Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.
dateline: 11 November 2014
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Irish Teacher Denied Job Due to “Alcoholism”
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- deny: to prevent from doing or having
- stereotype: a widely held belief about a certain type of person or thing
- alcoholism: the tendency to abuse alcohol
- descent: origin or background
- go viral: to spread quickly online
- discriminate against: to be treated unfairly due to a certain quality such as age, gender, race, etc.
Comprehension Questions
- What was the Irish woman trying to do?
- Why didn’t the job candidate receive an interview?
- Why is a teacher’s accent mentioned in this report?
Discussion Questions: What stereotypes exist about your nation or nationality? Have you ever been discriminated against due to a stereotype?
show Answershide Answers
Irish Teacher Denied Job Due to “Alcoholism”
An English teacher was denied a job in South Korea due to a stereotype about people from Ireland. After applying for an English teaching job in Seoul, the Irish woman received an email from the hiring agency. The letter stated that the employer does not hire people of her descent due to “alcoholism”. The teacher posted the email on her Facebook page, and it instantly went viral. English teachers are used to being discriminated against based on their native language, their accent, or their age. This form of discrimination, however, was unexpected.
- The Irish woman was trying to get a job teaching English in Seoul.
- The job candidate did not receive an interview because the employer feels that Irish teachers have problems with alcoholism.
- A teacher’s accent is mentioned as a form of discrimination that English teachers are accustomed to.
Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
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