Teaching
Listening at Upper
Intermediate Level
by Sam Smith
- Lesson plan 4
|
Transcript
of Videoscript
B
= Bill R = Rod
B:
So, have you seen this, er this article then? What
do you reckon to this?
R:
Well, erm, I think it probably has some validity,
you know,
B: Yeah
R: I think, erm, I
think, you know, you can stress yourself out more
by, you know, denying yourself things. I think it
goes, er, along the lines of moderation.
B:
Mm Hm, it's curious that it's actually true for mice
as well as, I can imagine for people, yeah but, it's
kind of curious that it's actually true for mice.
R:
Yeah, that's interesting isn't it? But then again,
animals, you know, a lot of people, you know, take
for granted animals. But I think, you know em, there's
a lot more to animals than we, you know, grasp. You
know what I mean? So to me, that, that doesn't surprise
me that much.
B:
Yeah. I don't really agree with the last part where
it says, er, that possibly explains why children from
poorer homes tend to do less well at school and in
life generally. I'm not sure that's to do with, er,
little luxuries in life. I think there's all sorts
of things that could...
R:
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I, I agree yeah.
B:
Diet, er, and environment, and all sorts of different
things, so...
R:
Exactly, I agree with that.
B:
So, it possibly explains, I'd say, well, it's an element
possibly.
R: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
B: Amongst other parts.
R:
But there'd be a lot of other parts, other things
that would influence, er um, you know, people from
poorer...
B:
It's also curious that, hm, hm, the things that they
gave to the mice, I mean there's, er, popcorn and
sweets, and brightly coloured toys, so it's almost
they're thinking of children.
R:
Well
B:
Maybe mice might want something more, you know, mouselike.
LAUGHTER
R:
That's true but, you know they, erm uh, I've seen,
er, I saw a documentary, er, years back, about erm,
when you have a new-born child, you know, it's very
important to have lots of colour and stimulation.
So, I mean, you know, erm, decorate child's room,
you know, you can see, you know, people who are
wealthy. So you got the child's room with clouds and
B: It's a child
R:
and birds painted on the walls
B:
It's a child not a mouse, that's the thing I'm saying
R:
Well, yeah, that's true but
B:
It's relevant for children maybe but, it's strange
it should be relevant for mice.
R:
Yeah, but then I go back, you know, like er, as I
say, you know a lot of what we have this, you know,
ego feeling that mankind, that humankind is above
animals and you know
B: That's true
R: and I have this feeling that animals have feelings
and thoughts even though we might not know what they
are
B: Yeah
R: So that's why I can
see that animals, you know
B: Yeah, yeah
R: could be
B: Well this is
R: working on animals
B:
Certainly reading this article has made me feel like
going for a few little luxuries now, er
R: Yeah, let's go for a beer.
B:
Good idea
LAUGHTER
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|
Interesting
Things in the Tape-script
Meaning and perception = mm
Speech
features = sss
B
= Bill R = Rod
B:
So, have you seen this, er this article then? What
do you reckon to this?
R:
Well, erm, I think it probably has some validity,
you know,
B: Yeah
R: I think, erm, I think, you know, you can stress
yourself out more by, you know, denying yourself things.
I think it goes, er, along the lines of moderation.
B:
Mm Hm, it's curious that it's actually true for mice
as well as, I can imagine for people, yeah but, it's
kind of curious that it's actually true for mice.
R:
Yeah, that's interesting isn't it? But then again,
animals, you know, a lot of people, you know, take
for granted animals. But I think, you know em,
there's a lot more to animals than we, you know,
grasp. You know what I mean? So to me, that, that
doesn't surprise me that much.
B:
Yeah. I don't really agree with the last part where
it says, er, that possibly explains why children from
poorer homes tend to do less well at school and in
life generally. I'm not sure that's to do with, er,
little luxuries in life. I think there's all sorts
of things that could...
R:
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I, I agree yeah.
B:
Diet, er, and environment, and all sorts of different
things, so...
R:
Exactly, I agree with that.
B:
So, it possibly explains, I'd say, well, it's an
element possibly.
R: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
B: Amongst other parts.
R:
But there'd be a lot of other parts, other things
that would influence, er um, you know, people from
poorer...
B:
It's also curious that, hm, hm, the things that they
gave to the mice, I mean there's, er, popcorn and
sweets, and brightly coloured toys, so it's almost
they're thinking of children.
R:
Well
B:
Maybe mice might want something more, you know,
mouselike.
LAUGHTER
R:
That's true but, you know they, erm uh, I've seen,
er, I saw a documentary, er, years back, about erm,
when you have a new-born child, you know, it's very
important to have lots of colour and stimulation.
So, I mean, you know, erm, decorate child's room,
you know, you can see, you know, people who are wealthy.
So you got the child's room with clouds and
B: It's a child
R: and birds painted on the walls
B:
It's a child not a mouse, that's the thing I'm saying
R:
Well, yeah, that's true but
B:
It's relevant for children maybe but, it's strange
it should be relevant for mice.
R:
Yeah, but then I go back, you know, like er, as I
say, you know a lot of what we have this, you know,
ego feeling that mankind, that humankind is above
animals and you know
B: That's true
R: and I have this feeling that animals have
feelings and thoughts even though we might not know
what they are
B: Yeah
R: So that's why I can
see that animals, you know
B: Yeah, yeah
R: could be
B: Well this is
R: working on animals
B:
Certainly reading this article has made me feel like
going for a few little luxuries
now, er
R: Yeah, let's go for a beer.
B:
Good idea
LAUGHTER
|
Parts
in italics = suggested parts for dictation and noticing
of 'speech features' of repetition, false starts, fillers
and clarifyers. To be followed by discussion of whether
sts need to be aware of them in order to be ready and
not pay attention / be distracted.
Parts in bold = parts of language to be inferred
from context.
What do these expressions in the conversation mean?
"I think it goes, er, along the lines of moderation"
"a lot of people, you know, take for granted animals"
"there's a lot more to animals than we, you know,
grasp"
part
to work on for: phrases for agreeing
pauses, errors and corrections
B:
Yeah. I don't really agree with the last part where
it says, er, that possibly explains why children from
poorer homes tend to do less well at school and in
life generally. I'm not sure that's to do with, er,
little luxuries in life. I think there's all sorts
of things that could...
R:
Oh ____, ____, ____, I, _ _____ yeah.
B:
Diet, er, and environment, and all sorts of different
things, so...
R:
_______, I _____ ____ that.
B:
So, it possibly explains, I'd say, well, it's an element
possibly.
R: ____, ____, _______.
B: Amongst other parts.
R:
But there'd be a lot of other parts, other things
that would influence, er um, you
know, people from poorer...
B:
It's also curious that, hm, hm, the things that they
gave to the mice, I mean there's, er, popcorn and
sweets, and brightly coloured toys, so it's almost
they're thinking of children.
R:
____
B:
Maybe mice might want something more, you know, mouselike.
LAUGHTER
R:
That's ____ but, ___ ____ they, erm uh, I've seen,
er, _ ___ a documentary, er, years back, about erm,
when you have a new-born child, ___ ____, it's very
important to have lots of colour and stimulation.
So, _ ____, ___ ____, erm, decorate child's room,
___ ____, you can see, ___ ____, people who are wealthy.
So you got the child's room with clouds and
B: It's a child
R: and birds painted on the walls
B:
It's a child not a mouse, that's the thing I'm saying
R:
Well, ____, that's ____ ___
|
| As
you listen tick the topics you hear talked about:
Allowing
yourself a few luxuries is a good idea
Popcorn
and sweets are bad for you
What's
true for people is also true for mice
Little
luxuries help children do better
Popcorn
makes your brain grow
Mice
are like children
Bright
colours help stimulate new-born children
Being
kept in cages is cruel
Animals
have thoughts and feelings that we don't know much
about
Going
for a drink
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| Are
the following true or false?
1.
Rod doesn't think it's valid, he thinks we do get
stressed out by too much luxury.
2. Rod thinks that most humans don't really understand
animals.
3. Bill totally disagrees that not having life's luxuries
can cause children to do worse in life.
4. Bill understands why there is a link between mice
and children.
5. Rod thinks that decorating a child's room brightly
is important.
6. Rod thinks that we know what animals feel.
Listen
again
|
What
do you think could fill the gaps?
1. Try and predict.
2. Listen and complete.
R:
That's ____ but, ___ ____ they, ___ __, I've seen,
er, _ ___ a documentary,
er, years back, about ___, when you have a new-born
child, ___ ____, it's very
important to have lots of colour and stimulation.
So, _ ____, ___ ____, erm,
decorate child's room, ___ ____, you can see, ___
____, people who are
wealthy. So you got the child's room with clouds and
B: It's a child
R: and birds painted on the walls
|
What
do you think could fill the gaps?
1. Try and predict.
2. Listen and complete.
3. Practice the part in bold.
B:
Yeah. I don't really agree with the last part where
it says, er, that possibly
explains why children from poorer homes tend to do
less well at school and in
life generally. I'm not sure that's to do with, er,
little luxuries in life. I
think there's all sorts of things that could...
R:
Oh ____, ____, ____, I, _ _____ yeah.
B:
Diet, er, and environment, and all sorts of different
things, so...
R:
_______, I _____ ____ that.
B:
So, it possibly explains, I'd say, well, it's an element
possibly.
R: ____, ____, _______.
B: Amongst
other parts.
What do these expressions in the conversation mean?
"I think it goes, er, along the lines of moderation"
"a lot of people, you know, take for granted
animals"
"there's a lot more to animals than we, you know,
grasp"
|
| Discussion
Questions 1.
1. What do you think about mice being fed popcorn
and sweets?
Is it surprising that sweet things make them more
intelligent?
2. Do you think it's also true that children do better
if they have sweet things and bright colours?
3. Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child?
4. After reading this, are you going to start eating
more sweets?
5. Do the disadvantages of sweets outweigh the 'advantages'?
6. Do you think it's important for children to be
given some advantages in life by giving them sweet
things and bright colours?
7. Do you think 'brain power' is that important anyway,
or are other things more important in life?
|
| Discussion
Questions 2
1. Do you think it's strange that a mouse's brain
power is increased by exposure to human things like
sweets and popcorn?
2. Do you think we understand animals' thoughts and
feelings?
3. Do you think we understand animals' intelligence?
Are humans really so much more intelligent than animals?
4. What is intelligence anyway? Is it the same as
IQ?
5. Which is most important; understanding scientific
things or understanding people and their emotions?
6. Which are you best with; science or people?
7. What about learning languages? What kind of 'intelligence'
do you need for that?
Make notes about the 2 speakers.
Think
about:
1.
Interrupting.
2.
Agreeing and disagreeing.
3.
How good is the speaker? Is (s)he clear? Is her/his
body position good, head raised etc? Does (s)he use
her/his hands and facial gestures well?
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| 1st
listening questions
What's the relationship between the 2 speakers?
Are
they discussing it for fun or seriously?
Do they interrupt?
Do
they speak at the same time? - Is this natural?
Who
is the better speaker? Why? - Think of how they speak
and also how they move and sit
Who did you understand better? Why?
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