ENGLISH FORM 3 CHAPTER 11: LESSON TO LEARN
Lessons to Learn
Unit 11 • Education, Culture & Growth
🎨 Expand Your Mind
School isn’t just about maths and science. Creative after-school courses can teach you amazing new skills. Which one would you choose?
Computers
Build your own website or develop games. It isn’t as difficult as it sounds!
Modern Dance
A fantastic way to express yourself. Get ready to sweat and move to the beat!
Drama
Build your confidence, learn to act, and step into someone else’s shoes.
Film-Making
Direct your own movie, learn camera angles, and become a storyteller.
🦁 Facing the Lion
Joseph Lekuton is a history teacher in Virginia, USA. But his background is incredibly unique. Read about his journey from a Maasai tribe in Kenya to an American classroom.
🌍 Growing up Maasai
- A Maasai child’s day often consists of taking care of cattle in the wild all day long.
- They learn vital survival skills.
- Joseph was lucky enough to go to school, where he developed the ability to speak English.
🇺🇸 Teaching in America
- Joseph gives lectures about American history.
- He wrote a book called Facing the Lion to teach children about his culture.
- He aims to teach principles like hope and strength to help kids conquer their own ‘lions’ (challenges).
📚 Academic Vocabulary
Hover over the cards to define words extracted from Joseph Lekuton’s story!
Lectures
NounFormal talks on a serious subject given to a group of people, especially students.
“He gives lectures on history.”
Consists of
Phrasal VerbTo be made of or formed from something.
“His day consists of taking care of cattle.”
Principles
NounBasic ideas or rules that explain or control how something happens or works (like morals or values).
Ability
NounThe physical or mental power or skill needed to do something.
“His ability to speak English helped him.”
⚙️ The Causative
We use the Causative Form when we do not do something ourselves, but we arrange for someone else (like a professional) to do it for us.
The Causative Formula
Compare these sentences:
- Normal: I repaired my computer. (I did it myself)
- Causative: I had my computer repaired. (A technician did it for me)
| Tense | Causative Example |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | I have my hair cut every month. |
| Past Simple | She had her house painted last week. |
| Future (Will) | We will have the pizzas delivered. |
*Note: “Get” is often used instead of “have” in informal English (e.g., I got my hair cut).
🔄 Gerunds & Infinitives
When two verbs follow each other, the second verb must be either a Gerund (-ing) or a Full Infinitive (to + verb). It depends on the first verb!
Use Gerunds (verb-ing) after:
- Verbs of liking/disliking: enjoy, love, hate, don’t mind.
I enjoy reading books. - Specific verbs: suggest, avoid, finish, practice.
She suggested going to the park. - Prepositions: in, at, for, about.
He is good at painting.
Use Full Infinitives (to do) after:
- Verbs of wanting/planning: want, hope, decide, plan, agree.
We decided to stay home. - Adjectives: happy, glad, difficult.
It is difficult to learn Chinese. - To express purpose:
I went to the library to study.
📝 Writing a Formal Report
Reports are written to give information and make recommendations. They are usually written for someone in authority (like a teacher or principal), so the language must be formal and objective.
From: Student Council
Subject: School Facilities & After-School Activities
Introduction
“The aim of this report is to evaluate our school’s current facilities and suggest improvements for after-school activities.”
Use Clear Subheadings
Break your report into sections with clear titles (e.g., Current Facilities, Proposed Activities). Use bullet points if necessary.
Conclusion & Recommendations
“To sum up, while our library is excellent, I strongly recommend that the school introduces a modern dance class to keep students active.”
Lessons to Learn
Open your books! Test your knowledge on education, Maasai culture, and English grammar (Causative, Gerunds & Infinitives).