English ECLPE

Key competence: To use language learnt in the context of health 

and sanitation.

Introductory Activity Picture observation

Look at the pictures above, answer the questions below:

1. What are the most common illnesses in Rwanda?

2. State at least three transmissible diseases

3. Which sickness can be caused by the insect in fig.2? 

4. What do you think is described in fig.3?

5. Mention at least on coronary disease you know. 

6. The man in fig.4 is very fat. Do you think it is a health-related 

problem? Explain. 

5.1. Describing illnesses and diseases and pandemics

5.1.1 Learning activity: Reading and Text analysis

• Text: Types of diseases in Rwanda

• Text: Types of diseases in Rwanda

There are different types of diseases in Rwanda. Some diseases affect

the majority of Rwandans. Others affect only a small number of the 

population. The most common diseases in Rwanda today are malaria, 

HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, typhoid or typhoid fever. Many Rwandans also 

suffer from amoebic dysentery, Hepatitis B and C and the common cold

Some transmissible diseases, like typhoid and amoebic dysentery, are 

waterborne. This means you get these diseases when you drink water 

that is not clean and boiled. Diseases like tuberculosis and the common 

cold are airborne. The bacteria or viruses are ejected into the air via 

coughs or sneezes. When you breathe in this air, you become infected

Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS are transmitted through body fluids. 

Infections and diseases, such as hepatitis are most often carried through 

the semen and blood of infected persons. Malaria is transmitted through 

the bite of a female anopheles’ mosquito. It injects infected blood into 

your body when it bites you.

Transmissible diseases are caused by causative agents. Typhoid, amoebic 

dysentery and tuberculosis are caused by bacteria. Hepatitis B and C, 

HIV/ AIDS and the common cold are caused by viruses. Malaria is caused 

by a parasite called plasmodia. 

Other diseases are sometimes referred to as lifestyle diseases. These are 

steadily increasing in Rwanda. The best examples are coronary disease, 

cancer, diabetes, obesity and mental illnesses.

Coronary diseases, diabetes, obesity and mental illnesses can be caused 

by a combination of genetics and lifestyle. Cancer results from the 

malfunctioning of body cells. The substances that cause cancer are called 

carcinogens. A carcinogen may be a chemical substance, such as certain 

molecules in tobacco smoke. The cause of cancer may be environmental 

agents, viral or genetic factors. We should bear in mind, though, that in 

the majority of cancer cases we cannot attribute the disease to a single 

cause.

Comprehension questions

1. List three of the most common diseases in Rwanda.

2. What are transmissible diseases?

3. What is a ‘causative agent’?

4. What causes malaria?

5. How can you avoid getting typhoid fever or amoebic dysentery?

6. How can you avoid getting Hepatitis B or C and HIV/AIDS?

7. Which diseases are steadily increasing in Rwanda?

8. Name two lifestyle diseases. 

9. What is meant by ‘lifestyle diseases’?

10. What disease is caused by body cells that malfunction?

• Vocabulary activities: 

1. Use the dictionary and thesaurus to look up the missing meanings of 

the words/phrases in the table below. Copy the table into your book and 

fill in the blank spaces.

2. Write one sentence for each word/phrase to illustrate how they are 

used

5.1.2. Application activities:

1. Write a paragraph explaining what transmissible diseases are and 

how they can be prevented.

Notes

• A paragraph is normally a body of sentences developing one main 

point. Thus, each sentence of the paragraph should explain more on 

the main point. They shouldn’t raise a different point. 

• Every paragraph should have a topic sentence. A topic sentence 

gives the main idea of a paragraph. It usually occurs as the first 

sentence of the paragraph. 

• Every sentence in a paragraph must be grammatically correct. 

• After explanatory sentences which give details about the main topic, 

there is always need to have a closing sentence. This should sum up 

the topic in the paragraph. 

• A good paragraph must focus on the main idea, presented logically 

and should have a sense of coherence and completeness. 

2. Debate on the following motion:

Schools should conduct mandatory HIV testing on their students.

• Definition of debate 

A debate is a structured contest in form of oral arguments about an 

issue or a topic. A formal debate involves two teams expressing their 

arguments on the topic. Normally, there is a team which proposes or 

argues in support of the topic while the second team is on the opposition 

side. Each team consists of two or more main speakers

 The rules of debate

The debate is always governed by a number of rules as explained below:

• Each team is expected to advance two or three arguments, and two 

to three rebuttal speeches. The proposing team gives its argument 

first, followed by the rebuttals from the opposing team. There is 

always a winding up speech or summarised argument by a selected 

member of each team.

 The first speaker on each side is supposed to define the key words 

or terms of the motion as the basis of advancing his or her points. 

• If the opposing side challenges the correctness of a definition 

advanced by the proposer, the opposing team provides its view on 

the matter. 

• Each team of the class debate must advocate or argue in support of 

his or her view on the topic. 

• In order to establish an assertion, a team must support its arguments 

with enough evidence and logic to convince the judges. Facts must 

be accurate. Visual materials are permissible to convince the judges. 

• In case of a query, the question should be clear and relevant to the 

motion of the debate.

• As a matter of procedure, each speaker is expected to respond to 

questions as soon as he or she concludes his or her presentation 

speech. The speaker concerned may respond to the question 

personally, although any other member of his or her team can come 

in to assist. 

• If anyone, whether in the audience or among the main speakers, 

feels unconvinced by a speaker’s argument, he or she is at liberty to 

interrupt the speaker by raising a point of information. However, 

the chairman of the debate is also at liberty to either permit or 

object to the point of interruption. 

• The decision about the winning side will be entirely based on the 

arguments made and points awarded by a team of juries or judges.

Adapted from George H.W. Wilson (1957) Competitive Debate: Rules 

and Techniques, New York: McCoy Musgrave http://homepage.ntu.edu.

tw/~karchung/debate1.htm retrieved on September 5th, 2019

• Important prerequisites and tasks for debate

Team members should: 

• Research on the topic and prepare logical arguments. 

• Gather supporting evidence and examples to back their arguments. 

• Anticipate counter arguments and prepare rebuttals or responses. 

• Plan the order of ideas or points with which to argue and support 

their points of view. 

5.2 Talking about sanitation and related tools

5.2.1 Learning activity: Reading andText analysis

Read the text below and answer the questions that below:

• Text 1: Water and sanitation are human rights.

Sanitation refers to conditions relating to public health, especially the 

provision of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal. Universal 

access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services are priorities 

in Rwanda. Washing hands is critically linked to improved nutrition, 

good health, gender equality, economic growth, and environmental 

management. 

Poor sanitary conditions promote diarrhoea and intestinal parasites 

and environmental enteropathy and have complex and reciprocal links 

to malnutrition in children. Existing evidence demonstrates that poor 

sanitation and hygiene conditions can affect a child’s nutritional status 

via at least three direct pathways (i) diarrheal diseases; (ii) intestinal 

parasites; and (iii) environmental enteropathy. Malnutrition weakens 

the body’s defences and makes children more vulnerable to diseases. At the 

same time, diarrhoea and intestinal parasites contribute to malnutrition 

by causing decreased food intake, impaired nutrient absorption and 

direct nutrient losses

In Rwanda, only 57 per cent of the population access safe drinking water 

that is within 30 minutes of their home. When children are forced to 

spend time collecting water, it keeps them out of school. This is an issue 

especially for girls, who are often expected to take on the majority of 

household tasks

Even if water is available near the home, that water is often not safe 

to drink. When children drink contaminated water, they risk severe 

illness and even death from water borne diseases

 Basic sanitation means that every household has its own toilet and does 

not share with another household. These toilets should also keep human 

waste out of contact with people. Only 64 per cent of the population in 

Rwanda have access to these sanitation services.

Just 5 per cent of households in Rwanda have a place for family members 

to wash their hands with soap. Hand washing with soap at critical 

moments is essential for good health, especially in children.

As a solution UNICEF’s WASH programme in Rwanda aims to ensure 

that more households and communities use safe and sustainable water 

and sanitation services, and that children and families practice good 

hygiene.

UNICEF supports the Government of Rwanda to ensure that every 

household: Uses safe and clean water near the home, a hygienic and 

private latrine and practices hand washing with soap, especially after 

using the toilet and before handling food. 

Adapted from https://www.unicef.org/rwanda/water-sanitation-andhygiene

• Comprehension questions

1. How do you think hand washing can be linked to improved 

nutrition?

2. Explain the consequences of using dirty water.

3. Which consequences school children who don’t have water near 

their homes are likely to face?

4. What does “basic sanitation” mean?

5. What are the critical moments of washing hands?

5.2.2 Application activities:Word and sentence formation

• Vocabulary activities

1. Give the meaning of the following words as used in the above passage. 

a. hygiene… (paragraph one)

b. enteropathy…(paragraph two)

c. malnutrition…(paragraph two)

d. nutrient…(paragraph two)

e. contaminated water…(paragraph four)

f. latrine…(paragraph seven)

2. Write one sentence for each of the words to illustrate how they are 

use

5.3 Language structure: Conditional

Notes: 

Conditionals are sometimes called ‘if clauses’. They describe the result of 

something that might happen ‘‘Real situations” (in the present or future) 

or might have happened but didn’t ‘‘Unreal situations” (in the past). They 

are made using different English verb tenses. There are four main kinds 

of conditionals: The Zero, first, second and third conditional.

Nevertheless, not all clauses introduced by “if” can express a condition:

eg:

• Would you mind if I bring you more coffee? (Offer)

• Gatera doesn’t know if Aunt Bintu comes or not. (Wonder), 

• The old man wanted to know if people can get diseases from 

Umuganura wine.(reported speech)

A. The zero conditional: General truths

The zero conditional is a structure using “if”, but which expresses no 

condition at all. 

This conditional is used when the result will always happen.

if-clause (present simple), Main clauses (present simple)

Example:

• If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. 

• If children drink dirty water, they get sick.

• I f you touch fire, you get burned.

• If bacterian get into the body, they cause infection

B. The first conditional: Real/Possible(Present) and its Probable 

Condition

(if + present simple, ... will + infinitive)

Example: If you don’t wash your hands properly you will fall sick.

The first conditional is used to talk about things which might happen in 

the future. Of course, we can’t know what will happen in the future, but 

this describes possible things, which could easily come true. 

Here are more examples:

• If it rains, I won’t go to the park.

• If I study today, I’ll go to the party tonight.

• If I have enough money, I’ll buy some new shoes.

• She’ll be late if the train is delayed.

• She’ll miss the bus if she doesn’t leave soon.

• If I see her, I’ll tell her

C. The second conditional: Imaginary/hypothetical condition 

and its probable result.

if-clause Main clause

(past simple, ... would + infinitive)

Example: If my hands were clean, I would test this food. 

In formal writing ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’ with ‘I’ and ‘he/she/it’. 

The second conditional has two uses:

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably 

not going to be true. If one is imagining some dream for example.

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won›t win 

the lottery)

• If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.

• She would travel all over the world if she were rich.

• She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so 

this won’t happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is 

impossible, because it’s not true. Have a look at the following examples:

• If I had his number, I would call him. (I don›t have his number now, 

so it›s impossible for me to call him).

• If I were you, I wouldn’t go out with that man

D.The third conditional: Impossible condition/unreal past 

condition and its probable result in the Past

If-clause with the Main clause

(if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle)

Example:

If they had taken Kalisa to hospital on time,he would not have died.

If-clause Main clause

The third conditional talks about the past. It’s used to describe a situation 

that didn’t happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.

• If she had studied, she would have passed the exam, but, we really 

know she didn’t study and so she didn’t pass)

• If I hadn’t eaten so much, I wouldn’t have felt sick (but I did eat a 

lot, and so I did feel sick).

• If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn’t have missed the plane.

• She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university.

• Note: 

Type III inverted form

The Type III If-Clause can also be expressed by Removing ‘If ‘and 

inverting the operator (first auxiliary verb) ‘had’ and the subject.

Examples:

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.

Had she studied; she would have passed the exam.

Some expressions can replace if in the sub-clause, these are for example: 

in case, suppose(that), supposing(that), on the condition(that),…

Exercises

5.4 Spelling and pronunciation

Use a dictionary and thesaurus to look up the missing pronunciation of 

the words/phrases in the table below. Copy the table into your book and 

fill in the blank spaces and practise reading them. 

5.5 End unit assessment

i. Complete the Conditional Sentences using the correct form of 

verbs in brackets.

1. If we meet at 9:30, we…plenty of time. (have)

2. Lisa would find the milk if she…in the fridge. (look)

3. The zookeeper would have punished her with a fine if she…the 

animals.(feed)

4. If you spoke louder, your classmates…you. (understand)

5. Dan…safe if he drove slowly. (arrive)

6. You…no trouble at school if you had done your homework. 

(have)

7. If you…in this lake, you’ll shiver from cold. (swim)

8. The door will unlock if you…the green button. (press)

9. If Keza…her teacher, he’d have answered her questions. (ask)

10. I…the office if I were you. (call)

ii. Choose the right word to fill in blanks in the following paragraph 

Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS are transmitted through body…

(muscles/fluids). Infections and diseases, such as hepatitis are most 

often carried through the semen and blood of…(infected/healthy) 

persons. Malaria is transmitted through the … (excrement/bite) of a 

female anopheles… (fly/mosquito). It injects infected … (blood/semen) 

into your body when it bites you.

iii. Write a 200-word composition on a person you saw who got a 

transmissible disease and use conditional sentences to explain 

what they would have done to avoid that transmissible disease.