Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
February 12, 2009
Lesson 41: Self Study Edition
Level: Intermediate/Advanced: CLB 6 and up
Topic: Weathering the Economic Storm
Language Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail
Reading – scanning a website for information; reading a text for the main ideas
Writing – writing a note to express concern
Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Language Tasks: Make notes about what you know about the global economic crisis using a KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learn) chart
Listen for detail in a radio interview with the President of the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce
Read news headlines about the economy and infer whether the news story is likely to be optimistic or pessimistic
Scan a website to find out how your country of origin is being affected by the economic crisis
Read a text about employment insurance and answer questions about the main ideas
Write a note of concern to a relative who is at risk of losing his job
Essential Skills: Reading text, thinking skills
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
Reading Text: What Can I Do If I Lose My Job?
Answers to worksheets
Attention students: You will need to print the lesson to be able to complete the activities.
Manitoba Memo
It would be pretty hard to miss the fact that Canada, the United States and much of the world is in the midst of an economic crisis. The collapse of the U.S. mortgage and housing market set the crisis in motion in the fall of 2008. It has moved like a tornado around the globe, leaving a path of job losses, foreclosures, bankruptcies and hardship in its wake. Depressing economic news is reported daily. Consider these recent headlines:
“Grim job stats across Canada”
“U.S. job losses pile on”
“Africa, once thought immune, succumbs to global crisis”
What does it all mean for Manitoba? Economists say the province isn’t bullet-proof, but they expect it to do relatively well. While there will be job losses, economists don’t expect Manitoba will see massive lay-offs like those taking place in Ontario, the United States and parts of Europe. Manitoba’s diversified economy doesn’t rely heavily on any one sector. This means that even if some sectors are lagging behind, other sectors continue to do well or even expand their business operations. It’s this diversification that will help protect Manitoba from the more severe effects of the economic downturn.
Can Manitoba weather the current economic storm? In the words of a local manufacturer, “This economy’s a bit like driving in the fog. When you drive in the fog, you slow down, but you keep going.”
Background
1. Before you listen, complete a Know, Want to Know, Learned chart
One way to approach learning is to first think about what you already know about a topic. That helps create context for listening and reading activities.
What do you know about the effects of the current global economic crisis? Summarize what you know in column one on the chart that follows. Are there things you would like to know about the crisis and how it could affect the lives of your families and friends? Write the things you want to know more about in column two. At the end of the lesson you can complete the third column.
KWL Chart
I know that….
/ I want to know more about…. /
I learned that…
2. Idioms in context
News and conversation about the economy is full of idioms. You see them in news headlines and news stories. You will listen to and read several of them in this lesson.
Read the following sentences. In each sentence, the idiom is in bold. Based on the context, can you guess what the idiom means? The first one is completed for you as an example.
1 (a) Manitoba’s economy is doing relatively well, but it’s not bullet-proof. Things that are happening around the globe will have an impact on the province.
1 (b) I think my job is virtually bullet-proof. My employer is still hiring and there’s an ongoing demand for the products we produce.
I think bullet-proof means: to be safe and protected from what is happening to others or in other places
2 (a) Some communities in Manitoba are doing very well, despite the economic downturn. It looks like they will be able to buck the trend.
2 (b) House prices in Winnipeg have begun to fall in the same way they have fallen in other markets. It doesn’t look as though the city will be able to buck the trend of falling house prices.
I think buck the trend means:
3 (a) There are tons of bargains out there. Consumers are sharpening their pencils when they shop. They’re trying to get the very best deal they can.
3 (b) If you’re thinking of buying a big ticket item like an appliance or a car, sharpen your pencil and make an offer. When manufacturers are hurting, they offer amazing deals. You just have to be ready to take advantage of them.
I think sharpen your pencil means:
4 (a) Manitoba’s diverse economy means the province is in a good position to weather the economic storm. Manitoba is unlikely to be hit as hard as other provinces.
4 (b) Alberta is very dependent on oil and gas revenue, while Ontario is very dependent on the auto sector. With oil and gas prices dropping and auto industry sales plunging, both provinces are very worried about how well they will be able to weather the economic storm.
I think weather the economic storm means:
3. Vocabulary
Here are some words you need to know to understand the story.
plunged A quick and significant fall or drop in something. For example, car sales have plunged or dropped significantly since the economic downturn began.
Steinbach The City of Steinbach is a hub of economic activity in southeastern Manitoba. It is also known as Manitoba’s automobile city.
hard data Statistics and numbers which support a conclusion. If a report provides hard data, facts or statistics, it is assumed to be accurate.
dealer Dealers are the owners of the businesses that sell cars and other vehicles to consumers. These businesses are known as dealerships.
forecast To look ahead and try to predict something. For example, business owners and economists are often asked to forecast or predict whether the economy will improve or worsen. (Unfortunately, with the latest crisis, it has become almost as difficult to forecast economic trends as it is to forecast weather trends!)
diverse Varied and very different from each other. A diverse economy has many different sectors. It does not rely on one major sector.
pharmaceutical manufacturer A company that makes legal drugs which are sold over the counter in drugstores or prescribed by doctors.
an indicator If something is an indicator of something, it is a sign or a signal of what is likely to happen. For example, plunging car sales in North America are an indicator or sign that the economy is in trouble.
4. Listen to the interview
In this story, Terry McLeod interviews Paul Neustaedter, an automobile dealer who is also the president of the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce. According to Paul, vehicle sales in Steinbach are higher than they were a year ago. This is opposite to what’s happening in other communities. Can you speculate on why Steinbach seems to be “bucking the trend?”
Here are some ways to start your sentences.
Maybe…vehicle sales are up because there are a lot of good deals. Possibly it’s because… the farming community around Steinbach had a good harvest.
It could be because…no one in Steinbach has lost his or her job.
I wonder if it’s because…
I have no idea why vehicle sales have increased.
5. Get ready to listen
In this podcast, you will hear several speakers. You will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Terry McLeod – interviewer
Paul Neustaedter – owner of an automobile dealership and president of the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce
Play the podcast for the first time.
6. Listen for detail
Sometimes when we listen, we hear the main ideas but we miss an important detail. These details may be short words that are unstressed, a prefix, an adjective and words such as “not” or “no”. When we miss these details, we may misunderstand what is being said.
Read the statements below. When you listen this time, decide which of the options (in bold) gives the correct information about what happens in the story. Notice how the meaning of the sentence would be very different if the other option was chosen! The first one is completed for you as an example.
1. Steinbach’s economy {is experiencing / is not experiencing} the effects of the economic downturn.
2. Chrysler sales in Steinbach { increased / decreased } in January 2009 in comparison to January 2008.
3. Paul Neustaedter { is / isn’t } certain why Dodge Chrysler sales in Steinbach have been better than the Canadian average.
4. Steinbach customers { expect / don’t expect } great deals.
5. The lay-offs some Winnipeg companies are experiencing are
{ happening / not happening } in Steinbach.
6. Steinbach’s economy is { very / not very } diversified
7. The health of Steinbach’s economy is a { good / poor } indicator of whether Manitoba will be able to weather the economic storm.
After you listen
a) Review your pre-listening predictions
Quickly review your pre-listening predictions. Were you able to speculate correctly as to why automobile sales were up in Steinbach?
b) Expressing hope about others and ourselves
When we talk about the economy and jobs, we often use expressions where we express hope about others or ourselves. Review the following chart and examples. Then rewrite the sentences below using the correct structure. As you can see in the example, more than one structure will work in your answer.
Expressing hope about ourselvesExample / Structure
I hope to keep my job. / hope + infinitive.
I hope (that) I keep my job. / hope + noun clause (present tense)
I hope (that) I will keep my job. / hope + noun clause (future tense)
Expressing hope which is not about ourselves
Example / Structure
I hope (that) the stock market stabilizes. / hope + noun clause (present tense)
I hope (that) the stock market will stabilize. / hope + noun clause (future tense)
1. The Canadian economy should improve by 2010.
I hope that the Canadian economy improves by 2010.
I hope that the Canadian economy will improve by 2010.
2. I think I will have a job next year.
I hope …
3. Once the economy improves, businesses will start investing again.
I hope…
4. I think I qualify for employment insurance.
I hope…
5. President Obama says saving and creating jobs is his government’s top priority.
I hope…
c) Classify news headlines about the economy as optimistic or pessimistic
Writing a good news headline is an art! Headlines often break the rules of formal English. They are short and written to get our attention. They often contain key words only. They use idioms. They don’t always use capitalization in the way we might expect. They are rarely sentences.
You’ll hear people say, “I didn’t read the story, but I saw the headline.” People sometimes infer what a news story is about from the headline. Can you infer the tone of the story from the headlines that follow? For each headline, decide whether you think the information in the story that follows is likely to be optimistic or pessimistic in tone. The first one is completed for you as an example. You can use your English Language Learner’s dictionary to help you with vocabulary.
Classifications
optimistic / Based on the headline, we think the story will contain mostly positive economic news. / Opessimistic / Based on the headline, we think the story will contain mostly negative economic news. / P
1. / Canada’s recession spreads to the storefront / P
2. / India Bucks Auto Trend as Rate Cuts Spur Suzuki Sales
3. / Unemployment and inflation dim the glow of 30-year-old new dawn in Iran
4. / Canada’s job losses set record
5. / Asian markets up, buoyed by stimulus hopes
6. / World stocks fall on grim company earnings
7. / Recession-resistant jobs: Finding a new groove
8. / Relax: The U.S. consumer isn’t dead and buried
9. / United States, Europe and Japan already in recession, head of IMF says
10. / Fresh ideas help Loblaws turn fortunes around
11. / Africa, once thought immune, succumbs to global crisis
d) Scan a website for information
See if you can find information on the internet about how the global economic situation is affecting your country of origin (or the country where you currently live if you do not live in Canada). You can do your research in English, or in your first language. See if you can find the information you need to answer the following questions.
Do you think the economic crisis in your country of origin is more serious or less serious than in Canada? Why is that?
Can you find one example of how your country of origin is being affected by the economic crisis?
e) What if I lose my job?
If you lose your job, it’s important to know where you can go for information about employment insurance benefits and to find out about other employment related services. Read the information in Appendix 2 and see if you can answer the questions below. You can answer in point form.