Learning English with CBC Edmonton Monthly feature story ... · The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature is to help you to improve your listening skills

© CBC 2013 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/

1

Learning English with CBC

Edmonton

Monthly feature story:

Snow Fort

November 2013 Lesson plans created by Sara Gnida & Justine Light

http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/learning‐english/ www.alberta.ca


2

Feature Story Objectives

Snow Fort

CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

L: Understands moderately complex communication intended to influence or persuade; understands intent of expressions and responses. Identifies emotional state, mood, and attitude from word choice, tone, and intonation. R: Understands moderately complex instructions and instructional texts for multistep procedures related to familiar tasks which may be specialized or technical. S: Uses strategies to convey listenership and to clarify and confirm understanding. W: Demonstrate good control over common sentence patterns (Using the imperative).

Language skills

Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context

Grammar: Understand and use the imperative

Pronunciation: Identify and use strategies to convey listenership and check understanding; notice intonation patterns of comprehension checks.

Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials)

Answering comprehension questions and discussion questions about a short background text on fun winter activities. Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify emotional state, facts, details, and implied meanings Listening to audio to develop listening transfer skills – recognizing language used to convey mood and attitude Identifying strategies for clarifying and confirming understanding in audio transcript Completing pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Scanning for information needed to draw conclusions Using context clues to infer implied meanings Identifying uses of the imperative Giving instructions and suggestions


3

Introduction

Background Reading: Winter fun

Staying cheerful and active in the winter can be challenging, especially for those of us who grew up in warmer climates. To brighten the winter season in Edmonton, you might want to try:

• Building a snowman or snow sculpture. This can’t be done when it is very cold because the snow will be too powdery. However, if the temperature is around zero, and the snow is wet and sticky, this is a wonderfully fun activity. Make sure your mitts and gloves are waterproof!

• Sledding/tobogganing. Pick up a sled or toboggan and head to the nearest hill for lots of fun (Note: “crazy carpets” are relatively cheap). The City of Edmonton maintains a number of toboggan hills, and many school yards have smaller hills that can be fun for younger kids. Remember: slide down the middle, walk up the side!

• Skating. Edmonton maintains a number of outdoor rinks, and some of those rinks (like the rinks at City hall, Hawrelak Park, and Victoria Park) have indoor changing rooms, bathrooms, and even music! At Hawrelak, you can rent skates.

• Taking a skiing or snowboarding lesson at a local ski‐hill. Lessons for beginners at Snow Valley include lift tickets and equipment rental.

• Attending a winter festival, such as Ice on Whyte, the Silver Skate Festival. • Other fun ideas for the little ones: You could take the kids outside and blow

bubbles – watch the bubbles freeze! Perhaps shovel the snow from your driveway or deck into a large pile for the little kids to climb on. Try building a snow fort (i.e., snow play house). Then entertain in the fort with hot chocolate and cookies.

Remember, though, that not dressing warmly enough can make potentially fun outdoor activities miserable. Be sure to wear a warm coat, along with warm gloves or mittens, a hat and scarf, and winter boots. If you will be outside for long periods, or if it is very cold, you may need long underwear (long johns) or insulated snow pants (snowsuits for the younger kids).

Food for thought

Which of the above activities have you already tried? Which ones would you like to try?


4

The Audio

In this audio, you will hear CBC journalist Adrienne Lamb talking to a very enthusiastic group of boys at St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School about their snow fort project.

CBC file photo

Before you listen: Look at the picture. What do you think the boys are so excited about? Listen to find out.

SPEAKER TITLE: SNOW

announcement (school buzzer) There will be an outside recess, outside recess.

Adrienne This is what they've been waiting for. It means they can go to work.

Lewis I guess we're going out to the snow fort.

Adrienne A dozen boys rush into the hall. And burst out the double doors. Snowboots sprinting across the school yard. See – they even beat the bell out here. Rosy cheeked from running, Lewis Fagan is the first to reach it.


5

Pre‐listening vocabulary:

The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences.

WORD DEFINITION

1. fort (noun) A fort is a building that is constructed to defend against attack (e.g., Fort Edmonton). Structures that children build (out of sticks, blankets, pillows, or even snow) and can crawl in are often called “forts.”

2. CEO (noun, acronym) A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the highest ranking executive of an organization, sometimes called the chairman of the board, the president, or (less formally) the boss.

3. to know where (you) fit in (expression)

To understand your position or role, for instance, in the hierarchy of an organization or social group.

4. specialized skill (noun) In the workplace, this word describes skills that are unique to particular occupations.

5. miner (noun) A person who extracts minerals (e.g., coal) from the earth.

6. to fire someone (verb) To dismiss someone from a job.

7. promotion, demotion (nouns)

A promotion is an increase in rank or position. A demotion is a decrease in rank. (You will hear kids talk about a “de‐promotion”)

8. valuable worth a lot

9. franchise (noun) a business that operates with a license (informally, the word “franchise” can refer to a business)

10. overcome (verb) to successfully deal with a problem

11. hierarchy (noun) a systematic categorization or ranking of people

12. (tradable) commodity (noun)

a marketable item; a material or product that can be bought and sold.

13. occur (verb) to happen, to take place, to exist

14. to be clear about something (expression)

To be certain about something; to be free of confusion or doubt.

15. a takeover (expression) A “takeover” refers to taking over control of something. In the business world, this can refer to the takeover of a company or corporation. A “corporate raider” refers to the individuals or company doing the takeover.

16. media (noun) “The media” refers to communication channels (radio, television, newspapers, magazines, etc.,) that have the ability to influence people.


6

Use the vocabulary words on the previous page to complete the following sentences.

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. When she saw the diagram of the organizational structure of the law firm, she finally

___________________________________.

2. Her father was a _____________. He started working in the local coal mine when he

was 17.

3. The kids built a _________ using the pieces of wood that were left over from the

construction project.

4. Jan was excited about his _____________________________ at work. He wasn’t yet the

CEO, but he would get a salary increase and would have more power to make decisions.

5. Steve Jobs was the co‐founder and _________ of Apple Inc., Pixar, and NeXT Inc.

6. According to Frank Bermea (October 26, 2009), the world’s most _______________

commodity isn’t oil or gold – it is lithium! (www.streetauthority.com)

7. I told you to watch the store, not to open your own _________________!

8. Oil and coffee are the most widely traded _______________________.

9. She had to _______________________ several frustrations and obstacles in her new

job.

10. She wasn’t very ____________________ about what she was supposed to do, but she

didn’t want to ask anyone to explain.

11. Construction workers with _________________________ – like bricklaying or carpentry

– are in great demand.

12. Helen was shocked and angry when she was _______________ from her job.

13. Some companies have a clear ________________________, while others have a more

democratic organizational structure.

14. The __________________ is/are not allowed to publish the names of young offenders.

15. Colour blindness ___________________ more often in males than in females.

16. The hostile _______________ of the company resulted in the firing of all the top

executives.


7

Listening for meaning

Read and answer the following questions.

1. Describe the boys’ mood and attitude towards their snow fort.

2. In what ways is the boys’ snow fort play like the business world?

3. What does “ice” represent, and which pieces of ice were the most valuable?

4. Why is Marvin Washington wearing a very warm winter hat (with flaps and

sheepskin) even though it is not a very cold day in Edmonton?

5. What is Marvin’s job?

6. Why is Marvin impressed with the boys’ “snow fort franchise”?

7. What can adults in the business world learn from the boys’ “fort franchise”?

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)


8

Listening strategies – Recognize language used to convey mood and attitude.

The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature is to help you to improve your listening skills for all listening situations, not just this audio. This month we are focusing on understanding vocabulary and recognizing how vocabulary choices can convey particular moods and attitudes.

A. Extracting the meaning of vocabulary from the context

Before doing the listening, you may not have known the meanings of the bolded words or phrases in the following table. However, from the clues in the context, you should be able to figure out what they mean. As you listen to the podcast again, listen for the following sentences and write down what you think the bolded words mean. (See appendix for sample answers.) One meaning is provided for you.

Contexts Meanings

There will be outside recess, outside recess. ... We'll do it next recess. … It's so sad that you only get three recesses to do it.

Snowboots sprinting across the school yard.

See – they even beat the bell out here. (buzzer sounds)

To get there before the bell rings.

Sean, you’re boss. ... The bosses can fire people.

We've just been robbed. … Well, you were distracted by the media. … Yeah, it was a good time to steal.

By January, like, we’ll have this thing, like, really tall. Humongous!

B. Recognizing how vocabulary choices can be used to convey mood and attitude.

Adrienne chooses particular vocabulary to convey a sense of the enthusiasm and excitement of the boys. For instance, she uses the words “sprinting” and “beat the bell” to give the sense that the boys are excited and enthusiastic about their snow fort.


9

Listen again to the first minute of the podcast. List 2‐3 other words and phrases that Adrianne uses to convey the boys’ excitement about their snow fort:

• __________________________________________________________

• __________________________________________________________

• __________________________________________________________

Adrienne, the boys, and Marvin Washington all describe what is happening using language they borrow from the world of business. They do this to convey a particular attitude towards the snow fort activities. In the following chart are some of the business world words each uses. Listen to the rest of the podcast and add in more examples.

Workplace language Boys workers

Adrienne a vault (i.e., a safe and secure place where money is stored)

Marvin Washington

hierarchy

Why do you think each person/group makes use of “business world” language in this context? What point are they making?

Boys:______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Adrienne:___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Marvin:____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(Sample answers can be found in the appendix)


10

Building Speaking Skills: Use strategies to clarify and confirm understanding

Adrienne Lamb is a talented interviewer. She shows she understands by commenting on what is said. When the boys are all talking at once, and talking very quickly, she checks her comprehension to make sure she’s heard correctly. She requests clarification when she knows she has missed something.

These are strategies you can use in your own conversations to make sure that the people you speak with know you are listening and have understood them. An added advantage is that these strategies can slow a speaker down! When speech is fast or unclear, or when the information being conveyed is especially crucial, it is important to double check, as Adrienne does, to make sure that you have indeed understood what the speaker is saying.

In the following excerpts, notice the language that Adrienne uses to comment, check comprehension, and request clarification.

Adrienne comments on what the boys say:

01:20 Other boys Well, my job is being carver of the fort. So let’s say we had a big selection, and we wanted to get a huge piece, I just carve it out with my foot.

01:33 Adrienne That sounds like a very specialized skill.

1:46 OTHER BOY I think last time I checked in with Chris, Joe was a best miner here. 1:52 Adrienne Really!

Adrienne repeats their words:

2:20 Other boys The bosses can fire people. 2:22 Adrienne Fire people! Other boys There is firing and de‐promotion.

2:49 Lewis This is like a valuable piece of ice. They have to be long ‐ this is probably about …50 dollars

2:54 Adrienne 50 dollars for that piece. Wow. That’s a (lot)… wow. Adrienne requests clarification:

2:01 Other boy (head of) furniture. 2:02 Adrienne Sorry, head of…? Other boys Furniture – like couches and…


11

Go back and listen to the podcast. Notice the intonation that is used. Try to speak along with Adrienne, using the exact same intonation as she does.

Because this is an edited interview, many of the clarification strategies that Adrienne probably used are edited out, to make a cleaner sounding interview. Listen again to the boys talking in the following excerpt. Notice how fast they speak. Add in comments, repetition, and clarification requests that you could use to slow the boys down a bit and to make sure you’ve understood. (Note: you probably wouldn’t use so many strategies – maybe just 2‐4, but put in extra ones for practice!)

0:38 Lewis

OK. So, our snow fort is kind of like a T. And it's not that tall. And there’s snow chunks

around. And, like, I've been in these snow forts since I was in kindergarten. But this one

is probably the biggest. Like, I remember, one day, I just walked up to my friends and I

said “d’you want to build a snow fort?” And they said “sure, we'll do it next recess.” And

we started with one snowball, and then at least 50 kids came to our snow fort. That

wall right there used to be, like, up to my chin. We have workers in our snow fort.

(Sample answers are in the appendix.)


12

Reading Activity

Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below. Match each word to its correct definition.

Number 5 has been done for you. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. restrict (verb) A. the transportation of blood through the body

2. adjust (verb) B. a length of time (e.g., a short period)

3. garment (noun) C. not normal, typical, or usual

4. affected (adjective) D. often referred to as CPR; an emergency procedure to make heart and lungs start to work again

5. victim (noun) M E. an item of clothing

6. occur (verb) F. to pass from one thing or position to another

7. injured (adjective) G. not important, not serious, small, slight

8. circulation (noun) H. a breakdown of health or strength, fall down

9. consumption (noun) I. damaged, harmed

10. a period (noun) J. to change or alter something slightly so that it fits better works better

11. abnormally (adverb) K. furthest from the centre; parts of the body that are furthest from the core (e.g., fingers, toes, nose)

12. minor (adjective) L. the process of eating or drinking

13. extremity (noun) M. a person who suffers from an injury, accident, or is harmed by another

14. transfer (verb) N. to happen

15. cardiopulmonary resuscitation (noun phrase)

O. influenced, changed (esp. in a negative way, harmed, attacked)

16. collapse (noun) P. to limit, slow down, hamper


13

Reading text: Dealing with the dangers of winter weather


14

Excerpted from Winter survival in the backcountry http://www.albertaparks.ca/albertaparksca/library/documents/safety‐brochures.aspx


15

Reading for meaning

Now scan through the text to decide if each of the following actions is a good idea or a bad idea. Check the appropriate box.

In the case of frostbite… Good idea Bad idea 1. Remove tight boots and gloves. X

2. Stop and build a fire to thaw out toes that are frozen solid before hiking back to camp.

3. Wrap the frostbitten area firmly with many layers of cloth.

4. Warm up a frostbitten area by rubbing it with oil.

5. Increase movement to the affected area.

6. Drink strong, sugary hot chocolate.

In the case of hypothermia… Good idea Bad idea 1. Encourage the victim to walk, stamp, and move around.

2. Put a hypothermic child inside your coat against your skin to warm him or her up.

3. Stop and build a fire to warm up a conscious hypothermic victim, before hiking back to camp.

4. Give the victim strong, sugary hot chocolate to drink.

5. Put an unconscious hypothermic victim into a warm tub of water as soon as possible.

6. Continue CPR even if the victim is no longer breathing and his heart has stopped.

(Answers can be found in the appendix)


16

Reading Strategies

The goal of the reading strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you become a better reader of all reading texts, not just this text.

Using contextual clues to make inferences

Sometimes key ideas in a text are not directly stated. However, clues are given that allow you to make sense of what is said. This ability to infer meaning is sometimes called “reading between the lines.” For instance, the article states that you should not wear “too many socks.” However, what is wrong with too many socks? By pulling together ideas from the section, one can figure out what is wrong with wearing too many socks:

From the second sentence, it is clear that too many socks can create tight fitting boots. From the first sentence, it is clear that tight clothing (and therefore, tight boots) can restrict blood circulation. From the third sentence, it is clear that frostbite can cause swelling, and tight clothing may need to be cut off (likely to increase circulation). The fourth paragraph mentions that increasing blood circulation to a frostbitten area can warm it up. Based on all of this, it is clear that if boots are too tight because of too many socks, blood won’t circulate well, and tissue won’t be able to stay warm. This could cause frostbite, or could prevent frostbitten areas from warming up.

Practice making using contextual clues to make inferences as you answer the following questions.

1. Hypothermia is defined in the article, but frostbite is not. From the context, what do you think frostbite means, and how is it different from hypothermia?

2. What is the key difference between mild frostbite and serious frostbite?

3. Would the children described below likely have hypothermia or frostbite?

___________________ A child on a hike who is moving very slowly and is slurring and unusually sleepy.

___________________ A child who is running around and active, but whose little finger in his wet mitt has turned white and is numb.


17

4. Why can drinking too much alcohol result in hypothermia?

5. Why is active movement good for frostbite victims but bad for hypothermia victims?

6. Why are rescuers warned not to stop life‐saving efforts (CPR, mouth‐to‐mouth resuscitation, warming) even if the patient’s heart has stopped?

(Answers can be found in the appendix)


18

Grammar Activity – Using the imperative

The imperative is sometimes called the “bossy” verb. It is a verb form that is generally used to tell someone what to do or to tell someone to do something. It follows the following pattern:

• Affirmative: base verb + rest of sentence o Remove all tight fitting garments and loosen boots. o Continue the lifesaving routine.

• Affirmative emphatic: Always/ Do + base verb + rest of sentence o Do request medical help. o Always call for emergency assistance.

• Negative: Do not + base verb + rest of sentence o Do not give up. o Do not allow the person to walk. o Don’t worry.

• Negative emphatic: Never + base verb + rest of sentence o Never give alcoholic drinks.

Notice that in the imperative, the subject is not stated – but the implied subject is “you.”

The imperative is commonly used when giving instructions or directions regarding how to do something. The reading in the previous section uses the imperative to give instructions/directions. Read the first section of the reading and list the imperative verbs in the following table. The first one has been done for you. (Answers are in the appendix):

Affirmative Negative avoid, don’t wear,

The imperative is also used, often by people in authority, to give orders and commands. When people don’t want to sound bossy, they may add in softeners or use request forms:

o Please... o It would be good if you... o Could you... o Would you mind...


19

The imperative is also used to give advice, suggestions, warnings, and invitations. However, over‐using the imperative can sound bossy, so people often use suggestion forms along with the imperative.

o Try... o You can/could/may... o You might/may want to... o You might/may/want to try...

The reading on frostbite and hypothermia has a serious, formal, “instructional” tone – it uses a lot of imperative forms. However, the introductory background reading on Winter Fun (see p. 3) has a more informal friendly tone. Instead of giving directions, that reading makes suggestions and gives advice. It uses suggestion forms along with the imperative. It also uses exclamation marks and expressions such as “be sure to” and “remember to.”1

Look back at the reading on p. 3 and answer the following questions.

1. Instead of using the imperative to introduce the list of suggestions, what form is used? _________________________________________________

2. Identify four uses of the imperative and four suggestion forms in the reading (the first has been done for you):

Imperative forms Softer, suggestion/advice forms

o Pick up...

o _____________________________

o _____________________________

o _____________________________

o You can rent...

o _____________________________

o _____________________________

o _____________________________

1 Note: technically, the following sentences are imperatives: “Try asking her; Don’t forget to leave on time; Remember to pick up the kids.” However, they sound more polite than just using the action verb in the imperative: “Ask her. Leave on time. Pick up the kids.”


20

Writing Activity – Giving instructions

Imagine you are one of the boys interviewed by Adrienne. Make a list of instructions for starting a snow‐fort franchise. Keep to a more instructional tone. You may wish to use some of the following verbs:

ask invite plan decide tell have design

build gather fire demote gather store protect

This is how to build a snow fort. First of all________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Now, rewrite those instructions so they sound more like suggestions. That is, they should sound less bossy, and less like formal instructions. You can still use the imperative, but add in a few suggestion forms or softeners, and maybe some exclamation marks.

You might want to try building a snow‐fort during recess. First of all, ___________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(Sample instructions and suggestions in answer key)


21

Links

Having fun in winter

For Winter Fun ideas in Edmonton, see the following link:

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/news/find‐your‐winter‐fun.aspx

For fun winter family games, see the following link:

http://www.canadianliving.com/moms/family_life/10_winter_family_games.php

To learn about the fun winter activities that people in different parts of Canada enjoy, see

the following link:

http://www.canadianliving.com/life/travel/winter_sports_and_fun_activities_to_enjoy_the

_outdoors.php

Staying safe in winter

For useful information about keeping children safe in the winter, see the following tips from

Canada’s paediatricians: http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/winter_safety

For information on how to keep your kids safe during winter play, explore the links at the

following website: http://www.safekidscanada.ca/parents/safety‐information/winter‐

safety/index.aspx

To learn about staying safe in the winter, explore the following website: http://www.hc‐

sc.gc.ca/hl‐vs/securit/season‐saison/winter‐hiver/index‐eng.php


22

Appendix ‐ Answer Keys

Pre‐listening vocabulary

1. When she saw the diagram of the organizational structure of the law firm, she finally

knew where she fit in.

2. Her father was a miner. He started working in the local coal mine when he was 17.

3. The kids built a fort using the pieces of wood that were left over from the construction

project.

4. Jan was excited about his promotion at work. He wasn’t yet the CEO, but he would get a

salary increase and would have more power to make decisions.

5. Steve Jobs was the co‐founder and CEO of Apple Inc., Pixar, and NeXT Inc.

6. According to Frank Bermea (October 26, 2009), the world’s most valuable commodity

isn’t oil or gold – it is lithium! (www.streetauthority.com)

7. I told you to watch the store, not to open your own franchise!

8. Oil and coffee are the most widely traded commodities.

9. She had to overcome several frustrations and obstacles in her new job.

10. She wasn’t very clear about what she was supposed to do, but she didn’t want to ask

anyone to explain.

11. Construction workers with specialized skills – like bricklaying or carpentry – are in great

demand.

12. Helen was shocked and angry when she was fired from her job.

13. Some companies have a clear hierarchy, while others have a more democratic

organizational structure.

14. The media is/are not allowed to publish the names of young offenders.

15. Colour blindness occurs more often in males than in females.

16. The hostile takeover of the company resulted in the firing of all the top executives.


23

Listening for meaning

1. Describe the boys’ mood and attitude towards their snow fort.

Excited, enthusiastic, happy, thrilled

2. In what ways is the boys’ snow fort play like the business world?

There is a defined hierarchy; there are workers and bosses; there are defined and

specialized skills (miners, carvers, bosses); money (ice) is exchanged; people can be

fired and demoted.

3. What does “ice” represent, and which pieces of ice were the most valuable?

Ice represents money. Long, transparent pieces of ice (like a large chocolate bar)

were seen to be most valuable.

4. Why is Marvin Washington wearing a very warm winter hat (with flaps and

sheepskin), even though it is not a very cold day in Edmonton?

He is from the south (Chicago), and it is cold for him, even though it is not ‐30.

5. What is Marvin’s job?

He teaches industrial relations at the UofA.

6. Why is Marvin impressed with the boys’ “snow fort franchise”? (any of the following

answers)

They are learning about overcoming problems faced in the business world. They use

“ice” as a tradable commodity, and even have prices. They are very detailed in their

play. They are clear about what they are doing. They are excited and enthusiastic

about what they are doing.

7. What can adults in the business world learn from the boys’ “fort franchise”?

They can learn the importance of being clear and detailed about what they are

doing. They can learn the importance of being enthusiastic and excited about what

they do.

Listening strategies – Recognize language used to convey mood and attitude

A. Extracting the meaning of vocabulary from the context

Contexts Meanings

There will be outside recess, outside recess. ... We'll do it next recess. … It's so sad that

A short break between lessons at school.


24

you only get three recesses to do it.

Snowboots sprinting across the school yard.

Running fast.

See – they even beat the bell out here. (buzzer sounds)

To get there before the bell rings.

Sean, you’re boss. ... The bosses can fire people.

Someone who is in control of others, who supervises others.

We've just been robbed. … Well, you were distracted by the media. … Yeah, it was a good time to steal.

To have something stolen from them. (“to rob someone” means “to steal from someone.” Note: people are robbed when objects are stolen from them.)

By January, like, we’ll have this thing, like, really tall. Humongous!

Big, large, enormous, huge.

B. Recognizing how vocabulary choices can be used to convey mood and attitude.

Listen again to the first minute of the podcast. List 2‐3 other words and phrases that Adrianne uses to convey the boys’ excitement about their snow fort:

• Rush into the hall • Burst out the doors • Rosy cheeked from running • The first to reach it

Adrienne, the boys, and Marvin Washington all describe what is happening using language they borrow from the world of business. They do this to convey a particular attitude towards the snow fort activities. In the following chart are some of the business world words each uses. Listen to the rest of the podcast and add in more examples.

Workplace language Boys workers, carver, miner, constructor, checked in with… , head of furniture,

boss, fire, de‐promotion, mint condition

Adrienne CEO, specialized skill, vault, franchise, corporate raiders from a rival fort, to prevent the takeover, distracted by the media, I’ll let you get back to this important work. Thank you, gentlemen.

Marvin hierarchy, tradable commodity, level of detail


25

Why do you think each person/group makes use of “business world” language in this context? What point are they making? Answers may vary.

Boys: Perhaps the boys use this language to convey how seriously they take their snow forts. Perhaps they want to convey that it is more than just play, it has all of the importance of work.

Adrienne: Perhaps Adrienne uses this language when she talks to the boys to enter into the boys’ world and to show that she respects what the boys are doing. She also uses the language when she talks to the CBC audience, to show how the boys’ play mirrors the workplace.

Marvin: Marvin uses this language to describe the parallels he sees between the boys’ play and the world of business.

Building Speaking Skills:

Note: a person would probably just use a selection of 2‐4 of the following strategies.

0:38 Lewis Fagan

OK. So, our snow fort is kind of like a T. And it's not that tall. And there’s snow chunks

around. And, like, I've been in these snow forts since I was in kindergarten. But this one

is probably the biggest. Like, I remember, one day, I just walked up to my friends and I

said “d’you want to build a snow fort?” And they said “sure, we'll do it next recess.” And

we started with one snowball, and then at least 50 kids came to our snow fort. That

wall right there used to be, like, up to my chin. We have workers in our snow fort.

Sorry… like a…? Snow chunks.

Wow… It sounds like you’ve been at this a long time!

Really!

Workers! or Sorry…you have what in your snow fort?

50 kids! Wow… that’s a lot.

It’s huge!


26

Reading Activity

Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. restrict (verb) P A. the transportation of blood through the body

2. adjust (verb) J B. a length of time (e.g., a short period)

3. garment (noun) E C. not normal, typical, or usual

4. affected (adjective) O D. often referred to as CPR; an emergency procedure to make heart and lungs start to work again

5. victim (noun) M E. an item of clothing

6. occur (verb) N F. to pass from one thing or position to another

7. injured (adjective) I G. not important, not serious, small, slight

8. circulation (noun) A H. a breakdown (of health or strength)

9. consumption (noun) L I. damaged, harmed

10. a period (noun) B J. to change or alter something slightly so that it fits better works better

11. abnormally (adverb) C K. furthest from the centre; parts of the body that are furthest from the core (e.g., fingers, toes, nose)

12. minor (adjective) G L. the process of eating or drinking

13. extremity (noun) K M. a person who suffers from an injury, accident, or is harmed by another

14. transfer (verb) F N. to happen

15. cardiopulmonary resuscitation (noun phrase)

D O. influenced, changed (esp. in a negative way, harmed, attacked)

16. collapse (noun) H P. to limit, slow down, hamper


27

Reading for meaning

In the case of frostbite… Good idea Bad idea 1. Remove tight boots and gloves. X 2. Stop and build a fire to thaw out toes that are frozen solid

before hiking back to camp. X 3. Wrap the frostbitten area firmly with many layers of cloth. X 4. Warm up a frostbitten area by rubbing it with oil. X 5. Increase movement to the affected area. X 6. Drink strong, sugary hot chocolate. X

In the case of hypothermia… Good idea Bad idea 1. Encourage the victim to walk, stamp, and move around. X 2. Put a hypothermic child inside your coat against your skin

to warm him or her up. X 3. Stop and build a fire to warm up a conscious hypothermic

victim, before hiking back to camp. X 4. Give the victim strong, sugary hot chocolate to drink. X 5. Put an unconscious hypothermic victim into a warm tub of

water as soon as possible. X 6. Continue CPR even if the victim is no longer breathing and

his heart has stopped. X

Reading Strategies

Using contextual clues to infer meaning

1. Hypothermia is defined in the article, but frostbite is not. From the context, what do you think frostbite means, and how is it different from hypothermia? Frostbite seems to refer to when a particular part of the body is frozen. Hypothermia, in contrast, is when the whole body loses heat faster than it can produce heat.

2. What is the key difference between mild frostbite and serious frostbite? Serious frostbite is when the tissue is frozen solid – so mild frostbite must been when it the tissue is so cold that it is numb and has turned white (no circulation?), but not yet frozen solid.

3. Would the children described below likely have hypothermia or frostbite?


28

Hypothermia A child on a hike who is moving very slowly and is slurring and unusually sleepy.

Frostbite A child who is running around and active, but whose little finger in his wet mitt has turned white and is numb.

4. Why can drinking too much alcohol result in hypothermia?

If a person drinks too much, they may move less or become unconscious – and hypothermia can occur when people are motionless in the cold.

5. Why is active movement good for frostbite victims but bad for hypothermia victims? Active movement can increase circulation, warming up frostbitten tissue. This is good for victims that still have plenty of energy, even if one part of their body is frozen. However, if a victim has hypothermia, his body doesn’t have enough energy to produce heat, let alone to produce extra movement. The hypothermia victim needs all of his energy to produce heat. Wasting energy on movement can cause him to lose more heat.

6. Why are rescuers warned not to stop life‐saving efforts (CPR, mouth‐to‐mouth resuscitation, warming) even if the patient’s heart has stopped? Perhaps many rescuers have given up too soon. Perhaps heartbeats and breathing can slow down greatly in the cold, making it seem as if the person is actually dead when he or she can still be revived.

Grammar Activity – the Imperative

Read the first section of the reading and list the imperative verbs in the following table. The first one has been done for you. (Answers are in the appendix):

Affirmative Negative avoid, warm, put, place, make certain, cover, ask, give, get

don’t wear, do not thaw, never rub, do not massage, do not apply, do not warm, do not thaw

Look back at the reading on p. 3 and answer the following questions.

1. Instead of using the imperative to introduce the list of suggestions, what form is used? You might want to try...


29

2. Identify four uses of the imperative and four suggestion forms in the reading:

Imperative forms Softer, suggestion/advice forms o Pick up... o Make sure... o Head o Entertain...

o You can rent... o You could take o Perhaps... o You may need...

Note: You might have put the following in either of the above columns. Technically, these are imperatives. However, they sound a little less bossy than using the action verbs in the imperative (i.e., just saying “build, slide, walk, wear”).

o Try building... o Remember to slide/walk... o Be sure to wear...

Writing Activity

Instructions (formal, instructional tone: expert to non‐expert):

This is how to build a snow fort. First of all, ask your friends if they would like to build a snow‐fort and invite them to join you. Then plan the snow‐fort. Decide who will do which job. If you are the boss, tell each person exactly what their duties are. Have some kids gather snow chunks, others build the walls, and others build furniture. If some people don’t do their jobs correctly, fire or demote them. Tell some kids to gather ice to use for bargaining and store it in a safe place. Protect your snow‐fort and ice from robbers.

Suggestions (less formal, less bossy):

You might want to try building a snow‐fort during recess. First of all, ask your friends if they would like to build a snow‐fort and invite them to join you. Then you should plan what you want in the snow‐fort. You may decide together who will do what job, or, since you are the boss, you could just tell each person exactly what their duties are. You could have some kids gather snow chunks, some build the walls, and others build furniture. If some people don’t do their jobs correctly, you might want to fire or demote them. You can tell some kids to gather ice to use for bargaining. Remember to store it in a safe place. Last, protect your snow fort and ice (money) from robbers!


30

Appendix – Transcript

SPEAKER TITLE: SNOW

0:00 announcement (school buzzer) There will be outside recess, outside recess.

0:08 Adrienne This is what they've been waiting for. It means they can go to work.

0:13 Lewis I guess we're going out to the snow fort.

0:15 Adrienne A dozen boys rush into the hall. And burst out the double doors. Snowboots sprinting across the school yard. See – they even beat the bell out here. Rosy cheeked from running, Lewis Fagan is the first to reach it.

0:38 Lewis OK. So, our snow fort is kind of like a T. And it's not that tall. And there’s snow chunks around. And, like, I've been in these snow forts since I was in kindergarten. But this one is probably the biggest. Like, I remember, one day, I just walked up to my friends and I said “d’you want to build a snow fort?” And they said “sure, we'll do it next recess.” And we started with one snowball, and then at least 50 kids came to our snow fort. (We’ve gotten big.) That wall right there used to be, like, up to my chin. We have workers in our snow fort.

1:11 Adrienne That's right, workers. Ten year old Lewis is the CEO of the snow fort. And everybody knows where they fit in.

1:20 Other boy Well, my job is being carver of the fort. So let’s say we had a big selection, and we wanted to get a huge piece, I just carve it out with my foot.

1:33 Adrienne That sounds like a very specialized skill.

1:35 Other boy Yeah, I've been exercising a lot at home.

1:38 Joe Well, I'm usually, like, mining.

1:43 Other boy Yeah, he's like with me – a miner and a constructor.

1:46 Other boy I think, last time I checked in with Chris, Joe was a best miner here.

1:52 Adrienne Really!

Joe is the CEO's baby brother.

1:55 Other boys That whole thing was all Joe.

1:57 Joe I also have to pat stuff down onto the fort.


31

2:01 Other boy Furniture.

2:02 Adrienne Sorry head of…? ..

2:03 Other boys Furniture ‐ like couches

2:04 Adrienne Oh, ok.

2:05 Other boys It looks like a diving board over here! (This is not a diving board!)

2:09 Adrienne More workers are gathering now.

2:11 Other boys This is Chris. That's Nicholas. Sean, you’re boss.

2:16 Adrienne All doing their thing ‐ and if they don't ...

2:20 Lewis The bosses can fire people.

2:22 Adrienne Fire people!

2:23 Other boys There is firing and de‐promotion.

2:26 Other boys Someone was breaking our snow fort and we had to fire him. Like this: “Nolan you're fired!”

2:34 Adrienne Poor Nolan. Lewis explains they'll be no ice for him this week.

2:39 Lewis Well, ice is kind of like money. You can buy stuff with ice here. So ice is valuable. Guys, guys. Go to our main ice stash. Go to our main ice stash.

2:48 Adrienne They show me the vault.

2:49 Lewis This is like a valuable piece of ice. They have to be long ‐ this is probably about ..50 dollars

2:54 Adrienne 50 dollars for that piece. Wow. That’s a… wow.

2:57 Lewis Yeah, mint condition. We’ve found pieces that are long, like a chocolate bar, and they’re completely transparent. And those were worth like 4 hundred dollars. We could just buy giant… (And you can buy anything with them.)

3:06 Adrienne Like protection.

3:07 Lewis Like say if another fort is destroying our fort and we can give them ice to stop. Like if they have lots of snow that we want, we can buy it with ice.

3:15 Adrienne All this has Marvin Washington grinning from ear to ear. Under a rather ugly winter


32

hat.

It's got dog ear flaps, leather and sheep skin…

3:26 Marvin Washington

Yes. I'm not from here. This is a cold day to me. And I can't say it's cold ‘cause it's not minus 30 yet. So I have to tell myself this is not cold ‐ this is not cold. Growing up in Chicago, this is cold!

3:37 Adrienne Washington moved north to teach industrial relations at the University of Alberta. He's amazed by this snow fort franchise.


…frustrations, overcomes obstacles, overcomes hierarchy. Overcomes… what do you do with someone who's not good at their job. Or, I love the part about the ice. All of a sudden, ice becomes a tradable commodity. Like… How'd they get that? And the guy had prices! This piece of ice is worth that much. That level of detail occurs because you're really clear, you're infectious, you're with a bunch of other people that want to do what it is that you want to do.

4:10 Adrienne And Washington believes, if we all got this clear as adults, we’d be a lot happier at our jobs.


When I work with organizations, I truly say things like “Get excited about why you're here.” And now my new phrase is going to be “What fort are you building?” I think that resonates. And that's what excites me about when I see something like that.

4:36 Adrienne Back at the fort – more excitement. Corporate raiders from a rival fort, after the ice. Lewis Fagan shouts orders to prevent the take over – but it's too late.

4:53 Lewis We've just been robbed.

4:55 Adrienne Well, you were distracted by the media.

4:57 Lewis Yeah. It was a good time to steal.

4:59 Lewis This means a lot to us. Like, if somebody is destroying it, we get pretty angry. And this means a lot to us. Like we just can't wait to finish it. It's so sad that you only get three recesses to do it.

5:10 Other boys Yeah. By January, like, we’ll have this thing, like, really tall. Humongous!

5:15 Adrienne Well listen, I’ll let you get back to this important work. Thank you gentlemen.

In Edmonton, I'm Adrienne Lamb.

Documents

Learning English with CBC Edmonton Monthly feature story ... · The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature is to help you to improve your listening skills