Learning English with CBC

Transcription

1 Learning English with CBC Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts November 13, 2009 Lesson 50: Self Study Edition Level: Topic: Language Skills and Functions: CLB 6 and up The H1N1 Vaccine Listening listening to a short interview for the main ideas Speaking asking questions; expressing opinions Reading reading a chart for detail; reading a text Writing writing sentences Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence Language Tasks: Express opinions on how H1N1 and public health emergencies are handled in different countries Listen for the main ideas in a radio interview with medical ethicist George Webster Ask questions about H1N1 clinics and the vaccine Read a chart comparing the symptoms of a cold and the flu and answering true/false questions Read a news story about hockey players jumping the H1N1 queue and express opinions on whether this is ethical behaviour Essential Skills: Reading text, document use, thinking skills, oral communication, writing Appendices: Transcript of the podcast Chart of Cold and Flu Symptoms Globe and Mail news article: Vaccination Night in Canada Answers to Worksheets Attention students: You will need to print the lesson to be able to complete the activities.

2 Manitoba Memo The current outbreak of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, originated in Mexico in April The flu spread quickly throughout that country and it soon became clear that most people had no immunity to this new virus. Within two months, the flu spread to many regions of the world and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. By July 2009, 39 Canadians, including six Manitobans, had died of H1N1. Fearing that the disease would take even more lives in the fall flu season, the federal government decided to order enough H1N1 vaccine to immunize everyone in the country who wanted to get the shot. In late October, the vaccine began to arrive and the provinces organized immunization clinics. Although the officials say there will eventually be enough vaccine for all who choose to be immunized, the supply is arriving in batches. First priority for vaccination is being given to those who are at risk of developing severe complications from H1N1, including children ages 6 months to 5 years, aboriginal Canadians, pregnant women and people with existing illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Once the priority groups are vaccinated, the clinics will be open for other Canadians. This is the largest vaccination program Canada has ever undertaken. Not surprisingly, there have been bumps along the way. Less vaccine than initially anticipated has led to long line-ups. There has been debate about who should be on the priority list and some people are not respecting that list. Constant media coverage has left some people anxious and frightened, while others are wondering why there s so much fuss over a relatively mild (for most people) flu. Public health officials and people throughout the health care system are working long hours to adapt vaccination plans to changing circumstances and to care for those who are already ill. They are also learning lessons about how things can be done more efficiently and effectively the next time Canada faces a large scale public health challenge. Background 1. Before you listen, answer the following background questions How is H1N1 affecting people in your home country? Are people being vaccinated? How much concern is there over H1N1? Has your home country ever had to deal with a public health emergency? Was the country well prepared? Was there a lot of fear? Was the fear justified? How did the fear affect people's behaviour? Do you think the emergencies and challenges countries face bring out the best and the worst in people? Can you think of examples of where they bring out the best? Bring out the worst? Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 2 of 14

3 2. Vocabulary Before you listen, here is some of the vocabulary you need to know. The phrase in bold gives the meaning of the vocabulary listed below. Find the vocabulary word for each phrase and complete the sentence. Try to guess the correct answer from the context and the clue provided. If you need more assistance, you can use the vocabulary definition list on the next page. 1) A fever, a sore throat and respiratory problems are all symptoms (signs or indications of) the flu. 2) The World Health Organization says the spread of H1N1 is a (a new virus that has spread to many countries around the world). 3) We can all take (preventive measures) like washing our hands frequently to lower our risk of getting the virus. 4) If you are considered high risk for H1N1, it means you are likely to develop (additional health problems that make you sicker than others who get the virus). 5) (not waiting your turn in line-ups or queues) is not very (morally good or correct) behaviour. 6) If you aren t at high risk for complications from the virus, officials are asking you to be (willing to help those who are more in need). 7) The (reason for something) for the priority lists for the H1N1 (a substance which is put into your body by a needle) is that it is important to look after the most (those who become ill or harmed more easily) first. 8) The media coverage of the death of a young hockey player (made people feel even more uncertain) about whether they could safely wait their turn to get an H1N1 shot. Vocabulary jumping the queue rationale precautions ethical complications symptoms fuelled uncertainty generous pandemic vulnerable vaccine Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 3 of 14

4 Vocabulary Definitions symptoms precautions flu pandemic high risk jump the queue complications ethical Things that are wrong with your body and indicate you have an illness. For example, pain, fever and difficulty breathing are all symptoms of illness. Things you do to try to stop something that could be dangerous from happening. For example, washing your hands, staying home if you are ill and sneezing into your sleeve are precautions you can take against the flu. A pandemic is when a virus spreads very quickly over a large geographic area. People do not have immunity to the virus and a high percentage of the population becomes ill. Someone is considered high risk for catching the flu if they have a weak immune system or an underdeveloped immune system. This makes it harder for them to fight illness. A queue is a line-up. If you jump the queue, you go to the head of the line even though it is not your turn. Problems that make something more difficult to deal with. For example, if you have asthma, you may have more health problems or complications if you get H1N1. Ethical principles are what someone believes to be right or wrong. People often face ethical issues or decisions in their lives when they are deciding how to behave in a situation. aboriginal community The aboriginal community is made up of Canada s founding peoples. Inuit, Metis and First Nations people are all members of Canada s aboriginal community. step up to the plate generous vaccine vulnerable rationale An idiom that means to move or step into a position where you are ready to do a task or take action. The root of the idiom is from the sport of baseball. It refers to when a batter steps up to the plate and gets ready to hit the ball. Being willing to help someone with action or with money. A vaccine is a substance that is put into your body by a needle to help protect you from viruses. There are many common vaccines, including polio, tetanus and flu. A vulnerable person is someone who is easily harmed or hurt. A baby, an elderly person or an ill person are examples of those who may be considered vulnerable. The reasons you give to support a decision you make or a belief you hold. Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 4 of 14

5 to fuel uncertainty To make someone s doubts about something even stronger. For example, the extensive media coverage of H1N1 has fuelled or increased uncertainty and doubt about whether there will be enough vaccine for everyone. Public Health Agency A government agency responsible for the health of an entire population. The agency that responds to public health emergencies. 3. Predict what the story is about In this interview, Terry Macleod interviews George Webster, an ethicist from St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg about the H1N1 vaccination program and the priority lists. Can you predict what kinds of things an ethicist might talk about on this topic? Here are some examples to get you started. An ethicist might talk about how best to make decisions about who should be vaccinated first and why. He might talk about why it is important to wait your turn for the shot. He s unlikely to talk about the possible side effects of the vaccine. I don t have any idea about what he ll talk about. 4. Get ready to listen In this podcast you will hear two speakers. You will hear: Marcy Markusa host Terry Macleod - interviewer George Webster medical ethicist Play the podcast for the first time. Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 5 of 14

6 5. Listen for the main ideas Sometimes when we listen, we are listening for very specific details. Other times, we are listening primarily for the main ideas. What is the story about? What information do we take away after listening? When you listen this time, listen for the main ideas. Use full sentences to answer the questions below. The first one is completed for you as an example. 1. What is the topic of the interview? The topic is H1N1 flu clinics and priority lists. 2. Who does George Webster think should receive the flu shots first and why? 3. Some parents are not respecting the priority list. Why? 4. What does George Webster think the media could do to help reassure the public in this situation? 6. Listen for strategies used in spoken English Listening to and understanding informal, authentic speech can be a challenge, even for native speakers. Listen to the interview again. Pay attention to the following strategies. George Webster uses the hesitator ah frequently. These hesitations or pauses allow him time to think about the point he wants to make. They also allow him to express many thoughts in a single sentence. But because so many thoughts are strung together in this way, it can be hard to understand the point he is making. When he talks about the media, he uses you know, kind of and in a way, expressions that soften and qualify what he is saying. This may be his way of acknowledging that he is not a media expert. He may also be using these tentative phrases because he doesn't want to offend his host, who is in the media. Listening tip: One of the best ways to improve understanding of informal speech is to practice listening to it often in real life situations. Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 6 of 14

7 After you listen a) Review your pre-listening predictions How close were your predictions about what ethicist George Webster would talk about? b) Asking questions about H1N1 clinics You need to know where your local H1N1 clinic is located and additional information about receiving the H1N1 shot. Can you ask the questions you need to ask? Write down the questions and say them out loud. 1. Situation: You want to know where to find the H1N1 flu clinic closest to you. Question: Can you please tell me where I can find the H1N1 flu clinic closest to me? 2. Situation: You want to know the hours of the clinic. Question: 3. Situation: You are not in a priority group. You want to know when it will be your turn to be vaccinated. Question: 4. Situation: You want to know if you need to bring any identification (other than your Manitoba health card) to the clinic. Question: 5. Situation: You want to know how long you should be prepared to line up. Question: 6. Situation: You want to know if it is okay to get the H1N1 shot if you have a slight fever or a cold. Question: 7. Situation: You want to know if there are side effects to the vaccine and what they are. Question: Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 7 of 14

8 c) Read a chart about the symptoms of a cold and the flu We read charts in the workplace and in our everyday life. Work reports are often organized in chart form. Recreational schedules are organized in charts - charts are everywhere! It's important to be able to look at a chart and understand how the information is organized. The chart in Appendix 2 provides you with information on the symptoms of the cold and the flu. It allows you to compare the symptoms, how often they occur and whether they are serious. Read the chart. Can you find the information on the chart to answer the questions below? Sentence T / F 1 Fever is a common feature of a cold. F 2 If you have a high fever that comes on suddenly, you usually have the flu. 3 Headaches are more common if you have the flu than if you have a cold. 4 A sore throat is a common symptom of both cold and flu. 5 Chest discomfort and coughing is usually severe with a cold. 6 A runny stuff nose is common with a cold but rare with the flu. 7 If you are feeling very tired, fatigued and weak, you usually have the flu. 8 H1N1 has exactly the same symptoms as the seasonal flu. Bonus question: You have to explain to another student how to find information on this chart. How would you explain it to them? Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 8 of 14

9 d) Is it ethical for hockey players to jump the queue? Read the story Vaccination Night in Canada. You can use an English Language Learners Dictionary to help you with the vocabulary. Think about the following questions. What would your answer be? 1. Do you think it s fair that some hockey players got the H1N1 flu shot ahead of the priority groups? Why or why not? 2. Do you think the Alberta government was right to fire the person who was responsible for arranging for the Calgary Flames players and their families to get the shot? Why or why not? 3. Ethicist Arthur Schaeffer says Canadians would not support the wealthy or celebrities jumping the queue for the shot. Do agree or disagree with him? What is your rationale? 4. Would a story like this be news in your country? Would a situation like this happen in your country? Can you think of an example? Want to know more The CBC and the Globe and Mail both have excellent sites with current and historical information on H1N1. answered/article / Information on the Manitoba vaccination schedule and on vaccines in general can be found at: The website for the Public Health Agency of Canada is: The flu website for Manitoba Health is: For information on H1N1 clinics in Manitoba, call your local regional health authority or Health Links. (Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites) Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 9 of 14

10 Appendix 1: Transcript November 2, 2009 (broadcast date) Speaker Podcast Line Marcy Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English with CBC. Most of us are becoming familiar with the symptoms of H1N1 and the precautions we should take to try to avoid getting the flu. But a flu pandemic also raises other issues. In week one, officials hoped that people who didn t fall into high-risk groups would wait their turn to get the H1N1 vaccine. However, fear of the flu led some people to deliberately jump the queue. The result was even longer line-ups at flu clinics in early days for those who are most at risk for complications from H1N1. Is this kind of queue 5 10 jumping ethical behaviour? In this interview, Terry Macleod asks ethicist George Webster what he thinks. Terry What should people be asking themselves when trying to decide whether they or their family should get in line? George Webster Well I think it s a question that the Minister of ask of Health ah posed earlier at the end of last week and I think that this is about the good of our community and it s about really responding to the people who are at greatest risk right now and that s children under, you know, under 5 years of age, our aboriginal ah community etc. So it s really calling upon people to step up to the plate in terms of ah being generous and having confidence that the ah vaccines will come because of the delay but they will come. And that the people who are most in need will receive them first. Terry Well what about the fearful parent with an overwhelming desire to protect their their children? We discovered some parents with full knowledge of the priority list took their eight year olds and openly stood in line and said, I m getting this child the shot. 25 Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 10 of 14

11 George Webster Terry George Webster Well, I think that will happen and I think there will be people who will undertake that action. But I think that we do, this comes back again to some notion of trust, doesn t it? I think that the priority ah lists that were developed were developed after a lot of consideration and I think that they are for the good of the community and they are also for people that are with that are clearly more vulnerable to the H1N1. That s the rationale for the priority. So if they re more vulnerable, to my mind ethically, the fair thing is to have those people cared for first and then to have the rest of us who may not be as vulnerable receive the vaccine when it becomes available. Just before you go, how do you think the media s doing? Well I think the media s ah, you know, contributed a little bit to this because of the ah, you know, it s obvious that when young people 13 years of age die, it s an important story, but I think it s also, in a way, kind of fuelled the kind of uncertainty and the questions about trust around ah the availability of the vaccine. So I think that the more the media can do to assure people that ah the vaccine s coming, that the public health agency has a priority, that they ve spent time, you know putting together, in terms of who s most vulnerable and really call on people to be generous Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 11 of 14

12 Appendix 2: Chart of Cold and Flu Symptoms 1 This is a quick guide on what you should be aware of during influenza or flu season. Here are some terms you need to know to understand the chart. Term rare sometimes common usual mild moderate severe Definition almost never happens happens on some occasions, but not always happens often, to many people happens most of the time nothing to be too concerned about between mild and severe very serious, definitely require medical attention Now read the chart with your partner. Can you find the information you need to answer the questions on Worksheet 3? Hint: Be sure to read the instructions on the Worksheet. Symptom Cold Influenza fever rare usual high fever (39C to 40C), sudden onset, lasts 3-4 days headache rare usual, can be severe general aches and pains sometimes, mild usual, often severe fatigue and weakness sometimes, mild usual, severe, may last 2-3 weeks or more runny, stuffy nose common common sneezing common sometimes sore throat common common chest discomfort, coughing sometimes, mild to moderate usually, can be severe complications can lead to sinus congestion or earache can lead to pneumonia and respiratory failure; can worsen a current chronic condition, can be life threatening The symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal flu, but may include additional symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. 1 This chart is from : Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 12 of 14

13 Appendix 3: Vaccination Night in Canada 2 By Josh Wingrove, Anna Mehler Paperny and Dawn Walton Toronto and Calgary From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Nov. 04, :16PM EST Last updated on Thursday, Nov. 05, :56AM EST (adapted for this lesson) Pregnant women, young children, people with underlying health issues and hockey players? Canada's national sport has elbowed its way ahead of the groups considered most at-risk of serious illness or death from the H1N1 flu virus. Junior players in Moncton and pros with the NHL's Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs are jumping the queue and getting the shot. In some cities, the outrage has spilled over. An Alberta government official involved in the Flames vaccination was fired Wednesday, five days after players and their families were offered the shot at a private clinic. The province said the special treatment was unacceptable. Most teams have denied the action is queue jumping, saying the athletes are high-risk. But Canada's chief public health officer says there's a difference between being at high risk of getting the flu, and of it causing serious illness or death. We have focused the priorities of who is to be immunized first based on who is at greatest risk of severe disease and dying, not on who is more likely to be exposed, he wrote in an to The Globe. Otherwise, school-aged kids would have been the first priority. Biomedical ethicist Arthur Schafer agrees. He believes Canadians value a sense of fair play. He doesn t think they would support celebrities or wealthy people getting special access to the H1N1 vaccine. answered/article / 2 The full article (unadapted) can be found at: Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 13 of 14

14 Appendix 3: Answers to Worksheets Vocabulary Match 1. symptoms 2. pandemic 3. precautions 4. complications 5. Jumping the queue, ethical 6. generous 7. rationale, vaccine, vulnerable 8. fuelled uncertainty Listen for the Main Ideas (answers will vary) 1. The topic is H1N1 flu clinics and priority lists. 2. He thinks people on the priority list should receive the shots first because they are more vulnerable. 3. Parents are not respecting the priority lists because they are afraid their children may get sick. They are trying to protect their children from H1N1. 4. He thinks the media should remind the public about the priority list and assure them there will be enough vaccine. Asking Questions (answers will vary) 1. Can you please tell me where I can find the H1N1 clinic closest to me? 2. What are the hours of the clinic? 3. Can you tell me when people who are not in a priority group will be vaccinated? 4. Do I need to bring any identification other than my Manitoba Health card? 5. How long do you think I will need to line up? 6. If I already have a fever, is it okay to get the H1N1 shot? 7. Are there side effects to the vaccine? What are they? Is it a Cold or is it the Flu? 1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. F 7. T 8. F Self Study: The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Learning English with CBC Page 14 of 14