www.newsflashenglish.com The 4 page 60 minute ESL British English lesson 05/10/14 It s an interesting question with interesting answers These days being a bricklayer in many countries is not sexy, nor is it trendy. Many young people prefer to take a media studies course or learn IT skills. Learning a trade is not encouraged like it used to be. In the UK schools prefer their students to take A levels and go on to university. That s fine if you are clever enough to do this. Not everyone wants to do this though. Back in the 1980s Mrs Thatcher introduced approximately 2,000 odd universities across the UK, rather than the 200 or so that there used to be. This has now led to over qualified people in jobs. 20% of graduates leaving university can t get a job, or they get a job in another field using the university degree they qualified for. Yes, more people have gone to university but this has led to a skills shortage in trade jobs; like plumbing, electricians and building skills, as young people neither want to learn manual skills nor want to do apprenticeships. Today in Britain there is another skills shortage of laid off since the economic crisis of 2008. These people have since gone on to get other jobs and hence are now unavailable as bricklayers. Another 400,000 are due to retire in the next five years - hence the sudden shortage of skilled bricklayers. One can earn very good money as a bricklayer. In fact, the shortage of skilled tradespeople has allowed bricklayers to ramp-up their hourly rate. It should be said that bricklaying is not just for men. It is for women too! It would be nice to see more female bricklayers. Young people today should be guided into apprenticeships in the construction industry earlier than they are. However, it seems there is little interest from young pupils at school, mainly because of the attitudes of parents and teachers. It appears attitudes and ideas do need to change! SPEAKING WARM UP Think of three things you know about bricklayers. Go round the room swapping details with others. LISTENING WRITING - DICTATION The teacher will read some lines of the article slowly to the class. READING Students should now read the article aloud, swapping readers every paragraph. SPEAKING - UNDERSTANDING 1) The article Students check any unknown vocabulary or phrases with the teacher. 2) The article - Students should look through the article with the teacher. 1) What is the article about? 2) What do you think about the article? 3) Was this an easy or difficult article to understand? 4) Was this a boring or interesting article? 5) Discuss the article. 3) Article quiz - Students quiz each other in pairs. Score a point for each correct answer. Score half a point each time you have to look at the article for help. See who can get the highest score! Student A questions 1) What happened in 2008? 2) What does trendy mean? 3) What is not trendy? 4) Who was Mrs Thatcher? 5) Who are due to retire and when? Student B questions 1) What needs to change? 2) What does a bricklayer do? 3) What is an apprenticeship? 4) What are manual skills? 5) What is a plumber? Category: Skills / Trade / Bricklaying Intermediate / Upper Intermediate

In pairs. On the board write as many words as you can to do with Bricklayers. One-two minutes. Compare with other teams. Using your words compile a short dialogue together. In pairs Write down three points from the article about bricklayers. Talk about them. 1) 2) 3) Add three other trades. Discuss together. 1) 2) 3) The teacher will choose some pairs to discuss their findings in front of the class. In pairs/as a class - On the board Write down five reasons why you should be a bricklayer. Then write down five reasons why you should not! Talk about them! 5 mins. SPEAKING ROLEPLAY 1 In groups. One of you is the interviewer. There are up to four guests. You are in the Create TV television studio. Today s interview is: Would you like to be a bricklayer? 10 mins. 1) A bricklayer. 2) A teenager at school. 3) A careers advisor at school. 4) Someone from a construction company. The teacher will choose some groups to roleplay their interview in front of the class. SPEAKING - ROLEPLAY 2 In pairs. Student A is a teenager at school. Student B is the worlds No 1 bricklayer. Student B is visiting the school to discuss with students why they should consider being a bricklayer! 5- mins. SPEAKING DISCUSSION Allow 10 minutes As a class. Think of 10 different trades Write them on the board - Talk about them! The teacher can moderate the session. DISCUSSION Student A questions 1) Did the headline make you want to read the article? 2) 3) Do parental and teacher s attitudes need to change when guiding young people into the building industry? 4) Do you know anyone who is a bricklayer? 5) Can you earn a lot of money as a bricklayer in your country? 6) Are there a shortage of bricklayers in your country? 7) Would you consider taking an apprenticeship? 8) Is there a shortage of skilled tradespeople in your country? 9) Do you need a university degree to get a job in your country? Explain! 10) Have you learnt anything in today s English lesson? DISCUSSION Student B questions 1) What do you think about what you ve read? 2) Should there be more women bricklayers? 3) Do you know any women who are bricklayers? 4) Should young people today be guided into apprenticeships? 5) Why is there little interest from teenagers at school to be a bricklayer? 6) Why do pupils at school now prefer to study media studies? 7) Did you study for a degree then later end up in a job that had nothing to do with it? Why? 8) Is there an oversupply of university students in your country looking for jobs? 9) Has this been a difficult lesson for you to understand? 10) Did you like this discussion? 2

GAP FILL: READING edited GAP FILL: GRAMMAR edited These days being a (1) in many countries is not sexy, nor is it (2). Many young people prefer to take a media studies course or learn IT skills. Learning a trade is not encouraged like it used to be. In the UK schools prefer their students to take A levels and go on to university. That s (3) if you are clever enough to do this. Not everyone wants to do this though. Back in the 1980s Mrs Thatcher introduced approximately 2,000 (4) universities across the UK, rather than the 200 or so that there used to be. This has now led to over qualified people in jobs. 20% of graduates leaving university can t get a job, or they get a job in another field using the university (5) they qualified for. Yes, more people have gone to university but this has led to a skills shortage in trade jobs; like (6), electricians and building skills, as young people neither want to learn (7) skills nor want to do (8). manual / bricklayer / apprenticeships / odd / plumbing / trendy / fine / degree (1) days being a bricklayer in many countries is not sexy, nor is it trendy. (2) young people prefer to take a media studies course or learn IT skills. Learning a trade is not encouraged like it used to be. In the UK schools prefer (3) students to take A levels and go on to university. That s fine if you are clever enough to do this. Not everyone wants to do this (4). Back in the 1980s Mrs Thatcher introduced approximately 2,000 odd universities across the UK, rather than the 200 or so (5) there used to be. This has now led to (6) qualified people in jobs. 20% of graduates leaving university can t get a job, or they get a job in another field using the university degree (7) qualified for. Yes, (8) people have gone to university but this has led to a skills shortage in trade jobs; like plumbing, electricians and building skills, as young people neither want to learn manual skills nor want to do apprenticeships. that / their / these / many / more / they / though / over Today in Britain there is another (1) shortage of laid off since the economic (2) of 2008. These people have since gone on to get other jobs and hence are now unavailable as bricklayers. Another 400,000 are due to (3) in the next five years - hence the sudden shortage of skilled bricklayers. One can earn very good money as a bricklayer. In fact, the (4) of skilled (5) has allowed bricklayers to (6) their hourly rate. It should be said that bricklaying is not just for men. It is for women too! It would be nice to see more female bricklayers. Young people today should be guided into apprenticeships in the (7) industry earlier than they are. However, it seems there is little interest from young pupils at school, mainly because of the (8) of parents and teachers. It appears attitudes and ideas do need to change! skills / ramp-up / construction / tradespeople / shortage / attitudes / crisis / retire Today in Britain there is another skills shortage of laid off since the economic crisis (1) 2008. These people have since gone on to get other jobs and hence are now unavailable as bricklayers. Another 400,000 are due to retire in (2) next five years - hence the sudden shortage of skilled bricklayers. One can earn very good money (3) a bricklayer. (4) fact, the shortage of skilled tradespeople has allowed bricklayers to ramp-up their hourly rate. It should be said that bricklaying is not just for men. It is (5) women too! It would be nice to see more female bricklayers. Young people today should be guided into apprenticeships in the construction industry earlier than they are. However, it seems there is little interest from young pupils (6) school, mainly because of the attitudes of parents and teachers. (7) appears attitudes (8) ideas do need to change! in / it / of / at / as / for / and / the 3

GAP FILL: LISTENING edited These days being a bricklayer in many countries is not sexy, nor is it trendy. prefer to take a media studies course or learn IT skills. Learning a trade is not encouraged like it used to be. In the UK students to take A levels and go on to university. That s fine if you are clever enough to do this. Not everyone wants to do this though. Back in the 1980s Mrs Thatcher introduced approximately 2,000 odd universities across the UK, rather than the 200 or so that there used to be. over qualified people in jobs. 20% of graduates leaving university can t get a job, or they get a job in the university degree they qualified for. Yes, more people have gone to university but this has led to a skills shortage in trade jobs; like plumbing,, as young people neither want to learn manual skills nor want to do apprenticeships. WRITING/SPEAKING 1) On the board - In pairs, as a class - write down 20 things about bricklayers. Talk about them! 5 mins. 2) Sentence starters - Finish these sentence starters. Correct your mistakes. Compare what other people have written. 1) Bricklayer s 2) Being a bricklayer 3) An apprenticeship 3) Homework - Write and send a 200 word email to your teacher about: Would you like to be a bricklayer? Your email can be read out in class. Today in Britain there is of bricklayers. This has been caused by 400,000 being laid off since the economic crisis of 2008. These people have since gone on to get other jobs and hence are now unavailable as bricklayers. Another 400,000 are due to retire in the next five years - hence the skilled bricklayers. One can earn very good money as a bricklayer. In fact, the shortage of skilled tradespeople has allowed bricklayers to ramp-up their hourly rate. It should be said that bricklaying. It is for women too! It would be nice to see more female bricklayers. Young people today should be guided into apprenticeships in the earlier than they are. However, it seems there is little interest from young pupils at school, mainly because of the attitudes of. www.newsflashenglish.com Copyright D.J. Robinson 2014 (V1) GAP FILL READING 1) bricklayer 2) trendy 3) fine 4) odd 5) degree 6) plumbing 7) manual 8) apprenticeships SPELLING The teacher will ask the class individually to spell the following words that are in the article. Afterwards check your answers. 1) bricklayer 2) countries 3) trendy 4) nor 5) media studies 6) trade 7) prefer 8) though 9) approximately 10) rather ANSWERS 1) skills 2) crisis 3) retire 4) shortage 5) tradespeople 6) ramp-up 7) construction 8) attitudes SPELLING Use the following ratings: Pass = 12 Good = 15 Very good = 18 Excellent = 20 11) apprenticeships 12) odd 13) manual skills 14) hence 15) tradespeople 16) construction 17) attitudes 18) mainly 19) tradespeople 20) sudden 4

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