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Women’s achievements in the 21st century: Warm up

Before reading the chapter, ask the students to work in pairs or small groups and give them the following questions to encourage them to explore the subject of the changing role of women. At this point students should be tapping in to their knowledge of the subject and not doing any research.

• Which jobs do you think are especially ‘men’s’ jobs? Think about jobs you would not expect women to do or where you do not usually see women.

• Following this, which jobs do you think are typically ‘women’s’ jobs?

• Do you think there are specific reasons for this?

• Think about your own family. Do your parents have specific areas of responsibility? For example, who does the cooking, the shopping, or drives the car when the family goes on holiday?

• Do you (and your brothers or sisters) have work to do at home? Who takes out the bins, clears and sets the table? Do you clean your own room?

6.1 Famous female achievers

The writing activity is to create a flyer. This genre involves careful planning of the information that the student wants to present. It is a combination of flow text and bullet points. There will be a title and, if necessary, references. The flyer the students are asked to create here will have references to the websites where the information came from. Other flyers may need to list names and addresses of contact persons.

In the final examination there is sometimes an option to create a flyer. In the examination the student’s work must reflect understanding of the requirements of this text type even though it will be written on the examination paper and will not be a double-sided flyer with illustrations.

6.2 Girls in school

Students should list three or four points mentioned in the text which support the claim that learning in another language is beneficial to achievement for girls.

These points could include:

• Teaching subjects in a foreign language encourages pupils to believe making mistakes is acceptable.

• Learning school subjects in another language encourages thinking ‘outside the box’.

• Fear of failure is reduced.

• There is an increased willingness to take intellectual risks.

• Confidence to solve problems is increased.

Ask students if they agree with these claims and if they agree that this is a problem particular to girls.

The writing activity is to write a speech about language learning from a personal perspective. Before the students write the speech, ask them to discuss in pairs some of the ideas that they could bring into the speech. They should talk about their own experiences of language learning and discuss together which aspects might be suitable to bring into a speech. Do they want to give some tips about language learning in the speech? If so, they could make a list of tips to include. Do they want to give examples of how their self-confidence has grown as their skill in English has grown? If so, they could consider some anecdotal examples to include in the speech.

06 TEACHER’S GUIDE

Women’s achievements in the 21st century

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06 Women’s achievements in the 21st century

6.3 Meet the women doing ‘men’s work’

Before the students read the text or look at the pictures, ask them to suggest five jobs that may be presented here and which show women in typically male-dominated areas.

Look at the texts and see if they were correct in their predictions.

They should read the texts aloud. These are interviews and the text is their actual words. The students should practise reading these texts with intonation which reflects understanding of what they read. The teachers should model the reading as necessary. It is an advantage if students’ readings can be recorded.

The final oral activity builds on the reading and discussion done throughout the chapter, and the students should be able to incorporate vocabulary they have acquired and ideas they have developed. In addition, they should explore the ideas of men doing women’s jobs.

Exam practice

The written exercises involve using a range of vocabulary associated with women’s achievements, as well as women’s equality and emancipation in our society.

Students should collect vocabulary and phrases which they think will be useful when writing and speaking about these areas. Guide students through the text to be aware of this suggested vocabulary:

• economic, social, and political achievements

• suffragettes

• to campaign

• to vote

• new millennium

• a shift in attitude

• patriarchy

• equality

• to celebrate

• inequities to be redressed.

Suggestions for further reading

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Answers

Text 6.1.1

General comprehension

1 The removal of Elizabeth Fry from the five-pound note.

2 ‘triggered much public debate’

3 They are competing in a male-dominated world.

4 She would be taken more seriously if she were thought to be male.

5 answers will vary

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06Women’s achievements in the 21st century

Text handling

1 thus

2 removed

3 triggered

4 worthy

5 acknowledgement

6 illustrate

7 domain

8 pseudonym

Text 6.2.1

General comprehension

1 South Hampstead High School, Oxford High School, Central Newcastle High School

2 Theatre workshops in unplanned (improvised) comedy and boasting lessons.

3 The aim is to make girls confident enough to take intellectual risks.

4 To identify teaching styles that most benefit girls.

Text handling

1 c

2 c

3 a

4 b

5 b

6 d

7 d

8 c

Text 6.3.1

General comprehension

1 A qualification to work with young children and a category C HGV driving qualification.

2 Terrifying but successful.

3 Some men think she is young and that it is unusual for a woman to be driving a truck.

4 She ignores them.

Text handling

1 Match the words:

I B

II G

III F

IV E

V A

VI H

2 Words in context:

a it is used to steer a truck

b good looking

c men

d making jokes

e to learn something

Text 6.3.2

General comprehension

1 A coxswain is in charge of a boat.

2 Her father and brothers also work on the sea.

3 Very important – you only succeed as a team.

4 There is a lot of responsibility and the work is hard.

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06 Women’s achievements in the 21st century

Text handling

1 Match the words:

I F

II A

III D

IV B

2 Words in context:

a the person in charge on one of the shifts

b ‘on call’ means the person can be summoned to work at any point during the designated time, but during the rest of that time they can pursue their own activities

c the work that is carried out by the lifeboat crew when there is an emergency

d the ebb and flow of the sea

Text 6.3.3

General comprehension

1 10,000 cabs are in use at any one time on average.

2 No, she felt equal.

3 The job requires determination and discipline – qualities both men and women have.

4 Learning the many street names and where they are (the knowledge).

5 She has no pension.

Text handling

1 Match the words:

I B

II E

III A

IV C

2 Words in context:

a the majority of people doing this job are men

b men

c succeed in doing something

Text 6.3.4

General comprehension

1 Her favourite activity was reading motor magazines.

2 She could tell how fast all cars in the UK can accelerate from 0–60 mph.

3 It was considered a job for boys.

4 To make women confident enough to also become mechanics.

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06Women’s achievements in the 21st century

Text handling

1 Match the words:

I D

II C

III E

IV B

2 Words in context:

a to make you start thinking about something

b the kind of environment that people frequently think is dominated by men

c strength of muscle but without consideration of technique

Text 6.3.5

General comprehension

1 Her relatives also work with animals (sheep).

2 No, she became a proofreader.

3 You have to be skilled rather than strong.

4 She works as a retail butcher.

Text handling

1 Match the words:

I E

II D

III F

2 Words in context:

a a small number of times

b to pass the final examinations of a university course

c her grandfather’s father’s father

Grammar in context

1 Suggested answers:

a I have been studying at this school for two years.

b My brother has been working for an American company in China for five years.

c My older sister has been living in London for some months.

d Katie Gillard has been driving trucks for six years.

2 Suggested answers:

a I have been skiing every winter since 2013.

b The maths teacher has been playing in a jazz combo since he told them he played the trombone.

c My sister has been looking for a new flat since she came back from Paris.

d I have been worried since I lost my keys on the way to school.

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06 Women’s achievements in the 21st century

Exam practice

Exercises

1 I C

II G

III E

IV K

V L

VI D

VII B

VIII I

2 I B

II A

III F