English ECLPE

Key Unit Competence

To use a language learnt in the context of 

education and personal development

Introductory Activity Picture interpretation

Observe the pictures above and answer the following questions

1. What do you think the figures above represent?

2. Do you think it important for pre-school children to also 

cerebrate the graduation day as it is in Fig. 1? Why?

3. Explain the relationship between education and personal 

development.

4. Explain how a disabled child in Fig. 2 can benefit the same 

education as those without disabilities

8.1. Describing the ability at school

8.1.1. Learning activity: Reading and Text analysis

Observe the above pictures and answer these questions:

1. What is taking place in Fig. 1-2? 

2. Why is it important to get parents involved in education 

process? 

3. Compare and contrast the roles of teachers and parents in 

teaching/ learning

• Text: Conversation between a parent and a teacher\

Teacher: Hello Madam. Please have a seat.

Parent: Thank you so much.

Teacher: Yes please, tell me.

Parent: Actually, I wanted to know about the progress of my child.

Teacher: Karan is doing well in all the subjects he practices a lot.

Teacher: He needs more attention on that.

Parent: Sure, we will focus on him but I think that more attention should 

be given to him in his class so that he can score good grades.

Teacher: Don’t worry, I had a word with his mathematics teacher and I 

discussed his problem with her.

Parent: Thank you so much.

Teacher: Please don’t mention that.

Parent: I have one more request. If you could please update me with his 

progress in the last month.

Teacher: Sure, you can have a word with me anytime or we can also fix 

a meeting.

Parent: Sure.

Teacher: Rest don’t worry, he is under our guidance and we will take care 

of him.

Parent: Thank you, madam.

Comprehension questions

1. What was the purpose of the conversation?

2. Why did the parent worry about her child?

3. Why is it important for parents to collaborate with school leaders 

and teachers?

4. Suppose that you are the teacher of that child, what could your 

advice the parent as far as her child score progresses.

8.1.2. Application activity 

Ravi: Thank you very much, sir.

Mr. Malhotra: Thank you, sir! I’m extremely grateful for the time you 

have given us and the interest you have taken.

Adapted from: http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/itp_2015_3130824.

pdf

• Comprehension questions

1. What is the relationship between Mr. Malhotra and Ravi?

2. Why did Mr. Malhotra come to that college?

3. Which school did Ravi attend before and how many aggregates 

did he get?

4. What subject did Ravi want to take in that new school?

5. Did the Principal allow Ravi to come and study? If yes or no, 

explain

2. Match the following words with their meanings

3. Write a paragraph talking about the subject that you are good at in 

your class. Use the guidelines given in unit five of this book

8.2. Describing educational ambitions

8.2.1. Learning activity: Reading and text analysis

• Text: My journey to becoming a teacher

Different people have different ambitions in life such as doctors, 

engineers, pilots, soldiers, etc. But I always wanted to be a teacher 

because I feel really blissful when I teach people around me. From my 

childhood, I teach whatever I learn in school. By teaching people around 

us, we can uplift the society. My father is a professor in a science college 

and my mother who was a teacher in school earlier now runs a nursery in 

our house. The two large rooms upstairs are occupied for nursery school.

My mother feels immensely happy when she teaches such tiny tots who 

are not aware of anything. She holds their hands and teaches them “A, B, 

C, D” and also plays with them many games by taking them to our garden 

along with one more teacher. I see that my mother feels really happy 

when she is teaching such innocent children and so I also want to become 

a teacher like her. I want to become a teacher in a reputed international 

school to teach the students new methods of learning. English is always 

my favourite subject and also, I love to teach social studies. I have 

introduced new methods of teaching grammar and vocabulary. I always 

love reading books and I have read many novels pertaining to children’s 

activities and hence I began liking the language. 

To become a teacher, I should first become a graduate in arts and then 

study education as a major subject. I love teaching in school than in 

college because the atmosphere in school is really pleasing. Being in a 

children’s company, just gives me pleasure. I love playing with children 

and teaching them something that I have learnt in kindergarten. When 

I become a teacher, I will always teach children mannerism and values 

too so that they can become good citizens of the future. As a teacher, my 

duty is not only to teach English and Social studies, but also teach the 

students the way of life. 

My teacher always guides us and teaches us the value of mannerism in 

daily life. After becoming a teacher, I will start preparing notes on English 

and Social studies so that the students can easily learn the subjects. 

8.2.2. Application activity

1. Find the meaning of the following words using dictionaries and 

thesauruses.

a. Ambitions 

b. Uplift

c. Reputation 

d. Pertaining 

e. Kindergarten

f. Mannerism 

g. Sacred

h. Strict

i. Flogging or screaming 

j. Compassionate 

k. Scale

2. Write a composition talking about what you wanted to become in 

future and include reasons

8.3. Talking about Education and society

8.3.1. Learning activity:Reading Comprehension

• Text: Education and society

Education plays a major role in the growth and progress of a society. It isone 

of the key components that can make or break a culture’s advancement. 

If citizens of a society are educated, they can provide significant 

contributions in the fields of arts, literature, science, technology, and 

others, and help establish a well-rounded and stimulating community. 

Below are some of the best reasons why education is an essential thing 

to any society

Once you have earned your college degree, you are expected to start 

your journey to the real life get a job, pay taxes, and so on. Your parents 

and the people around you may have already been picturing you sitting 

behind an executive desk on an ergonomic chair from Office Chairs 

Only, made of only the best materials (as it really matters what you 

choose when it comes to comfort).

Actually, because of several years of schooling, you should be able to make 

sound decisions on various stuff, such as if you should get a car or a house, 

which expenses to prioritize, how to pay off your school loans, and more. 

Moreover, you should be able to help the community by participating in 

projects to improve your neighbourhood, such as organizing programs 

to aid the less fortunate citizens, encourage the children and teens to 

study, and other social activities. 

Also, looking for a job is not easy. Depending on your field, you may 

have to contend with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of other fresh 

graduates for a low-paying entry-level position. But, if you possess the 

right qualifications, i.e. you have a solid educational background (and 

with some amount of luck), the likelihood of you landing your dream job 

becomes higher.

A lot of high-paying, specialized jobs today require people with more 

higher education accomplishments and varied experiences. Therefore, if 

you want to increase your chances of standing out from a large pool of 

applicants, go to school and get as many credentials as you can.

To earn six figures a year is something that many people want but not 

really get. However, achieving it requires a mixture of hard work, 

perseverance, dedication, competence, efficiency, and luck. In order 

to find a job that can give you a comfortable lifestyle, you have to have 

the qualifications that will make companies and employers hire you. 

This will likely happen if you are well-educated and possess the right 

sets of skills to perform the responsibilities and tasks that they ask for 

that particular position.

• Comprehension questions

1. Which contribution do you educated people can provide to the 

society?

2. Suppose that the education is preparing the people without 

taking into consideration the societal needs. 

a. Which effect do you think this can cause?

b. If you were an education planner or a policy maker, what can 

you do? 

3. What can happen if the people living in a given society are not 

educated?

4. Which qualities should a person possess in order to get a good job 

as discussed in the passage?

5. What is the moral lesson picked from the above passage?

8.3.2. Application activity Sentence writing

1. Explain the following words as they are used in the passage using 

dictionaries and internet.

a. well-rounded

b. ergonomic chair

c. earn six figures a year

d. perseverance

e. dedication,

3. Debate the following topic or motion:

 “Society without educated people cannot develop”.

4. Make sentences using the following words 

a. education 

b. society

c. employers 

d. citizens 

e. hard work

f. companies 

5. Read the following poem and discuss 

• Text: A poem about Education: The Key to Life 

Education

the light of our life

A gift of academic rife

Education

the key to a bright and rewarding future

A glue that joins our dreams like a suture

Education

A path to divine success

A smooth drive to our greatness

Education

gives our thinking a different appearance

And helps drive away all our ignorance

Education

It leads us to the path of prosperity

And gives our tomorrow a sounding security

Education

the process of teaching and learning

Which will help us in our future earning

Education

shaping our true character is the motto

Leading to a successful life it is the major factor

Education

The progressive discovery of our true self

And exploitation of the potentials of oneself

Education

a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army

A life boat that see us through our days of stormy

Education

A torch of academic brilliance

And backbone of inner resilience

Education

the key to unlock the golden door of freedom

And stage our rise to stardom

Education

A life sustaining material

Without it we can’t lead a life which is congenial

Education

not all about bookish knowledge

But it is also about practical knowledge

Education

makes a person stand up on his on toes

And helps a person to fight with all his foes

Education

A fundamental foundation

For any country state or nation

Education

A thick line between right and wrong

A ladder that takes us to the height where we belong

Education

Mother of all profession

That helps acquire all our possession

Education is our right

For in it our future is bright

By Stanley Oguh http://www.englishforstudents.com/Poem-aboutEducation.html

• Comprehension questions

a. What does the poet compare with education?

b. Which is the motto of education according to the poet?

c. How did the poet relate education and the nation?

d. Why do you think education is a key to life as stated by the poet?

8.4. Talking about Sexual behaviour

8.4.1. Learning activity: Reading and text analysis

Observe the picture, read and answer questions

Picture observation and interpretation

1. What do you think people in fig.1 are doing?

2. Which kind of behaviour can you relate with such activities?

3. Do you appreciate such behaviour? If yes or no, explain

• Text: Sexual behaviour

Human sexuality refers to people’s sexual interest in and attraction to 

others; it is the capacity to have erotic or sexual feelings and experiences. 

Sexuality differs from biological sex, in that sexuality refers to the 

capacity for sexual feelings and attraction, while biological sex refers to 

how one’s anatomy, physiology, hormones, and genetics are classified 

(typically as male, female, or intersex). 

Sexuality is also separate from gender identity, which is a person’s sense 

of their own gender, or socio-cultural classification (i.e., man, woman, or 

another gender) based on biological sex (i.e., male or female). It is also 

distinct from although it shapes sexual orientation or one’s emotional 

and sexual attraction to a particular sex or gender.

Sexuality may be experienced and expressed in a variety of ways, including 

thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, 

practices, roles, and relationships. These manifests themselves not only 

in biological, physical, and emotional ways, but also in socio cultural 

ways, which have to do with the effects of human society and culture on 

one’s sexuality. 

Some researchers believe that sexual behaviour is determined by genetics; 

however, others assert that it is largely moulded by the environment. 

Human sexuality impacts, and is impacted by, cultural, political, legal, 

and philosophical aspects of life and can interact with issues of morality, 

ethics, theology, spirituality, or religion.

Briefly, as long as sexual behaviour is concerned , sexuality education

will come in so as to help all young people who need to get positive 

information and opportunities to think about, question, and discuss issues 

related to relationships, gender, sexual identities, sexual orientation, 

sexual behaviour, sexual and reproductive health, and societal messages. 

Sexuality education provides a framework in which this can happen and it 

is really a part of health education, vital for young people’s development, 

learning, and overall well-being. Learning in this area also contributes to 

academic success and positive mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual 

health

• Comprehension questions

1. What is sexuality according to the writer?

2. Explain some ways through which sexuality may get expressed.

3. What will be the role of sexuality education in addressing issues 

of sexual behaviour?

8.4.2. Application activity Composition writing

Write a composition talking about sexual behaviours among youth and 

the role of sexual education.

8.5. Life skills

Pre-reading activity

In an ever-growing technology and data driven world, much of the 

focus in education has understandably taken a shift toward STEM-based 

(science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives that will prepare 

students for the coursework and careers of the future. But life skills how 

well-equipped students are to make good decisions and solve problems 

in their academic and professional careers as well as their personal lives 

should also play a critical role in a well-rounded and comprehensive 

education.

Think of life skills as the building blocks or framework that allow students 

to apply the knowledge they acquire in school to real world problems and 

situations. Also referred to as “soft skills” in a professional context, the 

ability to think abstractly and approach problems from multiple angles 

to find practical solutions, and the skill to communicate clearly and 

effectively are just as important as technical knowledge in a particular 

field or academic subject.

According to Macmillan Education, “In a constantly changing 

environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet 

the challenges of everyday life. The dramatic changes in global economies 

over the past five years have been matched with the transformation in 

technology and these are all impacting on education, the workplace, and 

our home life.”

But life skills go well beyond choosing a major in college or impressing

a potential employer in the future. Life skills provide children with 

important tools for development, such as independent thinking, how to 

socialize and make new friends, and how to take action in situations 

where their parents or teachers may not be around to help or intervene 

(dealing with a bully or personal insecurities and fears, for example.) 

Unlike motor skills and basic intelligence, executive function and decisionmaking skills are not innate but learned.

Examples of life skills include: Self-reflection, Critical thinking, 

Problem solving and Interpersonal skills, etc. Building life skills is 

essentially an exercise in helping children develop sound judgment and 

good habits for long-term stability, wellness, and success.

Parents can take an active role in teaching life-skills at home with 

projects that provide real world examples and lessons in decision making 

and problem solving. They can be as simple as assigning household 

chores and budgeting exercises through an allowance, to caring for 

a pet or volunteering in the community. Fun and simple-to-organize 

activities, like game nights (or afternoons) with family and friends with 

an educational focus that also encourage working in teams, can help to 

build social and interpersonal skills.

In addition to brushing their own teeth and learning how to tie their 

shoes and get dressed, young children should know what to do in common 

situations as well as emergencies, such as: How to get to and from home 

and school, who to call in an emergency (memorize phone numbers), 

How to safely cross the street, what to do if they are bullied or witness 

bullying, how to safely use kitchen appliances and prepare basic meals 

and how to do the laundry.

The acquisition of problem-solving and reasoning abilities is a fluid and 

ongoing process, and working with children early in their development to 

lay the framework with examples that they can understand and apply on 

their own is a good place to start. For boarding students, the experience 

is even more intense. Daily house chores, weekend work projects and 

weekly house meetings all create the sense of responsibility over their 

lives and spaces that many schools and jobs are seeking. Add to that 

the expectations to cook, clean up after themselves, and budget their 

personal expenses and most students end up fulfilling many of the item 

on those life skills lists.

• Comprehension question

1. What is life skills according to the author?

2. Compare and contrast life skills from other skills developed from 

other subjects.

3. Give examples of life skills as described by the author.

4. Is it important to develop life skills from early childhood 

education? Justify your answer

8.5.2. Application activity Vocabulary work

1. Explain the following words using dictionaries as used in the 

passage.

a. Chores

b. Witness bullying

c. Laundry

d. Impress 

e. Soft skills

f. Data driven world

2. Write two paragraphs about the importance of life skills.

8.5. Language Structure: conditional clause type I &II

• Learning activity

Read the following sentences and complete the gap accordingly 

1. If people are well educated, the society ----------------- (develop) in 

all sectors.

2. I would take my daughter to IPRC, If I------------------- (be) in your 

position.

3. If we were policy-makers, we------------------ (establish) career 

development centres. 

4. If they all do their best, the party -------------- (be) great.

5. If I have a child, --------------- (develop) his/her life skills as much 

as possible.

• Note:

Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what 

might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most 

sentences using the conditional contain the word if. Many conditional 

forms in English are used in sentences that include verbs in one of the 

past tenses. This usage is referred to as “the unreal past” because we use 

a past tense but we are not actually referring to something that happened 

in the past. There are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences 

in English.

In all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main 

clause. In many negative conditional sentences, there is an equivalent 

sentence construction using «unless» instead of «if». Let’s discuss some 

types of conditional below

A. Conditional Sentence Type 1

→ It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

Main clause and / or if clause might be negative. See Simple 

Present und will-Future on how to form negative sentences.

Example: If I don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.

When is the Conditional sentences type I used?

Conditional sentences type I refer to the future. An action in the future 

will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don’t 

know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled or not, but 

the conditions seems rather realistic – so we think it is likely to happen.

Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

I want to send an invitation to a friend. I just have to find her address. I 

am quite sure, however, that I will find it.

Example: If John has the money, he will buy a Ferrari.

I know John very well and I know that he earns a lot of money and that 

he loves Ferraris. So, I think it is very likely that sooner or later he will 

have the money to buy a Ferrari.

Exercises

Some friends are planning a graduation party. Everybody wants to 

be part of it, but nobody’s really keen on preparing and organizing the 

party. So everybody comes up with a few conditions, just to make sure 

that the others will also do something.

I Complete the Conditional Sentences Type I.

1. If Caroline and Sue prepare the salad, Phil … (decorate) the 

house.

2. If Sue cuts the onions for the salad, Caroline … (pee) the 

mushrooms.

3. Jane will hoover the sitting room if Aaron and Tim … 

(move) the furniture.

4. If Bob tidies up the kitchen, Anita … (clean) the toilet.

5. Elaine will buy the drinks if somebody… (help)her carry the 

bottles.

6. If Alan and Rebecca organise the food, Mary and Conor …. 

(make) the sandwiches.

7. If Bob looks after the barbecue, Sue …. (let) the guests in.

8. Frank will play the DJ if the others …. (bring)along their CDs.

9. Alan will mix the drinks if Jane …. (give) him some of her 

cocktail recipes.

10. If they all do their best, the party … (be) great.

II. Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type I) by putting the verbs 

In IF Clauses Type II, we usually use ‚were – even if the pronoun 

is I, he, she or it –.

Example: If I were you, I would not do this

When is sentence type II used?

Conditional sentences type II refer to situations in the present. An 

action could happen if the present situation were different. I don’t 

really expect the situation to change, however. I just imagine what 

would happen if …

Examples:

a. If I found her address, I would send her an invitation. 

b. If John had the money, he would buy a Ferrari.

• I would like to send an invitation to a friend. I have looked 

everywhere for her address, but I cannot find it. So now I think it is 

rather unlikely that I will eventually find her address.

• I know John very well and I know that he doesn’t have much money, 

but he loves Ferraris. He would like to own a Ferrari (in his dreams). 

But I think it is very unlikely that he will have the money to buy 

one in the near future

Exercises

End unit assessment