Daily English 1202 Describing Student Achievement

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:18
Explanation begins at: 4:18
Normal Speed begins at: 18:04

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,202 – Describing Student Achievement.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,202. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Jeannie and William about describing how well students do in school. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Jeannie: Everything okay?

William: No, I just got off the phone with my daughter’s school and they’re not putting her in the gifted and talented program.

Jeannie: That’s disappointing, but wasn’t she struggling in school last year?

William: Her teachers were thinking of putting her in remedial classes. Can you believe that? My daughter is getting poor grades because she’s bored in school. She tunes out. She’d be coasting in her classes if the teachers would just challenge her.

Jeannie: Are you sure that’s the problem? My son was considered low-achieving in the lower grades, but since starting high school, he’s doing a lot better.

William: I’m telling you, my daughter could be high-achieving if they’d only put her in the gifted and talented program. It’s all about teacher expectations.

Jeannie: Well, it’s not all about expectations . . .

William: Are you trying to tell me that my daughter is slow and I should just accept it?

Jeannie: I’m saying that kids develop at their own pace. Some are late bloomers.

William: Nobody in my family has ever been late in anything, and they’re not going to start now.

Jeannie: Putting pressure on her might make matters worse.

William: Who’s putting pressure on her? Maybe I can help her by getting her tutors in every subject and enrolling her in summer programs.

Jeannie: Maybe she just needs more time . . .

William: And let her waste her potential? What kind of father would I be then?

[end of dialogue]

Jeannie asks William, “Everything okay?” meaning “Is everything okay?” Sometimes, informally in English, we may not put the word or the verb “is” in the sentence, but we understand what the person is saying.

William says, “No, I just got off the phone,” meaning I was just talking on the phone, “with my daughter’s school and they’re not putting her in the gifted and talented program.” “To be gifted” means to be very intelligent or to have some special skill, some special ability. Similarly, “to be talented” means to have a special ability to do something. It might be an ability to sing very well, or to play music, or sports, or to perhaps even be good at math or English.

In many American schools, there are special programs for students who are considered especially intelligent or who have special gifts or talents, and these are called “gifted and talented programs.” I myself was never in a school that had a gifted and talented program. It’s something that started in the 1980s in some schools in the U.S., although there were probably programs before that, that went under different names, had different names for them. Nowadays it has become very popular in many public schools to have these gifted and talented programs.

Jeannie says, “That’s disappointing,” meaning it’s disappointing that William’s daughter will not be put into one of these gifted and talented programs. Maybe William’s daughter isn’t as intelligent as he thinks she is. Jeannie says, “Wasn’t she struggling in school last year?” “To be struggling” (struggling) means to be having difficulties, to be having problems with something. If you’re struggling in school, you’re having a difficult time. You’re not doing very well.

William says, “Her teachers were thinking of putting her in remedial classes.” “Remedial (remedial) classes” are classes that are meant to help students who are not doing very well in school, students who are doing worse than the other students in their grade level or in their class. If all the other students are able to do, say, algebra and you can’t even do arithmetic, you might be put in a remedial class – a class designed especially for students who are behind the other students of that particular age.

William is surprised the teachers were going to put his daughter into a remedial class. He says, “My daughter is getting poor grades because she’s bored in school.” “Poor grades” would be not very good grades, bad grades. He says that his daughter is just bored – that’s why she doesn’t do well in school. Yeah, I’m sure that’s the reason. “She tunes out,” William says. “To tune (tune) out” means to stop paying attention, to ignore what is happening around you and instead think of something else.

William claims, “She’d be coasting in her classes if the teachers would just challenge her.” “To be coasting” (coasting) means to be doing something very well without even trying, without having to work very hard. He thinks the teachers need “to challenge” (challenge) his daughter. “To challenge” a student in class here would refer to making the student work harder by giving the student something more difficult. William thinks that if his daughter’s teachers gave her things that were more difficult, she would pay attention and do better in school.

Jeannie says, “Are you sure that’s the problem? My son was considered low-achieving in the lower grades, but since starting high school, he’s doing a lot better.” “To be low-achieving” means to not be performing very well in school, to be getting bad grades in school. “Lower grades” here means elementary school, when a child is, say, ages six through 10 or so.

William says, “I’m telling you, my daughter could be high-achieving if they’d only put her in the gifted and talented program.” “I’m telling you” is an expression William uses here because he’s trying to get Jeannie to understand and he doesn’t think Jeannie is really listening to him. He is trying to convince Jeannie. He’s trying to convince Jeannie that his daughter could be “high-achieving” – that is, could be getting good grades – if the school would only put her in the gifted and talented program.

He says, “It’s all about teacher expectations.” “It’s all about” here means what’s important – the most important thing. William thinks the most important thing is “teacher expectations” (expectations) Your “expectations” are what you believe someone can do or should do. William thinks that if the teachers had higher expectations of his daughter, she would do better, and there’s a theory in education that says that students perform depending on how well their teachers expect the students to perform.

Jeannie says, “Well, it’s not all about expectations,” meaning that isn’t the entire story or that doesn’t explain everything. William doesn’t agree. He interrupts her and says, “Are you trying to tell me that my daughter is slow and I should just accept it?” “To be slow,” here means to not learn as quickly as the other children or perhaps not to be quite as intelligent as the other children.

Jeannie says, “I’m saying that kids develop at their own pace.” “To develop” here means to grow intellectually. She’s saying that kids develop “at their own pace” (pace). “Pace” refers to the speed – how quickly, in this case, kids develop. William doesn’t like the idea that Jeannie perhaps thinks his daughter is developing more slowly intellectually than the other students. Jeannie tries to defend herself by saying, “I’m just saying that kids develop at their own pace. Some are late bloomers.”

“To be a late bloomer” (bloomer) is to develop or mature later than other people do, at a later age than other people do. Some people, for example, take longer to finish their college education, or they may go back to college when they are older than the typical student in order to study. We may describe that kind of person as a “late bloomer” – someone who doesn’t do well at something until a later age than is typical for that particular skill or achievement.

There’s a famous painter in the U.S., “Grandma Moses,” who didn’t start painting until she was quite elderly. She is a good example of a “late bloomer.” The word “bloomer” comes from the verb “to bloom,” which describes the process of a flower opening up in, normally, the springtime. William says, “Nobody in my family has ever been late in anything, and they’re not going to start now,” meaning no one in my family is a late bloomer and my daughter will not be a late bloomer, either.

Jeannie says, “Putting pressure on her might make matters worse.” “To put pressure” (pressure) on someone is to say or do something to someone that indicates you expect him to do very well. You expect him to perform well, or perform a certain task quickly. “To make matters worse” means to make something that is already a problem an even worse problem – to take what is already a small problem and make it an even larger problem.

William says, “Who’s putting pressure on her?” He’s rejecting the idea that he is putting any pressure on his daughter. He says, “Maybe I can help her by getting her tutors in every subject and enrolling her in summer programs.” A “tutor” (tutor) is a person who provides one-on-one or personal instruction outside of a classroom to a student who is having difficulty.

Many parents will pay someone or pay an organization to give their sons and daughters extra help in academic subjects outside of school. This happens in many different countries including here in the U.S. Some parents will send their students to “summer programs.” These are basically schools that take place in the summer time to help students do better or to help students learn more than they could learn in their own regular schools.

Jeannie says, “Maybe she just needs more time.” William says, “And let her waste her potential?” A person’s “potential” (potential) is the set of skills or abilities that a person has that could be developed further. Your “potential” is what you could do in the future based on the skills, intellect, or talent that you have now. You could talk about a student having “great potential” as a mathematician or as a musician. That means that the student isn’t a great mathematician or a musician now, but could be in the future.

William doesn’t want to waste his daughter’s potential. He says, “What kind of father would I be then?” meaning if I did that, I would not be a very good father.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Jeannie: Everything okay?

William: No, I just got off the phone with my daughter’s school and they’re not putting her in the gifted and talented program.

Jeannie: That’s disappointing, but wasn’t she struggling in school last year?

Jeannie: Are you sure that’s the problem? My son was considered low-achieving in the lower grades, but since starting high school, he’s doing a lot better.

William: I’m telling you, my daughter could be high-achieving if they’d only put her in the gifted and talented program. It’s all about teacher expectations.

Jeannie: Well, it’s not all about expectations . . .

William: Are you trying to tell me that my daughter is slow and I should just accept it?

Jeannie: I’m saying that kids develop at their own pace. Some are late bloomers.

William: Nobody in my family has ever been late in anything, and they’re not going to start now.

Jeannie: Putting pressure on her might make matters worse.

William: Who’s putting pressure on her? Maybe I can help her by getting her tutors in every subject and enrolling her in summer programs.

Jeannie: Maybe she just needs more time . . .

William: And let her waste her potential? What kind of father would I be then?

[end of dialogue]

We thank our high-achieving scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse, for her wonderful scripts.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

gifted and talented program – coursework designed to work with or replace a normal school curriculum, offered to students with strong academic abilities

* In the gifted and talented program, students are expected to read at least one book each week.

to struggle – to experience difficulties while doing something, especially because it is very challenging; to have a hard time with something

* We’re struggling to understand what the new professor is teaching us, because he only explains each new concept once.

remedial – designed to help students who have very poor academic performance and are struggling with basic concepts in reading and math

* We have remedial classes for students who are not reading at grade level.

to tune out – to daydream; to ignore what is happening around oneself and instead think about something else

* James was in the same room as you and me, but he says he doesn’t remember anything about the conversation. He must have tuned out for a while.

to coast – to do something very well without trying; to succeed or excel easily

* Yasmine grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, so she coasted through a Spanish 101 course in college.

to challenge (someone) – to present someone with a difficult or challenging task to make the other person concentrate and work hard to accomplish it

* On this cooking show, the host challenges the chefs by giving them strange ingredients to cook with and only 20 minutes to make a dish.

low-achieving – with a poor performance; with low scores on an exam; without meeting certain standards or expectations

* The CEO says that we need to fire the low-achieving salespeople.

lower grades – the earliest grades (years) in education, typically grades 1 through 6, or classes for students about 6-12 years old

* Children in the lower grades should get at least 30 minutes of outdoor activity each day.

high-achieving – with a strong performance; with high scores on an exam; meeting certain standards or expectations

* High-achieving employees should be rewarded with raises and promotions.

expectation – a belief that someone will and should do something and is capable of doing it

* Harry’s parents had clear expectations that he would study medicine in college.

slow – developing more slowly than others and performing at a lower level than others of the same age, especially in learning new concepts

* Justin is very kind and friendly, but a little slow in the classroom.

at (one’s) own pace – at the speed at which something naturally develops, without being pressured, influenced, or rushed by others

* Each child matures at his or her own pace and should not be rushed.

late bloomer – one who develops or matures later than others of the same age

* Hannah was a late bloomer who didn’t show any interest in dating until her early 20s.

to put pressure on (someone) – to pressure someone; to make it clear that one has high expectations for someone’s performance; to try to encourage someone to do something well or quickly

* The hospital puts a lot of pressure on medical residents to work long hours and care for a large number of patients.

to make matters worse – a phrase used to emphasize something that is contributing to a problem or an uncomfortable situation, making it worse

* Retail sales were already falling, but then to make matters worse, heavy snowfall kept customers at home during the holidays.

tutor – a person who provides academic instruction in a one-on-one or small group setting, outside of a classroom, often helping students understand something that they did not understand in the regular classroom

* Izzy isn’t doing very well at school, so her parents hired a tutor to work with her after school in their home twice a week.

summer program – a group of courses offered during the summer months when regular classes are not in session and most students are on vacation

* The school has a summer program to help elementary students become better at math.

potential – the things that one is capable of doing or could do with effort; the skills and talents that one could develop and use for future accomplishments

* Jake is a brilliant young scientist who has a lot of potential, but he needs to develop his interpersonal skills.

Comprehension Questions

1. Where would you expect to find low-achieving students?
a) In a gifted and talented program
b) In remedial classes
c) In summer programs

2. What happens when William’s daughter tunes out?
a) She turns off the radio and TV.
b) She takes her classes from home.
c) She doesn’t pay attention to what’s happening in the class.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to coast

The verb “to coast,” in this podcast, means to do something very well without even trying, or to succeed or excel easily: “It’s clear that you’re coasting through the class. Why don’t you take something more challenging?” The verb “to coast” can also mean to ride a bicycle downhill without pedaling, letting gravity move one forward: “After a long, steady, upward bike ride, we coasted down the eastern side of the mountain. The verb can also be used to talk about driving a car without using the accelerator (gas pedal): “You could save some money on gas by coasting down these hills.” Finally, as a noun, the “coast” is the land next to the ocean: “They went to the coast last weekend to enjoy some time by the sea.”

slow

In this podcast, the word “slow” describes someone who is developing more slowly than others and performing at a lower level than others of the same age, especially learning new concepts more slowly than expected: “Eric is a little slow, so you might have to explain the contract to him a few times.” The phrase “slow on the uptake” means not very quick in understanding something new: “In her first days on the job, Jenna was a little slow on the uptake, but now she’s one of our most knowledgeable customer service representatives.” Finally, the phrase “slow motion” describes a video recording that plays something more slowly than it actually happened: “At first, it looked like the player made a goal, but when we watched it again in slow motion, we could see what had really happened.”

Culture Note

Educational Tracking

One of the greatest “controversies” (things that people do not agree on, with strong opinions on each side) in education is the use of “tracking,” or putting students on different “educational paths” (the courses and activities that a student participates in) based on their academic “performance” (how well one does in classes or on tests). Many people believe “that there is a time and a place for” (that something is acceptable or beneficial under certain circumstances) educational tracking, but the actual use of it is controversial.

Children “differ” (are not the same) in their “intellect” (how intelligent someone is) and their “academic abilities” (one’s abilities to do well in school), so it may seem to “make sense” (be logical or rational) to put the lowest-performing students in one group, and the highest-performing students in another group. This type of grouping allows teachers to “tailor” (customize or adapt to meet certain needs) their “curriculum” (a plan for what should be taught in school) to better meet the needs of their students. But the low-performing groups are often placed on a “vocational” (related to jobs that do not require a college degree) track and the high-performing groups are often placed on a “college track” and encouraged to take “advanced” (more challenging) courses that prepare them for admission to a university.

Many people “object to” (do not like) this type of tracking, because they say it is not fair to place students in a particular track based on their academic performance as children. They state that students develop and change significantly over time, and should not be judged by their earlier performance.

Others object to tracking because they have observed that “low-income” (without very much money) and “minority” (not white) students are much more likely to be placed in vocational tracks, which may be a reflection of teachers’ “perceptions” (points of view) than actual student performance.

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - c