GRETA THUNBERG’S SPEECH POST-LISTENING TASK.

COMMUNICATIVE-GRAMMAR FOCUS​.
GRETA THUNBERG’S SPEECH VIDEO ​COP24, Katowice, Poland. December 2018.
ACTIVITY 1. Do you still remember Greta’s words?
We use conditional sentences to talk about probable (1st type) or improbable (2nd type) situations in
the future. Fill in the gaps with the verbs in the box below. Is Greta expressing low or high
probability?

there is will ask start focusing will spend can get are cannot solve
treat imagine should change wanted to have

1.If a few children __________ headlines all over the world just by not going to school, then
___________ what we can all do together if we really ____________. (Low/high probability)
2.If solutions within this system ____________so impossible to find then we ____________the
system itself. (Low/high probability)
3.We _________ a crisis unless we _________ it as a crisis. (Low/high probability)
4.Unless you ______________on what needs to be done rather than what it’s politically
possible,_____________ no hope. (Low/high probability)
5.If I ____________ children maybe they ______________that day with me, maybe they
________________why you didn't do anything while there still was time to act.

ACTIVITY 2. What about you? What’s your opinion about climate justice action?
In pairs, now finish these conditional sentences with your own ideas:
A. If all students took action together around the world...
B. If politicians really wanted to care for our planet…
C. There is no hope, unless politicians....
D. Unless we start caring about climate justice and the living planet…

Score: _____/ 12p

1 point for each sentence that makes sense and 2 points for each sentence that is grammatically
communicates an idea, even if grammar is not correct and makes sense.
fully correct.

3 points for each sentence that is grammatically 0 points for each sentence that doesn’t manage
correct, makes sense and it’s unique in the to communicate an idea.
class.
GRETA THUNBERG’S SPEECH POST-LISTENING TASK.
COMMUNICATIVE-GRAMMAR FOCUS​.

ACTIVITY 3. Never too late..!

Complete Greta’s words and the rephrasing sentences below with TOO or ENOUGH:
● You (people) are never ______ small to make a difference.
People are always big _________.
● You (politicians) are _______ scared of being unpopular.
Politicians are not brave __________.
● You (politicians) are not mature ________ to tell it like it is.
Politicians are ________ immature.

TOO / ENOUGH ​ OO/ ENOUGH

T
➔ Means more than what is ➔ Means as much as necessary.
necessary. ➔ Is used after the adjective.
➔ Is used before the adjective.
________ + adjective. adjective + __________

Class debate:
1. Do you think people are ​too/enough​ small to make changes in the world?
2. Do you agree with Greta that politicians are ​too/enough​ scared about losing popularity?
3. How do you feel about a 15 year-old girl telling politicians they are not mature ​too/enough​ ?

ACTIVITY 4.
“Our civilization is being sacrificed. Our biosphere is being sacrificed.”
Fill in the gaps and answer the questions with your partner.
● Our civilization and our biosphere ______ being sacrificed by _________________.
➢ Greta Thunberg doesn’t specify WHO is sacrificing our civilization and our biosphere. She
uses a passive structure so there is no active subject. Who do you think it is?
➢ According to her words, does the sacrifice belong to the past, present or future? __________
What else is being sacrificed in our planet at the moment? Can we stop it? How?

___________________is/are being sacrificed. ____________________is/are being sacrificed.

___________________is/are being sacrificed. ___________________is/are being sacrificed.

FINAL ACTIVITY. “The year 2078 I will celebrate my 75th birthday”, says Greta. How old will you be
in 2078? What will the climate be like then? And the planet? What will people be doing? And
politicians? Be optimistic and imagine life in 2078. Write about it, using will and future continuous.
GRETA THUNBERG’S SPEECH POST-LISTENING TASK.
COMMUNICATIVE-GRAMMAR FOCUS​.

In year 2078 I’ll celebrate my _____ birthday.

CC Rebeca Calvo Cogan

GRETA THUNBERG’S SPEECH POST-LISTENING TASK.
COMMUNICATIVE-GRAMMAR FOCUS​.

KEY/ transcript.
"My name is Greta Thunberg, I am 15 years old, and I am from Sweden. I speak on behalf of Climate
Justice Now​*. Many people say that Sweden is just a small country and it doesn't matter what we do,
but I've learned that you are ​never too small to make a difference​, and ​if a few children can get
headlines all over the world just by not going to school, then imagine what we can all do together if
we really wanted to. ​But to do that we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable that may
be. You only speak of a green eternal economic growth because ​you are too scared of being
unpopular​. You only talk about moving forward with ​the same bad ideas that get us into this mess​,
even when ​the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake​. ​You are not mature enough to
tell like it is, even that burden you leave to us, children​. But I don't care about being popular, I care
about climate justice and the Living Planet. ​Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a
very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money. ​Our biosphere is
being sacrificed​, so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury. It is the sufferings of the
many which pay for the luxuries of the few. ​The year 2078 I will celebrate my 75th birthday​. ​If I have
children maybe they will spend that day with me, maybe they will ask me about you, maybe they will
ask why you didn't do anything while there still was time to act. ​You say you love your children above
all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes​. ​Until you start focusing on
what needs to be done rather than what it’s politically possible, there is no hope​. ​We cannot solve a
crisis without treating it as a crisis​. We need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground and we need to
focus on equity, and ​if solutions within this system are so impossible to find, then we should change
the system itself​. We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the
past and you will ignore us again. ​You have run out of excuses and we are running out of time​. We
have come here to let you know that change is coming whether you like it or not. The real power
belongs to the people. Thank you."