Escuela de Ciencias del Lenguaje

Sección de Lenguas para Fines Generales y Académicos

Inglés con Fines Generales y Académicos I

Unit 2: Prominent people in my professional field

Unit task: You should know them
Skills involved: Listening, speaking, reading, writing
EGP: Give information about a person’s trajectory
EGAP: Listening and note-taking: Identify facts in aural documents, Recognize key
vocabulary related to the texts
Writing: Write simple sentences
Grammar & Vocab.: Simple past tense, Discourse markers (connectors of sequence, addition, contrast
and cause-effect), Pronunciation (regular past tense)
Mini-task: Presentation of an afro or indigenous leader in your country
Time: 8 hours approx.

Francia Marquez – her life, her teachings and our learning1

Pre-task
1. Francia Márquez, Pensadoras del mundo

Source: Twitter (March 3, 2020)

https://twitter.com/micaelamiau/status/1090132584342921221/photo/1
Look at the previous photo and answer the following questions.
a. Is she familiar to you?
b. Where’s she from?
c. What does she do?
d. Does she work for the government?
e. What does she look like?
f. What’s she wearing?
2. Now, read about Francia Elena Marquez.

1
This class material was designed by Luz Marina Faustino, Ana Isabel Andrade and Norbella Miranda. Alejandro Zúñiga
contributed the Kahoot game.
1
Francia Elena Má rquez was born in Yolombó , Cauca in 1982. She’s an Afro Colombian human rights
and environmental activist. She’s a single mother of two children. She became an activist at 13 and
since then, she has participated in numerous social, political and environmental community actions.
She works to stop illegal gold mining in her community, La Toma, in Cauca and fights against human
rights abuse. In November 2014, she organized a protest march of 80 women who trekked 350 miles
of Cauca mountains to Bogotá . They demanded the removal of all illegal miners and equipment from
their community. The march brought national attention to the environmental and social destruction
in the Cauca region. In 2018, she received the Goldman Environmental Prize in the United States.

3. After you read, match the vocabulary with the correct definition. There is an extra option.

1. Activist ________ a.The totality of the natural world, often excluding humans

2. Mining ________ b. A person that enters a country without legal permission

3. Environment ________ c. A long and frequently a difficult journey

4. Fight ________ d. An especially active or vigorous person that works for a cause

5.Removal ________ e. Something offered or won in a competition

6. Prize ________ f. The act or process of extracting a mineral substance

7. Trek ________ g. Change of position

________ h. To resist vigorously for or against something

4. Write T (True) or F (False) according to Francia’s biography. Correct the false statements and
explore some arguments with your classmates and teacher.

a. Francia is a Colombian leader. _______

b. She started working for her community when she was a teenager. _______
c. She fights for children and single women because she’s a single mother. _______
d. She defends human rights. _______
e. Francia and 80 women walked to Bogotá to protest against the government in 2014. _____
f. Their protest did not produce any impact in Colombia. _______

2
5. Look at the map below and answer the questions.
a. Where is La Toma located?
b. Mention one place that is related to La Toma.
c. How far do you think La Toma is from Cali?
d. What do you know about its population and economy?
e. Is La Salvajina a familiar place to you?

Taken from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Alto-Cauca-showing-the-locations-of-La-Toma-Suarez-and-Cali_fig1_267244163 Uploaded by: Irene

Velez-Torres. Universidad del Valle (Colombia) Univalle: Escuela de Ingeniería de los Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente (EIDENAR)

6. Match the following pictures with words you will listen to in the video.

__________________ __________________ __________________ _________________

__________________ __________________ __________________ _________________

banish backhoe protest security guards

farming poisoned river gold

3
7. According to the vocabulary, what do you think the video will be about?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

8. Now, watch the video and then answer the questions below.
Francia Márquez, 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize, Colombia
https://youtu.be/_ZfGEOtpdTQ April 22nd, 2018

a. Describe the geography and the population in La Toma.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
b. What economic activities do people develop there?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
c. What is “Ovejas” and why is it important to the community?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
d. Is Francia Marquez against economic development? Support your idea.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
e. How did University help Francia and her community?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
f. How did Francia and 80 women protest against mining? Was it worth?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
g. How did Francia’s life change after the march to Bogotá?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
h. What’s the role of music in the story?
_______________________________________________________________________________________

9. Q&A with Francia Márquez

In the text below you will read an interview to Francia Marquez. As it is expected, you will find questions
and answers (Q&A). Before you read the interview, go over the resources on the links below to review the
Past tense. The review will help you complete the exercises after the interview.

a. List of common verbs in the past.

https://english4callcenters.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/List-of-verbs.pdf

b. Simple Past Tense (Negative statements, Yes/No Questions & Wh-Questions)

https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/pastnq.htm

c. How to pronounce -ed sound in Past Tense:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7hi-ipU2n0

d. Exercises on Simple Past: Verb To Be:

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?03

e. Exercises on Simple Past: Other verbs:

https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-simple-past.php

4
 10. Read the keywords below and their meaning:
● prize: something offered in competition or in contests of chance
● dam: a barrier preventing the flow of water
● displace: to remove from the usual place
● struggle: to proceed with difficulty or with great effort

In case another word that you don’t know blocks your understanding of the text, you can look at this
online dictionary:
Word reference: https://www.wordreference.com

11. Now read the interview.

Q&A with Francia Márquez

August 22nd, 2018

We sat down with Francia Má rquez, 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize winner from Colombia, in
our latest Q&A. A passionate community leader and activist, Marquez continues to work on a variety
of social, political, and environmental issues since winning the Prize in April. Read her Q&A below to
learn what motivated her to fight, organize, and stand up against illegal gold mining within her
ancestral home.

Goldman Environmental Prize: Where did you grow up? What does your home signify for you?

Francia Márquez: I grew up in an ancestral Afro-Colombian community called Yolombo, which is part
of the district of La Toma in the Cauca region of Colombia.

La Toma is the place where Spaniards brought my people from Africa in 1636. When we arrived,
Spaniards forced us to work in agriculture and, today, we continue to do ancestral artisanal mining
and agriculture in the area. It is the place where I grew up, where I became a woman; it is the
community’s ancestral land—a mountainous area between the Cauca and Ovejas rivers. The Ovejas
River is like a mother and father to us in La Toma—we are very connected to it.

GEP: When did you begin your activism in the community?

FM: In 1985, the government built a dam on the Ovejas River, La Salvajina. This project displaced the
African community there, so the people of La Toma have been trying to defend the land since then so
5
that they don’t also become displaced. I began getting involved in protests when I was 15 years old. I
participated in performances of dance and theater demonstrating the effects of this dam on the river.
These performances tried to show two faces of what’s going on—one of the faces was the
environmental impacts of this dam, and the other face was the social and human impact.

Francia with fellow Afro-Colombian community members in La Toma

GEP: What effect did the illegal mining in La Toma have on the community?

FM: Before illegal miners, women practiced artisanal mining. Artisanal miners didn’t use chemicals.
Illegal miners used mercury, cyanide, and other harmful chemicals. Their activity displaced artisanal
mining, women and children. People had to look for other sources of income outside of the home, such
as in Cali. Illegal mining brought other social and environmental problems in the community. All of
this went on for 15 years before people knew how to organize and come together to stand up against
the illegal miners.

Francia has been an activist in her community for nearly 20 years

GEP: Why did you decide to get involved in the struggle against illegal mining?

FM: I first got involved in the struggle through song and dance. I later began learning about the rights
of black Colombians, including the right to territory. I started working as an agricultural technician
and gave talks and lessons to communities about how to use equipment. I started studying law to gain
the knowledge and tools to lead the struggle.

6
GEP: In November 2014, you led a 350-mile march from La Toma to Bogota to protest the mine.
How did you organize your community?

FM: The community organized meetings and gathered people within the region. We also met with
local and national government officials. We tried everything to mobilize people and to make the threat
and issues visible nationally and internationally.

GEP: With illegal mining still rampant in other parts of the Cauca region, what do you think can
be done to help other communities?

FM: In many territories, communities are trying to do what La Toma did and denounce the illegal
mining that is going on in their regions. We inspired others in the North Cauca region with our
struggle and success. La Toma is now an example of resistance for other communities in the country—
how to change policies and advocate for progress.
Adapted from:
https://www.goldmanprize.org/blog/qa-goldman-prize-winner-francia-marquez/

12. Complete the sentences. Select the verbs from the box and use the correct tense. You might need to
use a verb more than once. There is also an extra verb that you don’t need.

arrive / come / protest / start /grow up / work / displace / begin / have / go

a. Francia Márquez ____________ in Yolombó.

b. Ancestors from La Toma ___________ from Africa.

c. African ancestors from La Toma ___________ on agriculture.

d. The dam project on the Ovejas river ____________ people from their territories.

e. Francia Márquez ___________ to work on community projects when she __________ 15.

f. The dam ____________ social and environmental impact on the region.

g. According to the text, the mining that was practiced by the women in La Toma __________ artisanal.

h. People in La Toma __________ to protest against illegal miners only after 15 years they ____________.

7
13. Write questions to the answers below. Look at the example:

- What did Francia do as an activist?

- She participated in dances and theater plays to show the community the impact of the dam on the river.

★ You can also look at the questions in the interview above as examples.

a. __________________________________________________________________________________
Francia Marquez won the Goldman Environmental Prize.

b. __________________________________________________________________________________
The Spaniards brought people to La Toma from Africa in 1636.

c. __________________________________________________________________________________
The government built the dam on the Ovejas River in 1985.

d. __________________________________________________________________________________
The community met with officials from the local and national government.

14. Writing & Speaking

What do you think about Francia Márquez’ life? Do you find it inspiring as other people do? Why? Why
not? Write a 50-word text to express your opinion about Francia Marquez. Support your opinion with facts
about her life trajectory. Be ready to give your opinion orally in class.

Example:

I think Francia Marquez’ life is _________ (fascinating / interesting / boring /

exciting….) because she __________ (mention here the reason). Francia Marquez …..
(provide evidence to support your reason).

8
 During task

15. Your task is to prepare and give a two- or three-minute presentation about an afro or
indigenous leader preferably from Colombia or Latin America. You will include information about
the person’s life, his/her trajectory and your opinion about this person.

The following aspects will help you focus on the content:

- date when the person was born (XX was born on _____)
- the place where he/she was born and a short description of the location (XXX is a town/city
in_______. This place _______)
- academic or social trajectory (XX studied_________. He/She started to work as a ______)
- why the person stands out (What I admire most about this person is his/her _______. + explanation)

The following are the steps you will follow:

○ Think of people that have contributed to society through their art, community engagement, or
scientific work.
○ Search for information about the person. This information must be in English. You can search for
videos or texts.
○ Read the texts and/or watch the videos and take notes on the information you need for your
presentation (see list above).
○ Write a short composition about the person’s life and trajectory, based on the aspects mentioned above
(approximately 100 words). When writing, find support on the notes you took, do not copy and paste from
texts and don’t use the translator.
○ Use connectors as needed, e.g. first, then, after that….
○ Share your composition with the teacher or RedCAAL tutors to ask for feedback.
○ Make the necessary changes in your composition.
○ Read your composition several times to practice.
○ Talk about the person in a virtual meeting with the rest of the class. You might want to share a photo
of the person during your short talk.

The following are some possibilities among many others of people you might want to talk about:

● Benkos Biojó (founder of first free village America, Palenque, Colombia)

● Mabel Torres (current Minister of Science, Colombia)
● Leyner Palacios (social leader, Bojayá, Chocó)
● Mabel Lara (Colombian journalist)
● Manuel Zapata Olivella (Colombian writer, from Lorica)
● Catherine Ibargüen (Colombian athlete)
● Pambelé (Colombian boxer)
● Feliciano Valencia (indigenous leader)
● …...
● …...

9
Post task
16. Francia Márquez acceptance speech, 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize

May 2nd, 2018 https://youtu.be/DF8NTVV-thc

Watch the first three minutes of the video and answer the questions below. Be ready to discuss your answers
with the rest of the class.

a. How does Francia Marquez define herself?

b. What did she learn as a child?
c. Francia used Spanish in her speech. What effect can her use of Spanish have on the audience and on
the people who watch the video?
d. In her speech, Francia made a mistake and paused for a while. At this point, the audience applauded
her. What message did the applause send her? What can we learn from this situation?
e. What did Francia’s ancestors need to do to obtain their lands?
f. What does she say about?
● Dignity?
● Resistance?
g. What does she fight against?
h. What does she invite us to do?

17. Practice the Past tense in Clarity.

➢ Enter Tense Buster
➢ Continue as a Guest
➢ Click on Lower Intermediate
➢ And then click on Simple Past
➢ Read the information and complete the exercises:
- Introduction
- Introduction (2)
- The rule
- Practice: a story
- Practice: make questions
- Pronunciation: Simple past endings
- Do you understand?
- Vocab: example sentences
- And now?
➢ Ask questions throughout the completion of the unit in class or through any communication channels.
➢ Complete the last section of the unit:
- Your test
➢ Take a screenshot of the complete test and submit it to the online classroom platform.
➢

10
18. Play the Kahoot game to check how much you’ve learned through this task. You will receive a pin
to play online.

11