Tractor Warranty Issue / English for Mechanics: Listening and Speaking Exercises - BTS Final Exam (CCF)

Students learn about warranty issues on a tractor, revise the vocabulary of farming and mechanics, practice their listening skills with the video and speaking skills through a roleplay.

The Bottom Line: Tractor Trouble

1. Put the words below back into the text:

coverage, spreading, bought, sell, baling, reliable, dealer, warranty,  hydraulics, repairs, worse, owner, have to.

Tractor trouble. A young dairy farmer who said his work is already struggling to survive is dealt another blow to his bottom line. The new tractor that he recently __________ 1 for close to $ 75.000. He says is basically unusable and the issues which should be covered under __________2, he says, he couldn’t get fixed. That’s why he turned to me, to help get the bottom line. In every field, there is one item critical to the task at hand. And in this field, it is … the tractor.

What exactly would you be using this tractor for here on this farm?

Hum, _________3 hay, __________4 manure, feeding the cows.

Jeremy Corona grew up on the farm. He’s run his own Corona Extra Farm for the last few years. It’s a one-tractor farm so when he needed a new tractor, he wanted to buy it new.

I need something that’s gonna be __________5.

So he went with this beauty. A brand new Case International tractor from a local _________6. Total purchase price: close to 75 grand. His paperwork shows that it was sold with a Case factory warranty. The company’s website stipulates that includes 24 months or 2 years of full machine _________7. It took effect when he bought the tractor in August 2011 and ran right through the end of August this year and it turns out, he says, he would need it.

It functions really good for the first about year and then it started by the spring of the following year, it started acting a little bit weird. We had some problems, so they came out and worked on it.

But that work, Corona says, wouldn’t be enough. By the fall of 2012, he tells me, the transmission blew, the odd gears went and __________ 8 were needed again.

I had them come out and they worked on it and the guy said ‘there is no more damage you can really do’ so he said to keep it running.

And that’s what he did right through the winter but this time, Corona says the problems got _________9. He says he tried to have the dealer fix it once more but this is where his fight started running out of gas.

I called I talked to the service manager. He was real good, he said we’ll get it right in and then that afternoon the _________ 10 called up and he said I’m not working on it.

Corona says Case told him his case was closed and the dealer didn’t ________11 do the work even though, Corona says, he was trying to get it done within his two-year warranty.

It should be covered right till then, the engine, transmission, ___________ 12 and stuff.

So if this doesn’t work, what does that mean for you here.

Probably means for me to _______ 13 out and call it quits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=142&v=yRC_CzrYMUA

2. Vocabulary:

Match the words in bold in the transcript to their translation in French  

un producteur laitier		bénéfice
acheter (acheté)		une garantie
faire des balles de foin		étaler du fumier
un concessionnaire		prendre effet
un rapport de vitesse impair		un dégât
une usine		avoir besoin
le foin		devoir
pire		être couvert par
l’année suivante		le prix d’achat
vendre (vendu)		un directeur
fiable		des réparations
le propriétaire		son dossier
inutilisable

3. Grammar. Past simple, passive, need and have to. Translate the following extract from the transcript

A brand new Case International tractor from a local dealer. Total purchase price: close to 75 grand. His paperwork shows that it was sold with a Case factory warranty. The company’s website stipulates that includes 24 months or 2 years of full machine coverage. It took effect when he bought the tractor in August 2011 and ran right through the end of August this year and it turns out, he says, he would need it. Corona says Case told him his case was closed and the dealer didn’t have to do the work even though, Corona says, he was trying to get it done within his two-year warranty.

4. Speaking:

A You are the TV presenter and you are meeting a Case International representative in order to get the dealer to fix Corona’s tractor within the tractor warranty. Be prepared to explain the situation and the farmer’s viewpoint. You will need to provide some convincing arguments and negotiate a deal.

B You are a Case International representative and you are meeting the TV presenter. You know that she will try to get you to agree to repair a tractor that is not currently covered by the warranty. Be prepared to reject her arguments and negotiate a deal to avoid any negative publicity for your brand and the dealer.

More articles on English for Mechanics:

Fixing Tractor Hydraulics: Listening Activity to Learn English for Mechanics

Tractor Transmission: Mechanics Vocabulary Quiz

Tractor Troubleshooting Vocabulary Speaking Lesson

Tractor Buying Facts: Reading Activity and Oral Presentation Skills Practice

Tractor Troubleshooting English for Mechanics Listening Lesson

Cécile Sohier 

Farm Equipment Vocabulary Game: a Speaking and Listening Activity

Students revise or learn farm equipment names and related vocabulary through a guessing game, and practise their speaking and listening skills.

It is a guessing game based on the game Who's Who but instead of people, students are playing with farm equipment. 

There are 2 grids for a total of 24 machines (12 in each grid)

Farm Equipment Guessing Game Grid

It is probably simpler for them to play in pairs (student A and B). Both students have the same grid. They choose an equipment from their grid. They then take turns to ask questions in order to guess the equipment picked by their partner.

Example of dialogue: 

A. Is it used to bale? 

B. Yes.

A. Is it a round baler?

B. No. Is it used to dig in the ground?

A. Yes. 

B. Is it a digger?

A. Yes. Does it make square bales?

B. Yes.

A. Is it a square baler? Yes.

Example of questions:

Is it used to + Verb ...?

Does it + Verb ...?

Can you use it to + Verb ...?

Vocabulary:

to harvest = moissonner a donné la machine harvester

to bale = faire des balles ⇒ baler / square = carré / round = rond

windrow = andain ⇒ windrower

to spray = pulvériser ⇒ sprayer

to spread = répandre ⇒ spreader / manure = fumier / fertiliser = engrais

to mow = tondre ⇒ mower

to load = charger ⇒ loader / front = devant

seed = graine ⇒ seeder

to blow = souffler ⇒ blower / straw = paille / hay = foin

to grab = attraper ⇒ grabber / bale = balle

to dig = creuser ⇒ digger

to feed = nourrir ⇒ feeder / silage = ensilage

⚠ to sow = semer - a seed = graine ⇒ a seeder

Cécile Sohier 

Debate Competition: a Speaking and Listening Activity

Students take part in a debate in form of a game/competition and practise their speaking and listening skills.

The best way to describe this activity is as simple as its name: it is a debate, but it is also a competition. Therefore it is a game with rules, where you score points.

In this competition, there are positive and negative points. The rules are as follows:

1. How to score positive points:

Every new, understandable and relevant argument scores a point.

2. How to score negative points:

Every time a team member speaks French.

If a team member has not spoken by the end of the debate.

So there are two main rules to win this competition: everyone in a team has to speak and they have to speak English!

I came up with a template to write down the points for each team.

Debate ideas are:
- Being a farmer/mechanic is a great job.
- Tractors have not changed in the last 100 years.
- Tractors should be replaced by robots or other innovations.
- Oil energy is great.
- Apple is better than Samsung.
- Video games are better than sports.
- You have to get a university degree to get a good job.
- Chemical inputs are necessary to grow food.
- New Holland equipment is better than John Deere.
- Organic is better than industrial farming.
- The United States vs France
- Football vs Rugby
- Speed limitation is necessary to reduce the number of deaths on the road
- Marvel vs DC Comics


Debate Competition Template

Cécile Sohier 

How to Spot Fake News: Listening, Reading and Speaking Activities

Students discuss how to make the difference between real news and fake news, and practise their speaking, reading and listening skills.

Following the lessons on Fake News and Conspiracy Theory: Listening and Speaking Activities, I designed a series of activities to enhance students' awareness on the issue of fake news, as well as their ability to spot them.

This lesson includes a discussion, a reading/speaking activity, and a listening.

1. Discussion on fake news

After listening to the NPR podcast (see the post Fake News and Conspiracy Theory: Listening and Speaking Activities), I initiated a class discussion on the issue of fake news. Among the questions that I asked were:

• What are fake news? 
• What is the opposite of fake news? (facts, real news or just news)
• How is fake news different from real news/facts/news?
• Can you give examples of fake news?
• Where can you find fake news?
• Who creates fake news? Why do they exist?/What is the purpose of fake news?

Here is the worksheet:

Fake news and real news headlines worksheet

2. Reading and speaking activities on real and fake news headlines

In order to create this worksheet, I browsed through fact-checking websites such as Snopes or on buzzfeed to find recent famous fake stories. I mixed fake news headlines with real headlines, and asked students to read and discuss every headline in order to determine whether they were fake or real. 

Here are a few fake headlines:

(961,000 shares)

 (802,000 shares)

(560,000 shares)

Click on the link below to see the worksheet

Fake news and real news headlines worksheet

You can use the following powerpoint to present the answers to the exercise:

Fake News and Real News Answers Powerpoint


3. Listening activity

I went through some vocabulary and then showed them two videos to discuss different ways of spotting fake news. 

Here is the worksheet:

How to spot fake news worksheet

And the videos:

5 ways to spot fake news

How to spot fake news Vocabulary Listening and Writing Activity

Cécile Sohier 

Farmer Interview - Teaching the Vocabulary of Farming: Writing and Speaking Lesson

Students learn the vocabulary of farming, revise how to make questions, and practise their speaking, listening and writing skills.

As a final task and after they wrote their own "farming parody", I got the students to make up the profile of farmers, who became famous making videos about their farm.

The first step is to create the farmers' profiles. They will have to give them a name, decide what they are famous for (videos, songs, invention...), and create a farm with machines, tools, cattle and/or crops. They also have to explain what they like or don't like doing on the farm, and why they decided to become farmers.

This writing activity is followed up by a speaking activity in which students role-play an interview of the farmers.

You can find the worksheet below:

Farming Parody Stars Worksheet

Cécile Sohier 

Fake News and Conspiracy Theory: Listening and Speaking Activities

Students discuss the difference between real news and fake news, and practise their speaking, and listening skills.

I wanted to address an issue that is growing on the web and among young (and not so young) people: discerning the difference between real news and fake news.

This lesson includes listening activities on conspiracy theories and fake news.

1. Conspiracy theory:

I explained and brainstormed the term "conspiracy theory". Surprisingly - and worryingly if I dare say - some students did not know what a conspiracy theory was. So it really felt like I was teaching them not just how to speak or listen to English, but also how to understand what they read or hear, and be cautious about the content of online articles and videos.

Students then listened to a 2-minute video and took notes. I only showed them the video at the end, as the video is subtitled in English and I really wanted to get them to focus on what they heard. 

I gave them the words lunar module and crater beforehand. Crater is not a difficult word as it is transparent, but students are not usually familiar with the American pronunciation of the letter 't'. For instance, they tend to find it hard to spot words like twenty, international or integration in a listening when they are spoken with an American accent.

Moon landing explained

2. Fake news:

We also did a listening activity on the first 2 minutes and a half of an NPR podcast called 'Stanford Study Finds Most Students Vulnerable to Fake News'. I got the students to anticipate the content of the listening from the title as well as the following words: real news, a test, a study, a photo, to influence, to educate, information.

You will find more activities on the worksheet i.e. a gap-fill exercise and questions on the transcript.

NPR Podcast Stanford Study Finds Most Students Vulnerable to Fake News

NPR Podcast Stanford Study Finds Most Students...worksheet 

Cécile Sohier 

Learning the Vocabulary of Farming through Songs / Parodies: Reading, Listening and Speaking Activities

Students read about farmers who create parody songs, listen to a parody about life on the farm, then create their own parody, and practise their reading, listening and speaking skills.

One of my students recently asked me:'why don't we study a song?'. He studies land-based enineering, which is the study of farm machinery, so I told him it would probably be difficult to find a song that would have anything to do with this field (no pun intended). Well it turns out, I was wrong!!


I youtubed 'farming songs' and I came across the Peterson Brothers, who live in Kansas and make parodies that are actually quite fun for our tractor aficionado students.

Here are some activities on the Peterson Brothers and one of their parody 'A Fresh Breath of Farm Air':

1. A reading activity: an article on the Petersons. 

The article is a little long but the vocabulary is fairly simple (no technicalities). I would typically get them to work in groups of 3 or 4 for the part where they have to fill in the gaps with titles. 

Then you can get them to prepare an interview of the Peterson Brothers provided they remember how to make questions in English (otherwise you may want to go through that again with them). I would ask them to prepare about 10 questions individually or in pairs and them ask 3 students to go to the board to role-play the Peterson brothers (probably wiser to pick some confident students) and the class to interview them (a bit like in a press conference).

Peterson Brothers Worksheet

2. A listening activity on a farmer's parody song. 

There are many parodies from the Petersons that would have been good for the listening activity I had in mind. So to be completely honest, I chose this song because it reminded me of my teenage years watching The Prince of Bel Air and Beverly Hills on TV. It was fun watching young Will Smith singing rap-style Prince of Bel Air in class! 

On the worksheet that you can find below, students have to complete the lyrics of the parody and then go through the song again to make a list of all the actions the Petersons carry out in their farm on a typical. Actions are for instance: doctor and feed the cows, fix the fence, grow food/wheat/corn/beans/hay, chase the cattle in, plant, fertilize, stack and bale up the hay... which as the students underlined is a lot for a typical day!

Then, we compared the parody to the original song so that they would understand that writing a parody is not writing lyrics from scratch with the music, but more like adapting the original lyrics. So for example here "In West Philadelphia born and raised" became "In Central Kansas born and raised".

By this point Students have all the information they need to create their own parody. I let them pick their own song, though I had prepared a few suggestions just in case, and I did stress that it would be a lot easier with a moderately slow paced song.

A Fresh Breath of Farm Air Worsheet 

La parodie est disponible sur Youtube en suivant ce lien:

A Fresh Breath of Farm Air

Et l'original:

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air


L'article complet se trouve à cette adresse:

http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/video-sensations-peterson-farm-brothers-farm-science-review-just-kansas-farm-kids/156732.html

Cécile Sohier 

Fixing Tractor Hydraulics: Listening Activity to Learn English for Mechanics

Students learn how to easily fix a tractor hydraulic pump, as well as some technical English for mechanics, and practise their listening, writing and speaking skills.

After learning some vocabulary of farming through a song parody, I eventually decided to gather up my courage to get to the crux of the matter: how to talk about tractor mechanics in English. And particularly how to explain where a failure comes from and/or how to find a given failure on a vehicle.

Dare I say, I am drawing away from my comfort zone as my mechanical knowledge is close to zero. But it is time to man up and give my students what they really are craving for: some real technical vocabulary.

This video, along with the exercises I created, are a good starting point. The technique she presents, as well as the vocabulary, are rather simple and useful.

She explains and demonstrates how to fix tractor hydraulics by putting pressure into the reservoir with a blow-off nozzle. The only drawback of the video a little background noise so it is paramount to make sure the loudspeakers are up to the task, and make a clear and loud sound.

You can find the worksheet by clicking on the link below:

How to easily fix tractor hydraulics exercises and transcript

The video is available on youtube:

How to easily fix tractor hydraulics

This listening activity can be followed by another one, which contains much more technical vocabulary:

Why won't my tractor work

More articles on English for Mechanics:

Fixing Tractor Hydraulics: Listening Activity to Learn English for Mechanics

Tractor Transmission: Mechanics Vocabulary Quiz

Tractor Troubleshooting Vocabulary Speaking Lesson

Tractor Buying Facts: Reading Activity and Oral Presentation Skills Practice

Tractor Troubleshooting English for Mechanics Listening Lesson

Tractor Warranty Issue / English for Mechanics: Listening and Speaking Exercises - BTS Final Exam (CCF)

Cécile Sohier