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. Second-hand Smoke Learning English with CBC Page 1 of 16 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 How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 2 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 3 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 4 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 5 of 16 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) How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 6 of 16 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 How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 7 of 16 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? How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 8 of 16 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 Learning English with CBC 57 Page 9 of 16 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 Learning English with CBC Page 10 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Level of Government Page 11 of 16 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 _________________________. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 12 of 16 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: _______________________________________________________________________ How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 13 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 14 of 16 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. How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 15 of 16 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 How Government Works Learning English with CBC Page 16 of 16