English

You will develop these skills

• Identify when to use the past simple tense.

• Use ‘and’ clauses.

• State the vocabulary of leadership styles, character.

Leadership is a very interesting subject. Throughout history, there have been many famous leaders. Some have inspired their followers to do great things. Others have been cruel or unkind. Leadership has been the topic of many studies. Good leadership is invaluable, for countries, businesses and organisations such as schools and sports teams. In this unit, we will examine the qualities of leadership and read about some well-known leaders and famous people.

What is leadership?If ten people were asked to describe the qualities of a good leader, they would all give a different answer. Here is one definition of a leader:

A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal.

Read what people say about being a leader

Activity 1: Identify the qualities of a good leader

1. Decide which of the following qualities of leadership match each of the quotations in the text above.

• Leaders have qualities that inspire people to follow them.

• Leaders inspire people to do more and be more.                       

• Leaders have vision.

• Leaders are active.

• People want to follow leaders.

2. In your group, brainstorm and write down all the words that you can think of to describe the qualities of a leader.

3. Report your findings to the rest of the class in the form of a dialogue. For example: When we talked about the qualities for a good leader, Sonia said, “I think a good leader inspires people.” Rebecca disagreed and said, “I disagree. I think a good leader just tells people what to do.”

Activity 2: Write a definition of leadership

In your own words, explain what being a leader means to you.

Read about leadership in traditional Rwanda

When you compared your group lists with each other, you may have noticed that many different qualities were mentioned. That is because there are many different kinds of leaders. Let us start by reading about a famous Rwandan leader.

Kigeri IV Rwabugiri was one of the kings of Rwanda. Mwami (King) Kigeri IV Rwabugiri was the ruler of the kingdom of Rwanda from 1853 to 1895.

In the 19th century, Mwami Rwabigiri undertook a process of military conquest and administrative consolidation that resulted in the kingdom gaining control of most of the land that is now Rwanda. It took Mwami Rwabugiri many years to complete this.

Mwami Rwabugiri was the first king in Rwanda’s history to meet Europeans. The colonial powers, Germany and Belgium, allied with the Rwandan court, allowing it to conquer the kingdoms along its borders.

During the reign of Mwami Rwabugiri, the state became more centralised. This means that more of the administration and organisation was under the control of the king. The country expanded right up to the shores of Lake Kivu.

The expansion process was due to both military conquest and migration. This spread Rwandan agricultural techniques and social organisation and extended the king’s political control. Camps of warriors were established along the vulnerable borders to prevent any incursions.

n traditional Rwanda, the king was treated as a semi-divine being, responsible for making the kingdom prosper. The symbol of the king was the kalinga (the sacred drum).

Mwami Rwabugiri had a very strong economic base. He controlled over a hundred large estates that were spread throughout the kingdom, including banana plantations and many herds of cattle. These estates formed the basis of his wealth.

Everyone who lived in the area had to pay tribute to the mwami. A hierarchy of administrative chiefs collected this. Under the authority of the mwami, there was a council of great chiefs and below them less important chiefs who governed the country in districts. Each district had a cattle chief and land chief. It is worth noting that, by the end of Rwabugiri’s rule, Rwanda was divided into a standardised structure of provinces, districts, hills and neighbourhoods.

Mwami Rwabugiri also established an army and equipped it with guns. The army prohibited most foreigners from entering his kingdom. The military chiefs who controlled the frontier regions were very important. They played both defensive and offensive roles. They protected the frontier and raided cattle from the neighbouring tribes.

The Biru or council of guardians played an important role in administration. They were advisors to the king and also advised on matters of court ritual. All these posts – great chiefs, military chiefs and Biru members – existed to serve the powers of the king and to reinforce the king’s leadership in Rwanda. He formed a traditional local justice system called Gacaca, which was used for resolving conflict, rendering justice and reconciliation.

The king was the ultimate judge and arbiter for the cases that reached him. Because of Rwabugiri’s authoritarian style of ruling, harmony and cohesion were established among Rwandans.

Activity 3: Find the meaning of words

Discuss with a partner the following expressions and words used in the passage. Look them up in your dictionary and write their meanings in your exercise book.

1. decades-long process

2. autonomous

3. centralised

4. incursions5. semi-divine being

6. ornate

7. frontier

8. harmony and cohesion

Grammar focus

The past simple tense

You will remember that we used the past simple tense in Unit 3, when we discussed the civilisation of Ancient Egypt. The simple past is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The length of time of the action is not important. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past, but is must be completed.

Example: Kigeri IV Rwabugiri ruled the kingdom of Rwanda from 1853–1895.

Activity 4: Practise the past simple tense

Complete the following sentences using the past simple tense.

1. We _______ a good film last week.

2. Last Wednesday, I _________ in Kigali.

3. She ________ her homework by seven o’clock.

4. I __________ to the soccer match last Saturday.

5. My uncle _____________ to visit last week.

Activity 5: Write about the leadership of King Rwabugiri

Using the past simple tense, describe King Kigeri IV Rwabugiri’s achievements in not more than 120 words.

Read about why leadership is important

Leaders are very important. If a group of people gets together for a reason and does not have someone to lead it, it is unlikely that the group will achieve its purpose. Countries, businesses, sports teams, communities and families all need leaders.

n sport, the teams have various leaders who influence those around them and improve performance. These include:

• Captains who motivate and set a good example by performing reliably under pressure and encouraging their teammates. In some sports, they change tactics during play.

Sports leaders will have one or more of the following qualities:

• outstanding ability in the sport

• enthusiasm• the ability to motivate

• the ability to ‘read’ the game or sporting situation.

• Coaches who analyse individual and team performance. They plan training programmes to improve fitness, technique and skill, and decide the strategies to be used in competition.

Activity 6: Discuss the qualities of a good leader

1. In your group, discuss the following qualities of a good leader:

• Be visionary, give orders, inspire people and provide them with direction.

• Look for opportunities and encourage change and innovation.

• Communicate effectively and have good listening skills.

• Motivate people and have good people skills.

• Set an example for others to follow.

• Be courageous.

• Treat people fairly and equally.

2. Choose one person in your school or community whom you regard as being a good, strong leader. Write down four things that you think make this person a strong leader.

3. Discuss your findings with the rest of the class. (Hint: Elect a leader to read your group’s presentation.)

4. Working individually, make a list of the leadership characteristics mentioned by each group.

Read about styles of leadership

There are many different leadership styles; two that are very different are the authoritarian and democratic styles.

An authoritarian leader makes decisions without consulting his or her followers. Followers are not given an opportunity to be involved in decision making. Because there are fewer people involved in the decision-making process, tasks can be organised and finished on time. The authoritarian leadership style provides strong leadership, which makes people feel safe. Organisations such as the army usually use an authoritarian style of leadership. For situations such as an emergency, where an on-the-spot decision needs to be made, this type of leadership can be very useful. Authoritarian leaders are often very charismatic. This means that that they have the type of personality that makes people want to follow them.

The opposite of authoritarian leadership is democratic leadership. This leadership style is very open. Everyone is given an opportunity to express his or her opinion and be involved in decision making. This style is often used in rapidly changing environments and businesses. Every option for improvement has to be considered to keep the group from becoming out of date. The democratic leadership style means encouraging people to share their ideas, and then sorting through all the available information to make the best possible decision. People like this leadership style because they feel involved and part of the decision-making process, but it does not work when decisions need to be made quickly.

Activity 7: Write about styles of leadership

Choose any business, sporting or political leader. Write a short report on what you think their leadership style is.

Activity 8: Comprehension – Identify a leadership style

In pairs, read the following case study and answer the questions that follow.

Eric works for Betterwear Mills as a production foreman. His boss keeps a stern eye on how the department functions. Eric has to fill in progress reports every week, which are then checked by his boss. Eric’s boss also regularly checks up on the work of the employees who report to Eric, and insists that certain tasks are done on a daily basis even if they are not required.

Eric has been feeling frustrated because he believes there are better ways to run the department, but he is not able to discuss his ideas with his boss. He is also unhappy because his boss recently allocated a pay increase for the employees in Eric’s department without first discussing it with Eric.

1. Explain which management style Eric’s boss uses.

2. If you were Eric’s boss, would you use the same style of leadership? Explain your answer.

3. Suggest ways in which Eric’s boss could improve his leadership style.

Activity 9: Read and understand a poem

Read the following poem silently and then answer the questions that follow.

The Leader

Patient and steady with all he must bear Ready to meet every challenge with care Easy in manner, yet solid at steel, Strong in his faith, refreshingly real, Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold, Doesn’t conform to the usual mold, Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do Never backs down when he sees what is true, Tells it all straight and means it all too, Going forward and knowing he’s right, Even when doubted for why he would fightOver and over he makes his case clear, Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear, Growing in strength, he would not be unnerved, Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word. Wanting the world to join his firm stand, Bracing for war, but praying for peace, Using his power so evil will cease: So much a leader and worthy of trust, Here stands a man who will do what he must.

– Anonymous

1. Make a list of the leadership qualities admired by the writer of the poem.

2. Does the leader, as depicted in this poem, seem to have an easy or a difficult task? Explain your answer.

3. What does the line ‘Bracing for war, but praying for peace’ mean to you?4. Is hindsight always a waste of time?

Talking about famous people

A famous person is someone who is well known. This includes local celebrities and politicians, as well as well-known actors, film stars, sports personalities, writers, and so on. Sometimes people become infamous, which means they become well known because of their bad reputation.

Young people often use famous people as role models. This means that young people try and copy them and become like them. For this reason, many people think that, if you are famous, you must set a good example. This means not taking drugs or abusing alcohol, as well as being a responsible member of society and helping others.

Activity 10: Debate the responsibilities of famous people

Read about famous entertainers

Some of them earn a great deal of money and they use their fame and money to help other people. Here are some examples:

• Jackie Chan is a famous actor/director/producer. He grew up very poor in Hong Kong, but has become very successful and rich. In 2011 he decided to donate half of his assets (money and property) to charity when he dies. He has also established the Jackie Chan Foundation, which gives education scholarships to young people.

• Shakira is the highest-selling South American pop singer of all time. She gives time and money towards education and early childhood development, health, and nutrition in Columbia, Haiti and South Africa

.• Angelina Jolie is a well-known actress and a film director who has won awards for her humanitarian work. Although she is very busy with her work, she also serves as a United Nations Refugee Agency Special Envoy.

• Bono is the lead singer in a famous group called U2. He uses his fame to help fight poverty and hunger and works hard to try and make the world a better place.

In Rwanda we also have our own well-known local entertainers. We have many talented singers, actors and writers. They have had to work hard to become good at their craftand to become well known. Many of them have succeeded in spite of coming from poor families and having little education. They are able to use their fame to be good role models and responsible leaders.

Activity 11: Discuss Rwandan entertainers

1. Make a list of all the famous Rwandan entertainers you can think of.

2. Divide the list into groups, for example actors, writers, musicians or singers.

3. Discuss which media you use to follow these people. For example do you see them on the television, read about them in magazines or listen to their music on your mobile phone?

4. Compare their leadership with that of King Rwabugiri. How do they differ?

craft an activity or job involving skill

Activity 12: Make notes about a famous Rwandan

Make notes about the life story of a famous Rwandan person and compare your notes with other learners.

Grammar focus

Use clauses

Some sentences can be broken up into smaller sentences. These simple sentences are called clauses. A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb. It is usually contained within a sentence, but can also stand on its own.

For example: While he is singing, the audience cannot tear its eyes off him.

The sentence contains two clauses: ‘while he is singing’ and ‘the audience cannot tear its eyes off him’.You can join two clauses to make a sentence by using a conjunction (joining word).

For example: Annie took the dog for a walk.It got very dirty. These two sentences can be joined up by using ‘and’ or ‘when’:

Annie took the dog for a walk and it got very dirty.

The dog got very dirty when Annie took it for a walk.

Conjunctions that you can use to join clauses include: and, but, although, when, whenever, because.

Activity 13: Join clauses using ‘when’ or ‘because’

Make sentences from the following pairs of clauses using either ‘when’ or ‘because’.

1. The goalkeeper was a child. He dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

2. The guitarist is well liked within the music industry. He is always polite and courteous.

3. Some people are infamous. They behave very badly.

4. The singer has become very successful. He has worked very hard to become a good musician.

5. A leader is very important. A football team wants to win matches.

Read about women of influence in Rwanda

Did you know that International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th? The focus of International Women’s Day is to show respect and appreciation towards women for their contributions in society.

A woman of influence is one who makes a lasting impact on others. Not all women of influence are famous and well known. Some work quietly in the background, but their actions inspire others and change lives.

There is a saying: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” The importance of women in raising future generations can never be overestimated. Mothers work hard and they often sacrifice a great deal to bring up their children. For this reason alone they are worthy of respect and love.

In some countries, women do not have equal rights with men and their influence is restricted to their homes and family life. However in many countries, women are active and influential in other spheres of life besides raising children. Women are proving themselves to be successful leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. In Rwanda, gender equality is written into the Constitution and laws have been passed which give women the right to inherit land, share the assets of a marriage and obtain credit.

The African continent has a strong legacy of female leaders. In Rwanda parliament has a majority women representation. This is a world record. Women of influence can be found in many different occupations.

Women serve on local councils, they own land and farm, run businesses and serve as government minsters and have risen through the ranks of government.

Rwandan women are also active in sports. Female athletes have represented Rwanda at past Olympic Games. Women work as teachers, scientists, doctors, airline pilots and in many other occupations.

When we talk about women of influence we are referring to women who use their talents to have a positive influence on those around them and whose actions improve the lives of others.

The following are some of the qualities you may notice in women of influence in Rwanda:

• They use their voices to speak out about what they believe in.

• They live up to their values and morals.

• They encourage and help others.

• They do not give up when things get difficult.

Activity 14: Research some well-known women in Rwanda

Answer the following questions:

1. Discuss what is meant by the phrase: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Do you agree with the statement?

2. Think about the girls in your school or in your community. Choose one that you consider to be a person of influence and write a brief paragraph describing why she deserves to be considered a person of influence and worth.

peer person of equal standing

Activity 15: Research a well-known woman in Rwanda

Choose a well-known Rwandan woman and plan a text describing her life story. Make sure you divide your text into paragraphs and that you explain the woman’s influence.Clauses that use ‘when’ and ‘because’.Write and evaluate your text, paying attention to the past simple tense and to and paying attention to ‘when’ and ‘because’ clauses.

Activity 16: Talk about famous people

In groups discuss other famous people in Rwanda, describing their life stories.

Corruption and leadership

When people in positions of authority use their power to benefit themselves, usually financially, to the detriment of the country, this is called corruption. Corruption means there a lack of integrity or honesty on the part of a person or organisation involved. Corruption is harmful both for businesses and countries because resources are being misused. When corruption is widespread people no longer trust their leaders.

Corruption is not confined to large amounts of money. Public officials, private employees and independent agents can all abuse their power by accepting bribes from individuals who want a favour in return. A sports referee who favours one team over the other is also corrupt.

Countries need leaders who are hard-working and honest in order to work towards a peaceful and prosperous future. In Rwanda, the government has put into practice an anti-corruption policy and is working on building a nation where integrity is valued and corruption is rejected.

Activity 17: Talk about corruption

In your groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Does corruption only happen at government level?

2. Can you think of ways that corruption could happen in your school?

3. How can you help to fight corruption?

Vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation

Activity 18: Improve your vocabulary

Assessment

1. Write a short paragraph explaining the qualities of a good leader. (4 marks)

2. Join the following pairs of clauses to make sentences:

a) I am going to walk. I can’t wait for the bus

.b) I am going to buy that book. It is a best-seller.

c) The president arrives. There will be a big fanfare of drums.

d) No one wanted to eat the hamburger. Eric sneezed all over it.

e) The meal has burnt. I left the pot on the stove. (5 marks)

3. Write a paragraph describing a famous person that you admire, explaining the characteristics that make them a leader. (5 marks)

4. Change the following sentences into the past simple tense:

a) She goes to the cinema with me.

b) Jean-Paul will pass his examination.

c) My mother makes a cake for my birthday.

d) The king completes a modernisation of the army. (4 marks)

5. Explain, in your own words, the difference between an authoritarian and a democratic leader. (2 marks)Total (20)