TSU English 10 SBP

ENGLISH

TEACHER SUPPORT UNIT 10

Ambitions and Aspirations

English Teacher Support Unit 10

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AMBITIONS AND ASPIRATIONS

Before we start……….. With nine TSUs now completed, we are sure the English language skills of your students have improved significantly. The Tenth TSU

We have reached the last in the series of TSUs you have been using in the classroom. 'When I grow up, I want to become...' is a statement that you often hear even from very young children. Of course they keep changing their minds about what they want to be but as they reach secondary school, their ambitions begin to get more sharply defined. Besides thinking about specific careers, their aspirations also include dreams of life ahead – a better house, more money, travel to various places, success and fame, etc. This tenth TSU deals with the topic, 'Aspirations and Ambitions', a theme that many of your students are thinking about and can easily relate to. While adolescence does involve an element of resistance to receiving advice from us, their teachers, it would benefit the students immensely if we could help them think more clearly about their aspirations and about the path that lies ahead. Sharing personal details in the class might help them gain insights into others’ perspectives as well.. Here are some suggestions for activities that will encourage them to talk about their ideas and dreams in English. Activity – 1: My Diary Diary writing is an interesting way to encourage students to write. Since diaries are personal logs, students can write about anything they want - their experiences and opinions, descriptions of people, places and events, their feelings, their dreams and hopes - the scope is wide. Here are some suggestions on how you can make use of this wonderful tool to help students improve their writing. Ask the students what a diary is, what it is used for, why people write diaries.

We can assume that they will be able to: • Take part in conversations and discussions • Read newspapers and other reading material, and collect information

required for a topic • Express their views in oral and written forms • Appreciate prose and poetry


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Now narrate this event as if it had happened in your life. 'The other day, when I was cleaning my bookshelf and re-arranging the books, I spotted a bundle tied with a thread. I opened it and found that it had my old diaries, some written during my school days. I picked a few randomly and skimmed through the pages. I was surprised. When I was in Class 8, I had wanted to become a train driver. In Class 9, I had wanted to become a pilot flying aeroplanes. In Class 10, my desire was to become a police inspector. I am now standing in front of you as a teacher.' Then weave a discussion using these questions.

• Which famous persons’ diaries would you like to read? Why?

• What will you write about yesterday? (This could be a whole-class exercise using the past tense.)

• What will be the most important events in your diary over the last 5 years? (no need to remember the dates; just mention the events).

• If you write a diary entry about the following situations, where you were present, what would you write? (whole-class exercise)

o You were travelling in a train from Hardoi to Lucknow to write an exam for a job in the railways.The train was delayed by 4 hours due to thick fog. The exam got over by the time you reached Lucknow.

o A friend informs you that he has won a scholarship to a famous college in Delhi, after Class 12. You know you had scored better marks in the Class 12 exam but your parents do not have the means to send you to college. You have to find a job now. Your parents tell you that you can work and use the money you earn to go to a good college later. You feel sad for yourself but happy for your friend.

o Your elder sister wanted to become a nurse but could not. Your parents arranged a marriage for her and she got married today. She will move to Varanasi to live with her husband. You are very close to her and will not meet her for many months.

Ask a few students to read out what they have written for each situation. Think of more situations for students to write about.


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Did it work interesting difficult boring

Activity – 2: Writing about ambitions Ask each student to tell you what she/he wants to become in the future? Or ask 'How many of you want to become engineers, government officers, farmers, teachers...?' and elicit answers. If some say that they don’t know what options they have, ask them to pick from some choices which you can write on the board (architect, cook, driver, teacher, engineer, businessman / businesswoman, homemaker, engineer, gardener, doctor, sportsperson, executive in a company, government official, social worker, policeman, politician, etc.). Ask them to give you reasons for choosing a particular profession.

Now ask them, what they would have to do to reach their goals? Here are some questions to get the discussion going.

When we ask questions... Students may not respond immediately to our questions. They may understand the questions, but may struggle to answer. This could bring down their interest level. What can we do to avoid this? Here are a few suggestions.

• Rephrase the question. (E.g. How are you going to achieve this? What are you going to do to make your dream come true?)

• Use tag questions. (E.g. You will work hard, won’t you?) • Ask short answer questions. (E.g. Will you work hard?) • Narrate an imaginary or real incident or make a joke (related to the content) to

retain their attention. Then repeat the question.

What is the focus of this activity?.......................................................

Did you make any modifications or try out variations?.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


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• What kind of education is needed to reach a particular goal (e.g., a BSc in nursing is required to become a professional nurse in a hospital). If a student has difficulties, ask others to answer the question.

• Ask them to list all the things they need to know or do to reach their goal (e.g., if you want to be a social worker, you should understand the problems people, know the fundamentals of economics and law, do community work, look for courses that will teach you how to find effective and lasting solutions to people’s problems).

• How will they get the information required and learn more about their chosen goals and careers? (by reading magazines, newspapers, government notifications, talking to teachers or elders, etc.)

• What are the difficulties they might face? (lack of money, lack of guidance at home, etc.) • How will they overcome these difficulties? (apply for scholarships, get guidance from others and

friends, take a loan from a bank, etc.)

If sufficient number of students take up this task, you can think of putting the information on a chart for the benefit of the entire school.


Activity – 3: Contentment vs. laziness This activity will help your students learn how to form opinions and defend them. More important, they will think a little more deeply about their ambitions. Read this dialogue to your students. A young man was lying happily under a banyan tree near a busy road. One of the passersby got irritated at the sight of an able-bodied young man wasting his time under a tree when he should be working hard. The passerby and the man under the tree had a conversation: (A: passerby; B: man under the tree)




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A: Wake up! Why don’t you go to work? B: Why are you disturbing me? Why should I work? A: You will earn some money. B: Tell me, what is the use of money? A: You can buy food, good clothes and do so many things. B: What is the use of eating good food and wearing good clothes and doing many things? A: Well, these are the things that make us happy. B: I am already happy. So why should I do any work? The passerby was stunned. He could not think of a reply and left the place in a huff. Here are some questions you could ask the students.

• How would you convince the lazy man to go to work? • Do you agree with the lazy man’s attitude? If you think he is right, why don’t we all sit idle? • Are there people who can live without working? If your answer is 'yes', who are these people? • Can you do a lot of work without earning any money? • Can anyone be happy without money? • Is aiming for something worth the effort?

Ask your students to write a similar conversation between two other characters. Here are some suggestions.

• A father and son: the young man has done well in his final exams but does not want to go to college

• A mother and daughter: the young woman has topped the class in her Class 10 board exam but she does not want to study any further despite her parents wanting her to continue her studies

• an elder brother advising a slightly wayward younger brother about the need to do well in life Can you think of any other situations which your student can write about?





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Activity – 4: Ambition Here is a poem about ambition. Try to get each student a photocopy. If that is not possible, write it on the board and let the students copy it down. A boy was celebrating his birthday. His aunt, Matilda, asked him what he wanted to become when he grew up. The boy’s reply was this poem. Ambition Cathy Bryant On my tenth birthday, after tea, And cards and cake and family, My Aunt Matilda asked of me, 'When you grow up, what will you be?' A pop star singing funky tunes? Astronomer, observing moons? A poet, an immortal bard!' I thought about it long and hard. A doctor healing hurts and pains? A glazier mending window panes? Or a mechanic, changing tyres, Or a fire-fighter fighting fires? A dancer, light upon my feet? A farmer growing sugar beet? So many ways to pay my dues! But how am I supposed to choose? An astronaut in deepest space, An athlete winning every race, A teacher sending kids to sleep, A parent with a house to keep; A driver out upon the road, A spy who speaks in secret code, A baker baking cakes and bread To keep the happy children fed? A botanist smelling the flowers, A watchmaker creating hours,


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A pianist that all come to hear? Then suddenly it all was clear - 'My Aunt Matilda, now I see Exactly what I want to be. For a future of pure heaven What I want to be is ELEVEN.' (From the book, Poems for big kids) Read the poem aloud and ask the students to follow the text as you read. Then ask them to read it on their own. After they have read the poem, ask them the following questions.

• How many professions (like poet, astronomer, mechanic) are mentioned in the poem? • From this list, which are the professions you have not heard of? • Which stanzas do you like the most? Why? • List out the hard words, guess the meaning, refer to the dictionary and check your meanings. • The narrator in the poem says that thinking of the future beyond the next year is a waste of time?

How old is the narrator of the poem? Do you agree with the narrator?

If students are interested in the discussion you can add more questions.


Activity – 5: How professions change Narrate the following to the students: I was in Lucknow recently and while returning by train, struck up a conversation with a postman sitting next to me. He was smiling but I could sense a certain sadness behind that smile. During the conversation, he talked of how his profession has changed over the 24 years, he has been in service:

• E-mails, mobile phones and courier services have reduced the importance of regular postal service. • The number of letters has increased many times because of the increasing number of apartments

instead of single homes. Even though the number of houses has multiplied in an area, the number of postmen continues to remain the same.




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• The area covered by a postman has expanded since new houses have come up everywhere, but he still moves around on a bicycle. He envies the courier boys who deliver packets on motorcycles.

• Personal letters have dropped dramatically. So no conversations happen between him and the people receiving letters.

• Since telegram service has been discontinued, he no longer delivers telegrams. • He no longer gets the respect he used to get earlier. Many would eagerly wait for his arrival. He

was invited for occasions like marriages, celebration of a baby’s birth, etc. He used to know many families well, and they would chat with him on various family matters, trusting him. Now, no one bothers to talk to him. His world is becoming increasingly silent.

• Above all, he is struggling to keep his family afloat thanks to rising prices. Now, can the students think of how other professions, such as the following, have changed?

• Typist-cum-stenographer (computers are in every office now) • Cycle-rickshaw owner / puller in a small town (auto rickshaws have come into many small towns) • Tailor (youth increasingly buy readymade garments ) • Theatre (Drama) artiste: (TV and cinema have impacted drama’s popularity) • All India Radio news reader • Photograph studio owner


Activity – 6: Que Sera Sera (What will be, will be) Here is a famous song called ‘Que Sera Sera’ first published in 1956. The URL for the song on the YouTube channel is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azxoVRTwlNg. You could download the song and play it for the students, if possible. When I was just a little girl I asked my mother, what will I be Will I be pretty, will I be rich Here's what she said to me. Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be




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The future's not ours, to see Que Sera, Sera What will be, will be. When I was young, I fell in love I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead Will we have rainbows, day after day Here's what my sweetheart said. Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be The future's not ours, to see Que Sera, Sera What will be, will be. Now I have children of my own They ask their mother, what will I be Will I be handsome, will I be rich I tell them tenderly. Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be The future's not ours, to see Que Sera, Sera What will be, will be.

• Ask the students what they think of the song. Can some students come together to sing the song, if they have heard it on your mobile?

• Can they write what they felt about the song? Does it make ambitions meaningless?


Activity – 7: Our School What changes would your students like to see in your school? Have a whole-class discussion on this topic. Here are some points for discussion.




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• The classroom (better blackboard, better benches, lights and fans…)

• The school premises (painted buildings, green lawns, trees, friendly notice boards, water taps, garden with flowering plants, clean surroundings, no garbage…)

• Areas around the school: (no garbage, clean streets…)

• Kitchen: (students take part in making lunch, clean plates and glasses, hygienic conditions…)

• Laboratories: (easy-to-do experiments, unbroken equipment, clear safety instructions…)

• Toilets: (clean, no bad odour, adequate water provision…)

You can guide the discussion by asking the students to think about these points.

• Can these improvements be prioritised? What requires immediate attention? What is least important?

• How will these improvements help students? (e.g. a better learning atmosphere) • Are there cost-effective (cheap but good!) options to implement their ideas?

Here are some more activities you can do with your students.

• Can they draw pictures for the improvements they would like to see? • From their list, what are the things they can do by themselves or with help from teachers? • For those improvements that need funding, can the students write to the local MP,MLA or

councillor after consulting the teachers and the HM or Principal? Can you have a discussion on what kind of action from the students will help? Would a letter do or should they seek a meeting? How should they present their case?

• Can similar ideas be generated for the street, village, town?





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Activity – 8: Unusual careers In Kuchinda, there is a cook, whose only job is to put spices into food that is being prepared at weddings. He does not do any cooking. He walks into the kitchen, adds the spices to the food and walks away. As ‘spice specialist’, he charges a huge fee for a job that takes only a few minutes! There are many such interesting professions. Would your students want to consider one of these?

• Tea tasting

• Piloting a ship to the harbour (ships have to be guided into harbours. They cannot simply come in themselves).

• An expert on preparing cricket grounds

• Landscape designer (in large apartment complexes, these designers deal with the plants, lawns, fountains, etc.)

• Local tourism expert

• Bird watching expert (Sandi in Hardoi district is a bird-sanctuary)

• Goat milk provider (there is an increasing demand for goat milk in cities)

• Organic farmer (farmer who does not apply pesticides)

• Pet trainer

• Expert who generates electricity from rice husk, molasses, gobar, etc.

Your students might be able to come up with a number of interesting possibilities for professions that may or may not exist now. Get them to write about their ideas.





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The Tenth TSU… On completing the tenth TSU, your students will be able to:

• Write diaries, letters and stories

• Go through the writing of peers and offer suggestions for improvements

• Appreciate beauty in language, choice of words, synonyms and expressive language

• Discuss the actions of characters in a story, express opinions on their appropriateness

• Read a given text carefully – identify meanings of words from their context

• Read newspapers

• Appreciate prose and poetry and give reasons for their appreciation

We have now reached the end of the series of TSUs. We hope that your students have enjoyed the activities and are now more confident to speak in English. We also hope that you have enjoyed doing these activities with your students. There's nothing more rewarding for a teacher than seeing students animated and engaged in the classroom. We hope that the TSUs have helped you achieve this in your class. Do let us know your thoughts and views, your experiences and challenges and any suggestions for improvement. You can pass on your feedback to the PDRG.

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TSU English 10 SBP