Lesson 6: Unsafe Places
I told him I don’t mind a few petty crimes.

I can listen to and understand someone talking about unsafe places.

INTRODUCE

People will sometimes give you warnings about certain places. It's important to listen to these warnings so that you can stay safe wherever you go.

PRESENT

STEP A EXPRESSIONS

I. Go over the expressions with your tutor.

    1. If you do something unsupervised, you do it without anyone watching over you or telling you what to do.

     

    My parents were very protective; they didn’t let me ride the bus unsupervised until I was 13.

     

     

    2. A petty crime is an illegal act that’s not very serious. Examples of petty crimes include pickpocketing and trespassing.

     

    The area where I live is generally peaceful, aside from some petty crimes.

     

     

    3. A person, place, or thing that’s sketchy is questionable or likely to be dangerous.

     

    If I were you, I wouldn’t walk along that sketchy street alone at night.

     

    II. What kind of places do you usually avoid? Talk about them using the expressions above.

STEP B PRONUNCIATION

When the letter t appears between two vowel sounds, it is often pronounced as /d/.
Phrase Example

petty

/ peh-dee /

It’s just a / peh-dee / crime.

UNDERSTAND

LISTENING

Naoki’s back in Fukuoka. His Australian coworker Andy is talking to him.

TRIVIA

There are no direct translations for the expressions chian ga warui (治安が悪い) and chian ga ii (治安がいい) in English. Usually, native speakers just describe a neighborhood as sketchy or nice.

PRACTICE

STEP A EXERCISE

Are the rephrased sentences correct? If not, correct them.

ex. That neighborhood is really safe.

→ That neighborhood is quite sketchy. incorrect: That neighborhood isn’t sketchy.

 

1. His boss checks everything he does at work.

→ His boss lets him work unsupervised.

 

2. The boy only stole a loaf of bread, so they decided to let him go.

→ It was just a petty crime, so they decided to let the boy go.

 

3. $50 for a trip to Hawaii for two? No thanks. That seems really questionable to me.

→ $50 for a trip to Hawaii for two? No thanks. That seems really sketchy to me.

STEP B EXERCISE

Read the story. Then, complete the summary using the expressions in the box. The form of some expressions may need to be changed.

unsupervised
a petty crime
sketchy

It’s already nighttime. Jordan, a junior high school student, is just about to go home from school.

1

2

3

Jordan was waiting for a bus alone when he saw a hooded man approaching him. The man looked untrustworthy.

He got scared. His parents had warned him that there had been a lot of incidents of pick-pocketing and bike theft in that area.

Luckily, a police officer drove by and offered him a ride home. The police officer warned him not to walk there at night without an adult.
  1. While waiting for the bus, Jordan saw __________.
  2. He got scared because he had heard that there were __________ in that area.
  3. Luckily, a police officer came by and took Jordan home. She warned him not to __________.

CHALLENGE

Challenge 1

Your foreign friend wants to visit a shopping district. You’re not familiar with that place, so you asked your coworker about it. Listen to what your coworker says. Then, tell your foreign friend about it.

Today's Expressions

  • unsupervised
  • a petty crime
  • sketchy

Challenge 2

Discuss your ideas.

If Time
Allows
1

UNSAFE PLACES
2

PETTY CRIMES
3

NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY
1

UNSAFE PLACES

  1. What are good ways to judge how safe a place is?
  2. In what kind of places is it not safe for kids to go unsupervised (ex. train stations, parks)?
  3. Would you go to a place even if it's known to be unsafe?
  4. How do unsafe places in Japan compare to unsafe places in other countries?

2PETTY CRIMES

  1. In your opinion, is shoplifting a petty crime?
  2. Has a petty crime ever happened to someone you know?
  3. Should people go to jail even for petty crimes?
  4. Should petty crimes always be reported to the police?

3NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY

  1. Have you ever heard of any petty crimes happening in your neighborhood?
  2. Have you ever heard of any serious crimes happening in your neighborhood?
  3. What do you think would improve the safety of your neighborhood?
  4. Who has the greatest responsibility in keeping a neighborhood safe (ex. the police, other neighbors)?

FEEDBACK

I can listen to and understand someone talking about unsafe places.

LESSON GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • 4
    Very Good

    Could complete the task with ease

  • 3
    Good

    Could complete the task with some clarifications

  • 2
    Fair

    Could complete the task with additional instructions

  • 1
    Poor

    Could somehow complete the task with difficulty

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK