Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
June 3, 2011
Lesson 69: Teacher’s Edition
Level: CLB 5 and up
Topic: Talking about Mental Health and Mental Illness
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail
Speaking – expressing concern
Reading – reading and answering a questionnaire; scanning a poster for detail
Writing – making notes
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Discussing how different countries approach mental health and mental illness
Listening for detail in a radio interview with a young woman who experiences anxiety and panic attacks
Discussing and answering questions about mental health
Calculating your personal stress level by completing a questionnaire about life events
Scanning a poster about Klinic’s drop-in counselling program and answering detail questions
Speaking to a friend who seems depressed using language to express concern
Essential Skills: Reading text, numeracy, working with others, oral communication, writing
Worksheets[1]: 1. Take Notes as You Listen
2. What’s Your Mental Health Knowledge IQ?
3. Calculate Your Stress Level
4. Scan a Poster about a Drop-in Counselling for Information
5. Use Language to Show Concern
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Klinic Drop-in Counselling Poster
Manitoba Memo
Even though most cultures don’t talk about it easily, mental health is as important as physical health. Good mental health allows people to enjoy their life and cope with life’s ups and downs. Mental illness or mental disorders seriously affect a person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour. They make functioning in everyday life more difficult or even impossible. Studies show that mental illness is more common than we think. In Canada, twenty percent of the population will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. The good news is that mental illness is treatable. The vast majority of people with mental illness do get better and resume a normal life.
Mental health and mental illness are culturally relative. That means that how we understand perceptions of both are deeply related to our culture. As one expert described it, mental illness is a “…window on a culture’s sources of distress and on the human consequences of such distress.”[2] Not surprising, immigrants and refugees often face multiple layers of cultural distress - in their home country, while migrating and in their new country.
Different cultures use different expressions to talk about mental illness and about how it affects how they feel. Culture often dictates what symptoms people see as “normal” or “abnormal” and the kinds of treatment or services which are acceptable to them. Language also plays a role. For example, the word “blue” in English is not only a colour, it is used to describe feelings of sadness or depression. Other languages also have many different words for depression.
There are many different cultural beliefs about mental illness. For example, some cultures believe:
} it is caused by the evil eye, by a curse or by supernatural forces;
} certain mental disorders, like schizophrenia, give people special powers or insight;
} it brings shame and disgrace to the family;
} those who suffer from mental illness should be isolated and left alone;
} some forms of treatment are more acceptable than others, for example, counselling may be acceptable but there may be stigma attached to seeing a psychiatrist;
} it is caused by certain foods, or by an imbalance of mind and body (yin and yang);
} it should never be discussed – the topic is strictly taboo;
} mental distress is expressed through physical symptoms and if you cure the body, you’ll cure the mind.
Cultural differences in the perception and treatment of mental illness sometimes collide with the Western World’s medical model. As a result, symptoms may be missed and treatments may be less effective.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Immigrant and Refugee Organizations and mental health care providers have been working hard to adapt information and treatment in mental health so that cultural differences are taken into account. Talking about mental health and understanding why mental health is important is the first step.
Pre-listening activities
1. Discuss as a class
} In your country, do people talk openly about mental health and mental illness? Or is the topic taboo, something that people avoid discussing or try to hide from others?
} How are people with mental illness treated in your country? Are they ever stigmatized or isolated?
} How is mental illness identified? What kind of help is available? Are there self-help groups or organizations? Counsellors? Psychiatrists? Are services easy to find? Is medication routinely prescribed?
} When immigrants first arrive in Canada, studies have shown that they have fewer mental health problems than the average Canadian. But over time, they experience a level of mental health problems similar to other Canadians. What do you think are some of the factors which affect the mental health of immigrants after they arrive?
} If you were to share one piece of advice on how best to talk with or treat someone from your own culture who is facing a mental health issue, what advice would you give?
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
physical health If your physical health is good, it means your body is healthy. You are not ill or unwell.
mental health If your mental health is good, it means your mind is healthy. You are able to cope with life’s ups and downs. You do not suffer from mental illness.
the Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA) The CMHA is a charitable organization which promotes mental health and supports people who are experiencing mental illness.
to break a taboo When something is described as “taboo”, people avoid talking about it or doing it because they are worried it could seem embarrassing or offensive. A taboo is broken when people decide to talk about the topic or take part in an activity they used to avoid.
to submit something If you submit something you have written, you hand it in or to send it to someone. For example: Martin submitted the article he wrote on cross cultural issues to the editor of the school paper and to an on-line Journal.
to be anxious/to have anxiety When someone is anxious or experiencing feelings of anxiety, they are worried or nervous about something.
a panic attack A panic attack happens when someone is experiencing severe anxiety. They may have physical symptoms like shortness of breath and they may not be able to think or act sensibly during the attack.
to feel tension Tension is a nervous, worried feeling which makes it difficult or impossible for your body to relax. For example, you may get a tension headache and your muscles may become very tight.
symptoms Symptoms are things that are wrong with your body or mind. They are signs which may indicate an illness.
to wrap your head around This is an idiom which means you are trying to understand something or figure out the reasons why something happened. For example: Sam tried to wrap her head around her new schedule so she could figure out where to find her first class. She had never seen a schedule as complicated as this one before.
to be normal When something is normal, it’s usual or expected. In psychological terms, normal also means that you have a sound, healthy mind.
to be super down This slang expression means that someone is feeling very depressed or really sad.
to put on a different face This idiom is used when someone tries to mask or hide how they are really feeling. For example, you are putting on a different face if you are feeling very sad inside, but when people look at you, they see someone who is smiling and seems happy.
to be open about something If you are open about a topic or a problem, you are willing to talk about it. You are not trying to hide your feelings or opinions.
to be shy A shy person is someone who is nervous about speaking to others, especially to people they don’t know.
to be nervous If you are nervous, you are worried or frightened about something. You are unable to relax.
3. Predict what the interview is about
In this interview, Marcy Markusa interviews Eden Jamieson about her experience with mental illness. Eden is only nineteen, but she has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. Ask students if they can predict why Eden has decided to tell Marcy and radio listeners about her experience.
Here are a few examples:
I think she is talking about her experience… because talking about it makes her feel better.
Maybe she thought that sharing her own experience…would help others who have anxiety disorders.
Perhaps she’s sharing her experience...so others can learn from what she has been through.
I wonder if she’s hoping to break the taboo…about talking about mental illness.
I have no idea why she would want to share her experience.
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
Eden Jamieson – guest
Play the podcast for the first time.
2. Note details as you listen
Hand out Worksheet 1 and review it with students. Play the podcast as many times as needed. Ask students to take notes individually and then discuss their notes with a partner. They may decide to add or subtract notes from their own worksheet during this discussion. Review the answers as a class.
After-listening activities
1. Review pre-listening predictions
Ask students whether they were able to predict why Eden decided to tell Marcy and others about her experience with mental illness.
Extension activities
1. Discuss and answer multiple choice questions about mental health
Ask student to work in small groups. Hand out Worksheet 2. Ask the groups to read and discuss the questions and select the best answer for each question.
Take up the answers as a class.
2. Calculate personal stress levels by completing a questionnaire about life events
Ask students to work with a partner. Hand out Worksheet 3 and review it with the class. Ask students to complete the questionnaire with respect to their own life events. They can discuss the events on the list the calculations with their partner.
Ask students to share their scores. What do they think of this method of assessing the level of stress in their lives? Is there merit to this method? Why or why not?
3. Scan a poster on Klinic’s drop-in counselling program and answer detail questions
Ask students to work with a partner. Hand out Appendix 2 and Worksheet 4. Review the task with the class.
Take up the answers as a class.
4. Speaking to a friend who seems depressed using language to express concern
Ask students to work in pairs. Hand out Worksheet 5 and review it with the class.
Ask some of the pairs to perform their dialogue for the class.
Want to know more…
Much of the background for this lesson, including content for the questionnaire on mental health, came from the Canadian Mental Health Association website. You can find it at: www.cmha.ca/bins/index.asp
Their Manitoba website is: www.manitoba.cmha.ca/bins/site2.asp?cid=284-683&lang=1
You can find brochures on some mental health topics in different languages at:
www.cmha-edmonton.ab.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=4-42-211
The website of the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba is:
www.depression.mb.ca/
Klinic Community Health Centre’s website is: www.klinic.mb.ca/
This website helps you identify symptoms of common mood disorders so you can get help if you need it. You can also learn more about mood disorders and find resources to help yourself, your family members, or friends. Go to:
checkupfromtheneckup.ca/resources.html
Mind Your Mind is a website targeted at youth and young adults. It has information, resources and tools to help during tough and stressful times. Go to: mindyourmind.ca/
The information on cultural differences in the Manitoba Memo is from the CMHA Journal B.C. Visions, Number 9, Winter 2000: www.cmha.bc.ca/files/09.pdf
The Manitoba government’s website lists mental health services by region:
www.gov.mb.ca/health/mh/region.html
Province-wide crisis lines which deal with mental health concerns:
Klinic Crisis Line: (204)786-8686 (Winnipeg line); 1-888-322-3019 (toll free line)
Manitoba Suicide Line: 1-877-435-7170 (toll free line)
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (national toll free line available to Manitoba Youth)
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
Worksheet 1: Take Notes as You Listen
Sometimes when we listen, we are listening for main ideas and detail. One way to remember the details about what we hear is to take notes. Taking notes helps us pay closer attention as we listen. It also helps us remember to listen for stressed words and important information. Remember, we don’t need to hear or understand every word to get the gist of what is being said.
Good notes may be one word, a phrase or a short sentence. They are usually written in point form. Practice writing notes as you listen to the interview between Marcy Markusa and Eden Jamieson. Use the outline and examples below to get started.
1. This interview is about…
} mental illness
2. The person being interviewed is…
} Eden
} 19 years old
3. Eden first had symptoms of mental illness when…