Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. an artisan
    • ex. The artisan spent many hours making beautiful clay pots by hand.
  2. ingenuity
    • ex. Mike used his ingenuity to design a new tool that helps people plant flowers easily.
  3. footwear
    • ex. In the shoe store, David tried different types of footwear for hiking.
  4. go about (one’s) business
    • ex. Every morning, the shopkeepers open their stores and go about their business, ready to serve customers.
  5. lament
    • ex. The villagers lamented the closing of the old bakery, which had been a part of their community for years.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

Font size

In South Sudan, some artisans are showing ingenuity by making footwear from old rubber tires. Their creative work is becoming more important because of the country’s economic problems. The government is running out of money, and many people cannot buy basic things like food. Because of this, people prefer to buy other products, like footwear, that are cheap. 

Artisan Emmanuel Achuil from Wau, South Sudan, makes five to ten pairs of these unique shoes every week. He sells them for about $4 (about ¥590) a pair. Because the shoes are affordable and long-lasting, more customers visit him now. Achuil said that even when times are difficult, “People always need shoes, especially cheap ones.”

Achuil learned how to make shoes by watching older men go about their business in workshops when he was a child. He has been making shoes since 1996. However, he now faces problems. More people are making these shoes, so it’s harder to find old tires. He also laments the lack of government support. Still, Achuil hopes to open a bigger workshop, train others, and bring his business to other towns in South Sudan.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.
Photo Credits: The Associated Press

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Footwear

  • Artisans in South Sudan are creating footwear from old rubber tires. What do you admire about their ingenuity? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • In South Sudan, people prefer to buy footwear that’s cheap. What things do you consider when buying footwear (ex. quality, price)? Discuss.
  • If you can design new footwear, what unique materials would you use? Discuss.

Artisans

  • In your opinion, how important are the items created by artisans? Discuss.
  • Would you prefer to buy something made by an artisan or something made in a factory? Why? Discuss.
  • Imagine you’re an artisan. What kind of things would you like to make? Discuss.