Welcome to

Week 2

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•Discuss innovation and technology

•Practice and develop our listening skills

•Analyze some vocabulary about innovation and technology

•Practice the vocabulary and our speaking skills

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How do people in general use technology in their

everyday life?

What is necessary for something to become an

innovation?
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Work with a partner and discuss the following:

What technology do you and your family use?

Could you go a day, week, month or even a year without it?

Would you ever consider becoming an inventor or innovator?

 (Page 75) Exercise 1:You are going to watch an
edited version of a TED Talk by David Sengeh
called The sore problem of prosthetic limbs. Read
the text about the speaker and the talk. Then
work in pairs and discuss the questions.

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DAVID SENGEH grew up in Sierra Leone, where many people became

amputees in the civil war there. When he noticed that people weren't
wearing their prosthetic limbs, he investigated the reasons for this and then,
as part of his PhD at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), he tried to
work out a solution to the problem.

David Sengeh's idea worth spreading is that those who have a disability
should have the opportunity to live active, enjoyable lives – beginning with
more comfortable prosthetics. /prɑːsˈθet̬.ɪks/
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(Page 75) Exercise 2: Read the sentences (1–6).

The words in bold are used in the TED Talk.
First guess the meaning of the words. Then
match the words with their definitions.
1. A prosthesis /ˈprɑːs.θə.sɪs/ takes the place of a missing
limb for amputees.
2. A patient who can't change the position of their body easily
can get pressure sores.
3. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed
where my leg was broken.
4. When a person's arm comes out of their shoulder socket,
it's quite easy to put it back into place.
5. Patients who have to spend a lot of time in bed find
that pillows can make them more comfortable.
6. Paralympic athletes compete in sports classified by
their disability, such as sight problems or being an amputee.
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Answers
a. an artificial part of the body = prosthesis /ˈprɑːs.θə.sɪs/

b. a type of medical technology that takes pictures of the body = magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI)

c. soft cushions = pillows

d. painful damage to the skin= pressure sores

e. a cup-shaped part of a device that another part fits into= socket

f. a physical or mental condition that can affect the way a person functions=
disability
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(Page 75) Exercise 3a: Work in pairs. Look at the Authentic listening skills box.
Then listen to the beginning of the TED Talk. Did you find any aspect of David
Sengeh's English different from the spoken English you’re used to? Tell your
partner.

● the pronunciation of some of the words?

● the stress and rhythm of his speech?
● something else?

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Suggested Answers

He stresses 'mate' in estimated and 'tate' in amputated.

He says everything at the same pace, without the natural stress of a native-
speaker.

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Exercise 3b (page 75) Listen to the beginning of the talk again. Notice the
parts that sound different from what you expected.

'I was born and raised in Sierra Leone, a small and very beautiful country in West
Africa, a country rich both in physical resources and creative talent. However, Sierra
Leone is infamous for a decade-long rebel war in the '90s when entire villages were
burnt down. An estimated 8,000 men, women and children had their arms and legs
amputated during this time.'

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Exercise 3c (page 75) Work in pairs. Read the beginning of the talk to your
partner. What differences do you notice in your stress, rhythm or intonation?

'I was born and raised in Sierra Leone, a small and very beautiful country in West
Africa, a country rich both in physical resources and creative talent. However, Sierra
Leone is infamous for a decade-long rebel war in the '90s when entire villages were
burnt down. An estimated 8,000 men, women and children had their arms and legs
amputated during this time.’

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Exercise 1 (page 76) Watch the edited version of the TED Talk. Choose the
correct option to complete the sentences.

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Answers
1.David Sengeh was a ________ during the war.
young man/boy
2.Many people who had suffered amputation ________ prosthetic limbs.
didn't wear/couldn't afford
3.The prosthetic limbs available in Sierra Leone were ________ to wear.
comfortable/painful
4.While he was ________ , David Sengeh developed a solution to the prosthetic problem.
still at school/doing his PhD
5.The sockets David Sengeh makes are ________ to produce.
cheap/expensive
6.David Sengeh wants to make functional prostheses for use ________.
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in Sierra Leone/anywhere
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Last class we saw the TED Talk by David Sengeh.

What do you remember about it?

Why is his research and work important?

What does he want to do with it?

Watch the TED Talk again and make notes about the main ideas.

Use your notes to write 3-4 sentences summarizing the contents of the text
(talk).
Sierra León is a small and beautiful country. It is located in the west of Africa.
At least 800 of men, women and children from Sierra Leon have suffered from
amputated limbs because of war.
Many of the amputees don’t use a prosthetic because the socket doesn’t fit with the
residual limb causing pressure sores.

David was born in a small country in West Africa. Then, he decided to create a new
prosthetics because the normal ones are painful and don’t feel comfortable. He
created a soft prosthetics that feels like walking on a pillow. 17
(page 77) Exercise 3: Watch the second part (2.30–3.45) of the talk again. Put
the events in order (1–5).

a. He got very positive feedback from a recent trial.

b. They discussed solving the problem of painful sockets.
c. He produced the sockets with a 3D printer.
d. He met Professor Hugh Herr.
e. He used medical technology to look at individual patients.

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Answers

a. He got very positive feedback from a recent trial. 5

b. They discussed solving the problem of painful sockets. 2
c. He produced the sockets with a 3D printer. 4
d. He met Professor Hugh Herr. 1
e. He used medical technology to look at individual patients. 3

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(Page 77) Exercise 4: Watch the third part (3.45 to the end) of the talk again.
Do you think these sentences represent David Sengeh's views?

1. His work should do more than simply help people to live a normal life. Yes

2. Comfortable prostheses heal people psychologically as well as physically. ?

3. Good prosthetic limbs can transform people's lives. Yes

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(Page 77) Exercise 5. Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

3. Are ideas and innovations like David’s necessary in your country? Why/Why not?
4. Besides technology, what are other ways government and society can do to help?

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Semáforo = traffic light
There are is something like that where I live
the beeping sound letting you know when you can pass cross the street
The government should also have programs to help these people. ☺
Transportation should be more innovative/accessible. ☺
Concientizar / crear conciencia = raise awareness
It should be taught in school how to help people with disabilities. ☺
Yes, because children need to learn how are they they are going to help them
Pronunciation
Braille breɪl
Privacy ˈpraɪvəsi
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Prosthetics prɑˈsθɛtɪks Prosthesis ˌprɔˈsθɛsɪs
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(Page77) Exercise 6: Watch the clips from the TED Talk. Choose the correct
meaning of the words.

Indeed (adv.) = really

Wrap up (phrasal verb) = finish
Actual (adjective) = real (in fact)
Figure out (phrasal verb) = solve or find a solution/answers
Just simply (adverb phrase)= totally
Trouble (verb) = worry
Write one sentence for each of the words from the vocabulary and adapt it to
Mexico or Brazil’s context.
E.g., Politics in Mexico and Brazil are troubling most people.
Feedback:
Indeed, Mexico hasn't wrapped up the vaccination strategy.
In Mexico journalism is a just simply a dangerous job, the government has not figured out how
to protect them. Most of them are troubled about their safety.
1. The help is for those who indeed need it.
2. Just wrap it up! There’s no time.
3. The actual meaning is troubling for me.
4. Let’s figure out what this is about.
5. For real, this is just simply easy to understand
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6. It was a real trouble, but I got it.

Write one sentence for each of the words from the vocabulary and adapt it to
Mexico or Brazil’s context.
Feedback:
The current president is actually terrible.
Indeed, the supermarket is very expensive.
I figure out the Carnaval is at the end of the month.
Don’t forget to wrap up the presentation.
The government doesn’t figure out a solution to the insecurity in the country.
The government doesn’t trouble with all the crime.

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