E. My Wife Doesn't Work

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If it isn't possible to enlarge the drawing, learners can work in pairs or as a group to describe and discuss each square and then to analyze the drawing in its entirety.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A group of nine EAL speakers, all women, talked through the squares in sequence, describing each square and its activity, and asking for new words as needed. A lively discussion ensued, although no one was at all surprised at the amount of time or energy the woman spent in caring for her family.

Work, both paid and unpaid, takes up a huge amount of women's time every day. Use the poster story (page 48) for the following activities.

1. Describing and sequencing

* Enlarge the poster and cut it into squares, giving each learner (or group of learners) one or two squares. Ask learners to describe what is happening in each square, and then to discuss and write captions for their squares (working alone or with a partner). For example: At 6 o'clock she wakes up and goes to get the baby. At 7 o'clock she makes breakfast for the family.

* Starting with 6:00 o'clock and working through the day, ask each learner or pair of learners to describe what they see in the drawings, then put the squares in sequence on a large sheet of newsprint.

2. Guided discussion

* Some questions to consider:

My Wife Doesn't Work
Handout 48
  • What kind of day has this woman had?
  • Do you have days like this?
  • What are the different kinds of jobs she does in a day?
  • What does her husband do?
  • Who helps her?
  • If she were a paid worker, how much would she be paid an hour for cooking? childcare? housework?
  • If she were a friend of yours, what would you tell her? Would you have any advice to give her?

* Learners may want to create their own collages, drawings or photomontages to re-create and describe their own day's work in or out of the house.


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