News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Teaching notes and key
Level: upper-intermediate (B2).
Aims:
 to practise scanning a text (for words in different lexical sets)
 to practise reading for detail
 to build vocabulary (words with the prefix ‘psych-’; words with the suffix ‘hood’)
 to practise expressing and analysing statistics.
Timing: approximately one and three quarter hours.
Preparation
The accompanying article from p.23 (‘Health & Science’) of The Week magazine
can be downloaded from www.teachitworld.com.
Answers
Task 2 Scanning
Words connected with birth are underlined.
Words connected with mental health problems are highlighted in yellow.
Early birth and mental health
It has long been known that babies born prematurely are more likely to suffer a
variety of physical problems later in life. But a new study has shown they are also
at a higher risk of developing mental health problems in adulthood, says the Daily
Mail. Drawing on nearly 1.5 million Swedish birth and medical records from
between 1973 and 1985, researchers at King’s College London and the Karolinska
Institutet in Sweden showed that babies born before 36 weeks in the womb were
twice as likely as full-term babies (those born after 40 weeks) to be admitted to
hospital with psychiatric disorders as adults. For those born before 32 weeks, the
risk was three times as high as for full-term babies; members of this very
premature group were also more than twice as likely to develop psychosis
and over seven times more likely to have bipolar disorder. The links might be
even stronger in “real terms”, commented Dr Chiara Nosarti of King’s College,
since she and her colleagues had only considered cases resulting in
hospitalisation.
Task 3 Reading for detail
1. premature; 2. 36 weeks; 3. uterus
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Task 4 Vocabulary: the prefix ‘psych-’
Word
Word class
psy'chology
noun

1. the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially
those which affect behaviour
2. the mental characteristics or attitude of a person / group of people
psy'chologist
noun

someone who studies the human mind, attitudes and behaviour
psycho'logical
adjective

relating to someone’s mental and emotional state
psycho'logically
adverb

(as above)
psy'chiatry
noun

the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of mental illness
psychi'atric
adjective

relating to the study and treatment of mental illness
psy'chiatrist
noun

a doctor who diagnoses and treats mental illness
'psychic
adjective

relating to abilities or events which cannot be explained by science, especially
telepathy and clairvoyance
'psychic
noun

a person who has, or claims to have psychic powers; synonym: a medium
'psychopath
noun

psycho'pathic
adjective

psychoso'matic
adjective

psycho'therapy
noun

psycho'therapist
noun

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Stress pattern
Meaning
a mentally ill person with violent social behaviour
relating to violent mental illness
1. describes an illness which is caused or made worse by a mental factor,
such as stress
2. relating to the interaction of mind and body
the treatment of mental illness using psychological rather than medical
methods
a doctor who treats mental illness using psychological rather than medical
methods
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Nine out of the twelve words of three or more syllables follow the regular stress pattern, with the stress on the antipenultimate syllable.






psychic
psychopath
psychology
psychologist
psychiatry
psychiatrist
psychiatric
psychopathic
psychological
psychologically
psychotherapy
psychotherapist
psychosomatic
c. Check the meaning
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
a psychiatrist (bipolar disorder: a psychiatric illness consisting of manic (high) and depressive (low) episodes)
a psychotherapist
a psychopath
a psychologist
a psychic
psychosomatic
Task 5 Vocabulary: the suffix ‘-hood’
1. childhood
2. motherhood
3. manhood
4. knighthood
5. likelihood
6. boyhood
7. brotherhood
8. neighbourhood
9. parenthood
10. livelihood
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Task 6 Statistics
a.
1c, 2a, 3e, 4b, 5d
b.
The unemployment rate is 2.8 times as high for young people as for adults.
(or: The unemployment rate is 2.8 times higher for young people than for
adults.)
You are much more likely to be run over by a bus than to win the lottery.
(or: It is much more likely that you’ll be run over by a bus than win the lottery.)
The rainfall in June 2012 was as high as in June 2000.
c.
a. In the early 1990s, almost half of 17 to 20-year-olds had a driving
licence; now just over a third do. The Sunday Times
b. Police forces are up to 28 times more likely to use stop-and-search
powers against black people than white people, according to the Equality
and Human Rights Commission. The Guardian
c. In 1974, the richest 0.01% of Americans earned less than 1% of
national income; now their share is 6%. The Sunday Times
d.
Example answers:
a. Cars are too expensive to buy; the driving test is much more difficult;
driving lessons are too expensive; young people today prefer public
transport.
b. The British police are racially prejudiced; black people commit more crimes
that their white counterparts, maybe because of lack of educational
opportunities and work (and maybe schools, universities and employers are
racially prejudiced); there are more black people in the streets than white.
c. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer; there are a few very
powerful and rich people; this is an unfair and a socially unhealthy
situation.
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Worksheet
Task 1 Speaking
Discuss the following questions:
1. Do you know whether you were born early, on time or
late?
2. Do you know if you were born at home, in a public
hospital or in a private clinic?
3. If you have children, what about your children?
Task 2 Scanning
Highlight all the words in the text connected with birth.
Highlight in another colour all the words connected with mental health problems.
Task 3 Reading for detail
Read the text carefully and answer the following questions:
1. What is the opposite of a full-term baby?
2. How long is a full-term baby in the womb?
3. Do you know any other word for ‘womb’?
4. Do you think the statistics in the article tell the whole truth?
Task 4 Vocabulary: the prefix ‘psych-’
A prefix is a part of a word which can be added in front of other words to make
new ones.
‘Psych-’ (pronounced [saɪk]) comes from the Greek word ‘psyche’ (pronounced
['saɪkɪ]) meaning the soul, mind or spirit and refers to the non-physical aspects of
our being.
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
a. Word class and meaning
There are many commonly used words with the prefix ‘psych-’. Use a dictionary to complete ‘word’, ‘word class’
and ‘meaning’ columns of the table below. Don’t complete the ‘stress pattern’ column for the moment.
Word
Word class Stress pattern
Meaning
1.
psy'chology
noun
2. the mental characteristics or attitude of a person / group
of people
noun
someone who studies the human mind, attitudes and
behaviour
adjective
relating to someone’s mental and emotional state
noun
the branch of medicine concerned with the study and
treatment of mental illness
psycho'logically
psychi'atric
psy'chiatrist
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adjective
a doctor who diagnoses and treats mental illness
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
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relating to abilities or events which cannot be explained by
science, especially telepathy and clairvoyance
'psychic
'psychopath
noun
a person who has, or claims to have psychic powers;
synonym: a medium
noun
a mentally ill person with violent social behaviour
psycho'pathic
relating to violent mental illness
1.
psychoso'matic
adjective
2. relating to the interaction of mind and body
psycho'therapy
noun
noun
a doctor who treats mental illness using psychological rather
than medical methods
Definitions adapted from the New Oxford Dictionary of English, second edition, 2003. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
b. Word stress
Knowing which syllable of a word is stressed is important. It may make all the difference between the listener
understanding you or not.
In many long words of Greek or Latin origin, the stress moves in the different forms of the word, depending on the
number of syllables. The normal pattern for words of three or more syllables in English is for the stress to fall three
syllables from the end, e.g.

'pho|to|graph 
 pho|'to|graphy 
Use circles to complete the ‘stress pattern’ column for the ‘psych-’ words above. Then listen to your teacher and
practise getting the correct pronunciation and stress.
Now complete the table below. How many of the words follow the normal stress pattern for English?


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

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


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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
c. Check the meaning
Answer each question below with one of the ‘psych-’ words from the table.
1. Who would you go and see if you were suffering
from bipolar disorder?
2. Who would you go and see if you had lost a
person you loved dearly and felt depressed?
..................................
..................................
3. What would you call someone who raped and
murdered women?
..................................
4. What do you call a person who studies the
human mind?
..................................
5. What do you call a person who can foresee
future events?
..................................
6. You are very worried about your exams and you
start to have headaches and lose your appetite.
How would the doctor describe your symptoms?
..................................
Task 5 Vocabulary: the suffix ‘-hood’
A suffix is a part of a word which can be added at the end of other words to make
new ones.
The suffix ‘-hood’ is used to make nouns which refer to:
1. a state or condition
2. a collection or group.
The following words can all take the suffix ‘-hood’:
likely
neighbour
boy
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mother
man
parent
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child
brother
lively
knight
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Write the correct word with ‘-hood’ for each definition.
1.
2.
the period of time between birth and
12 years old
..........................................
the state of being a mother
..........................................
3.
4.
5.
the qualities traditionally associated
with men, such as physical or sexual
strength
an honour for public service which
allows the person to use the title ‘Sir’,
for a man, or ‘Lady’, for a woman
..........................................
..........................................
the fact of being probable or likely
..........................................
6.
7.
8.
9.
the period of time before a young
male becomes an adolescent
a community of people with a shared
interest, religion or profession
a district or community in a town or
city
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
the state of being a mother or father
..........................................
10. a way of getting what you need to
live, often a job
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..........................................
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
Task 6 Statistics
a. Identifying statistics
Look at the text again and match the items in the table below.
1. babies born prematurely
a. were twice as likely as full
term babies to be admitted to
hospital with……
2. babies born before 36
weeks in the womb
b. more than twice as likely to
develop psychosis…..
3. for those born before 32
weeks the risk
c. are more likely to suffer a
variety of physical problems
later in life
4. this very premature group
were also
d. over seven times more likely
to have bipolar disorder
5. (this very premature group)
… and
e. was three times as high as for
full-term babies
b. Expressing statistics
Use the prompts below to make complete sentences similar to the ones above.
unemployment rate / 2.8 times / high / young people / adults
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
much more likely / be run over by a bus / win the lottery
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
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News-based lesson: 16th June 2012
Early birth and mental health
c. More statistics
Complete the sentences with the phrases in the box.
up to 28 times more likely less than 1%
almost half of 17 to 20year-olds
white people
just over a third
the richest 0.01%
a. In the early 1990s, .................................................................... had a
driving licence; now .................................................................... do. The
Sunday Times
b. Police forces are ......................................................................... to use stopand-search powers against black people than
............................................................... , according to the Equality and
Human Rights Commission. The Guardian
c. In 1974, ......................................................................... of Americans
earned ............................................................................. of national income;
now their share is 6%. The Sunday Times
‘Statistics of the week’ from The Week magazine, 16th June 2012, p.25.
d. Analysing statistics
What can we infer from the statistics in c above?
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