UNIT 8 EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
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