Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. immigrate
    • ex. Almost 300,000 people from all over the world immigrate to Canada each year.
  2. on the way to [something]
    • ex. I like to listen to music on the way to work.
  3. hang out
    • ex. Would you like to hang out on Saturday?
  4. bored
    • ex. Many people looked bored during the presentation. I think it was too long.
  5. a full ride
    • ex. My daughter got a full ride to the University of Chicago! I’m so proud of her.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Sixteen years after immigrating from South Korea to the US, 28-year-old Younghoe Koo is now the second-highest paid kicker in the National Football League (NFL). Earlier this year he signed a five-year, $24.5 million (about ¥3.6 billion) contract with the Atlanta Falcons. $11.5 million (about ¥1.7 billion) is guaranteed.

Koo says that moving to the US at the age of 12 was extremely difficult. He didn’t speak much English, but his interest in sports helped him to make friends. He remembers sitting in a car with teammates on the way to practice. He wanted to hang out with them later, but he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he tried one simple phrase: “I’m bored.” His teammates were surprised and asked, “Now? In the car?” Koo replied, “No, no, no, on the weekends.” The next weekend, his teammates invited him to hang out.

Koo’s parents wanted him to have the best education possible, so his mother immigrated with him to the US. His father stayed in Seoul and visited for a few months each year. Thanks to Koo’s skill as a kicker, he was given a full ride to Georgia Southern University in 2013.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Learning a Foreign Language

  • When Koo moved to the US, he didn't speak much English. In your opinion, is it a good idea to move to another country if you cannot speak the language well? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Many foreign language learners are afraid of making mistakes. How do you feel about making mistakes in English (ex. it’s scary, mistakes are a good way to learn)? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what’s the best way to learn a foreign language (ex. study vocabulary lists, watch TV shows in that language)? Why? Discuss.

Koo’s Background

  • Koo's parents wanted him to have the best education possible, so his mother immigrated with him to the US. Do you agree that the US has the best education in the world? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Koo's father stayed in Seoul and visited for a few months each year. How do you feel about this (ex. very practical, not good to be so far away)? Why? Discuss.
  • Thanks to Koo's skill as a kicker, he was given a full ride to Georgia Southern University. In your opinion, should universities give full rides for sports ability? Why or why not? Discuss.