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Learning English with CBCListening Lessons for Intermediate StudentsBased on the podcast “Manitoba This Week”

Broadcast date: April 26, 2008

Self Study Edition

Level: Benchmark 5 and up

Topic: What’s in a Name?Skill areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

Language tasks: Listening – listening to a short interview for main ideas, details and inference Speaking – expressing opinions; practising a role play Reading – reading an informational text and answering questionsWriting: writing a script for a role-play; taking notes

Language competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Extend your learning: Is naming a baby is similar to naming a product?

Write a script for a radio call-in show

Learn more about the Vital Statistics Agency

Think about an old saying about names

Essential Skills1: Writing, reading text, thinking skills, oral communication

Appendices: Transcript of the podcastBackground articles on naming and branding Transcript of listener callsAnswers to Worksheets

Attention students: You will need to print the lesson to be able to complete the activities.

1 Essential Skills are the skills required to successfully participate in the Canadian Labour Market and they are a natural extension of EAL lessons. In 2008, the Essential Skills that are included in Learning English with CBC lesson plans will be noted on the cover page.

Manitoba Memo The Vital Statistics Agency of the Manitoba government keeps track of births, deaths, marriages and name changes in the province. They provide certificates for these events to residents for a fee. Vital Statistics also publishes a list of the ten most popular baby names for boys and girls. In 2007, the most popular name for a boy in Manitoba was Ethan and the most popular name for a girl was Ava. The ten most popular names accounted for just under 10% of the names given to newborns in 2007. This means over 90% of parents have chosen less common names for their children. While many parents name their children after other family members, or simply choose a name they’ve always liked, other parents want their child’s name to be unique. The internet has become a very popular tool for searching for names and parents are naming their children after places, colours, characters in books and countries. They’re choosing names from different cultures because they like how the name sounds or what it means. But like many trends, the trend toward unique names may shift and more traditional names may become more common again. The Jovi who is born this year may name her daughter Elizabeth, Mary or Jane!

Background

1. Before you listen, read the Manitoba Memo and think about the following questions

How do parents decide on baby names in your country? What cultural or family traditions do they consider?

Do you think the way parents choose baby names in Canada is different than in your country? How is/isn’t it different? Do you know the origin of your own name? Why did your parents choose it?

In your country, is it common for parents to find out the gender of the baby in advance? Is that something you would want to do? Why or why not?

Do people in your country change names when they get married? Whose name changes? Does everyone change his or her name in the same way?

Self Study: What’s in a Name? Learning English with CBC of 18

2. Words you need to know

Try the vocabulary exercise and see if you can find the meaning of the following vocabulary words in context before you listen to the podcast. Circle the word that has a similar meaning to the underlined word. The first example is completed for you. Hint: In one question, all of the meanings are correct. Which question is it?

1. Jovi is a/an unique name for a girl.

a) unusual b) common c) ordinary

2. That’s a cool name. I’ve never heard it before.

a) very likeable b) odd c) strange

3. Marcy is a massive fan of the group Bon Jovi.

a) heavy b) huge c) large

4. Terry thinks that getting 500 signatures on Facebook to support naming the baby Bon Jovi will be easy. In fact, he says it is a done deal.

a) certain to happen b) possible it will happen c) unlikely to happen

5. Melissa is bored. She can’t work because of her pregnancy so she spends her time on the internet researching baby names.

a) very tired b) inactive c) looking for things to do

6. When it comes to baby names, it’s always a good idea to have back-up options in case your first choice doesn’t work out.

a) additional b) other c) alternative

7. The name Jovi is derived from Jovanah, which means majestic.

a) originally from b) the same as c) similar to

Here are a few other words that may be new to you.

Facebook Facebook is an internet site that an individual sets up and invites others to join. Most Facebook sites share information and photos but some sites are established for a specific purpose or cause.

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is the name of a well-known rock group that was formed in the 1980’s and continues to perform today.


set the bar high If someone sets the bar high, they are setting up a situation that will be very challenging or difficult to accomplish.

a sheaf A sheaf of paper is several pieces of paper held or tied together. For example, “Our teacher put a sheaf of paper on her desk.”

fate Fate can have positive or negative connotations. It can be used to describe something which happens over which you have no control, for example, “It was fate that they lost their home in the flood.” Or it can be used to describe something that was meant to be, for example, “It was fate that they met and fell in love.”

3. Predict what the podcast is about

In this podcast, Terry and Marcy interview a couple who set up a Facebook site to help them determine a name for their baby girl. What kinds of questions do you think Terry and Marcy will ask the parents?

Here are some examples. Can you think of others?

I think they might ask….why the parents have set up a Facebook site.I’m sure they’ll ask …what baby names the parents are considering. I don’t think they’ll ask…why the parents decided to find out the gender of the baby before its birth.I can’t think of anything they’ll ask.

4. Get ready to listen

In this podcast, you will hear four speakers. You will hear:

Marcy Markusa – interviewer and hostTerry MacLeod – interviewerMelissa Morissette – future motherKen Morissette – future father

Play the podcast for the first time.


5. Listen for details and inference

Read the true and false statements below. When you listen this time, listen for the information you need to determine whether the statements are true or false. The first one is completed for you.

Listen for detail T or FMelissa and Ken are expecting a baby in the fall. F

If Jon Bon Jovi himself joins the Facebook group, Melissa and Ken will definitely name their daughter after him.

Melissa has wanted to name her first child Jovi since she was five years old.Ken sent Jon Bon Jovi an email but he hasn’t received a reply from him yet.Melissa’s last name, Dorota, means Dorothy in Polish.

Jovi means God will judge.

Listen for inferenceThe original idea for the baby’s name was a joint decision.

Melissa doesn’t really expect to hear back from Jon Bon Jovi.

Ken is convinced that Jovi is a good name for his daughter.

Melissa has traditional ideas about choosing names.

Melissa and Ken want only friends and family to have input on the name they choose for their daughter.

Now for extra practise, re-write the statements that are false, so that they are true statements.


After you listen

a) Review your pre-listening predictions

Quickly review your pre-listening predictions. Did you correctly predict the kinds of questions Terry and Marcy asked?

b) Listen for question intonation

The questions Terry and Marcy ask in this podcast have different intonations. In some kinds of questions, their voice falls toward the end of the question while in other kinds of questions, their voice rises at the end. Here are some examples from the podcast.

Line Question Type of question Intonation10 Why did you pick that one? Information – you

can’t answer the question with a simple yes or no you have to give more information

Falls toward the end

47 Do you have back-up options? Yes / No – You can answer the question with yes or no

Rises toward the end

31 This is a done deal now, right? Tag – a tag question is a statement with a word or phrase at the end which turns the statement into a question. Right, is that right, correct and isn’t it are examples of question tags.

Rises toward the end

Practise asking these questions with the correct intonation. Play the podcast again and listen carefully to the intonation.


c) Is it choose, chose or chosen?

The verb “to choose” is an irregular verb. Here are the forms:

Infinitive Simple Past Past ParticipleTo choose chose chosen

And here are some examples of how the verb is used:

Ken and Melissa are using Facebook to help them choose a name for their baby.

Melissa chose the name Jovi because Bon Jovi was her favourite rock group when she was growing up.

It sounds like the parents have already chosen Jovi as the name for their baby.

Now it’s your turn to practise using this irregular verb. Watch for clues to tell you what time the verb is describing. The first one is completed for you.

1. Many parents choose a name from their family for their baby.

2. Do you know how your parents ________ your name when you were born?

3. What do you think of the name Ken and Melissa have ___________?

4. It’s a good idea to have back-up options. Then at least you have a few names to ________ from when the baby is born.

5. Whatever name the parents ________, let’s hope their child is happy with it.

6. I know a family where the parents couldn’t decide on a name. After the baby was born, they __________ their doctor’s name for their baby!

7. Sometimes parents take a well-known name but they________ to spell it differently. For example, John becomes Jon.

8. That name is so hard to spell I wish her parents had ____________ a different name.


d) Naming babies and naming productsAre there similarities between naming babies and naming products or companies? Read the stories in Appendix 2. Then write down what you think are the main points of each one. Finally, answer the questions.

The three main points of story #1 are:

1.____________________________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________________________

The three main points of story #2 are:

1.____________________________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________________________

Questions to think about:

1. Do you think deciding what to name a product or company is similar to deciding what to name a baby? What’s similar about it? What’s different?

2. What do you think about parents consulting strangers or hiring “naming experts”

to help them choose a name for their baby? Why do you think that?

3. How important is a name to the success of a brand or product? Give reasons for your answer.

4. How important is a name to the success of a person? Give reasons for your answer.

5. Do you think parents are going too far in their search for unique baby names? Why or why not?

6. What do you think the future name trend will be? Will people return to very traditional names?


e) Write a script for a radio call-in show

When Marcy and Terry conducted the actual interview with Melissa and Ken, they also asked listeners to call in or email their opinions on whether having a unique name is a blessing or a curse. (For examples of the responses they received, see Appendix 3).

Use the information below to help you write a script for a radio call-in show. Then try performing it out loud. Make sure you get the proper intonation for the questions the interviewer asks. The topic of the call-in show is: Unusual names and naming traditions.

Here are some ideas you can use to help you write your script. But be sure to use your own ideas too!

Interviewer questions / comments Caller commentsGreet callers and tell them about today’s topic.

Respond and/or ask follow-up questions, for example: That’s interesting. Why do you think that?

Thank callers for their comments.e.g. Thanks for calling in today. Thanks for your comments.

End the call-in show by summarizing a few of the caller’s comments.

Talk about your own experience – is it easy to be a newcomer with an unfamiliar name?

Say what you like or don’t like about your own name.

Talk about naming traditions in your country.

Give your opinion on the current trend where parents consult strangers about choosing baby names.

Give your opinion on why choosing a name is important.


Script worksheet

Host Hi, I’m ______________ and welcome to ______________________. Today we’re going to talk about trends in baby naming and whether it’s a good or bad thing to have an unusual name. You can call us at _______________ to tell us what you think. It looks like we have our first call. Hello, what’s your opinion on our topic?

Caller #1 Hi, _______________, this is ______________ calling. I’m really interested in your topic. I think …..

Host


f) Read about the Vital Statistics Agency and answer questions

Read the following information from the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency website. Then answer the questions.

What we do ...The Vital Statistics Agency is responsible for registering vital events (birth, death, marriage, stillbirth and change of name) in Manitoba and provides documents as proof of those events. The standard charge for a certificate is $25.00.

How you can reach us...Address: 254 Portage Avenue

Winnipeg, MB R3C 0B6Phone: (204) 945-3701 Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 ext. 3701 (within Manitoba only)Fax: (204) 948-3128

Email: [email protected]

Hours of Operation...The Vital Statistics Agency is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. The hours of operation are subject to any government-wide office closures (e.g. statutory holidays).

Responsibilities include... Birth Certificate Death Certificate Marriage Certificate Change of Name (PERSONAL) Marriage Commissioners Marriage Licence Common-law Certificates

Questions

1. In what kinds of situations would you get in touch with the Vital Statistics Agency?

2. What are two ways you can contact them?

3. When is the office open?

4. July 1st is a statutory holiday. Will the office be open on that day?

5. What would it cost to get a birth certificate?

6. What is the process of registering a birth in your country?


mailto:[email protected]

g) Think about an old saying

At one time, it was common for parents to say to their children, “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” The implication is that physical harm is much worse than verbal harm.

What do you think of the saying? On what level is it true? On what level is it false? Is it something you would say to your children? Why or why not? Do you have a similar expression in your language?

Want to know more…

If you would like to know more about the rock group Bon Jovi, go to http://www.bonjovi.com

This lesson inspired some of the activities included here and is a great source for additional ideas: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=878

The original articles used in the activity comparing naming babies to naming a product are from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html?mod=googlenews_wsjand http://www.ahundredmonkeys.com/usnews-naming-branding.html

Manitoba Vital Statistics website can be found at: http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)


http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/

http://www.ahundredmonkeys.com/usnews-naming-branding.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=878

http://www.bonjovi.com/

Appendix 1: Transcript

April 26, 2008 Speaker Podcast Line

Marcy Hi, I’m Marcy Markusa and you’re listening to Learning English with

CBC. Today Terry and I talk with Melissa and Ken Morissette about

names. They’re expecting a baby girl in August and Melissa has come

up with a unique way to convince her husband that they should name

their daughter after a rock star. Listen in and see what you think of the

name and their method of choosing it!

5

Melissa Hi.

Terry Okay, now your Facebook page explains this is just for fun, but if it

works your daughter will have Bon Jovi’s last name right, as her first

name. Why’d you pick that one? 10

Melissa Uhm I dunno, I’ve always liked the name, I think it’s cool.

Terry And ah Ken, what do you think about that?

Ken You know, I do like the name, there’s just the kind of things that come

into play with the whole idea of Jovi being my child’s, my daughter’s

name. 15

Terry Ah what, because it’s another guy’s name?

Ken That’s one of them, for sure.

Marcy Okay, I’m a massive fan. So I wanna I wanna go back to the moment

in your house where you say to your husband, “Hey, you know what I

think we should name our child?” Like how did that all happen? How

did you even sell this to Ken?

20

Melissa I had it in my head since I was probably five, since I was a Bon Jovi

fan. So it’s it’s always been in my head, that when, I was going to

have a child to name it Jovi so I think he knew it was coming, the

second we found out we were having a baby. 25

Marcy And where did the Facebook idea come from?


Melissa I was just really bored the other day. I’m not working right now, I’m just

on bed rest with my pregnancy, so I I was bored and I got on the internet

and I said, “Well here’s a fun way to try to convince Ken.”

Terry So Ken you know on Facebook you can get 500 signatures for

practically anything. This is a done deal now right?

30

Ken No, but we’ve added to it a little bit though. There’s not just getting

people on the group. Once we have people on the group we’re going to

have a vote so basically we’re going to start a little uhm an event where

we vote on whether the name should be Jovi. 35

Terry Yeah but you’ve also put another rider on it haven’t you?

Ken The other one was if Jon Bon Jovi himself joined the group, ah that that

would be another way that we would …

Terry That sets the bar pretty high.

Marcy Have you tried to contact him yet? 40

Melissa I sent him an email.

Marcy Did he get back to you?

Melissa Uhm I sent it yesterday so I’m I’m sure he’ll get right on it.

Terry Now, you you you have a list of other names there with you, don’t you?

Melissa laughs 45

Terry Other names you’ve been thinking of right?

Marcy Do you have back-up options?

Melissa I have back-up names with meanings, ya.

Terry You’ve got a sheaf of them there.

Melissa Well I wanted to look up different meanings of Jovi. And Jovi is derived

from Jovanah, which means majestic and Jov, J-O-V, means God will

judge. And I just have one other little fact how my last name is Dorota,

which means Dorothy in Polish, which is Jon Bon Jovi’s wife’s name.

50

Marcy Oh so you’re like double…it’s like fate right?

Melissa Ya. 55

Marcy Ken’s rolling his eyes.


Appendix 2: Is naming a baby similar to branding a product?

What’s in a name?

Choosing a baby name is becoming an increasingly stressful experience for some parents. There’s a lot of pressure to get it right! Some people think that naming a baby is becoming more like naming a company or branding a product.

Instructions

One half of your group will read story #1. The other half of your group will read story #2. Then you will write down the three main points of the story you read.

Each group will share the main points of their story with the rest of the group.

Finally, the group will discuss the questions. Take a few point form notes so you can share your group’s thoughts with the rest of the class.

Story #1: What's In a Name? Plenty, Experts Advise

James M. PethokoukisUSNews Staff WriterSep. 26, 2005

When Scott Levy took over as CEO of KAR Printing six years ago, he knew he wanted to narrow the company's focus. Levy was eager to concentrate on producing four-color advertising inserts, the kind of ads that are stuffed in mailboxes and newspapers. But once the focus was changed, Levy was left with a 350-employee company whose name no longer matched its mission. "We still were getting lumped in with all the commercial printers," he says. Plus, the name was pretty generic and lifeless.

After months of creating and then whittling down a list of 45 possible names for his company, Levy had a winner. He is now CEO of Doodad--as in those pesky little "doodads"2 in the newspaper. Not everyone liked the name, Levy recalls: "My dad, a shareholder, said, 'What is this doohickey thing you named the company?' But I told him it was catchy and it puts a smile on people's faces. What's so wrong with that?"

The name is general enough to encompass unknown future lines of business. As one expert says, "Remember, you are going to have to live with your name a long time. You want it to be memorable and effective.”

2 In this case, “doodad” refers to the inserts or advertisements that are inserted into the newspaper (as opposed to ads which are printed as part of the newspaper).Self Study: What’s in a Name? Learning English with CBC of 18

Story #2: The Baby-Name BusinessBy ALEXANDRA ALTERJune 22, 2007

What's in a name? Stress.

Sociologists and name researchers say they are seeing unprecedented levels of stress among parents trying to choose names for their children. As family names and old religious standbys continue to lose favour, parents are spending more time and money on the issue and are increasingly turning to strangers for help.

Some parents are checking Social Security data to make sure their choices aren't too trendy, while others are fussing over every consonant like corporate branding experts. They're also pulling ideas from books, Web sites and software programs, and in some cases, hiring professional baby-name consultants who use mathematical formulas.

And the growing brand consciousness among consumers has made parents more aware of how names can shape perceptions. The result: a child's name has become an emblem of individual taste more than a reflection of family traditions or cultural values. "We live in a marketing-oriented society," says Bruce Lansky, a former advertising executive and author of eight books on baby names, including "100,000 + Baby Names." "People who understand branding know that when you pick the right name, you're giving your child a head start."

Most observers say the parental anxiety -- and the current interest in unusual names -- should continue to grow. An Internet-traffic research firm, says "baby names" was one of the top 10 generic Internet search terms in 2006, the first year the company tracked such data, ranking it alongside "weather," "directions" and "maps."

Others, citing the rising popularity of names like Sophie, Hannah, Violet and Emma, predict a return to the classics.


Appendix 3

Transcript of listener calls and emails Terry and Marcy received in response to the question: Is having an unusual name a blessing or a curse?

#1This is Lani calling. I have an unusual name and I got Lawny, Laney, all growing up and honestly I love unusual names, so much so that my husband and I decided to name our son Ajax, but not just Ajax, Ajax Michael Napoleon Zastery. So yes to unusual names. I think they should go for it.

#2I think they should go for it. My name is Mardi, as in Mardi Gras. There was never anyone with the same name as me as I grew up and my son’s not quite a year old and his name is Grail, which most people have to be told two or three times before they get it right, yes Grail, as in the Holy Grail.

#3My name is Harlene. I found when I was growing up my name was never mentioned on Romper Room3 and that was something that scarred me for life a bit and I could never get a key chain or a mug or anything like that but with that said, I wouldn’t change my name for anything. I think having an unusual name makes a person even a little more unique than they already are.

3 Romper Room was a children’s television program. The host looked through a magnifying glass at the outset of the program and said “I see …….” and listed off the names of children who might be watching.Self Study: What’s in a Name? Learning English with CBC of 18

Appendix 4: Answers to Worksheets

Learning vocabulary in context

1. a) unusual2. a) very likeable3. b) huge4. a) certain to happen5. c) looking for things to do6. all work7. a) originally from

Reading for details and inference – True or False?

Melissa and Ken are expecting a baby in the fall. F

If Jon Bon Jovi himself joins the Facebook group, Melissa and Ken will definitely name their daughter after him.

T

Melissa has wanted to name her first child Jovi since she was five years old.

T

Ken sent Jon Bon Jovi an email but he hasn’t received a reply from him yet.

F

Melissa’s last name, Dorota, means Dorothy in Polish. T

Jovi means God will judge. F

The original idea for the baby’s name was a joint decision. F

Melissa doesn’t really expect to hear back from Jon Bon Jovi. T

Ken is convinced that Jovi is a good name for his daughter. F

Melissa has traditional ideas about choosing names. F

Melissa and Ken want only friends and family to have input on the name they choose for their daughter.

F

Is it choose, chose or chosen?

1. choose2. chose3. chosen4. choose5. choose6. chose7. choose8. chosen


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