WOLLO UNIVERSITY

KOMBOLCHA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS I (FLEN 1011)

STUDENTS’ HANDOUT

NOVEMBER 2024

KOMBOLCHA

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 UNIT ONE: STUDY SKILLS

1.1. Speaking: Making Introductions

We make introductions in English in different occasions and contexts like when we meet
someone for the first time or when we introduce someone to somebody. Introductions can be
formal or informal. Formal introductions often take place among colleagues in formal situations
and titles should be used (e.g. Dr., Prof., Mr., Miss., Mrs. Ato, W/ro,etc).On the other hand,
informal introductions are done among friends, or with people who know each other very well
and call each other by name (Amaliraj, 2008).

What expressions do you use if:

You want to (have to) introduce yourself to other people? You want to (have to) introduce a
person to other person(s)?

I. Formal introductions

A. Self introduction
Look at the following dialogues.
Abebe: Hello, I am Abebe.
Martha: Hello, I am Martha.
Abebe: Nice to meet you.
Martha: Nice to meet you too.

Expressions for introducing oneself

• My name is…
• I‘m …
• Allow me to introduce myself, my name is/I‘m …
• (Hello,) Let me introduce myself, my name is/I‘m…
• May I introduce myself, my name is/I‘m…
B. Person to person
Expressions for introducing a person
– Name I would like to introduce you to name…
E.g., Bekele, I would like to introduce you to deputy inspector Maru. He is head of
Department of Crime Protection of Region 14.
– Name, May I introduce you to name….
E.g., Miss Martha, may I introduce you to Mehiret. She is chief of Research and
Community Service in ACA.
– Name, I‘d like you to meet name

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 • E.g., Inspector Markos, I‘d like you to meet Mr. Tamirat. He works for Commercial Bankof
Ethiopia.
• We usually use openers when someone introduces us with a person or persons.

Openers Responses
• How do you do? How do you do?
• It is a pleasure to meet you. (Thank you) It‘s a pleasure to meet you, too.
• Nice to meet you. (Thank you) Nice to meet you, too.
• I‘m glad to meet you. (Thank you) I‘m glad to meet you, too.

C. Person(s) to audiences

– Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce Mr./Mrs./Miss/Dr./Inspector/Commander/

commissioner (name).
– It gives me a great pleasure to present Mr./Mrs./Miss/Dr./Inspector/Commander/ (name)
– It is an honor for me to introduce Mr./Mrs./Miss/ Dr./Inspector/Commander/ (name)

Activity 1
a. Suppose while you are going for a walk with your father, you meet your English instructor
and you want to introduce your father to your instructor. Construct an appropriate dialogue to
this situation.

b. Assume (that) you are master of a graduation ceremony and there is a guest speaker Dr.
John. He is from Addis Ababa University. He has 20 years work experience. You are
supposed tointroduce him including the aforementioned information about him. How would
you introduce him to the audience formally?

You: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Dr. John guest of the .

II. Informal introduction

Look at the following example of informal introduction

Rose: Hi classmates! My name is Rose. I am 18 years old. I come from Bole senior secondary
and Preparatory School, which is found in Addis. I am a computer science student at Woldia
University. In my spare time, I like to read novels, watch movies, and play Tennis. I am also
interested in art. My favorite sports are football and swimming. My favorite color is blue. I
speak five languages viz., English, French, Tigrigna, Amharic, Somaligna and Oromigna. My
father in a doctor and my mother is a lecturer. I am from small family, and the last child.

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Expressions for introducing oneself

• Hi, call me name.

• You can call me Jerry.
• Most call me ‘Brave‘.

Activity 2
Now, introduce yourself to your classmates orally. Do not forget to include the information Rose
has included in her introduction. Whenever you want to make any conversation, you have to
plan, practice and patience (Harris, 2004).

Expressions for introducing a person

Person to person
• Name, this is my colleague,my brother, my sister , my boss, my father , or my mother name
E.g. Cheru, this is my sister, Nunu. She is one of the eye-witnesses to the case you are
investigating.
We usually use openers when someone introduces us with a person or persons.

Openers Responses
• Hi, pleased to meet you.
• Glad to meet you. Me too.
• I‘m happy to meet you.
• Nice to meet you.

1.2. Listening: What is a lecture

1.2.1 Pre- listening Activity 1.1.2: Pre-listening
Before you listen to the talk, look at the following questions and discuss your answers in groups
of three or four. One student will report the results of your discussion to the whole class.
1. What is a lecture?
2. What is the difference between a lecture and lecturer?
3. Have you listened to lectures before? When? Where?
4. If you have, what did you do during the lecture apart from listening?
5. What do the following words mean? (Your teacher will help you if you do not know their meanings.)
a. transient c. verbatim e. discriminating
b. distractions d. cues

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 1.2.2. While listening

I. Listen the extract from your teacher and fill the missed information from the listening
material.
1. The lecture is more than likely continue to be used extensively in for many
years.
2. Originally, lecturing was the major channel through which stored in
books was transmitted to a large group of .
3. is defined as one person speaking, more or less continuously, to a group
ofpeople on a particular subject or theme.
4. The lecture method bases itself upon the transmission of teaching model- that is knowledge is an
object that can be transferred from the to the .
5. Many educators believe that the to teaching is ineffective compared
to .
6. During lecturing, there is not much interaction between the and
the .

II. Listen the extract again and fill the following table based on the information from the
listening material

Advantages of Lecturing Disadvantages of lecturing

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4
5. 5.

1.3. Grammar focus: Modals and infinitives for giving advice

Look at the following sentences taken from the listening talk, and in pairs, tell each
other thepurpose of the sentences.
a. Try to prepare yourself in advance.
b. Sit near the front of the room.
c. You should be able to work out the important themes of the lecture.
d. You should not try to write down every word that the lecturer says.
Note that each of the sentences advises you on how best you can take lecture notes. They do this
with the use of infinitives (Try, Sit) and should (should not). Two other ways of giving advice
include the use of ought to and had better.

E.g. You ought to work very hard. You had better work very hard. Note: Should and ought to
express similar meaning. Had better is sometimes used when we want to make the advice
stronger to indicate that the advice we give is really important.

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Activity 1.2.1: Sentence completion

Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct word or phrase from the
alternativesgiven.

1. I need a quiet place to study. Where (I should/ ought to I/ should I) go?

2. The airline allows only two pieces of luggage. You (had better not/ better not/had
not better) pack too much or you will have to take some of it out at the airport.
3. A: I think that the grade my teacher gave me on my test is wrong.
B: Really? You (ought talk/should to talk/ought to talk) to her after class today.
4. It is raining and I don‘t want to get my dress wet. I (had better not bring/had better to
bring/had better bring) an umbrella.
5. A: I‘m very hot.
B: You (should take off/ought take off/better had) your coat.
6. I did not understand much in the last lecture. I (ought read/had better read/had
readbetter) more on the topic.

Activity 1.2.2: Completing short dialogues

In pairs, take turns and give advice to each other using the cues given below. Use the three
waysof giving advice you practiced above. The first one has been done as an example.

1. Aman: I want to speak English more fluently.

Muna: You should practice speaking every day.
2. Aman: I‘m adding weight recently.
Muna: .
3. Aman: My parents send me money but I‘m always broke.
Muna: .
4. Aman: I‘m not feeling well.
Muna: .
5. Aman: I can‘t study in the dorm. The other students talk too much.
Muna: .
6. Aman: I want to join a good department next year.
Muna: .
7. Aman: I find it difficult to get up early in the morning.
Muna: .
8. Aman: I spend a lot of time watching television every day.
Muna: .
9. Aman: I‘m feeling bored this afternoon.
Muna: .
10. Aman: I keep losing my mobile phones. I lost two mobile phones last month alone.
Muna: .

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 1.4. Reading: Reading for study

Activity 1.3.1: Preparing for reading

Look at the first three questions below and answer them individually. Then discuss your
answersin groups of three. Report your answers to the class.
1. What is reading?
2. Is reading an article in a newspaper the same as reading a book in your field of study?
Explain.
3. Do you think reading for your study at university will be different from reading at high
school? How is it the same or different?
4. Find out the meanings of the following words with the help of your teacher.
a. invaluable c. Scan e. skim
b. assimilate d. repertoire
Activity 1.3.2: Reading for understanding

1. Read the following text and answer the questions below it.

Reading for Study

Reading is a fundamental aspect of academic work. It is likely to be the major way to gather
information about the discipline you are studying and it is a very valuable skill to enhance and
develop at university or college. One of the routes to develop the ability to think about and
describe the world in terms of a particular approach is through reading. Reading will provide an
understanding of the academic discipline being studied. Ultimately, it will be one of the keys that
unlock the door to a career as a business manager, psychologist, engineer, chemist, teacher,
scientist and so on. As well as guiding you through your course, it will be an invaluable learning
tool in the world of employment. Reading opens up the possibility of gaining access to and an
understanding of the thinking of all the people who have developed models and theories or
written about a particular discipline.

One of the principal objectives of reading for study is to gather ideas and information and to
assimilate them into your own view of the world, and then to be able to express that view
through the assessment program or in seminars. Only by doing this can you understand a
subject? During your time at university or college you will need to approach your reading very
intelligently and diligently by putting considerable effort into it.

As a student it is important to recognize that reading may be the most demanding work you do at
university or college and that a huge volume of reading will be required to pass a course. Almost
certainly reading strategies need to be developed in order to get through the amount of reading to
be done. For some people it may be a matter of changing perceptions about reading. For
example, on entering a library some students will think ‘Oh no’, look at all these books to read!,

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while others will think ‘Oh wow, look at all these books to read – where shall I start? Let me get
going!’.

Over the years authors have identified, described and analyzed the issues relevant to a particular
area of study, such as business, philosophy, botany, education and psychology. Within each
discipline theorists examine a subject from a number of viewpoints, identifying key themes and
issues and embodying certain assumptions. One of the particular advantages of reading is that in
many instances it is possible, through books, to read the original works of an author. The written
word is still the main way of accessing academic debate in all fields of study. Through reading, it
is possible to discover the fundamentals and essential aspects of a subject, its basic assumptions,
the facts upon which it is built and how these are examined and approached.

Purposes for reading

A student will read for many different reasons, and it is important to remember that the way
reading is approached should change depending on the purpose. Glancing through a newspaper
to pick out the main news items is quicker than and different from reading for study, and both
involve a variety of skills. A newspaper often gives only a cursory coverage of a topic, ignoring
the details. A textbook may require detailed study to extract the essential knowledge it contains.
When reading, for example, it is possible to:
a) read an instruction book with the intention of immediately applying the information
inorder to play a new stereo, use a cooker, repair a car;
b) read an enjoyable, exciting novel for escapism, as quickly as possible, with no need
toworry about remembering any of the story afterwards;
c) skim through the pages of a magazine for the latest developments; or
d) scan the pages of a newspaper to absorb the main headlines that day, disregarding
theadvertisements altogether.

There are, of course, different ways of tackling reading, which will vary according to both the
reading material and the particular task and focus. Reading is, after all, one of the basic tools of
work for students. It is crucial that reading skills are developed so that you are able to get the
most out of reading and importantly to make the best use of it. There are many techniques that
can be used to gain a detailed understanding from a textbook or article, to identify the main
themes or issues, or to get a general overview.

The reading skills that you have already developed can be put to good use in academic study.
New students may neglect to use abilities which are at their disposal in the repertoire of skills
developed in their everyday lives, but that are often taken for granted and overlooked. Reading
is a skill which is often taken for granted. It is easy to believe that it no longer requires any
thought or effort. However, the fact is that reading is concerned with understanding the meaning
that the author is trying to communicate; not just a matter of recognizing words on a page. When
studying, it is important to think about why you are reading and to realize your need for a variety

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of approaches. It can be only too easy to read without thinking about it, because a reading list has
been provided by the instructor or you think that reading is a necessary requirement of your
course.

Most people tend to feel that the way to read a book, an article or information on a personal
computer is to start at the beginning and read through to the end. At first this tends to be the
approach that many students adopt with books, opening the textbook and starting to read from
chapter one until he or she loses interest, finds it too difficult, falls asleep, or in some cases
finishes the book with relief. This method is unlikely to be the approach which brings the most
benefit when studying at university.
(Slightly adapted from Payne and Whittaker, 2000)

2. Answer the following questions using the information in the text above. Write your
answersin your notebook, and then check them with another student.

a. Why may reading be the most demanding work at university or college?

b. In what way is the written word common to every field of study?
c. What are some of the ways in which we read?
d. How do our ways of reading vary?
e. How do students who say ‘Oh no’… differ from those who say ‘Oh wow’… regarding
their perceptions of reading?
f. What do the writers mean by ―Reading is a skill which is often taken for granted‖?

3. Say whether the following statements are ‘True’ or ‘False’. Support your answers with
evidence from the text.
a. Students had developed reading skills when they come to university.
b. Our reading purpose changes according to our approach to reading.
c. Reading is the only way of gathering information about one‘s field of study.
d. Reading an instruction book in order to apply the information immediately and readingan
enjoyable novel for escapism both employ the same reading skill.
e. The writers believe that reading requires thought and effort.
f. At university, it is very useful for students to start at the beginning and read through tothe
end of a book.

4. What do the words in bold type refer to in the text?

1. …it will be an invaluable learning tool… (paragraph 1)
2. Only by doing this… (paragraph 2)
3. …and how these are examined… (paragraph 4)
4. …and both involve a variety of skills (paragraph 5)
5. …in their everyday lives… (paragraph 7)

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 5 Guess the meanings of the following words and phrases as used in the reading text. First,
work individually, and in groups of three, tell each other what helped you to arrive at
those meanings.

a. keys (paragraph1) f. vary (paragraph 6)

b. access (paragraph 2) g. themes (paragraph 6)
c. perceptions (paragraph 3) h. at their disposal (paragraph 7)
d. glancing through (paragraph 5) i. recognizing (paragraph 7)
e. extract (paragraph 5)

6. Take appropriate notes from the reading text and complete the following guided
summary.

Reading seems to be the main . It is a very useful

skill . It is through reading that academic disciplines
. One major objective of reading at university or
college is . This means that
students need to in order to be successful in their university studies.
It is also important to note that the approach to reading varies according to
, and there are different ways of tackling reading based
on .Thus, to make the best use of their reading,students need to
in addition to using the abilities that they already possess when
they come to university.

Activity 1.2.3: Post-reading

Think of your own reading experience and write a paragraph of 150 – 200 words. Use
the following questions to guide you.
1. What books or texts did you read when you were in high school?
2. How did you read them? Did you read them all in similar ways? Did you use different
ways of reading? If different, what were the ways?
3. Do you think your reading in the past was effective? Why or why not?
4. Do you think you will need to change the way you read for your university study?Explain.

1.5. Grammar focus: Present perfect tense

The following two examples are taken from the reading text above. Examine the sentences and
say what kinds of action they express.

a. Over the years authors have identified the issues relevant to a particular area of study.
b. The reading skills that you have already developed can be put to good use in academic study.

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You must have noticed in the examples that the verbs in bold type are in the present perfect
tense. You also note that the verbs express actions that happened at an unspecified time before
the present.

Look at some more examples of the uses of the present perfect tense:

➢ I have lost my keys. I can‘t open the door. (finished action that has an influence on the present)
➢ Classes have already started. (action that is going on)
➢ Ujulu has cooked dinner. (action that stopped recently)
➢ I have never been to Moyale. (action that has taken place once, never or several timesbefore
the moment of speaking.

Activity 1.4.1: Discussion

In groups of three, tell each other what we have done so far in this unit.

Example: We have listened to a talk on note taking in lectures.

(Each group member should be able to say at least two things that you have done. Then, one of
you will record the sentences and report to the class.)

The present perfect tense action can be understood more easily in contrast with an action
expressed in the simple past. Look at the following examples of the use of the two tenses:
➢ A: I have read this novel before.
B: Have you? When did you read it?A: About two years ago.
➢ A: They have constructed a new road in this area.
B: When did they finish the construction?
A: Last year.

Activity 1.4.2: Completing sentences

Complete the gaps using either the present perfect or past simple form of the verbs in
thebrackets. When you have finished, compare your answers with those of another student.

1. Yesterday we (play) football after class.

2. The boys (clean) the car. It looks new again.
3. We (just, read) the book. Now we can watch the film.
4. I first (meet) my best friend three years ago.
5. None of my family members (ever, visit) another country before.
6. She (buy) her car when she was working in a business company.
7. Things (change) a great deal at our company. When we first (start)
working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then,
we (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers.

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8. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and more comfortable.
th
In the 19 century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by
covered wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. The situation
(change) a great deal over the last century. Now you can fly from New York to Los
Angeles in a matter of hours.

Note:
1. The present perfect tense is formed using ‘have’ or ‘has’ plus the past participle of theverb.
✓ We have all submitted our assignments to the instructor.
✓ She has not written the letter yet.
2. The action expressed in the present perfect tense does not include a definite past time
because the interest is in the action, not in when the action took place.
✓ I have read this book last year.
If indicating the time is important, use the simple past tense.
✓ I read this book last year.
3. The present perfect tense is often used with the following words or phrases:
already never till now
ever not yet up to now
just so far

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 Unit 2: Health and Fitness

2.1. Grammar focus: Conditionals

1. Individually, study the questions below and try to learn how they are constructed. Then, write
three sentences in the table based on the given cues.
a. What will you ask Derartu Tulu if you meet her in your university?
b. Go back to the table you have completed about Zinedine Zidane, and quickly study the
contents. What would you ask Zinedine Zidane if you met him somewhere in Europe?
c. What would you have done if you had met Derartu Tulu immediately after she won
thewomen‘s 10,000 meters race in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992?

No. Name of What you will do/would do/would have done if you
sportsperson meet/met/had met the person
If I meet Derartu Tulu, I will . If I had
met Deratu Tulu immediately after she won the women‘s 10,000 meters
a. Derartu Tulu race in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, I would have .
b. ZinedineZidane If I met ZinedineZidane, I would .

2. Now, sit in groups of three or four and discuss your answers before your teacher gives you
feedback on them.
3. Listen and take short notes as your teacher gives a short lecture on conditional sentences.
4. Quickly develop your notes into brief summaries focusing on the forms, uses and meanings of
conditionals.
5. Finally, give oral summaries about conditionals (how conditional sentences are constructed)
insmall groups.
6. Circle the correct words in parentheses in the following dialogues (1-2).

Dialogue 1
Tigist: What‘s wrong? You look really stressed out about something.
Kedir: It‘s this research paper I‘m writing. The outline is due tomorrow, and I‘m still workingon
it. If I don‘t finish it tonight, I (get, will get, would get) an F!
Tigist: Well, I can help you if you (need, will need, would need) it.
Kedir: Really? That would be great! I get off work at 4:30. Man, I feel better already.

Dialogue 2
Almaz: Are you ready? Let‘s go. The movie starts in half an hour. We need to leave right nowif
we (want, wanted, will want, would want) to get there in time.
Muhaba: I know, I know, but I can‘t find my wallet.
Almaz: Can I do something to help you get ready?

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Muhaba: Well, if you helped me look for it instead of telling me what time it was, that (is, was,
would be) a big help.
Almaz: Okay. But let me say just one more thing: I‘d keep my wallet in the same place everyday
if I (am, were, can be) you. That way I‘d always know where it was.

Q. What would you do if you were the mother? Write your answer and show it to a partner.

2.2. Reading: Health and fitness

Activity 2.3.1: Pre-reading
1. Do you think that Zinedine Zidane and the other sportspersons you talked about in Activity 2
have you benefitted from engaging in sports? What are the benefits/advantages they might
have got from engaging in sports?
2. How do sports help us to improve our health?
3. Write short answers individually and discuss them in pairs. Then, some students will explain
their answers to the whole class.

Activity 2.3.2: While-reading

A. Read quickly the text below and find the main idea of each paragraph. Take notes while
you read to help you capture the main ideas. The first one has been done for you as an
example.

Health & Fitness

Team Sports
There are so many ways to exercise, both alone and with friends. Team sports are oneof the
best ways, for a lot of reasons, and there are so many of them to try!

When you join a team sport, there are regular practices and games keeping on a routine and
schedule means you will stick with exercise. It makes you keep going because you have made
a promise to the team to show up and play.

Team sports allow for healthy competition. You can’t always win, but you can certainly try your
best to win! When you don’t quiet make it, make sure you show good sportsmanship! Don’t be
rude to other players or teams, when you win, and don’t poutif you lost. Just practice and try
again. There are always more chances. Team sports are also a lot more fun than doing something
alone. You can make a lot of friends and learn a lot of things about games and other people.

There are a lot of different sports, something for everyone! Do you like action sports? Try
Karate, football, boxing, hockey, taekwondo, rugby, or other sports like that. Do you like having
to hit and catch a ball? Try baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cricket, lacrosse, or similar
sports. Do you like sports where accuracy counts? Try bowling, ping pong, billiards, pool,

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archery, and target shooting. How about sports that take balance and rhythm? Try competitive
dancing, gymnastics, cheerleading, and that kind of sports. Don’t forget those sports where you
have to swim! Try water polo, diving, swimming, and other fun water games! There are games
that take speed, too. Try snowboarding, running, skiing, sailing, racing, and other fast sports!

Try a whole bunch of sports. Each one is fun in a different way. Enjoy a healthy lifestyle and
have fun at the same time!

Source: Health and fitness Reading comprehension workbook. WWW.HaveFunTeaching.com

Paragraph Main Idea

Paragraph 1 Team sports as one of the best ways to exercise
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 5

1. Discuss your answers in groups of three or four. Also, focus on the techniques which you
haveused to work out the main idea of each paragraph.
2. Were your answers similar? Were there big differences? Why? What are some of the
techniques you used to work out the main ideas of the paragraphs?
B. Read the different parts of the above text and answer the following questions.
1. List the benefits of team sports.
a.
b.
c.
2. The writer believes that the ultimate goal of team sports should be winning the competition.
a. True b. False c. information not give
3. ‘them’ (paragraph 1, line 3) refers to
4. ‘It’ (paragraph 1, line 3) refers to
5. ‘Each one’ (paragraph 5, line 1) refers to
6. How did you find the information in the passage?
a. acceptable c. exaggerated
b. doubtful d. unacceptable
7. Read through paragraph 4 again. If you decide to engage in team sports, which one(s) will
youchoose? Why?
8. Now, sit in pairs and discuss your answers. You will then review them with your teacher.

Activity 2.3.3: Post-reading

What have you learned from the text on health and fitness? Write a short paragraph explainingall
that you have learned from the passage. The topic sentence has been provided to help you.

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Topic sentence: ‘I have learned important lessons from the text on health and fitness.’

2.3. Vocabulary: Guessing meaning from context

Activity 2.4.1: Building vocabulary

1. Find different words from the reading text which have the following meanings and write your
answers in the spaces provided.
a. ‘regular’ (paragraph 2) c. ‘a number of’ (paragraph 5)
b. ‘value given for sport’ (paragraph 3)
2. Now, discuss your answers in small groups. In your discussion, also focus on the techniques
that might have helped you to work out the meanings of words or phrases.

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 Unit 3: Cultural Values
3.1. Grammar focus: The present simple, past simple, present perfect and past perfect in
contrast
Activity 3.2.2: Uses of tenses

1. Match each type of tense in A to its use in B and compare your answers with your
neighbor‘s.Each tense has more than one use.
‘A’ ‘B’
1. Present simple a. expresses an experience that happened at some time in one‘s life

2. Past simple b. makes clear that one action in the past happened before
another action in the past
3. Present perfect c. expresses an action that happens again and again
4. Past perfect d. expresses a finished action in the past
e. expresses an action that began in the past and still continues
f. expresses a fact that is true for a long time
g. expresses a past action that has a present result
h. expresses a past situation or habit
i. expresses a fact that is always true

2. Work in pairs and decide what use the verb in each sentence expresses.
a. I go to work by car.
b. Ronaldo comes from Portugal.
c. He works in a bank.
d. I went to Adama last week.
e. When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea. Every day I walked for
miles onthe beach with my dog.
f. I did not go to the cinema because I had seen the film before.
g. We have lived in the same house for 25 years.
h. Have you ever had an operation?
i. What have you done to your lip? (It‘s bleeding)
3. Complete the blank spaces using the verbs given in brackets.
a. I work for a company that printers. (make)
b. This photo of her on holiday last year. (take)
c. I her since 2008. (not see)
d. I the newspaper every morning. (read)
e. When I visited her she bed-ridden for six months. (be)
f. Janet home. (go)
g. She many awards for her contribution to classical music. (win)
h. The boys were playing games when it raining. (start)
i. How long you a social activist? (be)

16
 j. We each other for a long time. (know)
k. Since 2011 they their son every year. (visit)
l. After Larry the film on TV, he decided to buy the book. (see)

Activity 3.2.3: Using tenses in writing

Write a paragraph of about 100 words in class outlining your experiences on your first day on
campus and what has happened to you so far by using the four types of tenses you have studied
in this unit. Read the paragraph to your neighbor; some of you will be selected by yourteacher to
read your paragraphs to the whole class.

3.2. Strategies for improving English grammar knowledge

Activity 3.2.1: Identifying a strategy for learning grammar

1. Some foreign language learners have very clear strategies for improving their English grammar
knowledge. For example, many Ethiopian secondary school students may say that reading an
English grammar book or doing the grammatical questions found in the university English exams
offered in the past are some of their strategies to improve their knowledge ofEnglish grammar. Tell your
neighbor if you have any strategies for improving your English grammar knowledge.
2. The table below contains strategies that can be used to improve your English grammar
knowledge. First, order the strategies from most effective (1) to least effective (7), then tick the strategies
you think you may use in the future. Compare the table you have completed with the table of your
neighbor and discuss the similarities and differences you have in terms of choices of strategies for
improving your English grammar knowledge.

Reading strategies Effectiveness of I probably use

readingstrategies in the future

Reading extensively (newspapers, novels, poems, textbooks, etc.)

Reading and listening to texts in Englishand trying to notice
characteristics of grammar use
Writing down sentences that contain and apply certain grammar
rules and studying and repeating these sentences every day, then
making up your own sentences
Rereading the paragraphs and essays you have written with the
intention of correcting the grammatical mistakes you might have
Made
Reviewing the grammatical structures you have learnt in class at
home
Owning a grammar book and reading it
Doing grammar exercises in a grammar book or online

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 3.3. Reading: The Awramba community
Activity 3.4.1: Pre-reading
1. Discuss your responses to the following questions before you read the article ‘The Awramba
community and its quest for Utopia’.
a. Is there any cultural value that some Ethiopians hold dear, but you would like to see
changed or abolished?
b. What do you think could happen to someone who tries to challenge some of the cultural
values strongly held by the majority of a cultural group?
c. What is your attitude towards an individual or a group of individuals who advocate for the
change of some cultural values strongly held by their communities?
2. Work in pairs and tell your partner what is culturally striking about the picture under the title
of the article.
3. Read carefully the article entitled ‘The Awramba community and its quest for Utopia’ and
answer the questions that follow.

The Awramba Community and Its Quest for Utopia

1 Awramba is an Ethiopian intentional community of about 463 people, located 73 kilometres east
of Bahir Dar in the Fogeraworeda of Debub Gondar Zone. It was foundedin 1980 with the goal
of solving socio-economic problems through helping one another in an environment of
egalitarianism — in marked contrast to the traditional norms ofAmhara society. The name means ‗Top of
the Hill‘ in Amharic.
2 Founded by ZumraNuru, who currently serves as co-chairman of the community, with 19 other
people who shared his vision, as of 2016 Awramba has some 450 members, and is lauded as a
model to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality in a country where women are generally
subservient to men.
3 The fact that its members work together, are diligent, disciplined and self-confidentmakes
the Awramba community distinct from other Amhara communities. Women have equal rights as
men and there is no distinction in divisions of labor between men and women. All people in the
community have no religion as distinct from most communitiesin Ethiopia. They believe in hard
work and being good to people. They keep their houses and their surrounding clean. Theft is seen
as very obscene.
4 The community is ostracized, as it does not belong to either of the two primary religious
groupings — Christianity or Islam. Members of the Awramba community, therefore, were not
given agricultural land to cultivate, but instead were pushed into the most infertile and malaria
infested corner of the district. As they cannot live on farm activities, they have diversified into
the weaving business, using both traditional and modern weaving machines. In addition, using
three grinding mills provided by the Regional Micro and Small Scale Enterprise Development
Agency, they offer milling service to neighboring farmers. The village hopes to earn more
money in order to build potable water and sewage systems, pave the road, and create an
education fund for the children.

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5 The village is unique not only for its attitudes toward gender, religion, and education, but for the
social security it provides its members in need. There are formal committees to provide services
which include education, to receive guests, to take care of patients, the elderly and children, and
community health. They have established a literacy campaign for adults, a library, and a
preschool. Despite living in a culture which practices early marriage, the people of Awramba
have decided girls should marry only after reaching theage of 18, and boys at or above 22.
6 The village's success has made it a subject of numerous studies. "So many Christian and Muslim
leaders from all over [Ethiopia's regions] and some from outside have visited the village because
it is very famous in its endeavor to eliminate poverty," says Mulgeta Wuletaw, a regional
government administrator and Member of Parliament. Another supporter is Mohammed Mussa, a
rural development consultant who prepared a case study on the village for the World Bank. "This
is an extraordinary initiative within a traditional and conservative community," he says. "It's a
good example for other Ethiopian communities — and even beyond Ethiopia — because of its
gender equality,its work ethic, and its social security system."

Activity 3.3.2: While-reading

1. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ to the following sentences based on the information contained in the
passage. Discuss your answers to these questions with a partner. You have to provide
evidencefrom the text for your answers.
a. The Awramba community and the Amhara society around Fogera have very similar waysof
life.
b. The only thing that makes the Awramba community exceptional is that it provides social
security to its members.
c. What surprises many people who visit or hear about the Awramba community is that the
transformation has occurred in a traditional and conservative society.
d. Like the rest of Ethiopia, women in Awramba are generally subservient to men.
e. The Awramba community has contacts with members of other communities around it.
f. Many studies have been done on the ways of life of the Awramba community because
members of the community rejected the ways of life of the rest of the society around them.
2. Answer the following questions based on the information in the article and write your
answers in the spaces provided under each question. The whole class will discuss the
answersto these questions.
a. What do you understand by an ‘intentional community’ in the first paragraph?

b. What is the main reason that the Awramba community is engaged in making cloth or
thread?

c. According to the article, what does the Awramba community want to do in the future?

d. Do you think the Awramba community will continue to grow in number or will it
diminish? Why?

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3. Find the words in the reading text which have the following meanings and compare your
answers with a partner’s.
a. behaviors accepted within a particular group (paragraph 1)
b. based on the belief that everyone is equal (paragraph 1)
c. to make something less bad (paragraph 2)
d. praised (paragraph 2)
e. offensive (paragraph 3)
f. showing effort in one‘s work (paragraph 3)
g. existed in large numbers (paragraph 4)
h. not allowed to be a member of a social group (paragraph 4)
i. a new plan (paragraph 6)
j. attempt (paragraph 6)
4. Match the topic of each paragraph with the number of the paragraph and tell your answers to
your teacher.
a. research on the Awramba community
b. location and period of establishment of the community
c. appreciation of the community
d. challenges the community faces and its economic activities
e. norms of the community
f. the social services the community provides

Activity 3.4.3: Post-reading

1. Write a paragraph of about 120 words describing a couple of cultural values you are proud of
or you uphold and explain their importance to society.

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 Unit 4: Wild Animals

4.1 Reading: Africa’s wild animalsActivity

4.2.1 : Brainstorming
A. Individually, write short answers to the following questions. Get ready to discuss your
answers in groups.
1. Can you name some wild animals in Ethiopia? In what ways can they be useful for the
country?
2. How can Africa benefit from its wildlife?
3. Look at the pictures in the following text. What do you expect to learn from the passage?
4. Now, sit in groups of three or four and discuss your answers before some of you explain
themto the whole class.

Activity 4.2.2: Reading comprehension

A. Read the following article quickly. Remember to write notes as your read.

Africa’s Wild Animals

The African rainforests cover a very large area –from the west coast of Africa to the mountainsin
the east in Kenya and Tanzania. If you look at our map, you‘ll see that more than 80 per centof the
rainforest is in the Congo Basin. This time we are going to mention a few larger mammals living in
this area and a small animal from Madagascar. Madagascar, the world‘s fourth largest island, lies off
the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Some animals which live there can only be found
in this part of the world.

One such animal is the lemur. There are 25 species of lemur on Madagascar and all of them are
endangered. The lemur is a monkey-like animal with large round eyes, a pointed nose, a long tail
and soft woolly fur. The largest lemur, the indri, is about 95cm long, the smallest, the mouse lemur,
is only 15cm long. All lemurs are vegetarians. They like wild figs, bananas and other forest fruits.

The mountain gorilla lives on the slopes of volcanoes in Rwanda, DRC and Uganda. They live in
small groups led by a dominant male. They are too big and heavy to climb trees and so they wander
slowly through the forest eating fruits, leaves and berries. They are the largest of thegreat apes
and look very dangerous. But scientists say they are gentle, intelligent and very friendly.

The forest elephant lives in the Congo Basin. It is much smaller than the African elephant, whichis
the biggest animal on earth. Nevertheless, even this ―small‖ elephant can be up to 250cm tall. Its
ivory is thinner, short and a bit yellowish.

The African forest is also home to different kinds of chimpanzeesand baboons. Most chimpanzees
use twigs to get tasty food from difficult places. Some can open nuts with stones and branches.

21
 Groups of about twenty chimpanzees travel together looking for fruit and leaves to eat. At night they
rest in tall trees in branches.

B. Now, discuss your answers with a partner before you answer any question.
C. Now that you have discussed your notes, answer questions 1-4 below.
1. Look at the following titles of the paragraphs. Choose from the titles (a-g) the one which fits
best each gap (1-5) in the article. There are two extra titles which you do not need to use.
a. The biggest of the great apes e. A bit of geography
b. Searching for food together f. Taller than a man
c. Madagascar – my home g. Africa‘s natural resources
d. The fastest animal in Africa
2. What does ―too big and heavy to climb trees” (paragraph 3, lines 2&3) mean?
a. able to climb trees easily due to fitting body size c. unable to climb trees due to huge body size
b. having flexible and adaptive body structure d. capable of breaking trees for food
3 Look at the phrase ‘...only be found in this part of the world’ (paragraph 1, line 6). What
areanimals which are only found in one area, and not in other areas, called?
4 Look at the title of the article: ‘Africa‘s Wild Animals’. Do you think that the title is
appropriate for the article? Why? Why not?

5. Discuss your answers with a partner quickly before you tell them to your teacher. Focuson
how you found the answers. As you finish this exercise, go to the exercise below.
6. Find the required information about the animals described in the above article, and write
your answers in the table below. When you finish, discuss your answers in small groups.

Where do they live? What do they eat? What do they looklike?

Lemurs Madagascar
Gorillas
Elephants thin and short ivory
Chimpanzees

7. Read the following sentences and decide if they are ‘True’ or ‘False’? If they are false,
correct them. If they are true, leave the line empty.

Example: The African rainforests cover the area from the west coast to the lowlands in Kenya
and Tanzania.
Answer: False
Correction: They cover the area from the west coast to the mountains in Kenya and Tanzania.

22
a. All lemurs are quite big – they are about 95cm long.

b. The mountain gorilla lives in a small group with a dominant leader.

c. The African elephant is the biggest animal on earth.

d. Chimpanzees sleep on the ground.

e. The lemurs on Madagascar are not protected.

4.3. Vocabulary: Denotative and connotative meanings

Activity 4.3.1: Understanding connotative meanings

Look at the word ‘monkey’ in ‘monkey-like’ (paragraph 2, lines 2&3). What is the dictionary
definition of the word ‘monkey’? Can words have meanings other than their dictionary meanings?

When you look up a word in the dictionary, you will find its literal meaning – that is the word‘s
denotative meaning. Denotative meaning is the basic definition of the word. However, many
words also have an emotional side. The emotions and associations connected to a word are
known as its connotative meaning. A word may have positive, negative or neutral connotation.
Ten words are given in the table below. Indicate with a tick mark (✓) the type of connotation
each word might have. Also, try to write the possible connotative meaning of each word in the
last column of the table.

Word Connotation Possible Connotative Meaning

Positive Negative Neutral
unique
mother
childish
skinny
economical
questioning
group
clique
snake
elated
adolescent

What does to know a word mean? One of the many things that one has to know about a word is
its denotative and connotative meanings. To understand a word fully and use it correctly, it is
necessary to know both its denotation (the standard definition) and its connotation (the feelings
associated with it). If we are not fully aware of a word's connotation, we may choose an
inappropriate synonym in our writing. This can lead to confusion or even to our reader taking

23
offense. For example, consider the words "group," "clique" and "club". All these three words
have basically the same denotative meaning: a set of more than one person. However, each of
these words has a different connotative meaning. This shows that when we study a new word, we
should attend to its denotative and connotative meanings.

4.4. Grammar focus: Conditionals revisedActivity

4.4.1 : Using conditionals

1. This activity helps you to revise conditional tenses which you studied in Unit 2. Write as
manyconditional sentences as you can based on the information given in the following table.

National Parks What one can seein the Your sentences

in Ethiopia parks
Kafta Sheraro African elephant If tourists go to the Semien Kafta Sheraro NationalPark,
National Park Ground squirrel they will see .
Crested porcupine
Semien Mountains Walia ibex
National Park Gelada baboon
Caracal
Bale Mountains 1. Mountain Nyala
National Park 2.Ethiopian wolf
3. Spotted hyena
Nechisar National Plains zebra
Park Greater kude
Dik-dik
Yangudi Rassa Beisaoryx
National Park Abyssinian mohr
Grevy‘s zebra
Other Parks 1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

2. Try to complete the following table. Write your own example sentences for each conditionaltype.
Conditional If-clause Main clause
Type I
Example:
Type II
Example:
Type III Example:

3. Discuss your answers with a partner before some of you volunteer to explain them to the
whole class.
4. What do you need to focus on when you study grammar (e.g. conditional sentences)?

24
 Unit 5: Population

5.1.Reading: Population pyramid

Activity 5.1.1: Pre-reading

1. What are the following structures called? Where are they found?

a. Can you guess the meaning of ‘population pyramid’? It is made up of two parts:
‘population’ and ‘pyramid’.
b. Have you ever been to a place where there was no one else around who is the same age as
you were? Were most of the people younger than you? Were most of the people older?
c. How does it feel to be in a social context where you cannot find people of your age
group?
d. What would happen if a country had only very young people or very old people?
e. Discuss your answers with your partner before a whole-class discuss is conducted.

Read the following passage and do the activities that follow.

Population Pyramid

The age structure of a country‘s population is very important. For example, if a country has a
population made up most of very young people and very old people, there will be few people of
working age. If there are not enough people to work in agriculture or manufacturing, there will
be food shortages as well as other issues, such as the need to import more goods. If a country has
a great many young children, there may be a need for more schools and teachers when those
children reach school age.

People who study population have developed a special kind of bar graph to show how the
population of an area is divided by age and by sex. This kind of graph is called a population
pyramid or age-sex pyramid. The term pyramid describes the graph‘s shape for many countries
in the 1800s, when the population pyramid graph was created. At that time, many countries had
large numbers of young people and small numbers of older people. Some countries today still fit

25
this description, or are currently moving away from it. Look at the figure below, which shows
the population pyramid for South Korea.

The vertical scale on the graph tells you what age group each bar represents. For example, the
bottom bar on the graph stands for people between the ages of 0 and 4 years. The pyramid is
made up of horizontal bars. Each bar is divided into two parts by a line down the center of the
graph. The left side of the bar represents males in the population. The right side of the bar
represents females. At the bottom of the pyramid is a scale marked in percent (%). Notice that
the scale begins in the middle of the graph at 0 percent. To read the percent of males, you must
read from the center outward to the left. To read the percent of females, you must read from the
center outward to the right. To find the total percent of the population in a particular age group,
you must add the figures for males and females.

Practice reading the population pyramid for South Korea. For what year are figures shown? In
what age group are the largest number of males? In which age group are the largest number of
females? Add the figures for males and females in the 10 to 14 age group. What percent of the
population is between the ages of 10 and 14 years? About what percent of the females in South
Korea are between the ages of 40 and 44? Look at the bars for people in South Korea between
the ages of 25 to 29 and 30 to 34. These bars are longer than any of the others. This means that
there are more people in South Korea between the ages of 25 and 34 than any other age group.
Between 2000 and 2005, this age group will get five years older—they will be in the 30 to 39 age
group. By 2010, these people will be in the 35 to 44 age group. The wide bars of the pyramid
will as a result move steadily toward the top of the pyramid.

26
Population pyramids change over time. The shape of a population pyramid is determined by a
country‘s age structure and sex ratio. It may also be influenced by migration into and out of the
country. The traditional pyramid shape is characteristic of a country with high birthrates and high
death rates. Countries with high birthrates and high death rates are in Stage 1 of the demographic
transition. Some African countries have population pyramids with this shape. Another type of
population pyramid has a narrow top, a wide base, and sides that curve inward. This shape
represents a falling death rate and a high birthrate. Countries with these population
characteristics are in Stage 2 of the demographic transition. A beehive shape characterizes a third
type of population pyramid. Countries with low birthrates, low death rates, and a high average
age have population pyramids with this shape. Some European countries such as England and
Wales have population pyramids like this. These countries are in Stage 3 of the demographic
transition. The fourth type of population pyramid has a tapered base that widens slightly as you
move to the top. This shape represents a rapid decrease in birthrates.

Activity 5.1.2: While-reading

1. Complete the following table with the main ideas of the paragraphs in the above text.
Paragraph Main Idea
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 5

2. ‘made up of’ (paragraph 1, line 2) means .

a. manufactured c. raised
b. consists of d. broken up
3. In the 1800s many countries had large numbers of young people and small numbers of older
people.
a. True b. False c. information not given
4. ‘stands for’ (paragraph 3, line 2) means .
a. represents c. divides
b. takes upright position d. explains
7. ‘This shape’ (paragraph 5, line 6) refers to
8. ‘These countries’ (paragraph 5, line 11) refers to
9. According to the last paragraph, there are categories of population pyramid.
To which category do you think Ethiopia belongs?

Now, discuss your answers in small groups before your teacher reviews them with you.
10. Summarize the fifth paragraph in 3-5 sentences. When you finish writing, check your
summary before you give it to a partner for comments and feedback.

27
 Activity 5.1.3: Post-reading

Write a short paragraph interpreting the data in the following table. The topic sentence has
been provided to help you. When you finish, revise your paragraph before you give it to
your partner for comments and feedback.

Five Most Populous Cities in Africa

City Country Population
Lagos Nigeria 21 million
Cairo Egypt 20.4 million
Kinshasa DR Congo 13.5
Luanda Angola 6.5
Nairobi Kenya 3.5 million

Topic Sentence ‘Africa's urban population has been rapidly increasing in recent years.’

5.2.Vocabulary: Collocation

Activity 5.2.1: Identifying collocations of ‘population’

Read the above text on population pyramid again and count the number of times the word
‘Population’ occurs. What other words does it go with? Write down as many words as you can
that co-occur with the word ‘population’. Then, complete the following figure. When, you finish,
discuss your answers in groups of three or four.

Now, discuss your answers with a partner for a while.

Some words occur with other words in a predictable way. This is called collocation.
Collocation is a sequence of words or terms that co-occur (affiliated with each other) in a
conventional style. In other words, collocations are partly or fully fixed expressions that become
established through repeated context-specific use. Such terms as 'crystal clear', 'middle
management', 'nuclear family', ‘pay attention’, ‘fast food’, and 'cosmetic surgery' are examples of
collocated pairs of words.

Collocation is one of the things that you need to know about a word. Therefore, it is important
that you focus on collocation when you study vocabulary. Try to find as many words or groups
of words as you can which the words written in bold in the following table collocate with.
Examples are given to help you.

have Do Make Take break catch

have a bath do business make a noise take a break break a habit catch a disease
Pay Save Keep Come go abroad get
pay attention save time keep a promise come close get angry

28
 Now, compare your answers in small groups and try to add to your list. Also, study
independently to find more words that co-occur with the words written in bold in the above table.

5.3. Grammar focus: Voices

Activity 5.3.1: Active and passive constructions

A. Study the following sentences taken from the text on population pyramid.
1. People who study population have developed a special kind of bar graph to show how the
population of an area is divided by age and by sex.
2. This kind of graph is called a population pyramid or age-sex pyramid.
3. The shape of a population pyramid is determined by a country‘s age structure and sex ratio.
4. This shape represents a rapid decrease in birthrates.
5. It may also be influenced by migration into and out of the country.
6. A beehive shape characterizes a third type of population pyramid.
B. Now, answer the following questions about the above sentences.
1. In which sentence does the subject perform the action stated by the verb?
2. In which sentences is the subject acted upon?
3. Which sentences are in active voice and which are in passive voice?
C. Work in groups of three and discuss your answers before your teacher reviews the answers.
D. Study more examples given below.

29
E. Change the following active sentences into passive.
1. People who study population have developed a special kind of bar graph to show how the
population of an area is divided by age and by sex.
2. This shape represents a rapid decrease in birthrates.
3. A beehive shape characterizes a third type of population pyramid.
F. Change the following passive sentences into active sentences.
1. This kind of graph is called a population pyramid or age-sex pyramid.
2. The shape of a population pyramid is determined by a country‘s age structure and sex ratio.
3. It may also be influenced by migration into and out of the country.

Now, discuss your answers to both exercises (E &G) in pairs before you discuss them with
your teacher.

References

Bade, M. (2008).Grammar and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from good
language learners (pp. 174-184). Cambridge University Press.
Bouchard, M. 2005. Reading comprehension strategies for English language learners: New
York: Scholastic.
Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Chamot, A.U. 1987. The learning strategies of ESL students.In A. Wenden & J. Rubin (Eds.).
Prentice-Hall: Hemel Hempstead.
Gairns, R. & Redman, S. 1986. Working with words: A guide to teaching and learning
vocabulary. Cambridge University Press.

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