Week 4 Individual Session: Transportation

Week 4 Individual Session: Transportation

Session Goals

• Discuss modes of transportation
• Talk about driving

Pre-Session Instructions for Learner

• Before the session, record a video (1-2 minutes) describing what your favorite form of transportation is and why. Share this video with your buddy before the session.
• Read the short article at this link.
• CHALLENGE: Advanced learners can challenge themselves with the article about the Titanic story!
• Think about driving rules in your country.

Pre-Session Instructions for Volunteer

• Watch the video that the learner created about transportation. Write 2-3 follow-up questions you have about the video to ask the learner.
• Read the articles here and here.
• Watch the video and be ready to screen share it.

During the Session

• [5 min] Here are some words and phrases that relate to this week's activities. Go through them with your buddy and challenge them to use each word/phrase at least once in the session!
• to hail a taxi/to flag down a taxi = when you raise your arm to get a taxi driver’s attention to encourage it to stop in the street
• I hailed a taxi in the downtown to get to the suburb as soon as possible.
• Bottleneck (noun) = a narrow or busy section of road where the traffic often gets slower and stops
• He drove around the outside of the town to avoid the bottleneck in the center.
• Jam-packed = crowded with people
• Trains were jam-packed with tourists.
• Flustered (adjective) = upset and confused
• She seemed a little flustered after her trip.
• [10 min] Watch and discuss the learner’s video.
  • Share your screen (and sound) and play the video that the learner created before the session. If you are having technical difficulties, ask the learner to recap their video in a few sentences.
  • Ask the follow-up questions you prepared before the session.
  • Discuss the negative aspects of the learner’s selected mode of transportation and how it compares to other modes of transportation.
  • Give feedback on errors and areas for improvement and have the learner practice any difficult phrases or words.
• [10 min] What are the weirdest things that have happened to you on public transportation?
  • Raucous fellow travelers, long delays and wrong stops, finding unexpected items left behind by others, funny misunderstandings…public transportation can be the backdrop for many types of unexpected incidents. Ask the learner to share stories of weird, unusual, funny, or scary incidents that happened to them (or their family or friends) on public transport. Think of your own stories to share as well.
• [20 min] Discuss and compare public transit systems in your countries. In addition to asking questions and sharing experiences, it could be fun to brainstorm solutions to the challenges the learner mentions.
  • What is public transit like in your hometown/country?
    • What kinds of transportation are available? Which are the most popular?
    • Is it cheap (affordable?) Is it free? Should public transport be free?
    • How do you pay (card or cash)? Is there a “pass” option (pay once a month for unlimited rides)?
  • What do you want to change about public transit in your country/region?
    • Is there any way to improve the system?
    • How can you solve the problem with traffic jams and traffic congestions in rush hours?
    • Have any improvements happened recently?
  • Which is better: public transport or driving your own car? Which is more reasonable in your region?
  • When you plan a vacation, is transportation a factor in your planning?
    • What do you think is the safest mode of transport to travel? Screen share the video to watch and check.
    • Do you choose places to visit based on how easy it is to travel there?
    • Do you plan for the cost of transportation?
    • Have you ever missed out on a trip you really wanted to take because there was no feasible way to travel there?
• [10 min] Talk about driving in your countries. Ask your buddy if he/she can drive a car, about the process of getting a driving license in their country, about driving rules in your countries, and the upper and lower age limits for driving. Then read the following statements and together with your buddy decide whether you agree or disagree, justifying your opinions:
• Slow drivers cause more accidents than fast drivers.
• Driverless cars cause a lot of accidents.
• People who drink and drive should lose their driving license for life.
• Speed cameras do not prevent accidents.
• Drivers who are over 70 are as dangerous as young drivers.
• The minimum age for driving should be 21.
• The speed limit on motorways should be lower.
• [10 min] Titanic -- Oh No!
  • Review vocabulary and challenging sentences from the article.
  • Ask the learner what they knew about the Titanic before reading and what new things they learned.
  • Ask the learner if they ever get nervous when traveling (on planes, boats, buses, etc.).
    • Do you think the passengers on the Titanic were nervous when they left England? Why or why not?
  • If they built a Titanic II, would you travel on it? Why or why not?
    • Discuss “superstitious” tendencies (i.e, people who believe in bad luck).
    • Do you believe in bad luck? Does the Titanic name have bad luck now?