Proficiency Podcasts: Radiolab, Words

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This is the second in a series of lesson plans based around podcasts for high level learners (high C1+). This one is based on the first part of Words by radiolab. The link, transcript and lesson plan are below:

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91725-words/

Proficiency Podcasts words, Lesson plan

Words Transcript – divided into sections.

Warmer – Charades

SS have to sign the following sentences:

I don’t like bananas

I love soup

I think it will rain

Where is Joan?

I went swimming yesterday.

Can I have a pen?

Was it easy? Which sentences were the easiest? Do you ever play this game with your family?

1. Do you know sign language?
2. How difficult is it to communicate without words?
3. What’s your favourite word in your own language/English?

Listening – Radiolab, words

1^st section 00:15 – 01:02

Listen and answer these questions:

• What happened to Susan? She was hit by a catering truck while riding her bike.
• What were the consequences? She had concussion and couldn’t go to school.
• How did she feel? Very bored

Listen once, ss share answers in pairs. Listen again for specific detail and language.

• How does she describe the accident? A catering truck hit me.
• How does she describe her feelings? Bored out of my mind.

Follow same sequence with each section, general comprehension questions, then listen again and clear up language problems.

2^nd section 01:02 – 1:40

• What did she do? Why? Her friend suggested that she crashed classes at the local uni.

2^nd listen for language.

Make a prediction in pairs:

• What happened that changed her life?

3^rd section 01:40 – 2:15

• What happened? She walked into a signing class.
• What was her reaction? Mesmerised

Predict: What’s going to happen next?

4^th sections 2:15 – 3:05

• What happens next? Becomes a signer.
• Where does she go? LA
• Who does she meet? A man born deaf.

5^th section 3:05 – 3:50

• How does she describe the man? Beautiful, great cheekbones, black hair black eyes.
• What’s the guy’s problem? Copies everything, visual echolalia

6^th section 3:50 – 4:48

• What does he realise about the guy? Has no language
• How does he think the world works? That we figure stuff out visually

7^th section 4:48 – 5:07

• What questions do they ask?
• What do words do for us?
• Are they necessary?
• Can you live without them?
• Can you think without them?
• Can you dream without them?
• Can you swim without them?

Discuss these questions as a class.

Set the rest of this part of the podcast as homework with the following questions:

5:07 – 8:35

• What problems did she have teaching him? He copied everything she did, he thought everything was an order. Didn’t know how to say goodbye, didn’t know if he would come back.
• How did she make a breakthrough? Acted out the role of student and role of teacher.
• What was his reaction? He broke down in tears.

Discussion

• Have you ever had to communicate without words? Why?
• How do you make yourself understood if you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language?
• Have you ever had a misunderstanding with someone in this situation?
• How much do you rely on signing and body language?
• Have you ever spoken English on the phone? What was it like?

Accuracy vs Fluency

• What’s more important accuracy or fluency when speaking?
• If you spoke extremely accurately but with no fluency what problems would you have? And vice versa.
• In what situations is it especially important to be accurate?
• In what situations is it especially important to be fluent?
• “Only teachers notice your mistakes” Do you agree?
• “As long as the errors don’t affect understanding they don’t matter” Do you agree?
• “Little mistakes will go away over time, you don’t have to focus on them.” Do you agree?
• “Confidence is more important than how much you’ve studied when speaking a foreign language” Do you agree?