Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a province
    • ex. She grew up in a small town in the northern province of the country.
  2. a deluge
    • ex. The storm brought a deluge that flooded the streets.
  3. adaptation
    • ex. Language adaptation is needed when students go to school in another country.
  4. resilience
    • ex. Anna’s resilience helped her stay positive despite many difficulties.
  5. a literacy rate
    • ex. The country’s literacy rate went up after the government introduced a free education program for children.

Article

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

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In Pakistan’s Sindh province, musicians are using songs to teach people about climate change. The area was badly affected by deluges three years ago. The floods washed away homes, roads, and farmland. And millions of people suffered. Because of this, folk singer Sham Bhai started using music to talk about climate adaptation and resilience.

For the past two years, Sham has visited villages to share these messages. She believes music is a good way to teach people, especially where the literacy rate is low and the internet is not available. Before singing about climate issues, Sham and her team perform popular songs to get people’s attention. “People are acting on our advice. They are planting trees and making their houses strong to face climate change,” she said.

Meanwhile, rapper Urooj Fatima also uses music, especially hip-hop, to share her message. She started rapping after floods in 2022 and 2024 damaged her village. She said rap music is a good way to express difficulties in life, so the audience can connect to it. “Through rap, we can reach hundreds of thousands of people,” she said.

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.

Music and Raising Awareness

  • In your opinion, what is the purpose of music (ex. to make listeners feel relaxed, to send a message)? Discuss.
  • Do you think music is a good way to teach people about problems like climate change? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine you are a musician. What issue/information would you share through music (ex. education, health)? Discuss.

Climate Problems and Adaptation

  • What kind of climate problem affected your country in the past (ex. flood, very hot weather)? Discuss.
  • What is the role of a good internet service in climate adaptation (ex. it helps send messages faster)? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how can the literacy rate affect people’s climate adaptation? Discuss.