Voices of Australia - Education Module
Teaching and learning strategies
Activity 4: Listening activity
Aim:
Students will be able to empathise with others in regards to their experiences of migration, making friends, racism and establishing community values. Students will acquire knowledge through listening and sharing ideas.
Method:
1. Students listen to selected stories from Voices of Australia. The audio CD is in five sections. Teachers should either select a section to focus on, or play it from start to finish.
2. Using the attached activity sheet, students should complete questions about different characters (either individually or in groups).
3. Discuss answers as a class (refer to answer guide).
Time suggested:
Each of the five segments runs for 10–12 mins each. The lesson could be split over two lessons, or shortened by either selecting fewer sections of the audio CD, or having each group answer different sections before reporting back to the class.
Resources:
Listening to Voices of Australia
Listening to Voices of Australia
Before listening
1. Have you, or any of your friends/classmates travelled to another country?
2. Have you, or any of your friends/classmates, moved to Australia from another country? How did you feel when you arrived (eg. lonely, excited)?
3. What does ‘multiculturalism’ mean?
4. How has migration made a positive impact on Australian society?
5. Have you ever encountered racism? Explain what happened and how it was dealt with (by you, your friends, the school, family, community or by the law).
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During listening
The Racial Discrimination Act is a landmark law that helps Australians to live free from racial discrimination.
Listen to the audio CD of Voices of Australia speaking about life in Australia, and consider some of the questions below.
Part 1 – Australia: our home
1. What does it mean to be ‘Australian’?
2. What does each of the characters consider the most important aspect of living in, and being Australian is? (identify each character’s priorities)
Freedom to study
Easy going lifestyle
The outdoors
Our values
Sacred places
Spiritual connections
Peace and stability
| Flo Watson | Spiritual connections |
| Kathy Mills |
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| Steve Pratt | |
| Marat Sverdlov | |
| Razia Zahedi | |
| Thao Nguyen |
Part 2 – Unexpected friendships
Each of the characters in this section has had an unexpected friendship since arriving in Australia. Listen to each of the people’s stories and match the way in which they made new and unexpected friends.
Part 3 – Racism: Not in my backyard
The Racial Discrimination Act makes racism and racial discrimination against the law. This means that people cannot treat others differently because of their race, colour, descent, national origin or ethnic origin. The stories in this section give examples of when racism does exist within society and shows how people have dealt with such situations.
Using the stories, complete the box below.
Action |
How was the situation dealt with by each character? |
Questions about nationality
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Being ignored by shopkeepers
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Denial of community existence in history lessons
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Part 4 - Breaking down barriers
There are many ways that we can build relationships and get to know other people in our community. For each of the following, write one sentence about how the people in this section have broken down barriers in their own community.
1. Barbeque
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2. Workplace
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3. Football
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4. Language
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5. Education
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Part 5 - From tolerance to respect
Listen to part five of the audio CD and find out more information about Dean Widders and Thao Nguyen.
Dean Widders is a well known professional rugby league player who has recently signed on with the South Sydney Rabbitohs team. Dean is also highly regarded for his work outside of rugby, working with Aboriginal community groups.
What type of things does Dean do in order to overcome stereotypes and unspoken perceptions about Aboriginal people?
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Thao Nguyen arrived in Australia in the 1970’s from Vietnam. Recently she represented
Australia as a youth representative at the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This meant that she was the first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and the first
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After listening
1. Explain the difference between tolerance and respect.
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2. Make a list of people that you respect in your community and briefly explain why.
Person (eg coach) |
Why? (eg. because he/she gives us equal time on the field) |
3. How does each of the different characters (on the audio CD) feel about their place in society? (eg. comfortable, afraid, happy, marginalised, accepted)
4. How do events like the destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York impact upon our society? Has it changed the way that some Muslim people are perceived in Australia (at school, in the media, in your community)?
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5. What similarities and differences, if any, are there between the stories of Indigenous
Australians and those of migrants to the country?
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