PRE-VIEWING:

Look at the title and predict the main ideas of the video. Then, write down three wh-questions about the text.

Ex: Where does the saola live?

LISTENING FOR THE MAIN IDEAS:

Watch the video, and try to understand the main ideas. Listen for the answers to the questions you wrote in part 1. Do not worry about unfamiliar vocabulary. 

LISTENING FOR KEY INFORMATION:

The following notes contain some key facts from the video.

Read the notes, and predict the missing words. Then, watch the video again and complete the notes.

Listen and complete the notes:

1. The saola was discovered in ________.

2. The saola is one of the __________ animals in the world.

3. It is threatened by _______________.

4. There are probably about _____________ saolas living in the wild.

5. The saola working group has made _________ to save the saola.

6. The saola working group is introducing new techniques such as ___________ trapping and dog detection.

7. It is difficult to raise money for saola conservation because not many people ___________it.

8. To find out how to save the saola, go to _______________.org.

POST-LISTENING:

Discussion: Find a study friend to discuss the story with. Summarise the content, then discuss the following questions.

Is saving wildlife like the saola important? Why or why not?

Can Vietnam develop its economy and protect its natural forests at the same time? How?

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:

Look at the tapescript and fill the gaps.

FOLLOW-UP:

Write an essay on the following topic.

Glossary:

Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.

• Saola: a small two-horned mammal discovered in Vietnam in 1992, with similarities to both antelopes and oxen (Con sao la)

• Mammal (n): an animal that can feed its young with milk from its body, for example a dog, cow, or human (Động vật hữu nhũ, động vật có vú)

• Conservation (n): the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc. (Sự bảo tồn thiên nhiên)

• Biodiversity (n) (adj = biodiverse): the number of different plants and animals in a place (Sự đa dạng sinh học)

• Stunning (adj): very surprising or shocking (Gây kinh ngạc)

• Ecological (adj): relating to the relationship of living things to each other and to their environment (Thuộc sinh thái)

• Uniqueness (n): being the only one of its kind (Tính độc nhất vô nhị)

• Annamite Mountains (n): dãy Trường Sơn

• Poaching (n) (v = poach): the illegal catching or hunting of animals (Săn bắt trái phép)

• Snare (n): a trap for catching birds or small animals (Cái bẫy)

• Sustainable development (n): conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources (Sự phát triển bền vững)

• Species (n): a group of animals or plants of the same kind (Giống, loài)

• Reintroduction (n) (v = reintroduce): putting (a species of animal or plant) back into a former habitat (Trả về tự nhiên)

• Habitat (n): the natural environment in which a plant or animal lives (Môi trường sống tự nhiên, hệ sinh thái (của một loài thực vật hoặc động vật nào đó))

• Ecosystem services (n): resources and processes derived from ecosystems which benefit humankind e.g. clean drinking water (Nguồn tài nguyên sinh thái)

• In-situ (adv): in the original place (Về đúng vị trí của nó)

• Collaboratively (adv): in a way that several groups of people working together (Cùng hợp tác)

• Emblem (n): something that represents a perfect example or principle (Biểu tượng, biểu trưng)

Idioms and Expressions:

• Come into play: the state of being active, operative, or effective (Có hiệu lực)

• Knock-on effects: a process in which one thing that happens will have an effect on another thing (Hiệu ứng dây chuyền)

• Pull together: to act, work together with other people in an organized way and without fighting (Đồng lòng, cùng hợp tác)

• Umbrella (n): an organization that includes many smaller groups (Tổ chức bảo trợ, cơ quan trung ương điều phối nhiều tổ chức nhỏ khác nhau)

Answers:

1. The saola was discovered in 1992.

2. The saola is one of the rarest animals in the world.

3. It is threatened by poaching (or hunting/illegal hunting).

4. There are probably about 200-250 saolas living in the wild.

5. The saola working group has made (solid) plans to save the saola.

6. The saola working group is introducing new techniques such as camera trapping and dog detection.

7. It is difficult to raise money for saola conservation because not many people know about it.

8. To find out how to save the saola, go to savethesaola.org.

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).