Who is extending the
invitation? To what
event? To whom?
Premier Greg Selinger and the Members of the Manitoba
Legislature would like to invite the public to _______________
__________________________________________________
When is it? Where is it?
What time?
The event will take place at________________________ on
__________________________ from _________________.
What is at the event for
children?
Children are invited to take part in ______________________.
There will be entertainment by _________________________
and a special appearance by___________________________.
What other entertainment
is provided?
Every member of the family will enjoy ___________________
_________________________________________________.
What can people bring?
Please bring _______________________________________.
Closing sentence.
The Premier looks forward to _________________________.
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Worksheet 6: Who Do I Call and What Do I Say?
The federal government, the provincial government and the City of Winnipeg all have
central information and referral lines. (If you live outside Winnipeg, ask your teacher
how you can contact the local government for your area.)
You can call these information lines free of charge. If a lot of other people are calling at
the same time, you may have to wait for a short time before someone takes your call.
Sometimes, the person who answers the call will be able to answer your question, but
often their job is to help you find out what government branch or department you need
to call to find out what you want to know.
Central Information Lines
Federal Government
1-800-622-6232
Province of Manitoba
1-866-626-4862
City of Winnipeg
311
(1-800-0-CANADA)
(1-866-MANITOBA)
If you were going to call one of the information lines above, what would you say? Here
are some ideas about how the conversation might proceed.
Operator:
Caller:
Operator:
Caller:
Operator:
Caller:
Operator:
Caller:
Operator:
Hello, can I help you?
Yes, have a question about my personal tax return.
That’s the Canada Revenue Agency. They have a toll free phone line. Do
you have a pen so I can give you the number?
Yes, go ahead please.
(Says the number very quickly)
Could you repeat that for me a little more slowly?
Certainly. It’s 1-800-959-8281.
Thank you every much.
You’re welcome.
Your task: Working with your partner, think of one question you could ask each
information line. Refer back to Worksheet 4 for ideas.
Question for the federal government information line:
_______________________________________________________________________
Question for the provincial government information line:
_______________________________________________________________________
Question for the municipal government information line:
_______________________________________________________________________
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Appendix 1: Transcript
October 19, 2009 (date of broadcast)
Speaker
Podcast
Line
Marcy
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning
English with CBC. Manitoba has a new Premier. His name
is Greg Selinger and he he’s been the province’s Minister of
Finance for the past 10 years. Before he entered provincial
politics, Greg Selinger was the city councilor for St.
5
Boniface. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Social Work
at the University of Manitoba and a community organizer. In
this interview, you’ll hear his answers to a few of the
questions I asked him on his first day on the job.
Marcy
Number one. Do you start your day with coffee or tea?
Greg Selinger
Neither. A glass of skim milk and a couple pieces of whole
10
wheat toast.
Marcy
Oh, healthy! Every politician has an area they care about
deeply, personally, an area that often times got them into
public life in the first place. What is yours?
Greg Selinger
15
Well you know I’d have to say the St. Boniface community. I
was very involved in there in the residents’ association and
it’s a tremendous community that has huge cultural and
historic assets.
Marcy
What is going to be the greatest challenge in working with
20
Prime Minister Harper?
Greg Selinger
Y’know, I think Manitoba has always had good relations on
the federal level, with not only with the federal government
and the other provinces, we’ve always worked well, we’ve
always seen ourselves as ah a kind of bridge between the
east and the west in this country and some of the regional
differences.
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25
Selinger cont
I think ah I think our greatest challenge as a country is to
make sure we get through this recession with
as little damage as possible to people’s lifestyles and ah
30
jobs and the indra industrial sector. I think that will be the
challenge that we will all have to pull together on. There’s
many other issues about proper financing of, you know, our
health system, our education system, particularly post
secondary and providing adequate support to people in
35
terms of employment insurance etc. But ah I fully expect
that ah we will all see the big picture and um want to work
together and I’m hoping that will be the case.
Marcy
You know, we mix these up, serious and not, right?
Greg Selinger
Yes, I can see that.
Marcy
Okay, so are you ready for the next one? What fashion
40
trend do you regret participating in?
Greg Selinger
Bell-bottom pants weren’t exactly the most exciting era.
Marcy
They’re really good for my figure but …ah, the first thing
you’ll change in your new office. You mentioned that you’d
been in already.
Greg Selinger
You know what, I, the first time I went into the Legislature, I
didn’t even see the office for the first several months, I was
so busy just doing things.
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45
Appendix 2: Annual Open House
December 4, 2008
ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, DEC. 63
–––
Premier Invites Public to Celebrate the Season At the Legislative Building
Premier Gary Doer and members of cabinet and the legislature are inviting the public to join
them at the province’s annual open house at the Legislative Building on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Between 1 and 3 p.m., Manitobans’ representatives will be in their offices to greet their
constituents. The Blue Room, the lieutenant-governor’s formal reception room, will be open to
the public, as well as the NDP caucus room, the PC caucus room, the Liberal office, the
legislative reading room and the clerk of the legislative assembly’s office.
There will be crafts and colouring stations in the children’s activity centre in Room
254. Children accompanied by an adult can enjoy the magic of Jen and Zack at 1:15 p.m. and
be entertained by Floyd the Clown at 2:15 p.m. Bobus the Clown will be making balloon art
outside the room from 1 to 3 p.m. And a special guest from the North Pole will make an
appearance on the Grand Staircase at 1:30 p.m.
The musical tradition will continue this year with vocal performances on the Grand Staircase
from choirs from Collège Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau, Glenwood School, Sisler High School,
Strathmillan School and École Saint-Avila. Speaker of the legislature George Hickes will once
again lead a choir of MLAs.
Those who attend are asked to bring along a non-perishable food item or unwrapped toy for
the Christmas Cheer Board.
“I invite all Manitobans to come see their building all dressed up for the season,” said
Doer. “My colleagues and I look forward to greeting the public and embracing the spirit of the
season.”
- 30 -
3
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2008/12/2008-12-04-023700-4900.html
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