EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• dystopia: an imaginary world where there is a lot of injustice, oppression, and social control
• cloning: the process of copying a person’s genes to create another identical person
• class: a social group that a person belongs to, especially one that determines how much money or power they have
• utopia: an imaginary world where people are happy and the causes of pain and suffering have been solved
• parody: a work that imitates another work, especially in a humorous way
• pessimistic: believing that the future is likely to be bad or upsetting
• classic: a book that has stayed popular and relevant over a long period of time

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:10 — 3.0MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Brave New World is a 1932 novel by English writer Aldous Huxley. The novel is set in a version of London, England in a future dystopian called the World State. In the World State, the businessman Henry Ford has become a figure. The World State tries to keep its citizens happy with technology and drugs. It uses cloning technology to produce children. These children are genetically selected for a specific class and role within society. Huxley’s work was influenced by the of utopian fiction, which was very popular at the time. Many utopian novels described futures where technology had solved all human . Huxley thought this was an impossible and even dangerous idea. Brave New World began specifically as a parody of the utopian novels of H. G. Wells. Early reviews of Brave New World were often . Readers at the time thought it was disturbing and pessimistic. Over time, it became a classic of dystopian fiction, especially as technology grew and changed.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Brave New World is set in a future version of
   a. London
   b. New York
   c. Paris
   
2. The real historical person who is a religious figure in Brave New World‘s World State is
   a. Winston Churchill
   b. Henry Ford
   c. H. G. Wells
   
3. Brave New World began as a parody of
   a. science fiction
   b. pulp fiction
   c. utopian fiction

Discussion/essay questions

1. It is often said that dystopian books “predict the future.” People have claimed this about Brave New World, as well as other dystopian novels like Nineteen Eighty–Four and The Handmaid’s Tale. Why do you think this is? Have you read any older dystopian books that feel very important now? Have you read any newer dystopian books that you think will become important in the future?

Transcript

Brave New World is a 1932 novel by English writer Aldous Huxley. The novel is set in a version of London, England in a future dystopian society called the World State. In the World State, the businessman Henry Ford has become a religious figure. The World State tries to keep its citizens happy with technology and drugs. It uses cloning technology to produce children. These children are genetically selected for a specific class and role within society. Huxley’s work was influenced by the genre of utopian fiction, which was very popular at the time. Many utopian novels described futures where technology had solved all human problems. Huxley thought this was an impossible and even dangerous idea. Brave New World began specifically as a parody of the utopian novels of H. G. Wells. Early reviews of Brave New World were often negative. Readers at the time thought it was disturbing and pessimistic. Over time, it became a classic of dystopian fiction, especially as technology grew and changed.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3c

See also and compare

• 1984 by George Orwell

Pre-listening vocabulary

• inventor: someone who creates new things or ideas
• divorce: to end a marriage
• manufacturer: someone who builds or assembles a product
• overlook: to not notice something
• military: a country’s defence forces
• war bond: an investment given to the government to help pay for a war

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American and inventor. She was born in 1914 in Vienna, Austria. She began acting in European when she was a teenager, but later moved to the United States after divorcing her first , a weapons manufacturer who sold to the Nazis. Lamarr became famous in Hollywood for her , but her intelligence was often overlooked. During World War II, she invented a device to help the Allies with radio communications. At first, the U.S. military did not use the device, and Lamarr was told that she could do more to help by advertising war bonds. However, her invention formed a starting point for the we use today, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Lamarr died in 2000, at age 85.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20889″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Women’s contributions to math and science have often been overlooked. Do you know about any female inventors from history? What are their stories?

Transcript

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor. She was born in 1914 in Vienna, Austria. She began acting in European films when she was a teenager, but later moved to the United States after divorcing her first husband, a weapons manufacturer who sold to the Nazis. Lamarr became famous in Hollywood for her beauty, but her intelligence was often overlooked. During World War II, she invented a device to help the Allies with radio communications. At first, the U.S. military did not use the device, and Lamarr was told that she could do more to help by advertising war bonds. However, her invention formed a starting point for the technology we use today, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Lamarr died in 2000, at age 85.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• industrial: relating to the production of items
• revolution: a change in political, social, or economic systems
• mass-produce: to use a machine to produce large amounts of something
• factory: a place where items are made using machines
• union: an organization of workers that try to gain better working conditions and pay
• child labour: the use of children as workers in a factory or business

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22 — 1.3MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Industrial Revolution was a period of time when people began to use new to mass-produce items. It began in Europe in the 18th century, when new power sources like steam engines, electricity, and oil were becoming . The first country that started to industrialize was Britain, because they had the wealth that was necessary to build new . Soon, other European countries began to build machines too. This change caused a lot of people to start working in factories instead of on . However, some factories had very poor working conditions. Because of this, factory workers began to form unions so that they could protest against unfair treatment. This was when many countries decided to create to help protect workers. These new laws banned child labour, restricted working hours, and tried to make factories safer.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20256″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Today, factories are everywhere. Mass production is the easiest way for companies to make and sell their products. However, factories can be very bad for the environment, because they pollute the air and contribute to climate change. How do you think factories can reduce the harm they cause to the environment?

Transcript

The Industrial Revolution was a period of time when people began to use new technology to mass-produce items. It began in Europe in the 18th century, when new power sources like steam engines, electricity, and oil were becoming common.  The first country that started to industrialize was Britain, because they had the wealth that was necessary to build new machines. Soon, other European countries began to build machines too. This change caused a lot of people to start working in factories instead of on farms. However, some factories had very poor working conditions. Because of this, factory workers began to form unions so that they could protest against unfair treatment. This was when many countries decided to create laws to help protect workers. These new laws banned child labour, restricted working hours, and tried to make factories safer. 

Pre-listening vocabulary

• computer-generated: something made using a computer program
• nozzle: a spout that liquid can flow through
• solidify: to become solid
• prosthetic: an artificial limb or other body part
• manufacturing: the production of goods

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:19 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

A 3D printer is a device that is used to objects from computer-generated models. 3D printers may seem like complex machines, but they are actually very to regular printers. A normal printer uses nozzles filled with ink to print words on paper. A standard 3D printer uses nozzles containing liquid polymer, a waxy substance that solidifies quickly. The machine receives instructions from a , and the nozzles follow these instructions. They print the by building up thin layers of polymer from the bottom to the top. Although the average person might use a 3D printer to make something fun like a toy or figurine, this technology also has a lot of practical uses – especially in the medical field. Scientists have used 3D printers to make prosthetics for injured and disabled patients. This is important because 3D printing can often be much than other types of manufacturing.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19538″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. As 3D printers become easier for people to access, they also become more dangerous. Many people have used 3D printers to make guns, knives, and other weapons. Should 3D printing be regulated to keep everyone safe? If so, what would be the best way to do this?

Transcript

A 3D printer is a device that is used to create objects from computer-generated models. 3D printers may seem like complex machines, but they are actually very similar to regular printers. A normal printer uses nozzles filled with ink to print words on paper. A standard 3D printer uses nozzles containing liquid polymer, a waxy substance that solidifies quickly. The machine receives instructions from a computer, and the nozzles follow these instructions. They print the object by building up thin layers of polymer from the bottom to the top. Although the average person might use a 3D printer to make something fun like a toy or figurine, this technology also has a lot of practical uses – especially in the medical field. Scientists have used 3D printers to make prosthetics for injured and disabled patients. This is important because 3D printing can often be much cheaper than other types of manufacturing.

I originally trained as a biological sciences teacher but, after deciding to go to Korea to teach English for a year, I opened my own language institute. The success of the institute led to teacher training for Pearson and Oxford University Press (OUP) after which I became academic director for Disney’s chain of private English schools. I’ve always been interested in the way we learn, and language learning, in particular, holds a fascination for me. After four years writing English courses for a local publisher in Taiwan, I decided to do a Masters in international education development with an emphasis on languages, literacies and technologies. Later, I began to write courses for leading language learning app, Studycat.

From the beginning, I was aware of the power of playful learning. When I first taught in Korea, I wasn’t familiar with the language and I had to incorporate a lot of demonstrating or acting to get vocabulary words across clearly. This often involved using a lot of pictures and flashcards. I soon realised the kids were bored by the textbook they used and were much more engaged when we taught through games or activities, which led to better language acquisition for them.

Far from being games for games’ sake, or filling in gaps during the lessons, this approach is rooted in research. In 1982, the linguist and educator, Stephen Krashen, published his theory of second language acquisition. Through his research, Krashen and Tracy Terrell, a Spanish teacher in California, developed the Natural Approach (NA). One of the hypotheses of this approach is the affective filter. Put simply, if children have any fear or anxiety about making a mistake, it will act as a filter that blocks the child’s ability to learn or acquire the target language. Games are incredibly good at lowering the affective filter. Children are children, and no matter where I have taught, I’ve found they go back to their childhood mentality, in which games are a natural and stress-free way of learning. They aren’t afraid of making mistakes and just want to do well in the game.

Playful learning goes back even further though. Think of Friedrich Fröbel in Germany in the early 1800’s, who called his early childhood learning centre the child’s garden, or Kindergarten, as we know it. He was an advocate of songs, games and hands-on toys to help children learn in general.  Maria Montessori was also driver for this playful approach in Italy, and John Dewy in the US. Games teach us from an early age.

How children learn best

The games that worked best in my classroom were those that felt familiar for the children. These included card games, flash card games, board games and even games I read up on from African villages that have been played for generations. I started adapting all these games and put together a collection that I could use for any topic. Games make language practice much more intensive than oral drills, which don’t motivate children. When you build a game, children become excited about it they tend to respond much more quickly, and my experience has shown that higher levels of engagement make the learning ‘stick’ in an effective way.

When teaching, we need to be able to put ourselves in a child’s mind set and remember what type of vocabulary children want to use. What types of sentence structures do kids use in their daily lives? They want to talk about what colour crayon they want, or which animals they like. If they get hurt, they want to tell you where it hurts. When planning a curriculum, those are the things I try to teach very early on. I want to keep in mind that young children are incredibly egocentric until they are in first grade, which is when we can try to accustom them to concepts like empathy, cooperation and teamwork. In the beginning, if I am teaching very young learners, I try encouraging them to talk about their own lives; their favourite colour or favourite food. This uses their natural inclination towards self-interest and gets them communicating in a way that feels natural to them.

Technology’s role

In the early days of technology, our games were purely analogue but, as technology continued to evolve, I explored different ways in which it could be used. Research has recently shown parental engagement helps enormously when it comes to educational attainment and this is an area that technology lends itself very well to streamlining communication between the school and the home. In addition, children feel a natural affinity towards certain technologies; look at the way they instinctively navigate smart devices like phones or tablets. We’re teaching digital natives now, and using the natural interest that they have in technology in order to improve their language acquisition is a sensible step.

I’ve recently completed a set of courses for Studycat, who create fun language learning apps for children. The apps are designed to encourage critical thinking and build the foundations of language. They also provide performance metrics to measure how the child is learning when they are playing those games. Is their performance improving? Are there certain vocabulary words they seem to be struggling with or certain structures they seem to be struggling with? This insight into individual learners is like solid gold to teachers, enabling them to tailor lessons accordingly to ensure that each child is progressing well. We can assign every child the same, or different, game depending on their personal focus areas as determined by the performance metrics. It has a dual benefit though, as it also enables parents to see how their child is doing, connecting the home and school environments seamlessly.

For us, as English language teachers, it is incredibly rewarding to see our pupils build the foundation of knowledge they need at an early age, but it is even more rewarding if they have fun while learning. I would encourage any teacher to explore games and incorporate them into every lesson. Watching the children shake off the nerves that often come with rote learning is a pleasure all in itself!

I am not writing this as an expert on the interactive whiteboard – in fact quite the opposite as I tend to avoid technology if at all humanly possible, making me the perfect person to write for people who feel the same way! Here are twelve reasons why even if you are dubious there is no need to be scared:

1. You can use it exactly like a normal whiteboard

For my first two weeks with an IWB I used it just like any whiteboard, writing things on it when I needed to. To do so during class all you need to know is how to change pages and erase. Before class you’ll probably want to go in early and make sure there is a pen, that the pen is aligned (= writing exactly where you’re touching the board), that the width of the “ink” is one you are happy with, that you like the colours, and that the projector remote control is working. If you can’t yet do these for yourself, it will only take someone a couple of minutes to set it up for you and only five minutes to learn how to do it next time.

Other things that are nice (but not vital) to know at this first stage are blanking the screen and freezing the image on the screen so the students can still see the last thing you put up when you want to do something else on the computer.

2. The basics of IWB software are just like other programs

The next stage after writing is obviously typing, either in class or when you are preparing. This is just like using PowerPoint or Word, but you also need to choose where you want to put your text and how big you want the text box to be (something someone can show you in a minute or two).

3. You can use it as just a big computer monitor

The next stage for me was to use the IWB as just a way of projecting something on the wall for students to see, e.g. showing them a video without the need to wheel in a TV. Thinking of it as just an extension of my computer’s monitor included interacting with it mainly from my computer mouse and keyboard rather than clicking on icons on the board with my pen, including often looking at my monitor rather than up at the IWB.

4. An IWB pen is just like a mouse or your finger on a touchscreen

The next stage is to touch things on the screen with your pen just as you would click things with the cursor using your mouse or touch the screen on an ATM or automated airline check-in machine with your finger. For example, if you are using the computer to play a CD recording you can press play, pause, skip etc on Windows Media Player with your pen on the IWB rather than going back to your computer to control it. The same is true of opening, shrinking and closing webpages and programmes; choosing things from menus; clicking in boxes so you can type in them; etc.

5. You can use other people’s stuff

Until you have got the hang of using the equipment in the classroom you can usually get away with a combination of using other people’s materials and writing the other stuff on the IWB (number 1 above). You might also find that the easiest way to start creating your own materials is by changing other people’s rather than by starting from scratch.

6. You can use other programs to prepare

If preparing materials with the IWB software is still putting you off, you can easily start with more familiar programs like PowerPoint or even Word. For example, a word processor document opened in the classroom will show up on the screen just like anything else on your computer monitor. You can make sure everyone can see it properly by using the magnify function in Word and/ or by highlighting the text you want to show and changing the font size.

7. You can prepare in other programs and then switch to the IWB software

Most IWB software can convert to and/or from PowerPoint, and it is always possible to copy text and pictures from webpages or other programs. You could, for example, prepare a Word worksheet for your students and then copy the part of it that you also wanted up on the board into your IWB software. Someone can show you how to do this in a matter of seconds, but it often consists of copying and pasting by highlighting and right-clicking and/ or keeping both programs open on the screen next to each other, highlighting, and dragging what you want from one to the other.

8. You can prepare with the actual IWB

If you are having problems with preparing with the keyboard and mouse, you can go into an empty classroom and do it all by pen, saving your results on the hard disk of that computer and/ or on a USB stick to take with you.

9. If you can use a CD ROM you can use the coursebook IWB software

It really is that easy, especially if you open the program (or ask someone else to do so) and find the right starting page well before class.

10. You can always undo

If you make some kind of mistake there are many ways of undoing it, e.g. the erase button, the undo button, and closing the program and reverting to the original version of the file (= closing the version you have changed and opening the original one again). To make the last one possible you will need to have two versions of each file saved – one that is the original and is never changed, and one that you can add to in class.

11. You can have a back up plan

If things really go wrong, that will hardly stop the whole lesson. Most schools also have (paper) flipcharts, OHPs and/ or whiteboards, and if not you can buy a cheap portable whiteboard and bring it in. The other emergency option is just to write on A3 paper and hold it up for the class to see.

12. You don’t have to write things down

Another reason not to panic is that, perhaps ironically, one of the most useful things that teaching with an IWB has shown me is that there is often no need to write. For example, spelling things out for students involves useful classroom language.