Learning English with CBC
Listening Lessons for Intermediate Students
Based on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts
October 14, 2011
Lesson 70: Self Study Edition
Level:
CLB 6 and up
Topic:
You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Language Skills and Functions:
Listening – listening to a short interview for detail
and inference
Speaking – expressing opinions; participating in a
group discussion
Reading – reading a text for detail
Writing
– writing a paragraph
Language Competencies:
Language Tasks:
Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking
Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence
Answer questions about how different countries approach lifelong
learning
Listen for detail in a radio interview with a woman who returned to
university as an adult
Describe feelings using “to feel or to be” with a participial adjective
Write a paragraph about an intimidating experience
Write personal career goals
Read a text about Manitoba’s ACCESS program and answer detail
questions
Essential Skills: Reading text, problem solving, oral communication, writing
Appendices: Transcript of the podcast
ACCESS Programs in Manitoba
Answers to Worksheets
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
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Manitoba Memo
Canada’s adult immigrant and refugee populations are trail blazers in the field of
lifelong learning. Most enrol in English language classes soon after they arrive. They take
training courses to upgrade their skills and they learn new skills. They go to university to
study what they need to know to work in their profession in Canada. They take courses on
such topics as resume writing, parenting, job searching and workplace culture.
A world where family responsibilities, work and learning are juggled daily isn’t new to
Canada’s immigrant and refugee population. They understand first-hand the importance
of having adequate supports and resources for adults who go back to school. They know
what it’s like to find yourself in a new and unfamiliar environment. And they know that
adult students are great classmates who bring a variety of life experiences to the
classroom.
All Canadians should get used to a new reality where learning never stops. Or at least
that’s the view of the Canadian Council on Learning. They believe learning is tied to the
life cycle. It should begin in early childhood, continue through our youth, our working years
and on into our senior years.
Lifelong learning is increasingly important in today’s economy and today’s job market.
Technology keeps advancing. The skills we need in the workplace keep evolving. Studies
show that countries that support lifelong learning are more productive, competitive and
prosperous. Their citizens are healthier and happier.
Manitoba’s universities and colleges have programs specifically designed to support the
adult learner. There are grants, bursaries and loans available. There are special supports
and resources which help adult students deal with the many challenges they face when
they decide to return to school.
Canada’s immigrant and refugee population has proven that adult learners are motivated
learners who can set goals, and with some key supports, reach them.
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
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Background
1. Answer questions about lifelong learning
Have you ever noticed that when English language speakers answer a question, they
often begin their answer with a qualifying word or phrase. For example, they may begin
their answer by saying:





In general…
Generally…
In my experience, …
In most cases…
Usually…
The questions below are about education and lifelong learning. Can you use one of the
above expressions in your answer?

In your country, is it common for adults to go back to school later in life, for
example, in their thirties, forties or fifties? In what kinds of situations are adults
likely to decide to return to school?

If someone goes back to school later in life, what kinds of programs, resources
and supports are available to help them?

What are some of the unique challenges that adults students face?

What do you personally think of the concept of lifelong learning? Do you think
someone should keep learning even after they’ve graduated from a program?
Why or why not?
2. Vocabulary definitions
Here are some words you need to know to understand the CBC interview.
to coordinate something
If you coordinate a program or event or process, it
means you organize or administer it.
aboriginal students
Aboriginal students are of Indian, Métis or Inuit
ancestry.
to be inspired by
If you are inspired by someone, they make you feel
confident or eager to try something.
to turn your life around
When someone overcomes barriers and changes the
direction of their life for the better, we say they have
turned their life around.
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
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Page 3 of 18
to be emotional
When someone is emotional, they are experiencing
strong feelings about something. For example, they
may cry or express anger.
to be caught by surprise
If someone experiences something completely
unexpected, we may say they are caught by surprise.
For example: The rain came out of nowhere. It
caught me completely by surprise. Unfortunately, I
had left my umbrella at home.
to wrestle with
When you are trying to understand or solve a difficult
problem, you sometimes say you are wrestling with
the problem. For example: Maria wrestled with the
first question on the exam. It was difficult. She read it
twice to make sure she understood what it was
asking before she tried to answer it.
to be intimidating
If something is intimidating, it is scary or frightening.
Someone who feels intimidated may also have selfdoubts. For example: Claudette had never been to
university. She was the oldest in her class. It was an
intimidating and frightening experience at first.
ACCESS programs
ACCESS programs are funded by the government of
Manitoba. The programs are offered through
Manitoba colleges and universities and are designed
to help reduce financial barriers for adult students
who return to school.
holistic
If you are looking at something/someone holistically,
you are looking at the whole person/entity. For
example: Adult students have so many things going
on in their lives. Any one of these things can affect
their success. That’s why it is important to take a
holistic approach and look at all their needs, not just
their academic needs.
potential students
Students who fit the criteria for a program are
potential or possible students for that program.
racism
Racism is unfair or violent treatment of another
person because they belong to a different race.
to figure something out
When you think about a problem or situation until you
find an answer, you are figuring out the problem.
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
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3. Vocabulary Practise
Learning new vocabulary before you listen makes it easier for you to understand the story.
Can you match these vocabulary words or phrases with their meaning? The first one is
completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word
1. _g to coordinate
something
a)
Meaning
unfair treatment due to race
2. __ a potential student
b)
to help
3. __ to be inspired by
c)
a student who might become part of a
program
4. __ to be emotional
d)
to overcome barriers; to set out in a new
direction in life
5. __ to wrestle with a
problem
e)
to have/show strong feelings about
someone or something
6. __ to be intimidating
f)
to think long and hard about a problem and
try to find a solution
7. __ to support
g)
to organize/administer a program, event etc.
8. __ a holistic approach
h)
to be frightening or scary
9. __ racism
i)
to have to deal with something completely
unexpected
10. __ to be aboriginal
j)
an approach that looks at the whole picture
or person
11. __ to turn your life around
k)
to be encouraged or motivated to do
something by someone/something
12. __ to be caught by
surprise
l)
to try to solve a problem; to do a calculation
13. __ to figure (something)
out
m)
to be a descendant of Canada’s original
peoples
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
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4. Predict what the podcast is about
In this interview, Terry MacLeod interviews Claudette Michell. Claudette tells Terry about
her experience going back to school in her forties. Today she runs a university program
which supports other adults who return to school. Claudette tells potential students in her
program that they are never too old to go back to school or turn their lives around.
Can you predict how Claudette might come across or present herself in the interview.
What kind of person do you expect to hear? What kind of impression do you think
Claudette will make on listeners?
Here are a few examples:
I think Claudette Michele will come across as… a very determined person.
I expect she’ll be…inspirational.
I think she’ll come across...as someone I can relate to.
I expect she’ll come across as… a leader.
I have no idea how she’ll come across.
5. Get ready to listen
In this podcast, you will hear three speakers. You will hear:
Marcy Markusa – host
Terry MacLeod – interviewer
Claudette Michell – guest
Play the podcast for the first time.
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After you Listen
a) Review your pre-listening predictions
Were you able to predict how Claudette came across in the interview?
b) Listen for detail
Sometimes when we listen, we are listening primarily for detail and inference. Read the
questions below. Listen to the interview and decide whether the following statements are true
or false. The first one is completed for you as an example.
1.
Claudette Michel coordinates a program at the University of
Winnipeg.
True False
2.
Claudette went back to university in her thirties.
True False
3.
Claudette understands that university can be intimidating.
True False
4.
Claudette only helps students with academic problems.
True False
5.
Claudette’s students have very few good things to say about her.
True False
6.
Claudette is a single parent.
True False
7.
Claudette is aboriginal.
True False
8.
Claudette is pleased with what she has accomplished.
True False
9.
Claudette thinks the university is doing a good job.
True False
10. Claudette is good at her job because she can relate to her
students.
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
True False
Page 7 of 18
c) Select adjectives to describe feelings
Sometimes we use the verb “to feel or to be” and a participial adjective to describe how we feel.
Read the following sentences with your partner. Select an adjective from the box below to
complete the sentence. The first is completed as an example.
1. When Sara started her course at Red River College, everyone else was fluent in English. It
was very intimidating and Sara felt intimidated.
2. Sara wanted to get a mentor, but they were all booked. It was disappointing news. Sara
was _____________ .
3. Working a part-time job and going to school is exhausting. Sara is ____________ when
she gets home at night.
4. Sara wants to change her work schedule so she can have more time to study for exams.
Her employer keeps cancelling their meeting. It’s frustrating. Sara is _____________ .
5. Dealing with a whole new world at school was overwhelming. Sara felt completely
_____________ .
6. Sara got one of the highest marks in the class. She had worked hard and it was exciting to
see the results. Sara felt _____________ .
exhausted, intimidated, frustrated, overwhelmed, disappointed, excited
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
Page 8 of 18
d) Write a paragraph about a time when you felt intimidated
In the interview Claudette talks about how frightening and intimidating university can be
for adults.
Can you think of an experience you have had in your life where you felt intimidated?
Write a paragraph describing that experience.
Begin with a topic
sentence. The
topic sentence
introduces what you
want to talk about. It
makes the reader
want to know more.
I’ll never forget the most intimidating experience of my life.
Add two or three
supporting
sentences. The
supporting
sentences will tell
the reader about
your intimidating
experience. You
might also tell about
how you handled
the situation.
Here’s what happened. I was ___________________________
____________________________________. Then, ________
_____________________________________________.
(Add another supporting sentence here if you need to add more
details)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
Write a concluding
sentence. It
summarizes what
has been said.
I hope you can understand why this experience was so intimidating to
me.
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
Page 9 of 18
e) Think about the reasons why people don’t always reach their goals
Read the quote below.
“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them,
learn about them or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable.”1
How would you answer the following questions?
 Do you generally agree with this quote? Why or why not?
 Do you think these are the main reasons people do not achieve their goals in life?
What other things might affect a person’s ability to achieve their goals?
f) Describe your career goals
Goal setting is an important skill. Setting, meeting and even adapting our goals helps keep us
on track in life. Goals help us move forward.
Career counsellors recommend we write down our goals and post them somewhere so that we
are reminded of them. They also recommend that goals:





are specific
are measurable
are achievable
provide results
have timelines
It is important for your teachers and counsellors to be aware of your long-term and short-term
career goals. It is also important that they know the timelines you have set for yourself.
Counsellors and teachers may be able to help you with the barriers you face in trying to
achieve your goals. They may have tips or information which will help you meet your goals.
Task 1
Can you identify your career goals, the timelines needed to achieve them and the barriers you
face? Can you articulate this information to others? Use the following chart to help you
identify your personal goals.
Task 2
When you have completed the chart, practice verbally describing your goals, as if you are
speaking with a career counselor.
Task 3
Think about the barriers you have identified. How might you deal with them?
1
Quote from motivational speaker Denis Waitley
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
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My Career Goals
Short-term Goals
Timeline
Barriers
Possible solutions
e.g. My short-term goal is to finish
Level 6 and take English for Nursing.
Start English for
Nursing in six months.
I am working and it is hard to
find time to study English at
night.
Find a tutor to help me so I
can make the best use of the
time I have.
Long-term Goals
Timeline
Barriers
Possible solutions
e.g. My long-term goal is to study
nursing at the University of Manitoba
(U of M).
Start at U of M in two
years.
I am worried that I won’t have Research options for
enough money for tuition.
financial assistance for adult
students. e.g. student loans
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
Page 11 of 18
g) Read a text about the ACCESS program and answer detail questions
The students Claudette works with are part of the University of Winnipeg’s ACCESS program.
Read Appendix 1. It describes how the program works. Then answer the questions below.
1.
Access programs are designed to help students succeed.
True False
2.
Everyone who applies is accepted.
True False
3.
All academic programs in Manitoba universities have ACCESS
programs.
True False
4.
Financial support can be in the form of bursaries, grants and loans.
True False
5.
Students accepted into an ACCESS program are currently underrepresented in Manitoba’s colleges and universities.
True False
6.
You apply to the ACCESS program through a college or university
that participates in the program.
True False
7.
Application forms are submitted in the fall.
True False
8.
Even if you qualify for the ACCESS program, there are numerous
criteria you must meet before you will be accepted.
True False
9.
Applications are available at ACCESS offices in participating
colleges and universities.
True False
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
Page 12 of 18
Want to know more…
The Canadian Council on Learning website is:
www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Home.html
Statistics Canada released a report on lifelong learning in Canada:
www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2009079-eng.htm
Information on Manitoba programs which offer financial support to post-secondary students
can be found at: www.gov.mb.ca/educate/sfa/pages/ourprogram/funding.html
The website for Manitoba Student Aid is:
www.gov.mb.ca/educate/sfa/pages/sfaFrontDoor_en.html
Information on Manitoba colleges and universities with ACCESS programs can be found at:
www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ael/unicoll/access.html
There is information on language training and finding employment on the government of
Manitoba’s Immigrate website. Go to: www2.immigratemanitoba.com/browse/learning_english
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites
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Appendix 1: Transcript
September 11, 2011(broadcast date)
Speaker
Podcast
Line
Marcy
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English
with CBC. Claudette Michell is a special person. Just ask the
students who are part of the program that she coordinates at
the University of Winnipeg. Many of the aboriginal students in
the program have had rough experiences in their lives. Most
5
didn’t make it past grade 10. But they’ve been inspired by
Claudette’s personal belief that you’re never too old to go back
to school. Claudette went to university in her forties. She
turned her own life around because she wanted a better life for
her children. In this interview with Terry MacLeod, Claudette
10
talks about some of the issues adult learners wrestle with when
they decide to return to school.
Claudette
Um, I’m an adult learner myself, so I know how intimidating
coming to university can be and a big part of what I was doing
with these students was helping them to feel comfortable,
15
helping them to feel like that is their university, which it is. I…
Terry
It’s very emotional for you to hear what they (her students) said
about you. I mean I can hear it in your voice that there’s a that
you are kind of caught by surprise.
Claudette
Yes I am, yeah.
20
Terry
So the students who are wrestling with the kinds of issues that
they bring to the program, is it that approach of the the
ACCESS policy that is making the difference, that gives them a
better chance?
Claudette
It’s that, as well as the support that the program itself is
bringing too.
Terry
And ah what kind of support?
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25
Claudette
It’s ah we’re looking at the students holistically, so when we’re
providing them student supports, we’re not only looking at them
in the academic sense, but we’re looking at them you know we
30
provide them supports and ah resources, help find them
resources, in all areas of their life. When I meet with potential
students, I like to let them know that I’m an adult learner myself
that I you know I know very well the struggles that student’s
face you know I’m a single mother, I’m an aboriginal woman,
35
y’know I face a lot of ah different things like racism and but
overcoming those things by finding the supports and using
those supports. Those supports for me were it was the
Aboriginal culture. University has opened doorways for me. I
never imagined ten or eleven years ago that I would be
40
working in a university, to tell you the truth.
Terry
It sounds like you’ve changed but it sounds like you’re saying
too that the university has changed. They’ve figured out a few
things.
Claudette
Yes, yes and the administrative people at the university have
been just fantastic.
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45
Appendix 2: ACCESS Programs in Manitoba2
What is an ACCESS program?
ACCESS Programs provide a support network designed to increase student success. The
major focus is on academic and personal support, and, for those who qualify, financial
support in the form of ACCESS bursaries, grants and student loans. Manitoba Student
Aid works with representatives from the ACCESS programs to administer assistance to
students who qualify for funding. There are several academic programs of study
supported by the ACCESS programs in Manitoba.
Who qualifies?
Typically qualifying students are from under-represented groups, specifically people of
Aboriginal ancestry, northerners, residents of the inner city, people with disabilities,
women, single parents, immigrants and refugees. The target group is low-income residents
of Manitoba who have not had the opportunity to participate or succeed in a college
education because of social, economic, or cultural factors, formal education, or
geographical location (inaccessibility to post-secondary institutions).
How is eligibility determined?
Students can apply directly to any ACCESS Program office at participating public
Colleges and Universities in Manitoba. Students complete an ACCESS program application
form and submit by the due date in spring. Applications are paper screened for eligibility
by the ACCESS Program. Students that meet basic criteria are invited to an interview
and selection process. Students are notified by the ACCESS program if they have been
successfully chosen in their area of study.
Who do I contact for more information?
For details about the ACCESS Programs as well as application forms, contact the program
office of choice at any participating college or university you wish to attend in Manitoba.
2
Adapted from: www.gov.mb.ca/educate/sfa/pages/ourprogram/funding.html
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
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Answers to Worksheets
Vocabulary Match
1. g
2. c
3. k
4. e
5. f
6. h
7. b
8. j
9. a
10. m
11. d
12. i
13. l
Listen for Detail
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
T
F
T
F
F
T
T
T
T
T
Describing Feelings
1. intimidated
2. disappointed
3. exhausted
4. frustrated
5. overwhelmed
6. excited
Self Study: You’re Never Too Old to Go Back to School
Learning English with CBC
Page 17 of 18
Answer Detail Questions about the ACCESS Program
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
T
F
F
T
T
T
F
T
T
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Learning English with CBC
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