Speaking and listening

Preparation and Planning

This lesson requires the facility to play two videos to students. Ensure that you have access to an overhead projector or an interactive whiteboard to be able to display the materials.

Four Student Worksheets are available. These are all intended for use in groups so creating one copy per student will not be necessary.

About the MOD Topic

Defence sound and vision services - The Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) is a registered charity set up to entertain and inform Britain's Armed Forces around the world. Its mission is to be the preferred provider of entertainment and information to Service personnel and their families worldwide.

Their work makes a considerable contribution to the maintenance of the efficiency and morale of the three Services. Their activities are carried out directly for the Ministry of Defence. Any profits are donated towards Forces' welfare. Activities carried out by SSVC include:

BFBS Television - BFBS Television broadcasts the best of UK television round the clock to Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, the Middle East and bases in Canada, the Balkans, Belize, Ascension and the Falklands, with Navy TV being broadcast to HM Ships. BFBS also produce their own news reports with a focus on Armed Forces activity around the world.

BFBS Radio - BFBS Radio has three networks broadcasting pop and speech radio to 23 countries, 24 hours a day, combining the best of local radio from eight overseas locations with UK material.

Combined Services Entertainment - CSE provides over 140 live shows every year, entertaining Service personnel based around the world including Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Falkland Islands and Cyprus, as well as HM Ships.

SSVC Forces Cinemas - SSVC Forces Cinemas provides the latest box office movies to twenty static cinemas in Cyprus, Germany, Falkland Islands, UK and Northern Ireland and a mobile cinema, The Movie Machine, operating in the Balkans.

British Defence Film Library - Managed on behalf of the MOD, BDFL supplies training and recruiting programmes to all branches of the Armed Services. Visit www.ssvc.com for more information and to watch an archive of BFBS news reports if further stimulus is required.

Flooding, Summer 2007 - Areas of England and Wales were hit by severe weather in July 2007. Heavy rain on the 20th of July catalysed rising river levels and flash flooding that affected thousands of homes and businesses. The worst affected areas were: a) Gloucestershire - the River Severn burst its banks leading to flooding in several locations including Gloucester and Tewkesbury. The flooding led to water treatment works being submerged, resulting in 350,000 people finding themselves without drinking water. Three people died in the flooding. b) Hereford and Worcestershire - parts of these areas were under 1.82 metres of water. On 21st of July, many motorists were stuck overnight on the M5. The next day, the local authorities requested military assistance. c) Oxfordshire - around 900 homes were flooded after tributaries to the Thames burst their banks. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire and parts of London were also affected.

The Royal Navy, Army and the RAF were heavily involved in providing assistance to flooded areas in Gloucester and Tewkesbury. Operation Outlook involved around 400 Service personnel working simultaneously on the ground. Personnel were involved in: a) delivery of millions of litres of fresh water a day. b) fighting the flood water at vital power stations and other strategic sites in Gloucester and Tewkesbury. c) search and rescue assistance from RAF and Royal Navy helicopters, recovering over 250 people in up to 60 incidents as the river water flowed into homes and businesses.

Further Opportunities for Learning

Ask students to write a newspaper article on the flooding to support their rendition of a televised report. Students should opt to either write in a tabloid or broadsheet style. They should also decide whether to apply an editorial opinion to their piece or to report events impartially. If they opt to overlay an opinion, you might like to suggest the following as possible angles: a) The Government have let us down with the lack of flood defences. b) Climate change is upon us. c) Is this the worst summer ever?

You might like to ask students to storyboard a news report on a subject that is closer to home such as events in school or in the local area. They can perform their news report for the school during an assembly if time permits.

Students storyboard and emulate a different kind of TV programme. Students can either create: a. Home shopping programme, using classroom items as props for their sales pitch b. A cookery programme, talking the rest of the class through the creation of a dish which they are familiar with. You might like to ask students in advance to bring props in to support this lesson.

Ask students to devise a speaking and listening task for themselves to contribute towards their coursework. Their task should either involve: a. some kind of role play activity for which they must create character cards b. some kind of debate between class members for which parameters should be clearly defined.

Student worksheet answers

Download the teachers notes PDF to access the answers for this lesson.