The head of Zimbabwe’s national bank Dr. Gideon Gono has announced his country will have a new currency next year. The new banknotes and coins will replace the current Zimbabwean dollar. Dr. Gono did not give a name for the new currency. The present Zimbabwean dollar began life as the Rhodesian dollar, in the days of British rule. It is highly likely the new currency will have a more Zimbabwean look.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is out of control, which means the current dollar is barely worth the value of the paper on which it is printed. Inflation rates are anywhere between 360 to 600 percent a year. Zimbabweans think their currency is a joke. They say it is more economical to use the $10 bill as toilet paper than to buy the real thing. One US dollar is worth between 26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

The new currency may bring Zimbabwe’s economy back to life. It may also make people less angry. Bank customers frequently stand in line for many hours at banks to get their cash. The government cannot print enough money and so there is a shortage of bills. This has made banks ration cash and riots break out when workers are unable to withdraw their money. Dr. Gono has asked people to be patient.

WARM-UPS

1. MY CURRENCY: In pairs / groups, talk about the currency of your country. What do you like about it? What do you know of its history? Change partners and repeat. Tell your new partner(s) what you spoke about earlier.

2. WORLD MONEY: You must find out as much information as you can about the currency from the countries below. Talk to different students to find out what they know. After you have finished, sit with your partner(s) and exchange information. Talk about the things you thought were interesting.

USA Great Britain Japan China Israel

France India Saudi Arabia Zimbabwe Other

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Zimbabwe / national banks / currencies / next year / dollars / paper / inflation / jokes / $10 / toilet paper / one US dollar / bank customers / cash / wages

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. CURRENCY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “currency”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. QUICK DEBATE: Students A think the world should have just one currency. Students B think this would be a disaster. Change partners often.

6. CURRENCY SENTENCES: Write five sentences beginning with the words “My currency”. Talk about them with your partner(s).

My currency ______________________________________________________.

My currency ______________________________________________________.

My currency ______________________________________________________.

My currency ______________________________________________________.

My currency ______________________________________________________.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Zimbabwe will have a new currency from 2009.	T / F
b.	Zimbabwe’s new currency will be called the “Zim”.	T / F
c.	The current Zimbabwe dollar began life as the British dollar.	T / F
d.	Inflation in Zimbabwe is between 360 to 600 percent a year.	T / F
e.	Zimbabweans sometimes use their $10 bills instead of toilet paper.	T / F
f.	One US dollar buys between 26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars.	T / F
g.	Zimbabwe’s government has few problems printing more banknotes.	T / F
h.	Zimbabweans always wait patiently in banks to take out their cash.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	head	lack
b.	current	very
c.	highly	start
d.	look	per annum
e.	barely	take out
f.	a year	present
g.	stand in line	hardly
h.	shortage	queue
i.	break out	chief
j.	withdraw	appearance

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	The head	a more Zimbabwean look
b.	new banknotes	unable to withdraw their money
c.	The present Zimbabwean dollar	bill as toilet paper
d.	the new currency will have	26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars
e.	Inflation in Zimbabwe is out	began life as the Rhodesian dollar
f.	more economical to use the $10	in line for many hours
g.	One US dollar is worth between	back to life
h.	bring Zimbabwe’s economy	of Zimbabwe’s national bank
i.	customers frequently stand	of control
j.	riots break out when workers are	and coins

AFTER READING / LISTENING

WHOOPS: Three of the six words in bold in each paragraph are incorrect. In pairs / groups, find and delete them and think of a better word.

Zimbabwe to get new currency

The foot of Zimbabwe’s national bank Dr. Gideon Gono has announced his country will have a new currency last year. The new banknotes and coins will replace the current Zimbabwean dollar. Dr. Gono did not give a name for the new currency. The present Zimbabwean dollar began life as the Rhodesian dollar, in the days of British rule. It is lowly likely the new currency will have a more Zimbabwean look.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is in of control, which means the current dollar is barely worth the value of the paper on which it is printed. Inflation rates are anywhere between 360 to 600 percent a year. Zimbabweans think their currency is a joke. They say it is more economy to use the $10 bill as toilet paper than to bought the real thing. One US dollar is worth between 26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

The new currency may bring Zimbabwe’s economy front to life. It may also make people less angry. Bank customers frequently stand in circle for many hours at banks to get their cash. The government cannot print enough money and so there is a shortage of bills. This has made banks ration cash and riots break out when workers are unable to withdraw their money. Dr. Gono has asked people to be patients.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Zimbabwe to get new currency

The _____ of Zimbabwe’s national bank Dr. Gideon Gono has ___________ his country will have a new currency next year. The new banknotes and coins will replace the _________ Zimbabwean dollar. Dr. Gono did not give a name for the new currency. The present Zimbabwean dollar _______ ______ ____ the Rhodesian dollar, in the days of British rule. It is highly likely the new currency will have a more Zimbabwean ______.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is out of control, which means the current dollar is barely ______ the value of the paper on which it is printed. Inflation ______ are anywhere between 360 to 600 percent a year. Zimbabweans think their currency is a ______. They say it is more economical to use the $10 bill as toilet paper than to buy the ______ thing. One US dollar is ______ between 26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

The new currency may bring Zimbabwe’s economy back ___ _____. It may also make people less angry. Bank customers frequently stand ___ _____ for many hours at banks to get their _____. The government cannot print enough money and so there is a shortage of bills. This has made banks _______ cash and riots break out when workers are unable to withdraw their money. Dr. Gono has asked people to be __________.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘bank’ and ‘note’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. WHOOPS: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “CURRENCY” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about world currencies and currency markets.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

head new name highly control printed

joke toilet paper back to life in line shortage patient

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
2. Do you have special feelings towards your country’s currency?
3. What do you think of the idea of having a single world currency?
4. What do you think the name of Zimbabwe’s new currency should be?
5. What name would you give to a new single world currency?
6. What do you know of the history of your country’s currency?
7. What kind of look do you think Zimbabwe’s new currency should have?
8. Has your country ever had very high levels of inflation?
9. Do you check the value of the US dollar?
10. Could you ever use money as toilet paper?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Do you think creating a new currency is a good idea?
4. How strong is your country’s currency compared with other currencies?
5. Do you ever invest in the currency markets?
6. What do you think of the European Union’s single currency?
7. Do you ever have to stand in line for a long time in banks?
8. What do you think the effects of high inflation are?
9. What would you do if banks started rationing cash in your country?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

SINGLE WORLD CURRENCY: You are a member of the committee that will create a single world currency. In pairs / groups, complete the following table.
 

Name for the new coins and bills
Values of the new coins and bills
Language on the coins and bills
Pictures on the coins and bills
Where the money will be made
How to stop people copying the money
Advantages of a single world currency
Other

Change partners and show each other your ideas. Join your ideas to agree on one plan for the new world currency.

Give presentations on your plan to the class. Vote on the best one.

Role play a meeting between the committee member who thinks a single world currency is a great idea and a person who thinks it’s a terrible idea.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the currency of your country. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. ZIMBABWEAN CURRENCY: Make a poster with your idea for how the new Zimbabwean currency might look. Include explanations for each point of the new money. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all think of similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to Zimbabwe’s national bank governor. Tell him what you think of his idea to solve the country’s economic problems by creating a new currency. Show what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. F

c. F

d. T

e. T

f. T

g. F

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	head	chief
b.	current	present
c.	highly	very
d.	look	appearance
e.	barely	hardly
f.	a year	per annum
g.	stand in line	queue
h.	shortage	lack
i.	break out	start
j.	withdraw	take out

PHRASE MATCH:
 

a.	The head	of Zimbabwe’s national bank
b.	new banknotes	and coins
c.	The present Zimbabwean dollar	began life as the Rhodesian dollar
d.	the new currency will have	a more Zimbabwean look
e.	Inflation in Zimbabwe is out	of control
f.	more economical to use the $10	bill as toilet paper
g.	One US dollar is worth between	26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars
h.	bring Zimbabwe’s economy	back to life
i.	customers frequently stand	in line for many hours
j.	riots break out when workers are	unable to withdraw their money

WHOOPS:

Zimbabwe to get new currency

The head of Zimbabwe’s national bank Dr. Gideon Gono has announced his country will have a new currency next year. The new banknotes and coins will replace the current Zimbabwean dollar. Dr. Gono did not give a name for the new currency. The present Zimbabwean dollar began life as the Rhodesian dollar, in the days of British rule. It is highly likely the new currency will have a more Zimbabwean look.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is out of control, which means the current dollar is barely worth the value of the paper on which it is printed. Inflation rates are anywhere between 360 to 600 percent a year. Zimbabweans think their currency is a joke. They say it is more economical to use the $10 bill as toilet paper than to buy the real thing. One US dollar is worth between 26,000 to 90,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

The new currency may bring Zimbabwe’s economy back to life. It may also make people less angry. Bank customers frequently stand in line for many hours at banks to get their cash. The government cannot print enough money and so there is a shortage of bills. This has made banks ration cash and riots break out when workers are unable to withdraw their money. Dr. Gono has asked people to be patient.

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