Universal Basic Income = is a form of social security[3] in which all citizens or residents of a country receive a regular, unconditional sum of money, either from a government or some other public institution, independent of any other income.[4
i.e. you get this money even if you have a job!
What is the difference between UBI and traditional unemployment benefits / welfare?
With traditional unemployment / welfare benefits you receive money if you do not have a job, but if you get a job you lose the benefits.
Does UBI sound crazy? Think again…
Reading 1
Pre-reading ideas / language activation:
Guess the author’s linguistic choice (LC) for this sentence: Robot-to-worker ratios are rising gradually / constantly / rapidly.
Which country has the highest robot-worker ratio?
Author’s Linguistic Choice (LC) :The cost of robot implementation is shrinking / decreasing / plummeting.
True / False: When it comes to jobs at risk, the developing world is not much better-off that the developed world.
True / False: Some believe UBI could be given as a lump sum when people turn 18
Author’s LC: You could make exclusions for households / people / families earning $100,000 a year or more
LC: The greatest / most substantial / key benefit of UBI would be the elimination of people living below the povery line
True / False: Trial projects are currently being undertaken in Kenya and Switzerland
What do you think about the arguments for and against?
Of the two case studies, Namibia and Alaska, which is more interesting for you?
Why do you think that those countries mentioned are undertaking experiments but others like Australia are not?
Which proponent quote did you
like the most
find the strangest
disagree with
Reading 2
Pre-reading ideas / language activation:
Author’s linguistic choice (LC): Finland’s pilot UBI scheme is radical / groundbreaking / unprecedented
True / False: The scheme sees people receiving 500 Euros a month
Author’s LC: The scheme is addressing / combating / tackling poverty
True / False: Under the current social welfare, claimants are afraid of losing out if they find a job.
LC: Finland has generous social security. As a result people refuse work because they feel better off with social benefits. This problem is growing / acute/ inevitable
Do you agree that generous benefits can lead to an acute problem in terms of people turning down work?
The article references one person’s quote concerning “reduced stress”. What was the situation? How representative do you think it is?
How much do you agree with the listed benefits?
Video 1
Pre-reading ideas / language activation:
Elon Musk believes large-scale unemployment will happen. In the video he talks about UBI, and mentions a “much harder challenge” than how to deal with income for those without jobs. What do you think this challenge is?
goods and services will be in abundance due to automation?
a lot of people derive their meaning from their employment?
finding a replacement for “meaning” will / would be much more difficult than implementing a UBI sloution
Video 2
Pre-reading ideas / language activation:
In this talk, Professor Peterson mentions the connection between computational (computer) power and concentration of wealth. What is the connection?
When asked about the feasability of UBI, he introduces sled dogs as a metaphor. Why do you think he does this?
How do you think unemployment affects conscientious people as opposed to unconscientious people?
Post -video discussion:
To what extent are computational and cognitive skills important for making money in your country?
According to the speaker, people on the right believe that everyone can find a job, whereas those on the left believe everyone is equal. Do you agree with this?
Do you agree that people are pack animals?
To what extent does a person’s personality effect how the react to unemployment?
Do you also doubt that people with “enforced” leisure will / would figure out what to do with their lives?
The student you will hear is answering the question “Was your daily routine different before?”
Before listening, think about your own answer. Record yourself answering if possible, and make a note of the language you use.
Video Exercise One: Accuracy
A – Listen to a native speaker answer the question then do the gapped worksheet at the link here (question 2!!!)
B – Look at this list of correctlexical and grammar structures
to go snowboarding
to play computer games
for hours on end
I’m (always) flat out
I don’t have much time
to have a rest and unwind
I wish I had been able to play dolls more than I did
Now watch the answer, the student makes mistakes with the above structures. Can you spot the mistakes she makes?
Check the answers at the end.
Video Exercise Two: Range of Lexical and Grammar Structures
A – These are less common or more complex lexical (vocab) / grammar structures from the LC Languages listening example answer (the link is in exercise one) . If it is a lexical structure, put L, if it is a grammar structure,put G.
Completely different
back when I was at school
as late as possible
to wolf down (some breakfast)
to head off (for school / for work)
I would hang out with friends / we would go over to someone’s place
to go over
(to do something) for hours on end
I should have studied
instead of
If I had been…. I would have gotten
be studious
I (don’t) regret (spending / doing)
Check the answers at the end.
B – Can you remember which of the above expressions she uses? Try and remember and then watch the video above again. Whe you’ve finished check the answers at the end
Speaking Exercise One: Activation
What would you do to unwind back when you were at school?
What time did / do you head off for school? What about now (re-activate the expression)
How often do you have people over? (=invite people to visit your place)
Do you have them over for dinner, or drinks or to watch a movie?
What’s something you do for hours on end?
What’s something you should have done back when you were at school or when you were younger but you didn’t?
If you had been more studious, would your life have changed a lot?
Do you regret doing any of the things you have done in the last two or three years?
Video One: B:
Correct 🙂
Incorrect 🙁
to lay in the sun
on the sun (from Russian)
to go snowboarding
To ride snowboarding
to play computer games
To play in computer games (from Russian)
for hours on end
for hour on end
I’m (always) flat out
I’m a flat -out person (not wrong, but we usually say “I’m always flat out.” and finish
I don’t have much time to + verb
I don’t have many time for + verb
to have a rest and unwind
To get unwind*
I wish I had been able to play dolls more than I did
I wish I could… (I wish I could (II)= I’m sad I can’t do something now.)
* pronunciation is incorrect as well
Video 2 B:
completely different
✔
back when I was at school
✘
as late as possible
✔
to wolf down (some breakfast)
✔
to head off (for school / for work)
✔
I would hang out with friends / we would go over to someone’s place
Pre-reading 1: Your life experience – Compare and Contrast
This 2-minute video has nowords.
compare and contrast this political rally with ones in your country/ that you’ve seen before
what’s your linguistic choice to describe what you see
Pre-reading 2: Guess what it’s like in another world
Unlike in countries like Australia and New Zealand, Kenyan politics is connected with tribes. Guess / wildly guess some answers to the following questions
How many tribes do you think there are in politics?
How much does the influence of one or another tribe change?
Has there been any shift away from tribal politics in recent history?
Pre-reading 3: Painting the picture
Two main actors in the article you are about to read are “Uhuru Kenyatta” and “Raila Odinga”.
Looking at their names, does one sound better than the other?
Which actor, Kenyatta or Odinga will have more actions (verbs) in the text?
The following actions are some that are used in the text: GUESS whether the actions are linked to the “Kenyatta” actor or the “Odinga” actor
Kenyatta / Odinga outperformed (+) a rival presidential candidate
Kenyatta / Odinga was seen to be a credible (+) opposition leader
Kenyatta / Odinga has campaigned tirelessly (+) against considerable odds (+)
Now read the text to answer the questions to pre-reading 2, and see if actions linked to the Kenyatta actor are different in level of positivity to the actions linked with the “Odinga” character. Text here.
Reading 2: post-election protests
Pre-reading 1: Painting the picture
What’s your linguistic choice for the gapped combinations below
e.g. 1: Kenya falls into violence / Kenya descends into violence / Kenya……. into violence
Answers are at the end of the post. Look at them now
Pre-reading 2: What do the actors do?
Now you’ve been exposed to what the actor “Odigna” does in some texts, have an educated guess what the actors will do
“Odinga says” and / or “Odinga claims”
“Protests are held” and / or “protests erupt”
“the police used teargas” and / or “The police responded to violence with teargas” and / or “The police crack down with teargas”
Fast food England: does putting a cap on takeaways improve people’s health?
Roziur Choudhury prides himself on offering a healthier alternative at Grillzone, in the east London suburb of Dagenham. Photograph: Teri Pengilley for the Guardian (link below)
Pre-reading: activate ideas
Do you think people in your country eat too much fast food?
What do you think the government should do about fast food
ban fastfood outlets (shops)
introduce a cap (maximum number) on fastfood outlets
introduce a levy (special tax) on fastfood outlets
let the market decide
Pre-reading: linguistic choice
What is your linguistic choice for the gapped combinations below?
e.g.
It is too early to say whether Roziur Choudhury is the future of Britain’s (1) _______________ fast food sector. For now, he represents its conscience.
It is too early to say whether Roziur Choudhury is the future of Britain’s (1) _______________ fast food sector. For now, he represents its conscience.
Choudhury’s smart new Grillzone restaurant, in the east London suburb of Dagenham, aims to be a “healthy” takeaway: golden, corn-fed half-chickens roast_(2)____________ on a rotary grill; chips are fried in low-fat oil; (3) ________ chopped salad is given away free with orders.
“Why would I want to feed people something I would not feed my own family?” Choudhury asks.
At £3.49 for six chicken wings, however, his food is (3)____________ pricey – and the competitionaround here is (4)__________. There are 61 fast-food joints jostling for business within a mile radius of Grillzone, according to the Centre for Diet and Activity Research’s new “food environment assessment tool”, which offers the public unprecedented analysis of the prevalence of food outlets throughout England.
The article is about how Google tries to influence opinion.
How might Google do this?
Why might Google do this?
How effective is it?
What is your range of linguistic choice for the gapped-combinations below?
“Google uses its (1)________wealth and power to attempt to influence policymakers at every level,” said Daniel Stevens, CfA executive director. “At a minimum, regulators should be aware that the (2)___________ independent legal and academic work on which they rely has been brought to them by Google.”
Google described the report as “highly (3)__________” as it included any work supported by any organisation to which it has ever donated money.
As well as reading the article in the link below, read through the comments and find 4 + that you find (interesting, strange, new, stupid, insightful… etc)
Which other companies may be trying not to pay backtaxes?
If Google didn’t pay tax in FRance, where did it pay tax in Europe?
Google (1)_____ $.127 billion bill for back taxes in France ………………………….
Court ruling comes after six-year (2)___________with French tax authority over taxes due for years 2005 to 2010, and could have big implications for (3)___________________________________. ………………………………
The court added that Google France doesn’t have the human resources or the technical means to allow it to carry out the (4)_____________advertising services on its own…………………………………………….
Read the report below from Microsoft’s 2016 annual report. Think about as many words as you can for each gap. When you finish click on the link below
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made as a company this past year and (1)__________ )about the opportunity for even more progress in the year ahead. We’ve advanced our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to (2) ___________ more. We’ve continued to cultivate a Microsoft (3)______________ in which people connect their individual energies and passions for technology to this mission. We’re leading profound digital transformation both for people and institutions. We’ve (4)____________ strong financial results. And we’re building a (5)____________foundation for an even brighter future.
We generated (6) $______ billion in revenue. These results reflect exciting new product innovations as well as increases in customer usage and engagement across our businesses.
……………………………………….
The next generation of ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence is going to transform every life, every industry, and every country.
What this means for organizations is that Microsoft is their partner in digital transformation – engaging (7) _________, empowering employees, (8)_____________operations, and transforming products.
Here is a linkto an anki deck that has flashcards for the “motivation ” topic. The cards are linked to the questions in the ” ☯active thinking, listening, noticing and speaking section ☯
⛏ Building and activating topic related vocabulary ⛏
In the link below there are two boxes, a vocabulary box and an exam questions box. After clicking on the link, look through the questions in the vocabulary box. If you see an epxression in a question that you want to activate, make a note of it in your “to activate” list and then ask yourself the question and answer it out loud, or make a video of yourself doing so.
☯ activethinking ☛ activelistening ☛ activenoticing ☛ active speaking ☯
On the link below you will find 4 questions related to motivation and an example for each. Rather than just “listening and noting new words”, the following activites will help you
generate your own ideas and react to others (this is what langugae is for!!)
become aware of your linguistic choice at the moment
help you choose specific expressions that you want to activate
help you develop the habit of speaking more and using this speaking opportunity to activate recently noted expressions
so…
before clicking here to access the 4 questions and examples, read through the 10 steps below so you can then follow them.
Your ideas and linguistic choice (LC) before listening
think about your ideas to the question
answer the question out loud and record yourself doing it (video or sound)
listen to / watch the recording and make a note of your active linguistic choice “before” listening, then……..
Listening, reacting and learning4
listen to the example answer once to compare ideas
listen again (pausing and repeating) where necessary to make a note of expressions used that you like and want to activate
click on the green button to fill in the gaps in the text of the example answer
listen again to check
again make a note of expressions you would like to activate
Post-listeing: Speaking to activate
Do one or both of the following…
Look at the expressions that you noted and identify the speaker’s ideas in the text that the expressions are in. Think about your opinion / reaction to these ideas,paying attention to linguistic choice. Then make a video in which you re-tell these ideas (activating the expressions you wanted to activate) and giving your own opinion on these ideas (re–activating the expressions where possible)
Look at the question and again think of your own ideas to answer the question. When you have your ideas, plan how you can activate expressions from your “to activate list” in your own answer. Then make a video of yourself giving your own answer and activating the expressions.
Video 1 ►
Your ideas before watching a video about leaders inspiring action
Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
What motivates you to choose the products you choose?
What inspiring leaders can you think of (business, politics, sport..)?
Can you see something common that makes them inspiring?
Now watch the video to compare ideas and pick out new ones
Building expressions
Go through the tapescript briefly and choose five expressions you would like to activate
React to the ideas (activate expressions)
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements (for each question, think of your ideas, then before answering look through your expressions from the previous and your “to activate” list in general to see if you can activate them)
if you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money,but if they believe what you believe,they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.
If you talk about what you believe,you will attract those who believe what you believe.
The goal is not just to sell to people who need what you have;the goal is to sell to people who believe what you believe.
The first 2.5% of our population are our innovators.The next 13.5% of our population are our early adopters.The next 34% are your early majority,your late majority and your laggards.
Dr. King believed that there are two types of laws in this world:those that are made by a higher authority and those that are made by men.And not until all the laws that are made by menare consistent with the laws made by the higher authoritywill we live in a just world.
We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves.And it’s those who start with “why”that have the ability to inspire those around themor find others who inspire them.
Video 2 ►
Your ideas before watching the Professor talking about “getting yourself to work towards goals”
How conscientious are you / were you as a student? Who is the most industrious person you know? What makes them so industrious?
Do you set up aims for yourself?
The speaker mentions the big five personality groups. Read through them below and answer two questions
Are you in one or more of the groups?
How might being in one or another group affect what motivates you?
Neuroticism – A tendency to easily experience unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, anger, or depression.
Extroversion – Energy, surgency, and the tendency to seek stimulation and the company of others.
Agreeableness – A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.
Conscientiousness – A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement.
Openness to experience – Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, and unusual ideas; imaginative and curious.
What things do you value most in yor life (think about relationships, work, free time, possessions, health)?
The professor says “you won’t do what you tell yourself to do, you must have noticed that.” Hsa this ever been true for you? If no, then for someone you know? Why does it happen?
Now watch the video (from “Biology traits: performance and prediction) to compare your ideas and react to new ones
The Professor’s linguistic choice
Read through the sentences below and choose the word (in the brackets) that Peterson chose (both are correct English, but what was his linguistic choice to convey his idea). When finished check your answers at the end
“The more you (like / value) the end goal, the more the micro-processes conneceted with that end goal start to take on a postive charge
“You want to specify a goal that make so say “oh, if that could happen as a consequence of my efforts that would (probably / clearly) be worthwhile”
“(At university / At some stage) you should figure out who it is you’re trying to be and then you use everything you learn as a means building that.”
“It’s important to distinguish between between who you (want to / could)be and who you should be”
“People (usually / often) don’t like to specifiy goals because they don’t like to specify conditions for failure.”
“A schedule can be (very / indredibly) useful, so you should make a damn schedule and stick to it.”
“I ‘ve got tomorrow, if I was going to set it up to have the best possible day I could have , (honestely / practically) speaking, what would it look like?”
People can end up cracking the whip and then procrastinating because they do not think about what the right ratio of responsibility to reward is, which leads to them (tyrannizing / demotivating)themselves
Active reacting to linguistic choice
Keeping in mind his linguistic choice, to what extent do you agree / disagree with the above statements / advice?
Reflection on language use
Did you use any of the expressions you recently added to your “to activate list”?
Looking at your list, can you see where you could have activated more when reacting in the previous exercsie?
Extended speaking practice (more “activating” opportunites)
Go back to the page in the link below, only this time answer the questions in the “Exam speaking questions” box.
Answer without preparing first.
Record if possible.
Listen to yourself
If you’re not happy and want to improve your active LC, look through your “to activate list” and plan how you can activate expressions for the question then answer again.
Is the way maths is learnt in your country different from the way that people learn musical instruments or karate?
How important were / are test scores in your country?
Does the coming of the digital age mean we need to change education in our country?
What do you think a “mastery approach” to learning is?
Linguistic Choice
Each gap represents one missing word. How many different words can you think that could be the missing word
A lot of them were having trouble with math at first,because they had all of these gaps ______________in their learning
they’d get to a calculus class,and they’d be a little bit ____on the algebra
in a lot of ways, this is how you _____ master a lot of things in life.
the whole class will then ______ on to the next subject
I might be in an algebra class or trigonometry classand I hit a _____
it’s important to realizethat not only will this make the student learn their exponents better,but it’ll _______the right mindset muscles
a lot of skeptics _________ say, well, hey,
“What percentage of the population do you think is capableof ____mastering calculus
if we let people ____into their potentialby mastering concepts they can get there.
check the answers below
Reacting to the ideas with planned LC
Read through the questions below, before answering, think which expressions from the previous exercise you can activate when discussing the questions below. Feel free to also look back through your vocab book / the rest of Khan’s speech.
What points did Khan use the analogies of music / karate and later building a house to demonstrate? How effective are the analogies?
Do you agree that if someone gets a C in a subject it means they have a C branded in their DNA, or will they inevitably be able to improve if they work on it?
How important is grit when it comes to improving in different fields?
How effective do you think the mastery approach to learning is for things like developing a growth mindset, instillling grit or allowng children to take agency over their learning?
Do you agree that the logistics of implementing the mastery approach is doable nowadays? Does it depend on the subject?
Khan says it is imperative to implement such an approach due to the fact we’re entering a digital revolution. What reasons does he give? To what extent do you agree with his idea and reasoning?
Answers to Linguistic Choice (what Khan actually used)
accumulated
shaky
would
move on to
hit a wall
reinforce
might
truly
tap into
Further watching
below is another video about “fixed mindset versus growth mindset” in children. Think of 5 questions you think may be answered then watch the video
the next video is about schools killing creativity. What points raised in hte last two videos might be raised in the video below about how schools kill creativity?
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