The Reading / Listening - Titles - Level 0

A university in South Africa will not use titles like Mr‚ Ms or Mrs with students. It wants to support transgender people. A statement read: "It is [upsetting] for a person who‚ for example‚ was...female at birth but identifies as male to be...addressed by [another] title." Transgender people are choosing the gender-neutral title "Mx".

The university said it, "opposes all...discrimination on the basis of gender identity". An official said: "We want people in our university community to feel safe." A law professor said it was, "the most wonderful moment for true equality [and] a triumph for an understanding of the diversity of gender identity."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Titles - Level 1,  Titles - Level 2   or  Titles - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-07-19-wits-drops-mr-ms-and-mrs-titles/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-44922404
  • http://ewn.co.za/2018/07/23/equality-commission-hails-wits-decision-to-remove-gender-prefixes


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A university
  2. use titles like
  3. support transgender
  4. It is
  5. female at
  6. addressed
  7. Transgender people
  8. the gender-neutral
  1. birth
  2. are choosing
  3. Mr‚ Ms or Mrs
  4. title "Mx"
  5. upsetting
  6. in South Africa
  7. by another title
  8. people

Paragraph 2

  1. The university
  2. it opposes all
  3. on the basis
  4. We want
  5. our university
  6. feel
  7. true
  8. the diversity of
  1. people
  2. equality
  3. gender identity
  4. said it
  5. safe
  6. of gender identity
  7. community
  8. discrimination

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A university in South Africa (1) ___________________ titles like Mr‚ Ms or Mrs with students. (2) ___________________ support transgender people. A statement (3) ___________________ [upsetting] for (4) ___________________‚ for example‚ was...female at birth (5) ___________________ male to be...addressed by [another] title." Transgender people are (6) ___________________-neutral title "Mx".

The university said (7) ___________________...discrimination on the (8) ___________________ identity". An official said: "We want (9) ___________________ university community to feel safe." A law professor (10) ___________________, "the most wonderful moment (11) ___________________." [and] a triumph for an understanding (12) ___________________ of gender identity."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AuniversityinSouthAfricawillnotusetitleslikeMr‚MsorMrswithstudent
s.Itwantstosupporttransgenderpeople.Astatementread:"Itis[upsett
ing]forapersonwho‚forexample‚was...femaleatbirthbutidentifiesas
maletobe...addressedby[another]title."Transgenderpeoplearechoo
singthegender-neutraltitle"Mx".Theuniversitysaidit,"opposesall...d
iscriminationonthebasisofgenderidentity".Anofficialsaid:"Wewantp
eopleinouruniversitycommunitytofeelsafe."Alawprofessorsaiditwas
,"themostwonderfulmomentfortrueequality."[and]atriumphforanu
nderstandingofthediversityofgenderidentity."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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