◄ UNIT 6: ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITYUNIT 8: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY►

UNIT 7: EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

  • UNIT 7: EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Key unit competence: To use a language learnt in the context of
    education and personal development
    Introductory activity
    Picture observation and interpretation

    Picture observation and interpretation

    Observe the pictures above and answer the following questions
    1. What do you think the figures above represent?
    2. Do you think it is important for pre-school children to celebrate 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 can benefit the same education as those
    without disabilities. 
    7.1. Describing ability at school
    7.1.1 Learning activities: Reading and text analysis
    Pre-reading activity: Picture observation and interpretation

    Text 1: 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: Kaneza is doing well in all the subjects except mathematics.
    Parent: But mathematics is a subject 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.
    Teacher: You are welcome.

                                 Adapted from Pep Talkers, (2017)

    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 to
    the parent be as far as her child score progress is concerned? 
    Text 2: Admission to a new school
    Mr. Kayumba: Good morning, sir. May I come in?
    Headmaster: Yes, please.
    Mr. Kayumba: I’m Mr. Kayumba from Kayonza, and this is my son, Kalisa.
    Headmaster: Please sit down.
    Mr. Kayumba: I have been transferred to Gatsibo, just recently. I’m here in
    connection with my son’s admission to senior four.
    Headmaster: Mr. Kayumba, the admissions have closed formally last week
    but let me see what I can do for you. Kalisa, tell me something about your
    academic background.
    Kalisa: I was a student at Groupe Scolaire Nyagahandaza. I have cleared first
    term with an aggregate of 89%.
    Headmaster: Good, and did you ever participate in debates, dramatics, or
    sports in your school?
    Kalisa: Yes, sir.
    Headmaster: Do you have your certificates for these co-curricular activities?
    Kalisa: Yes, Sir. They are all in this file along with a letter of recommendation
    from my Ex-headmaster. I’d like to mention that I was the Head Boy of GS
    Nyagahandaza.
    Headmaster: I’m glad to hear that, Kalisa. Leave your file with me. We’ll see
    what we can do for you.
    Kalisa: Thank you very much, sir.
    Mr. Kayumba: Thank you, sir! I’m extremely grateful for the time you have given
    us and the interest you have taken.
    Comprehension questions
    1. What is the relationship between Mr. Kayumba and Kalisa?
    2. Why did Mr. Kayumba come to that school?
    3. Which school did Kalisa attend before and how many aggregates had
    he get?
    4. Do you think Kalisa was allowed to join the new school? Explain. 
    Application activities 7.1.2
    Vocabulary and paragraph writing
    Match the following words with their meanings


    2. Paragraph writing
    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.
    7.2 Describing educational ambitions
    7.2.1 Learning activities: Reading and text analysis
    Text: My exceptional accountant journey
    After quickly realizing just how serious some of our accounting work is, I knew
    that if I wanted to advance in my own career, I had to figure out ways to become
    more efficient and effective. I also realized that as our world becomes more
    and more complex, and not just from an accounting sense but from an overall
    business perspective. So, I was convinced that accountants will have to expand
    both knowledge and skill sets.

    This is how my journey began: After completing my degree in Accounting, I was
    excited to apply my education only to find copious amounts of spreadsheets
    and mindless data entry. I was one of only a few students who had the
    opportunity to start with a Big4 Accounting firm right after graduation, and one
    of my first assignments was to audit cash. I sat down with the colleague
    responsible for reconciling the larger cash accounts, and we started his step by-step process.

    After going through it, I started to ask questions as I’d been taught to do as
    an auditor. This turned out to be an incredibly eye-opening experience for me.
    I asked him why a certain transaction was taking place, how he knew it was
    right or what he did with the exceptions. His responses were often “I don’t
    know” or “because we’ve always done it that way”.

    I will make a bit of a confession here: this made me question my choice of
    profession. Who wants to just follow a checklist and not really have to think?
    This certainly didn’t seem appealing to me.
    While at first, he said he loved his job, the more we got into the questions, the
    more he opened up and confessed that he felt more like a glorified data entry
    clerk. And I started to realize just how antiquated many of the Accounting and
    Finance processes were.

    I may not have known how that would change, but I was certain things had to.
    And at the time, I had no idea just how important this discovery was going to be.
    Throughout my career, I continued to encounter all kinds of challenges around
    the typical accounting activities especially during the month-end close. Trying
    to meet deadlines that management was always looking to reduce. Trying to
    ensure everything was being done (journals all booked, balance sheet accounts
    reconciled, and month-end tasks completed). 

    Many of the companies I worked with were experiencing significant changes,
    including mergers and acquisitions, expanding into new countries, rapid growth,
    and IPOs, which only further exacerbated these challenges.

    Then there was all of the paperwork and supporting documentation! One
    organization I was working with had their reconciliations all over the place―desk
    drawers, binders, manager offices. It was a nightmare trying to keep everything
    straight, not to mention quite costly trying to store everything.

    I found myself in a position where I had to find alternative solutions. I knew
    I had to expand my knowledge base and provide more strategic insight in
    addition to better managing the close process. I had to help our accountants
    shift from these mundane tasks to applying their knowledge. I had to work with
    our other departments so that as a whole, we were making the best decisions
    for the business.

    I also recognized that our accountants needed, even wanted, more challenges.
    They wanted the time to research and investigate exceptions. They wanted time
    to proactively identify errors so they could be fixed before it became a problem.

    I needed to not only help my organization, but my fellow accounting colleagues
    as well. In order to be effective in driving forward this change, I had to start with
    myself so I could share what I learned with my team, with the other departments,
    and with leadership.
    The success of this transformation was contingent on their support. While
    this would ultimately be a team effort, this was my opportunity to show that
    accountants can offer so much more to our organizations.
    Adapted from Parcells, (2020)
    Comprehension questions
    1. What makes the narrator think that accountants have to expand both
    knowledge and skill sets?
    2. According to this sentence “I was excited to apply my education―only to
    find copious amounts of spreadsheets and mindless data entry.” Do you
    think the narrator found the situation at workplace as good as he/she was
    expecting? Explain.
    3. Why did the narrator question her choice of profession?
    4. Enumerate changes that companies the narrator worked with were
    experiencing.
    5. Which alternative solution did the narrator think she had to find?
    6. Did the narrator succeed in bringing the transformation? Explain 

    Application activities 7.2.2
    Vocabulary and composition writing 
    1. Vocabulary Use the following words in your own sentences 
    a) Efficient
     b) Effective 
    c) Copious 
    d) Spreadsheet 
    e) Mindless 
    f) Assignment 
    g) Audit 
    h) Transaction 
    i) Confess 
    j) Antiquated 
    k) Mundane
     l) Proactively
    2. Composition writing
    Write a 250-word composition explaining the reason why the government
    was not wrong when it established accounting option in secondary schools.
    7.3 Talking about sexual education
    7.3.1 Learning activities: Reading and text analysis
    Text 1: Why comprehensive sexuality education is important
    Did you know that only 34 % of young people around the world can demonstrate
    accurate knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission? And that two out of
    three girls in some countries have no idea of what is happening to them when
    they begin menstruating? These are some of the reasons why there is an
    urgent need for quality comprehensive sexuality education (CSE).
    Comprehensive sexuality education is a curriculum-based process of teaching
    and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of 
    sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills,
    attitudes and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being
    and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how
    their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and understand and
    ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.

    Too many young people receive confusing and conflicting information about
    relationships and sex, as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood.
    This has led to an increasing demand from young people for reliable information,
    which prepares them for a safe, productive and fulfilling life. When delivered well,
    CSE responds to this demand, empowering young people to make informed
    decisions about relationships and sexuality and navigate a world where gender 
    based violence, gender inequality, early and unintended pregnancies, HIV
    and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) still pose serious risks to their
    health and well-being. Equally, a lack of high-quality, age- and developmentally 
    appropriate sexuality and relationship education may leave children and young
    people vulnerable to harmful sexual behaviours and sexual exploitation.

    CSE plays a crucial role in addressing the health and well-being of children and
    young people. Applying a learner-centered approach, CSE not only provides
    children and young people with age-appropriate and phased education on human
    rights, gender equality, relationships, reproduction, sexual behaviours risks and
    prevention of ill health, but also provides an opportunity to present sexuality
    with a positive approach, emphasizing values such as respect, inclusion, 
    non-discrimination, equality, empathy, responsibility and reciprocity.
    Adapted from UNESCO, (2018)
    Comprehension questions
    1. State the two reasons why there is an urgent need for quality
    comprehensive sexuality education as explained in in the first paragraph.
    2. What is the objective of comprehensive sexuality education?
    3. Do you agree with the author that too many young people receive
    confusing and conflicting information about relationships and sex? Justify
    your answer.
    4. What is likely to be the consequence of a lack of high quality sexuality
    and relationship education? 
    Application activities 7.3.2
    Vocabulary and sentence writing
    1. Vocabulary
    Use a dictionary and find meanings of the followings words considering
    how they are used in the passage.
    a) Demonstrate
    b) Accurate
    c) Menstruating
    d) Cognitive
    e) Dignity
    f) Conflicting
    g) Inclusion
    h) Discrimination
    i) Reciprocity 
    2. Sentence writing
    Use each of the above words in your own sentence. 
    Text 2: Life skills
    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 decision-making 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 are 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.
            Application activities
    Vocabulary and summary writing
    1. Vocabulary
    Explain the following words using dictionaries as used in the passage.
    a) Chores
    b) Witness bullying
    c) To do the laundry
    d) Impress
    e) Soft skills

    f) Data driven world 

    2. Summary writing
    In not more than 80 words, summarise the passage above pointing out the
    importance of life skills. 
    7.4 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:
    7.4.1. Conditional Sentence Type 1
    It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
    Form: if + Simple Present, Will-Future
    Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.
    Form: If + Simple Present, Will-Future
    Example: If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.
    The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don’t
    use a comma.
    Example: I will send her an invitation if I find her address. 
    Note:
    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.
    Application activity
    Application activity
    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.
    1. A. Complete the Conditional Sentences Type I.
    2. If Caroline and Sue prepare the salad, Phil … (decorate) the house.
    3. If Sue cuts the onions for the salad, Caroline … (pee) the mushrooms.
    4. Jane will hoover the sitting room if Aaron and Tim … (move) the
    furniture.
    5. If Bob tidies up the kitchen, Anita … (clean) the toilet.
    6. Elaine will buy the drinks if somebody… (help)her carry the bottles.
    7. If Alan and Rebecca organize the food, Mary and Conor …. (make)
    the sandwiches.
    8. If Bob looks after the barbecue, Sue …. (let) the guests in.
    9. Frank will play the DJ if the others …. (bring)along their CDs.
    10. Alan will mix the drinks if Jane …. (give) him some of her cocktail
    recipes.
    11. If they all do their best, the party … (be) great.
    B. Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type I) by putting the verbs into
    the correct form.
    1. If you (send) ….…this letter now, she (receive) …….. it tomorrow.
    2. If I (do) ……this test, I (improve)……. my English.
    3. If I (find) ….…your ring, I (give) ….…it back to you.
    4. Peggy (go) ….…shopping if she (have) ….…time in the afternoon.
    5. Simon (go) ….…to London next week if he (get) ….…a cheap flight.
    6. If her boyfriend (phone / not) ….…today, she (leave) ….… him.
    7. If they (study / not) harder, they (pass / not) the exam.
    8. If it (rain) ….… tomorrow, I (have to / not) ….…water the plants.
    9. You (be able/ not) ….…to sleep if you (watch) ….…this scary film.
    10. Susan (can / move / not) ….…into the new house if it (be / not)
    ….…ready on time. 

    7.4.2. Conditional Sentence Type 2
    → It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.
    Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)
    Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.
    Form: If + Simple Past, main clause with Conditional I (= would +
    Infinitive) 
    Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.
    The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don’t
    use a comma.
    – Example: I would send her an invitation if I found her address. 
    Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative. See Simple Past und
    Conditional     I on how to form negative sentences.
    – Example: If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t stay here. 
    Were instead of Was
    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. 
    End of unit assessment 7.5
    1. A. Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type I&II) by putting the
    verbs into the correct form
    a) If you come with me, I (to do) the shopping with you.
    b) Musoni (to help) his mother in the garden if she reads him a
    story this evening.
    c) If it (to rain), I will stay at home.
    d) Our teacher will be happy if we (to learn) the poem by heart.
    e) If they had enough money, they (to buy) a new car.
    f) We (to pass) the exam if we studied harder.
    g) If Pat repaired his bike, he (to go) on a bicycle tour with us.
    h) She would get 100 pounds if she (to sell) this old shelf.
    i) If I was/were you, I (to invite) Jack to the party.
    j) If the weather (to be) fine, the children can walk to school.

    2. Write a composition describing the relationship between Education
    and society




    ◄ UNIT 6: ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITYUNIT 8: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY►