Category NOTEWORTHY

I. PRELISTENING ACTIVITIES

A. Discussion

Discuss these questions with your classmates:

• Which classroom is traditional?

• Where do you think the students are in the bottom photo?

• Would you like to be able to receive instruction at home on your TV or computer, or would you prefer to learn in a traditional classroom?

0 B. Vocabulary and Key Concepts

Read through the sentences, trying to imagine which words would fit in the blanks. Then listen to a dictation of the full sentences, and write the missing words in the blanks.

1. Can you imagine getting a college, or university, degree

without ever once_________________________

________________________ on a college campus?

2. "Distance education is_________________________ that occurs

when the instructor and student are__________________________

by time or distance, or both."

3. As early as 1840, it was possible to take a_____________________

course in shorthand.

4. Peterson’s 1994 Guide to Distance Learning listed ninety-three

________________________ distance education programs

available at_________________________ colleges and universities

across the United States and Canada.

5. First, rapidly changing economic conditions require many profes­sional people to their knowledge

or skills on an almost__________________________ basis.

6. At the same time that the demand for postsecondary education is growing, many U. S. colleges and universities are facing

7. Millions of people have_________________________ to audio,

video, and computer_________________________

8. The of instruction can

________________________ greatly.

9. CD-ROMs may come to the student__________________________

________________________ or the student may

________________________ materials from the Internet.

10. Many distance education programs have a____________________

requirement.

11. The rate from distance education

courses and programs is higher than for courses and programs.

12. There are many________________________ and disreputable

universities advertising on the Internet with very Web sites.

13. It is very important for anyone wishing to take a course or to

pursue a degree to check out the_________________________ of

the school they are considering very carefully.

Follow-up: Check the spelling of the dictated words with your teacher.

Discuss the meaning of these words and any other unfamiliar words in

the sentences.

C. Predictions

Using the photographs and the vocabulary exercise as a starting point,

write three questions that you think will be answered in the lecture.

Example: • How many universities or colleges offer distance educa­

tion programs?

1. _______________________________________________________

2. ________________________________

3.

Follow-up: After you have written your questions, share them with

your teacher and your classmates.

D. Notetaking Preparation

1. Deciphering Notes

Sometimes you may for one reason or another miss a lecture and have to ask a classmate to share his or her notes. If your classmate has taken good notes, you may be able to reconstruct much of the message of a lecture. Imagine that you missed a lecture in which your professor dis­cussed some points that people interested in distance education (DE) should consider. Because you were absent, you photocopied a class­mate’s notes. See if you can use these notes to answer your teacher’s questions. Work with a partner, if possible.

Six Things for People Int’d in DE to Consider

1. many DE programs have residency req

2. DE courses and progs have time limits

3. admissions reqs same as on-campus ed

4. DE can save money

—Don’t need to travel to class —But academic fees same as trad ed —Res reqs can be costly

5. online DE means stud needs access to comp with min reqs

—e. g., latest version of Windows, a microph, snd card & speakers,

adequate hard drive & RAM, modem, browser, & Internet.

—Connection speed very imp and many schools recom­mend cable modem or DSL

6. stud need to be disc and ind —DE not easier than trad ed

—dropout rate higher than trad ed Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Do all distance education programs have a residency requirement?

2. Is it easier to be admitted to a distance program than to on-campus programs?

3. What are three examples of computer requirements that online study might require?

4. Are students more likely to complete distance education programs or traditional programs?

2. Rhetorical Cues

Read the following sentences, which contain rhetorical cues to help you follow the organization of the lecture. Decide in which order you will hear them. Number them from first (1) to sixth (6).

__ a. To start with, why is distance education growing at such an

incredible rate?

__ b. Number 1. Many distance education programs have a

residency requirement.

__ c. Today let’s look at the reasons why distance education is

growing so rapidly, how distance education works, that is, what the modes of delivery are, and what some of the things people considering distance education need to be aware of.

__ d. Before I close today, let me just say that many people are

still suspicious of distance education believing that it cannot possibly be equivalent to a traditional classroom education.

__ e. First, rapidly changing economic conditions require many

professional people to upgrade their knowledge or skills on an almost continuous basis.

__ f. Students interested in pursuing distance education need to

consider the following six points.

Culture note: In this lecture you will hear the following words all used interchangeably to mean postsecondarv education: college, university, school

II – LISTENING_______________________________________________

Q A. First Listening

The lecturer begins with an introduction to the concept of distance education with some noteworthy historical information. He then announces his main subtopics concerning distance education (which you have already seen in the Rhetorical Cues exercise above). He then goes on to give quite a lot of detail on each subtopic. Write down as much detail as possible while structuring your notes.

Introduction:

ST2

ST3

ST1

Follow-up: Check your major subtopics with your teacher before you listen to the lecture for the second time.

Q B. Further Listening

Continue to structure your notes as you take down remaining relevant information.

Follow-up: Check your notes. If you missed important information or have doubts about your notes, (1) verify them by asking a classmate questions to fill the gaps in your notes or (2) listen to the lecture a third time. When verifying your notes with a classmate, don’t show each other your notes; ask questions to get the information you need.

Examples: • Which university offered the first correspondence catalog?

• Can you explain the difference between bulletin boards and chat rooms?

• What does disreputable mean?

This is also a good time to check to see if the lecturer answered your Predictions questions about the lecture.

III. POSTUSTENING ACTIVITIES________________________________

Q A. Accuracy Check

Listen to the following questions, and write short answers. You will hear each question one time only.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. __________________________________________________

Follow-up: Check your answers with your teacher. If your score is less than 70 percent, you may need to listen to the lecture again or rewrite your notes so that you can understand and use them later.

В. Oral Activities

1. Review

In groups of four, use your notes to reproduce sections of the lecture. Student A will present the introduction. Student В will present subtopic 1, including details. Student C will present subtopic 2, and so on. Continue until all subsections, including their details, have been presented. Check what you hear against your notes. If you don’t under­stand or you disagree with what you hear, wait until each group mem­ber has presented his or her section of the lecture. Then bring your notes into agreement by seeking clarification, as follows:

• I don’t think the lecturer said that all U. S. colleges and universities have distance education courses and programs.

• Did you understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous?

• Could you repeat what the lecturer said about admission to distance courses and programs?

2. Transfer

If you and your classmates come from different countries, discuss these questions with a partner or in small groups. If not, discuss them with the whole class.

• What kind of distance education is available in your country?

• Do you expect distance education to become more popular in your country in the future? Why or why not?

C. Collaboration: Discussion

Discuss the following questions about distance education issues in small groups. Appoint one person to report your group’s opinions to the class.

1. What do you think the advantages of distance education are? What are the disadvantages?

2. Do you think distance education will ever become as common as traditional education?

3. How can students in other countries find out about distance edu­cation opportunities in such countries as the United States?

D. Pursuing the Topic

The following are recommended for a closer look at distance education in the United States:

Books/Periodicals/Internet

Bear, John B., & Bear, Mariah P. Bears’ Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2001.

Criscito, Pat. Barron’s Guide to Distance Learning. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Service, Inc., 2002.

Peterson’s Guide to Distance Learning Programs. Lawrenceville, NJ: Petersons, a part of the Thomson Corporation, 2002.

http://www. usnews. com

This USNews Web site has a page dedicated to education in the United States. It allows you to browse e-learning courses, certificates, and degrees in a variety of subject areas.

http://educationusa. state. gov

This U. S. government Web site is designed to provide information for international students interested in distance education.

UNIT QUIZ DIRECTIONS

Now that you have completed the chapters in this unit, your teacher may want you to take a quiz. Your teacher will tell you whether or not you can use your notes to answer the questions on the quiz. If you can use your notes, review them before taking the quiz so that you can anticipate the questions and know where to find the answers. If you cannot use your notes, study them carefully before you take the quiz, concentrating on organizing the information into main ideas and de­tails that support these main ideas.

Work in small groups to help each other anticipate the questions your teacher will ask. Before breaking up into groups, review your notes and highlight important, noteworthy points. After reviewing your notes, break up into groups. Discuss and write specific short-an­swer questions and more general essay questions. (For guidelines in writing questions, see the Unit Quiz Directions at the end of Unit 1.)

Write your group’s questions on the following pages.

UNIT QUIZ DIRECTIONS 129

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I. PRELISTENING__________________________________________________

B. Vocabulary and Key Concepts

1. One of the important characteristics of American-style capitalism is individual ownership of property, including such things as houses and land, businesses, and intellectual property such as songs, poems, books, and inventions.

2. The second characteristic is free enterprise.

3. The idea in a pure capitalistic system is for the government not to interfere, that is, for the government to take a laissez-faire attitude.

4. In a pure capitalistic system, the government’s role would be se­verely limited. It would be responsible only for laws governing contracts and property, as well as for the national defense.

5. Companies may have to install pollution control equipment to comply with government regulations.

6. People who earn little or no income can receive public assistance. often called welfare.

7. The government makes sure that the marketplace stays competi­tive through its antitrust and monopoly laws.

8. The government interferes with the economy in an effort to main­tain stability.

9. Through taxationr the government tries to control inflation.

10. The government has to be very careful to keep unemployment and inflation in balance, however.

11. The government further tries to achieve stability through its expenditures and by controlling the interest rate.

12. Republicans, the more conservative party, tend to favor fewer taxes, less welfare to the poor, and conditions that help business grow.

13. The government’s role in the economy is not a static thing because the composition of the government changes every few years.

II. LISTENING

LECTURE: The Role of Government in the Economy

Let me begin today by saying that the American economy is basically a capitalistic economy. One of the important characteristics of American – style capitalism is individual ownership of property, including such things as houses and land, businesses, and intellectual property such as songs, poems, books, and inventions. The second characteristic is free enterprise. This means the freedom to produce, buy, and sell goods and labor without government intervention. The third charac­teristic is free competitive markets. Those businesses that succeed stay in the market, and those that fail must leave the market. In this type of economy, not everyone will be able to find a job at every mo­ment and not all businesses will be successful, but in a pure capitalis­tic system, the government is not expected to interfere with the nat­ural economic forces. The idea in a pure capitalistic system is for the government to take a laissez-faire attitude toward business.

Thus, in a purely capitalistic society the government’s role would be limited to a very few areas. For example, the government would make laws concerning contracts and property rights. The government would also be responsible for national defense. Finally, in a pure capitalist state the government would provide only those goods that private businesses could or would not ordinarily provide, such as roads and canals.

In truth, because the United States is not a pure capitalistic system, government today does not maintain a completely laissez-faire atti­tude toward business. The government’s role in business has been growing since the beginning of the century, especially since the 1930s. This expanding role of government is another complicated subject,

and Гш going to discuss only a few issues today, just to give you some idea of why the government tries to regulate the economy. We’ll be discussing four basic reasons for government interference.

The first reason the government tries to regulate the economy is to protect the environment. Because the costs of polluting the environ­ment can affect all members of society, the government uses various legal means to try to regulate businesses and to protect the environ­ment. Companies must comply with certain government regulations. For example, companies may be required to install expensive pollution control equipment. The government also has regulations about how and where toxic wastes can be dumped and imposes fines upon those companies that do not follow these regulations.

The second reason the government interferes with the economy is to help people who for some reason beyond their control earn little or no income. These people may be too young or too old or too ill or other­wise unable to support themselves. The government has various pub­lic assistance, or welfare programs, that are paid for with tax money to help these people.

The third reason the government interferes in the economy is to try to see that the marketplace stays competitive. Early in the century the government passed antitrust and monopoly regulation laws. Antitrust laws were passed to prevent businesses from joining together to drive other businesses out of the marketplace. Monopoly regulation laws were designed to prevent a situation where one business, because of its size and strength, just naturally drove all other similar businesses out of the marketplace. The government believed that it was better to interfere in the economy to be sure that competition was protected. The government still enforces these laws today. For example, the government forced the telephone company, a giant monopoly, to split up into smaller companies. This allowed other companies to enter the market and compete with these smaller companies instead of having one giant monopoly.

The last reason for the government’s interfering with the economy is to maintain economic stability. Basically, the government uses three methods to achieve stability. The first is taxation, by which the gov­ernment collects money from people and businesses. The second method used to keep the economy stable is through expenditure, the money that the government spends. And the third method the gov­ernment uses to maintain stability is controlling the interest rate on money it lends to businesses. Let’s look at each of these methods in more detail. First, let’s look at how the government uses taxation to stabilize the economy. If the economy is growing too fast, inflation becomes a problem. The government can raise taxes to take money out of the economy and lower the inflation rate. However, raising taxes can also lead to increased unemployment. Therefore, the government has to be very careful to regulate taxes to keep unem­ployment and inflation in balance. The second way the government

promotes stability is through its own expenditure, as I just men­tioned. The government has a huge amount of money to spend every year. Some of its decisions about how to spend the money are based on economic conditions in different industries or in different parts of the country. For example, the government may try to help the econ­omy of a certain state by buying goods and services from businesses inside that state.

And a third way is by controlling the interest rate on the money the government will lend to business. If the economy is growing too slowly, the government lowers the interest rate. The lowering of the interest rate will encourage individuals to borrow more money to be­gin new businesses and expand old businesses. If the government feels that the economy is growing too fast, the government raises the inter­est rate. Raising the interest rate will discourage investment in new businesses and business expansion. These three ways, taxation, expen­diture, and setting the interest rate, are the government’s main means of maintaining the economy’s stability.

Generally speaking, the two major political parties in the United States differ on how big a role they think the government should play in the economy. Republicans, the more conservative party, tend to fa­vor fewer taxes, less welfare to the poor, and conditions that help busi­ness grow. Democrats, on the other hand, are often more protective of the environment and more sympathetic to the needs of the old, poor, and sick. Democrats are, consequently, more often in favor of raising taxes to pay for social programs and of regulating businesses more closely. The government’s role in the economy is not a static thing be­cause the composition of the government can change every few years. So, the extent to which the government interferes in the economy changes depending on which party the president is from, which party has a majority in Congress, and how well the president and Congress work together. But I am getting close to the topic of the next lecture, so I’ll stop here.

Ml. POSTLISTENING

A. Accuracy Check

1. What are two examples of intellectual property?

2. What does free enterprise mean?

3. What are two examples of the kinds of things the government would be responsible for in a pure capitalistic system?

4. Does the lecturer suggest that the role of the government in the economy is greater or less in this century than it was in the last century?

5. What is the government’s role in relation to the environment?

6. For what kinds of reasons are some people not able to earn enough money to take care of themselves?

7. Does the lecturer suggest that the government thinks competition is a good or bad thing?

8. What is an example of a large American company that was forced to divide itself into many smaller companies?

9. What are the three methods that the government uses to maintain economic stability?

10. When the economy is growing too fast, does the government raise or lower the interest rate on money it lends to business?

Read More

Family in the United States

Religion

Passages:

Birth, Marriage, and Death

A. Discussion

Discuss the following questions with your classmates:

• How typical do you think the first picture is of U. S. families?

• Are single-parent families common in your country?

• Is it common for parents in your country to leave children in day care while they work?

• Who takes care of the children when parents are not home?

Q B. Vocabulary and Key Concepts

Read through the sentences, trying to imagine which words would fit in the blanks. Then listen to a dictation of the full sentences, and write the missing words in the blanks.

1. A hundred years ago, one heard the same comments about the family that one hears today—in short, that the American family is

2.

3. To the contrary, the very ily has changed__________

of the fam-

in the last fifty years.

Proof of this disintegration included evidence that women were not completely content with their_____________________________

2. To be sure, the family is a very

for what is happening in the society.

3. Demographically, the

of the family was the traditional one.

4. The country idealized the family in these years: there was a

________________________ to the family and a

________________________ for it.

5. Three characteristics stand out in this period:_____________

to social norms, greater male domination of the family, and clearcut roles.

6. These decades were characterized by a

________________________ of conformity to social norms and

included the sexual revolution and the women’s movement.

7. Another important movement was the drive for self-expression

and__________________________________________________

8. The new configuration of the family had to include families of

———————————————————————————- with or

without children.

9. The number of single-parent households_____________________

and the number of unmarried couples________________________

10. They see a continuing_________________________ in divorce

rates since the 1980s hut also a decline in birth rates after an increase in the 1980s.

11. There is an attempt to ________________________ work with

family obligations, and concern seems to be shifting from

—————————————- to the new familism.

12. Places of work may offer more________________________ work­ing hours and

day care.

13. For its part, the government could________________________

parental leave and family__________________________

Follow-up: Check the spelling of the dictated words with your teacher.

Discuss the meanings of these words and any other unfamiliar words

in the sentences.

C. Predictions

Using the photograph and the vocabulary exercise as a starting point, write three questions that you think will be answered in the lecture.

Examples: • How big are American families compared to those in

other parts of the world?

• Does a divorced mother sometimes move back with her parents?

1.

2.

3.

Follow-up: After you have written your questions, share them with your teacher and your classmates.

D. Notetaking Preparation

1. Key Words: Content Words

A good notetaker knows that it is neither efficient nor necessary to take down a lecture word for word. A good notetaker listens for rele­vant information and then uses key words to take down only the es­sential information. A good way to pick key words is to concentrate on the content words you hear: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. (Auxiliaries, the verb to be, pronouns, and prepositions are structure words, words that receive less stress when spoken. They are less important in your notes, too.)

Practice reducing information to key words by using the sentences from Vocabulary and Key Concepts. Do sentences 5, 7, 8, 11, and 12. Sentence 2 has been done for you.

2. Proof of disintegration: women not content with domestic role.

5.

11.

12.

Follow-up: With a partner, test your key words by trying to recall all the information in the sentences from what you wrote. Your partner will check to see if you can recall the message, not necessarily the exact words of the original sentences. Then change roles and test your partner’s key words in the same way.

2. Rhetorical Cues

Lecturers usually use rhetorical cues to help their listeners follow the lecture. A rhetorical cue is a word or even a sentence that lets us know that some important information is coming or that a new subtopic or point is being introduced. Look at these rhetorical cues, and decide in which order you will probably hear them in today’s lecture. Order them from first (1) to fifth (5).

__ a. Well, let’s proceed in chronological order and start with the

traditional familism.

__ b. The third period, the new familism, is harder to see because

we are living in this period now.

__ c. The second period, the period of individualism, saw three

important social and political movements.

__ d. To make this point clearer, we’ll take a look at how the

American family has changed in the last fifty years by look­ing at three different time periods.

__ e. Because individualism is so often mentioned in our discus­sion of U. S. culture and people, I should make a little detour before we discuss it.

Follow-up: Discuss your answers as a class.

Q A.

First Listening

Listen for general ideas. The lecturer looks at changes in the family over the last fifty years and divides the changes into three different periods, each with its own label. For each period, the lecturer looks at cultural, economic, and demographic aspects of the family. As you lis­ten, decide what the three different periods are, and write them under ST1, ST2, and ST3. Take down details you have time for, but make sure you take down the subtopics.

NOTES

Introduction:

ST1

ST3

Follow-up: Now check your major subtopics with your teacher.

Q B. Further Listening

While listening again, write down necessary relevant details below the main subtopic to which they belong. Remember to use key words to save time.

Follow-up: Check your notes. If you missed important information or have doubts about your notes, (1) verify them by asking a classmate questions to fill the gaps in your notes or (2) listen to the lecture a third time. When verifying your notes with a classmate, do not show each other your notes,- ask specific questions to get the information you need.

Examples: • Do you have any idea what domestic means?

• Did you understand the explanation of individualism?

• How many different movements were discussed for the second period?

This is also a good time to check to see if the lecturer answered your Predictions questions about the lecture.

HI. POSTLISTENING______________________________________________________

Qa. Accuracy Check

Listen to the following questions, and write short answers. Use your notes. You will hear each question one time only.

1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. __________________________________________________

Follow-up: Check your answers with your teacher. If your score is less than 70 percent, you may need to listen to the lecture again or rewrite your notes so that you can understand and retrieve the information in them.

B. Oral Activities

1. Review

In groups of three, use your notes to reproduce sections of the lecture. Each member of your group should bring up a point from the introduc­tion that he or she finds interesting. Then Student A will present the information in subtopic 1, Student В the information in subtopic 2, and Student C the information in subtopic 3. If you don’t understand or you disagree with what you hear, wait until your classmate finishes. Then bring your notes into agreement by seeking clarification, as follows:

• Would you mind repeating what you said about the sexual revolu­tion? I didn’t catch it.

• I don’t think my notes agree with yours on the matter of cultural de­velopments during the second period. In my notes, I wrote that….

If your class is multinational, prepare a short oral report about the fam­ily in your country, covering the points below. Work with the other students from your country.

If your classmates are all from your country, discuss the family in your country as a class. Discuss these points:

• Is there a predominant family configuration in your country?

• Has it changed in the last fifty years?

• What effects have economic, demographic, and cultural changes had on the family in your country?

C. Collaboration: Summary

Work with a partner, and use your notes to write a summary of the lec­ture in 125 words or less. Answer this question for your first main idea sentence: Has the U. S. family changed a little or a lot in the last fifty years? Then characterize each of the three periods by choosing relevant information about demographic, cultural, and economic points.

Follow-up: Share your summary with at least one other pair. Find something you like in each summary that you read. Alternatively, your teacher may ask for volunteers to read their summaries to the class.

D. Pursuing the Topic

The following are recommended for a closer look at the American family:

Books/Periodicals/Internet

http://unstats. un. org/

The United Nations Statistics Division: This site has demographic and social statistical information from around the world. From the home page, locate Demographic and Social statistics; then locate the link to World’s Women 2000 to find information about women, families, wages, marriages, and other issues gathered in 2000.

www. welleslev. edu/WomenSt/Familv Gender Resources/web. html Families and Gender Studies Resources Page: This site contains links to many other sites that deal with abortion, adoption, gay families, motherhood, reproductive technologies, work, and family social policy, among others. To find additional information and resources, do a general Internet search for the keyword Family Studies.

Chollar, Susan. "Happy Families: Who Says They All Have to Be Alike?" American Health, July-August 1993, pp. 52-57.

Chollar discusses a variety of successful family configurations.

Etzioni, Amitai. "Children of the Universe." UTNE Reader, May/June 1993, pp. 52-61.

Etzioni discusses the roles of U. S. parents and government in raising children.

Kimmel, Michael. "What Do Men Want?" Harvard Business Review, December 1993, pp. 50-63.

Changing economics force American men to redefine themselves, but U. S. companies aren’t keeping up to allow men to take on their new roles.

Films/Videos

Mrs. Doubtfire, Chris Columbus, director; 119 minutes, PG-13.

This comedy shows the extremes to which a father will go to be near his children after their mother divorces him.

Kramer vs. Kramer, Robert Benton, director; 105 minutes.

A serious film that shows the break-up of a marriage and investi­gates the issue of child custody in such cases.

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