Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
February 18, 2014
Lesson 96: Teacher’s Edition
Level: CLB 5 and up
Topic: Buying a Vehicle
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for main ideas and detail
Speaking – describing preferences; expressing opinions
Reading – reading a chart; reading statements and answering T/F questions
Writing – writing a bill of sale
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Discussing what things people consider when they buy a vehicle
Using new vocabulary in context
Listening to an interview about a used car sale gone wrong for detail; summarizing and retelling the main ideas of the interview
Describing a vehicle by placing descriptive adjectives in correct order
Reading a chart comparing the pros of buying new / used vehicles; discussing buyer scenarios and making recommendations
Writing a sample bill of sale for a specific transaction
Reading and discussing statements about child car seats and deciding whether they are true or false; reading the answers
Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing
Worksheets[1]: 1. Things to Consider When Buying a Vehicle
2. Vocabulary Match
3. Listen for Specific Words, Phrases and Expressions
4. Summarize and Retell the Story in Your Own Words
5. Use Descriptive Adjectives to Describe Vehicles
6. Read and Compare Information and Make Recommendations to Buyers
7. Write a Sample Bill of Sale for a Used Vehicle
8. Read Statements about Child Car Seats – True or False?
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Answers to True/False Statements about Child Car Seats
Manitoba Memo
Buying a car is an exciting and somewhat daunting experience. Next to a house, it’s one of the largest purchases people make. There are many things to think about. For example, should you buy a new car or a used car? What size of vehicle do you need? What features are important? Do you care what about the colour of the vehicle? How important is reliability and fuel-efficiency to you? How much will it cost for insurance? Should you pay cash, get a loan or lease?
If you are thinking of buying a new vehicle, you can do your preliminary research on the internet by searching the websites of the manufacturers. You can find out who makes a vehicle that’s in your price range and has the features you’d like to have. Your local library is a great place to do research. Your librarian can help you find books and websites that compare vehicles on everything from price to reliability to safety to fuel-efficiency.
Once you have narrowed down your choices, it is time to go the dealership and test drive the vehicles you may be interested in purchasing. Test driving provides information you can’t get from your research. Is the vehicle comfortable for you to drive? Does it have good sight lines? Is there enough trunk or storage space? Is the size about right for your needs? You can also ask the salesperson some specific questions about things like fuel-efficiency, safety, financing and warranties.
Once you have found the right vehicle for you, it’s time to make an offer to purchase. Although the vehicle will have a price, there is usually some room for negotiation. Make sure you understand what you are signing. Ask questions. You have the right to walk away from a deal before anything is signed.
If you are thinking of buying a used vehicle, the process is more complicated. You can buy a used vehicle from a dealership or directly from the owner. Manitoba has many rules and regulations that govern the sale and purchase of used vehicles. Make sure you know your rights. Do your research. Check out the websites listed in this lesson.
There are lots of resources to help you figure out how much a used vehicle is worth based on the model, year and kilometres driven. You can check for crash test data and reliability. Again, the library is a good place to start. When the ownership of a vehicle is transferred, the seller must provide a certificate that shows the vehicle has had a safety inspection. This certificate does not guarantee the overall condition of the vehicle. It just tells you it was safe the day it was inspected. You need to obtain a vehicle history report to find out if the vehicle has been in an accident, damaged or repaired or if there is a lien against it. Dealers in Manitoba are required to provide this information to potential buyers of used vehicles. However, as the CBC story you’re about to listen to found out, not all vehicle history reports are created equal.
When it is time to make an offer on a used vehicle, start at a number that is less than your budget amount. Bargaining and negotiation is common in these transactions. Remember, even if you buy a used car from a relative, you need to have a bill of sale. Without a bill of sale, you can’t insure your vehicle. Be sure to get any special conditions or promises related to the purchase in writing as well. Happy motoring!
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss buying a car
Ask students to work in small groups. Hand out Worksheet 1 and review it with the class.
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
to do due diligence If someone does due diligence before they buy a vehicle, it means that they try to find out as much as they can about the vehicle before they decide to make an offer to purchase it. They do their research.
a used car A used car is a vehicle that has had one or more previous owners.
a car dealer A car dealer is someone owns a business that sells cars and other vehicles. We call their business a dealership.
to disclose information If you disclose information, you make it available or public. We talk about disclosing information when we refer to information that has previously been secret or has not been public knowledge.
a potential buyer A potential buyer is someone who is thinking about buying a specific product but hasn’t made a decision.
a car’s accident history An accident history is a report which shows whether a vehicle has been in any accidents, what kind of damage was done and whether the vehicle required repairs of any significance.
a damage claim When you ask an insurance company to pay to repair your vehicle after a collision, you are making a claim or request for them to cover and fix the damage which has been done.
to be dazzled by something If you are dazzled by something, you strongly admire it or are amazed by it.
pearl white The word pearl is used an adjective to describe the colour white. You can visualize the colour because you are familiar with what white pearls look like.
to be impressed If you are impressed by something or someone, you admire it or them very much, often because of a special skill or quality.
to be reliable Something that is reliable is dependable. You can count on it. For example, you can depend or count on your vehicle to perform well in cold temperatures.
to trust someone If you trust someone, you believe they won’t do anything bad or wrong.
an air bag An air bag is a passenger safety device in a vehicle. It fills with air to protect the driver / passengers if there is an accident.
the hood of a car The hood of a car is the metal covering the engine. You open the hood to see the engine.
to be out of alignment If something is out of alignment, it means that how one part or thing fits with another is changed and it doesn’t fit properly any longer.
a gap A gap is a space between two objects or two parts of objects.
tail lights Tail lights on a vehicle are the two red lights at the back.
to force something If you force something, you use physical strength to close or move it. For example, if a door is sticking you may force it to open or close.
3. Vocabulary Match
Hand out and review Worksheet 2. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
4. Predict what the interview is about
In this podcast, CBC reporter Gosia Sawicka tells host Marcy Markusa about one young man’s experience when he bought a used car. We also hear from the young man, Trevor Levasseur. Ask students if they can predict what kinds of things might have gone wrong for Trevor when he purchased a used car.
Maybe…he paid too much.
Possibly …the car is damaged or needs repair.
Maybe…the car is less fun to drive than he thought.
I wonder if …he thinks the seller didn’t tell him all of the vehicle’s history.
While-listening activities
1. Introduce the podcast
Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear two speakers. They will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Gosia Sawicka – CBC reporter
Trevor Levasseur – car buyer
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Listen for detail
Handout Worksheet 3 and review it with students. Ask students to work individually to complete it. Play the podcast as many times as needed. Take up the answers as a class.
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students if they were able to predict what kinds of things might have gone wrong for Trevor when he purchased a used car.
2. Write a short summary of the main ideas and re-tell the story
Handout Worksheet 4 and review it with students. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it. Take up the answers as a class.
Extension activities
1. Describe a vehicle by placing descriptive adjectives in the correct order
Handout and review Worksheet 5. Ask students to work with a partner to complete it.
2. Read a chart comparing the pros of buying new and used vehicles; Read buyer scenarios and discuss which option would be best for each buyer
Handout and review Worksheet 6. Ask students to work with a partner to complete the task.
Note: You could extend this task by having students use the internet to see if they can find an appropriate used vehicle for one of the potential buyers. Students could build the purchase criteria into a search on Kijiji, Winnipeg Free Press Auto or Auto Trader.
3. Write a sample bill of sale for a specific transaction between a buyer and a seller using the details provided
Handout and review Worksheet 7. Ask students to complete the bill of sale individually.
4. Read and discuss statements about child car seats and decide if they are true or false; read and discuss the answers
Handout and review Worksheet 8. Students will work with a partner for this task.
Want to know more on this topic?
For more information on Trevor’s experience: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/jetta-owner-shocked-carfax-report-didn-t-note-20k-in-damage-1.2498492
You can find tips on buying a vehicle in Manitoba on the websites for Consumer Protection and Manitoba Public Insurances:
www.gov.mb.ca/cca/cpo/vehicledisclosure.html
www.mpi.mb.ca/en/Reg-and-Ins/Registration/Buying/Pages/choosing_your_vehicle.aspx
You can find more information on child care seats at:
www.seatsforkidscanada.com/FAQ.html
www.mpi.mb.ca/en/Rd-Safety/Car-Seats/Pages/Inspections.aspx
www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/injury/booster.html
www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
Information on the pros and cons of buying new and used vehicles is from:
www.caranddriver.com/features/buying-a-car-what-to-know-before-you-go
Examples of websites where you can find used car listings include: dealer and newspaper websites, Kijiji and autoTRADER.
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Worksheet 1: Things to Consider when Buying a Vehicle
Purchasing a vehicle is a major decision. Think about all the aspects you have to consider. Do you have the language skills to describe your preferences? Can you ask other people in your group about what is important to them? Can you respond to their questions? Use the following questions to practise your listening and speaking skills.
1. When you buy a vehicle, is the appearance or the performance such as gas mileage more important?
2. What is your colour preference?
3. What kind of gas mileage do you want the vehicle to get?
4. What size do you prefer? e.g. mid-size or compact; van; truck
5. What options do you want? e.g. a sunroof
6. What make and model would you choose? e.g. Toyota Camry, Ford Explorer, Dodge Caravan
7. Do you think a vehicle is a luxury or a necessity? Why?
8. Did you own a vehicle before you came to Manitoba? Is buying a vehicle in your country of origin similar to buying a vehicle here? What are the differences / similarities?
Worksheet 2: Vocabulary Match
Learning vocabulary before you listen helps you understand the podcast. Work with your partner to see if you can you match each vocabulary word or phrase with its meaning. You can use an English Language Learner’s Dictionary to help you. The first one is completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word / Meaning1. _g to do due diligence / a) / a report which shows accidents, damage, repairs etc. for a vehicle
2. __ a used car or vehicle / b) / to believe someone won’t do anything bad or wrong
3. __ a car dealer / c) / the metal which covers the engine of a car
4. __ to disclose information / d) / a particular shade of the colour white
5. __ a potential buyer / e) / a device in a vehicle that fills with air to protect drivers / passengers in an accident
6. __ an accident history report / f) / to use physical strength to close something or move it in a direction it doesn’t want to go
7. __ a damage claim / g) / to do research; to find out all you can about something
8. __ to be dazzled by something / h) / to admire someone or something, usually because of a special skill or quality
9. __ pearl white / i) / when two parts don’t fit together properly
10. __ to trust someone / j) / the space between two objects or parts of an object
11. __ to be impressed by someone / something / k) / to be amazed by something; to strongly admire it
12. __ to be reliable / l) / a vehicle that has had one or more previous owners
13. __ an air bag / m) / someone who is thinking about buying a product but hasn’t decided for certain
14. __ the hood of a car / n) / to be dependable
15. __ to be out of alignment / o) / someone who owns a business that sells cars / other vehicles
16. __ a gap / p) / the two red lights at the back of a vehicle
17. __ tail lights / q) / an insurance claim for damage to a vehicle
18. __ to force something / r) / to make available information that has not been previously available or public
Worksheet 3: Listen for Specific Words, Phrases and Expressions