English SME & SSE copy 1

Key Unit Competence: To use language learnt in the context of leadership and famous people.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

2.1. Talking about a famous leader in modern Rwanda

2.1.1. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Learning activities: Reading and text analysis

• Text. A Visionary leader

A visionary leader is one that strives for the well-being of his people. This implies putting forth the dignity of the people. The president of Rwanda, his Excellency Paul Kagame, is a role model to many. In most of his speeches, he emphasizes the importance of dignity and self-reliance as a way of defining the sense of human life.Dignity means receiving respect from people and an individual’s belief in his ability to do what is good. Self-reliance means making personal choices, rather than allowing other people to decide for you. It also means being independent. People must avoid expecting foreign assistance from developed countries.

Dignity and self-reliance are the two ways suggested by thegovernment in order to address socio-economic and political problems. This does not mean opposing international cooperation. Rwandans just do not want to be dependent on foreign aid. Self-reliance provides assurance and pride. This leads to sustainable and durable development.With the concept of dignity and

self-reliance, Rwandans can make individual choices. This means that Rwanda is on the right courseof development.

Adapted from History book for Rwanda Secondary schools (S5 learner’s book p.g 2019)

•  Comprehension questions:

a. Who is being talked about in the passage?

b. Why is he being talked about?

c. What are the ways of addressing the socio-economic and political problems suggested in the passage?

d. How does the passage define dignity?

2.1.1. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Composition writing

Write a composition about 2 famous people describing what they did. They may be or may have been politicians, innovators, educators, scientists etc.

2.2. Talking about leadership styles

2.2.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Learning activities: Reading and text analysis

Read the following passage about leadership styles and answer the questions that follow:

• Text: Democracy

Democracy is a system of government in which the people exercise power directly or through elected representatives who form a governing body such as a parliament. In a democratic government, power belongs to the people.

Democracy in Rwanda has played a quite big contribution in the unity of Rwanda such as: promoting good international relationships between Rwanda and other countries, working with diverse people which provides more exposure and makes you a better person, leading to economic benefits for example through taxes paid by foreigners who live and work in Rwanda.

These foreigners also come with different and new ideas which are important in economic development; promoting peace and stability in Rwanda because Rwandans look at themselves as one.The cultural, political and economic practices in Rwanda is what is used to describe the people of Rwanda. It has promoted tourism which has had a significant contribution to the country.

People from other countries come to Rwanda to see its culture which they find unique, for example, the diverse traditional dances. Direct democracy is where all eligible citizens have direct participation in the decision making of the government. In Representative democracy, citizens exercise their power through elected representatives. The latter propose, develop and enact laws for the citizens to abide by.

Authoritarianism is a form of government in which a single power holder, a 'dictator’ or small group of political leaders monopolize political power. The people have no participation. The characteristicsof authoritarianism include:

Absolute obedience to an authority by the people, strong central power and limited freedoms, informally defined as executive power which changes very often.

Adapted from History book for Rwanda Secondary Schools (S2 learner’s book p.205 and 191)

•  Comprehension questions:

a. What is democracy?

b. Which role has democracy played in the unity in Rwanda?

c. Choose your favorite leadership style from those discussed above.

2.2.1. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Vocabulary, sentence and essay writing

1. Use a dictionary and thesaurus to look up the meaning of the

words below. Use each of them in a sentence.

a. Parliament

b. Enact

c. Dictator

d. Monopolize

e. Diverse

2. Write a 250 word essay about the leadership style in your country

2.3. Talking about famous people

2.3.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Learning activities: Reading and text analysis

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

LouiseMushikiwabo is a famous Rwandan woman politician. She was born on May 22nd, 1961 in Kigali, Rwanda. She is the fourth and current Secretary General of “Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie”. She previously served as the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation of Rwanda from 2009 to2018. She also served as Government spokesperson. She had previously been Minister of information. On October 12, 2018 she was elected for a four-year term for the position of secretary General of Organization international de la Francophonie (OIF) at the summit of “Francophonie” in Yerevan, Armenia.

Disi was born in 1980 in Nyanza district, southern Rwanda. After witnessing the murder of his mother and other members of his family in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, he escaped to Burundi. On return from exile, he joined the army and took up athletics seriously. The numerous victories he has achieved include the 3,000 meters in Bydgoszcz, Poland, the 5,000 meters in Solihull, England, and the Rostock and Chemnitz 10-kilometer races.

In addition, he won the 10,000-meter race at the 2005 Francophone Games and came fourth at the 2007 All Africa Games half marathon. Unimpressed that the organizers of Francophone Games did not have his Rwanda National Anthem, he took the microphone and sang it himself.

Catherine is one of Kenya’s leading marathon runners. She was born in 1972 in Nyeri, Kenya. She started running at school where she had to train before and after class. After leaving school, she joined the prison service which allowed her to continue training, and running races, and it was there thatshe met her husband. She began her international career in 1995 and the following year, she won eight out of her 13 international races. In 1997 she took time off to have a baby, but she has been running ever since and has achieved even greater international success. In 2000 and 2001, she won both the Boston and Chicago marathons and set a new world marathon record. In the 2004 Olympics, she won a silver medal and in the World Championships, she won gold in 2003 and silver two years later. Ndereba says she owes much of her success to her husband who has supported her throughout her career and has taken much of the responsibility for looking after their daughter.

Filbert Bayi is Tanzania’s most successful athlete. He was born in 1953 in Karatu, Tanzania. His first international competition was the 3,000 meters steeplechase at the Munich Olympics in 1972. In 1973, he grabbed people’s attention when he beat Kenya’s legendary Kip Keino to gain the gold medal in 1,500 meters at Lagos Africa Games. A year later at the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand, he won the 1,500 meters in world record time in what many people have called the most exciting 1,500 meters race ever. He was unable to repeat his success at Montreal four years later because of the African boycott of the Games. In 1980, though, he won the Silver at the Moscow Olympics in 3,000 meters steeplechase. His health was not good and never repeated these successes. In later life, however, he has devoted himself to the Filbert Bayi Institute which helps young Tanzanian athletes and also educates young people about HIV and AIDS.

Adapted from English in Use book 2, p.33

•  Comprehension questions

a. Describe Louise Mushikiwabo and show how she has been useful for Rwandan leadership.

b. Trace Disi’s way to success.

c. How did Ndereba become a famous woman?

d. Explain how Bayi rose to international fame.

e. In your opinion, what would you do to become famous in your college and community?

2.3.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Vocabulary, sentence, paragraph and essay writing

1. Find the meaning of the words below as they are used in the passage

a. Spokesperson

b. Witnessing

c. Career

d. Steeplechase

e. Boycott

f. Devoted

2. Use the words listed above to construct meaningful sentences following the context of the text.

3. In a 70-word paragraph, describe any famous person you know in Rwanda modern community

4. Write a 300-wordessay on the topic: “The contribution of good leadership to the development of Rwanda”

2.4.Language structure: Relative pronouns and simple past

1. Relative pronouns

A relative pronoun links one phrase or clause to another phrase or clause.

Relative pronouns are mainly who,whom,that, and which. Compound pronouns include whoever and whichever. They are also considered as relative pronouns.

The relative pronouns: who and whoever often refer to the subject of a clause or sentence, while whomand whomever refer to the objects of averb or a preposition. In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a relative pronoun.

a. I invited James, is that ok? Whoever you invited is welcome.

The relative pronoun whoever replaces the direct object of the verb is.

b. Whoever stole the machinery will be arrested when caught.

Here, whoever is the subject of the verb stole.

The candidate who wins the greatest popular vote is not always elected.

In this sentence, the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb wins and introduces the subordinate clause who wins the greatest popular vote. This subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying candidate.

c. In time of crisis, the manager asks the workers whom she believes to be the most efficient to arrive an hour earlier than usual.

In this sentence whom is the direct object of the verb believes and introduces the subordinate clause whom she believes to be the most efficient. This subordinate clause modifies the noun workers.

d. Whoever broke the window will have to replace it.

Here,whoever functions as the subject of the verb broke.

e. The crate which was left in the corridor has now been moved into the storage closet.

In this example, which that acts as the subject of the compound verb was left and introduces the subordinate clause which was left in the corridor. The subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying the noun crate.

f. I will read whichever manuscript arrives first.

Here, whichever modifies the noun manuscript and introduces the subordinate clause whichever manuscript arrives first. The subordinate clause functions as the direct object of the compound verb will read.

2. Simple past tense

• We use the simple past to talk about events, actions or situations which happened in the past and are now finished. We always have to say when the action happened, so we often use time references like yesterday, ago, last, etc.

Example: We waited for an hour yesterday.

• To describe actions which happened in the recent or distant past.

Example: Sam phoned a moment ago.

•  To describe past habits.

Example: I smoked forty cigarettes a day till I gave up.

        3. Pronunciation of –ed endings

Final –ed is pronounced –t- after voiceless sounds. Voiceless sounds are made

by pushing air through your mouth, no sound comes from your throat.

Final –ed is pronounced /d/after voiced sounds. Voiced sounds come from the throat. If you touch when you make a voiced, you can feel your voice box vibrate.

Example of voiced sounds: “l”, “v”, “n”, “b” and all vowel sounds.

Examples:

Final –ed is pronounced /Əd/ after “t”, and “d” sounds. The second /Əd/adds a whole syllable to a word.

Examples:

2.5. END UNIT ASSESSMENT

1. Complete sentences. Use the simple past or the past progressive of the verbs in parentheses.

a. I am sitting in class right now. I (sit)……….in class at this exact same time yesterday.

b. I (call) ………Roger at nine last night, but he(be/not) ……….at home. He (study)…….at the library.

c. I (hear/not) ………. the thunder during the storm last night because (I/sleep) ……….

d. It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun (shine)………a cool breeze (blow)………the bird (sing)……….

e. My brother and sister(argue)……. about something when I (walk) ……. into the room.

f. I got a package in the mail. When I (open)…….it, I (find)……. a surprise.

2. Combine the two sentences. Use second sentences as an adjective clause

a. I saw the man. He closed the door.

b. The girl is happy. She won the race.

c. The students are from china. They sit in the front row.

d. We are studying sentences. They contain adjective clauses.

e. I am using a sentence. It contains a relative clause acting as adjective.

3. Find out from your local leaders, elders and parents who are the most famous in the history of your community. List the reasons that made them famous.

4. Research the biography of a famous leader of your choice and outline the milestones of his/her life.