Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

Unit 1: Psychology spoken language and our writing system are

important parts of our culture.
The Q Classroom
Activity B., Page 2
LISTENING 1 My Stroke of Insight: A Brain
Teacher: Class, the Unit Question is: “How does
Scientist’s Personal Journey
language affect who we are?” So maybe we can
Activity A., C., Pages 6, 7
start by talking about ourselves. How about
David Inge, Host: Good morning. Welcome to
you, Marcus? Do you think you would be a
the second hour of Focus 580. This is our
different person if you had a different first
morning talk program; my name’s David Inge.
language?
. . . In this hour of Focus 580 we’ll be talking
Marcus: Yes, in some ways I would be.
with Jill Bolte Taylor; she is a neuroanatomist.
Teacher: Why?
She’s affiliated with the Indiana University
Marcus: Our language is part of our culture. The
School of Medicine in Indianapolis. And back in
way we express ourselves reflects the things we
1996, she was teaching and doing research at
care about. Sometimes there are things that I
the Harvard Medical School when she had a
feel just can’t be said as well in English.
stroke, a very serious and severe stroke. On that
Sophy: I don’t think that’s true, though. I think
day, as she writes in her book My Stroke of
you can say anything in any language. You just
Insight, on that day she woke up with a sharp
feel more comfortable with how to say it in
pain behind one eye. She tried to get on with
your native language.
her usual morning activities, but clearly she
Teacher: What do you think, Felix? How does
knew something was very wrong. She wasn’t
language affect who we are?
sure what. Uh, instead of finding answers or
Felix: I agree with Marcus. I think some things
information, she writes she “met with a growing
are easier to express in some languages than in
sense of peace.” She writes that she felt
others. Take showing respect, for example. In
“enfolded by a blanket of tranquil euphoria.”
my native language, there are certain verb
We should talk a little bit more about the, the
forms that you can use when you’re talking to
structure of the brain, and, and I think that
an older person that help you show respect, but
probably people have an idea in, in their head
in English that’s difficult to do. You speak the
of what the brain looks like. And that I think the
same way to everyone. It made me
thing that people think about as being the brain
uncomfortable when I first started speaking
is in fact the cortex, the cerebral—
English.
Jill Bolte Taylor: Right.
Sophy: But you can show respect in English, just
Inge: —cortex, which is that part of the brain
not with verb forms. You use more formal
that sets us apart from a lot of other living
language, you don’t contract as much, and that
things and in fact maybe sets us apart in degree
kind of thing. It’s just different.
from other mammals as well. Uh, and maybe
Teacher: Interesting. Would you like to add
also people are used to the idea that it has two
something, Yuna? How would you say language
halves, right and left, and that the two halves
affects who we are?
are different. So, talk a little bit about that, the
Yuna: I think that for all people their language is
structure of the brain at that level, and the two
very important to who they are. In Korea, our
halves, the right and the left, and what makes
them different.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 1 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

Taylor: Well, they process information in, in communicate either creating language or
different kinds of ways, um, but of course understanding other people’s language. But
they’re always both working all at the same what I gained was this experience of the
time. So as you look out into the world right present moment and the expansiveness, so, so
now, whatever your perception is, you, you they’re, they’re very different ways of
have choices. You can look first at the big perceiving the world. And most of us, you know,
picture of the room and not really focus in on I think we can identify that there are these two
any of the details. And the right hemisphere very different parts of ourselves and that we
looks at things for the big picture. It blends the, use them together. I just had the opportunity to
softens the boundaries between things so that lose the detail of the left hemisphere so that I
you take in the bigger picture of the room. Is could really just experience the right
this a really lovely room? Is this a great room? hemisphere untethered to the left hemisphere.
Um, and you just have the overall perception. If Inge: Our guest on this hour of Focus 580, Jill
you’re at the beach, um, you look out over the, Bolte Taylor; she’s a neuroanatomist. And of
the, um, horizon and you look out over the course questions are welcome. Line 1. Hello.
water, and, and you, you allow yourself to feel Caller: Hello.
expansive, and that’s the bigger picture of Inge: Yes.
everything. The left hemisphere, then, is going Caller: I find this fascinating. I’m, I’m an
to—and it’s all in the present moment. The experimental psychologist, retired. And, um,
right hemisphere is all about right here, right there’s an old, uh, out of the behavioristic
now. And then the left hemisphere is going to tradition, you know, they believed that
take that big picture and it’s going to start consciousness was intrinsically tied to language.
picking out the details. So if you’re at the beach, And it sounds like that’s out the window now
now it’s going to start looking at the kinds of because you evidently didn’t lose consciousness
clouds, and it’s going to label them and it’s and, uh, because you—but you did lose your
going to look at the whitecaps and label them, language. But what I’m interested in, is did you
and it’s going to look at the kinds of grains in lose the concept of future and past? It sounds
the sand and label them. And everything now like you were living entirely in the present. Is
starts working into language and the details that true or not?
that we can then communicate with, so it’s Inge: All right.
looking—and, and, and in order to do that, it’s Taylor: Thank you. Yeah. No, that’s a great
going to compare things to things that we’ve question. I did lose my perception of past and
learned in the past, and it’s going to project future when I had that hemorrhage in the left
images into the future. The right hemisphere hemisphere, and I lost all of the consciousness
thinks the big picture in pictures. of the language center. I lost the portion of my
The left hemisphere thinks the details using brain that said, “I am an individual. I am Jill
language, so the two hemispheres work Bolte Taylor. These are all the data connected
together constantly for us to have a normal to me.” These are all the memories associated
perspective. And, and on the morning of my with who I had been and when that person
hemorrhage, I lost the left hemisphere, which went offline, which is the best way for me to
lost my language, it lost my ability to associate explain it, I lost all of her likes and dislikes, and I
or relate anything to the external world or to didn’t—but I was still completely conscious.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 2 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

And in the process of recovery, I essentially had 3. Taylor: I just had the opportunity to lose the
to say that woman died that day, and I was now detail of the left hemisphere so that I could
an infant in a woman’s body. And this new really just experience the right hemisphere
consciousness was going to regain the function untethered to the left hemisphere.
of the left hemisphere, but I was not going to 4. Taylor: At the same time I, I see it as, as, just
regain being whom I had been before. So, um, as far as language is concerned, picture yourself
uh, I love your perspective on it. At the, at the as a purely English-speaking person and then
same time I, I see it as, as, just as far as you wake up one day and you’re in the heart of
language is concerned, picture yourself as a, a China where nobody speaks any English
purely English-speaking person and then you whatsoever, so you’re no longer dependent on
wake up one day and you’re in the heart of the language. You’re dependent on having a
China where nobody speaks any English heightening of your other experiences, the
whatsoever, so you’re no longer dependent on inflection of voice and facial expression, and,
the language. You’re dependent on having a and you’re, you’re really in the present
heightening of your other experiences, the moment, then, in order to gain information
inflection of voice and facial expression, and, about what, where, where you’re at and what
and you’re, you’re really in the present you have to do.
moment, then, in order to gain information
about what, where, where you’re at and what
you have to do. So we do function; there’s a NOTE-TAKING SKILL
whole part of us that is non-language, and once Activity A., B., Page 12
that language goes off, I was still a whole M: During the first year of life, children learn
human being, even though I didn’t have my words as they hear them repeated by their
parents. A great deal of language learning goes
language center and the rest of my left
hemisphere was, was swimming in a pool of on between the ages of 15 to 24 months. By the
blood. I still had the experience that I was age of 18 months, most children know about 50
words. By their second birthday, they can use
perfect and whole and beautiful just the way
that I was even though I only had part of my, 250 to 300 words. This number nearly doubles
my mind functioning. in the following 6 months.

LISTENING 2 The Story of My Life

LISTENING SKILL Making inferences Activity A., C., Pages 14, 15
Activity A., Page 11 Helen Keller: I cannot recall what happened
1. Inge: The thing that people think about as during the first months after my illness. I only
being the brain is in fact the cortex, the cerebral know that I sat in my mother’s lap or clung to
cortex, which is that part of the brain that sets her dress as she went about her household
us apart from a lot of other living things . . . duties. My hands felt every object and observed
2. Taylor: The right hemisphere thinks the big every motion, and in this way I learned to know
picture in pictures. The left hemisphere thinks many things. Soon I felt the need of some
the details using language, so the two communication with others and began to make
hemispheres work together constantly for us to crude signs. A shake of the head meant “No”
have a normal perspective. and a nod, “Yes.” A pull meant “Come” and a

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 3 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

push, “Go.” Was it bread that I wanted? Then I of communication became so urgent that these
would imitate the acts of cutting the slices and outbursts occurred daily, sometimes hourly. . . .
buttering them. If I wanted my mother to make The most important day I remember in all my
ice cream for dinner, I made the sign for life is the one on which my teacher, Anne
working the freezer and shivered, indicating Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with
cold. My mother, moreover, succeeded in wonder when I consider the immeasurable
making me understand a good deal. I always contrasts between the two lives which it
knew when she wished me to bring her connects. It was the third of March, 1887, three
something, and I would run upstairs or months before I was seven years old.
anywhere else she indicated. Indeed, I owe to On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood
her loving wisdom all that was bright and good on the porch, dumb, expectant. I guessed
in my long night. . . . vaguely from my mother’s signs and from the
I do not remember when I first realized that I hurrying to and fro in the house, that something
was different from other people, but I knew it unusual was about to happen, so I went to the
before my teacher came to me. I had noticed door and waited on the steps. The afternoon
that my mother and my friends did not use sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that
signs as I did when they wanted anything done, covered the porch, and fell on my upturned
but talked with their mouths. Sometimes I face. My fingers lingered almost unconsciously
stood between two persons who were on the familiar leaves and blossoms which had
conversing and touched their lips. I could not just come forth to greet the sweet southern
understand and was vexed. I moved my lips and spring. I did not know what the future held of
gesticulated frantically without result. This marvel or surprise for me. Anger and bitterness
made me so angry at times that I kicked and had preyed upon me continually for weeks, and
screamed until I was exhausted. . . . a deep languor had succeeded this passionate
Many incidents of those early years are fixed in struggle.
my memory, isolated, but clear and distinct, Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when
making the sense of that silent, aimless, dayless it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut
life all the more intense. . . . you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious,
Meanwhile, the desire to express myself grew. groped her way toward the shore with plummet
The few signs I used became less and less and sounding line, and you waited with beating
adequate, and my failures to make myself heart for something to happen? I was like that
understood were invariably followed by ship before my education began, only I was
outbursts of passion. I felt as if invisible hands without compass or sounding line, and had no
were holding me, and I made frantic efforts to way of knowing how near the harbor was.
free myself. I struggled—not that struggling “Light! Give me light!” was the wordless cry of
helped matters, but the spirit of resistance was my soul, and the light of love shone on me in
strong within me; I generally broke down in that very hour.
tears and physical exhaustion. If my mother I felt approaching footsteps, I stretched out my
happened to be near, I crept into her arms, too hand as I supposed to my mother. Someone
miserable even to remember the cause of the took it, and I was caught up and held close in
tempest. After a while, the need of some means the arms of her who had come to reveal all

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 4 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

things to me, and more than all things else, to wordless sensation may be called a thought,
love me. made me hop and skip with pleasure.
The morning after my teacher came she led me We walked down the path to the well-house,
into her room and gave me a doll. The little attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle
blind children at the Perkins Institution had sent with which it was covered. Someone was
it . . . but I did not know this until afterward. drawing water, and my teacher placed my hand
When I had played with it a little while, Miss under the spout. As the cool stream gushed
Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word over one hand, she spelled into the other the
“d-o-l-l.” I was at once interested in this finger word water, first slowly, then rapidly.
play and tried to imitate it. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the
When I finally succeeded in making the letters motions of her fingers.
correctly I was flushed with childish pleasure Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of
and pride. Running downstairs to my mother, I something forgotten—a thrill of returning
held up my hand and made the letters for doll. I thought—and somehow the mystery of
did not know that I was spelling a word or even language was revealed to me. I knew then that
that words existed; I was simply making my “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool
fingers go in monkey-like imitation. In the days something that was flowing over my hand. That
that followed I learned to spell in this living word awakened my soul; gave it light,
uncomprehending way a great many words, hope, joy; set it free! There were barriers still, it
among them pin, hat, cup and a few verbs like is true, but barriers that could in time be swept
sit, stand, and walk. But my teacher had been away.
with me several weeks before I understood that I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything
everything has a name. . . . had a name, and each name gave birth to a new
Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me thought. . . . I learned a great many new words
that “m-u-g” is mug and that “w-a-t-e-r” is that day. I do not remember what they all were;
water, but I persisted in confounding the two. but I do know that mother, father, sister,
In despair, she had dropped the subject for the teacher were among them—words that were to
time, only to renew it at the first opportunity. I make the world blossom for me, “like Aaron’s
became impatient at her repeated attempts, rod, with flowers.” It would have been difficult
and seizing the new doll, I dashed it upon the to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my
floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the crib at the close of that eventful day and lived
fragments of the broken doll at my feet. over the joys it had brought me and for the first
Neither sorrow nor regret followed my time longed for a new day to come. . . .
passionate outburst. I had not loved the doll. In I recall many incidents of the summer of 1887
the still, dark world in which I lived, there was that followed my soul’s sudden awakening. I did
no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my nothing but explore with my hands and learn
teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the the name of every object that I touched and the
hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the more I handled things and learned their names
cause of my discomfort was removed. She and uses, the more joyous and confident grew
brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out my sense of kinship with the rest of the world.
into the warm sunshine. This thought, if a

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 5 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Audio Script Unit 1

PRONUNCIATION: Emphatic Word Stress

Page 23
EXAMPLE 1
She’s a SCIENTIST.
She was COMPLETELY CONSCIOUS.
He was RESPONSIBLE.
She ISOLATED herself.
EXAMPLE 2
A: She’s a SCIENTIST?
B: No, she’s a DENTIST.
A: Are you afraid of oral reports?
B: YES! I NEVER take SPEAKING classes.
A: Can Gary speak MANDARIN?
B: HE can’t, but LISA can.

Activity A., Pages 23–24

Taylor: Then I would have this wave of clarity
that would bring me and reattach me back to
normal reality, and I could pursue my plan, and
my—the only plan that I had in my head was to
call work and that somebody at work would get
me help. Um, but it—it took, uh, over 45
minutes for me to figure out what number to
dial and how to dial and by the time, um, I got
the information I could not see uh the, the
phone number on my business card. I couldn’t
pick the numbers out from the background
pixels, cause all I could see were pixels. Uh, and
it’s a you know, it’s a, big drama. By the time
my colleague, I’m very fortunate he was at his
desk. I spoke. I said “Woo Woo Woo Woo Er” I
had no, no language and when he spoke to me
he sounded “Woo Woo Wer.” He sounded like a
golden retriever. So, uh, but he did recognize
that it was I and that I needed help and then
eventually he did get me help.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 6 of 6