Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. cover
    • ex. The travel insurance covers tourists in case of accidents or lost luggage.
  2. terminal
    • ex. The hospital provides special care for patients with terminal diseases.
  3. medication
    • ex. He takes his medication every morning after breakfast.
  4. implement
    • ex. A new system to improve customer service has been implemented by our company.
  5. a shortcoming
    • ex. The manager discussed the shortcomings of the project and how to improve it.

Article

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

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Hundreds of teachers held a demonstration in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, asking the government to improve the healthcare system. The system is meant to cover teachers and their families, but many say it is failing in serious ways. Teacher Melissa Páez said some teachers with terminal illnesses are not getting proper care. “We are protesting because the teaching community has been affected by the new healthcare model,” she said. She added that many are not receiving their medication on time, which has caused fear and stress among teachers and their families.

The new healthcare system was implemented in 2024. It focuses on preventing disease and removes private companies, giving more control to the government. It is a key policy of President Gustavo Petro. However, Congress has rejected bigger changes to the health system. And because of this, teachers say they face long delays for doctor visits, tests, and treatment, making daily life more difficult.

Similar demonstrations were reported in Medellín, Cúcuta, Bucaramanga, and Pereira. Officials admit there are shortcomings in the system and say they are working to make it better. But they warn that fixing these problems will take time.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Demonstrations and Protests

  • Do you think demonstrations are a good way to solve problems? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In the article, teachers held demonstrations about healthcare. Aside from healthcare, what other problems do you think can make people decide to protest? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what makes a demonstration successful or effective? Discuss.

Healthcare System

  • What do you think are the most important services a healthcare system should provide (ex. on time medications)? Discuss.
  • Who do you think should manage the healthcare system in a country, the government or private companies? Why? Discuss.
  • If you could change one thing about healthcare in your country, what would it be? Why? Discuss.