News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Animal Names
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Calling Animals ‘Pets’ Is Unfair (29th April, 2011)

Animal rights campaigners want the English language to be fairer to animals. Professor Andrew Linzey wrote in the Journal of Animal Ethics that we should change the names we give to animals. He said the word “pet” insults dogs and cats. He said instead, they should be called “companion animals”. He also dislikes the word “owners” because it describes animals as being property and not living creatures. Linzey believes people will treat animals better if we use more respectful vocabulary.

Professor Linzey outlines many more words he says disrespects animals and gives alternatives. He suggests we replace the term “wild animal” with “free-living” or “free-roaming”. He also asks us to stop describing rats and mice as “vermin” or “pests”. Linzey says, “our existing language about animals is the language of past thought…and the past is littered” with insulting names. He wants an end to phrases he thinks are unfair, such as “sly as a fox”, “eat like a pig” or “drunk as a skunk”.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

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LISTENING GAP FILL

__________________ campaigners want the English language __________________ animals. Professor Andrew Linzey wrote in the Journal of Animal Ethics that we should change __________________ to animals. He said the word “pet” insults dogs and cats. __________________, they should be called “companion animals”. He also dislikes the word “owners” because it describes animals __________________ and not living creatures. Linzey believes __________________ animals better if we use more respectful vocabulary.

Professor Linzey __________________ more words he says disrespects animals and __________________. He suggests we replace the term “wild animal” with “free-living” or “free-roaming”. He __________________ stop describing rats and mice as “vermin” or “pests”. Linzey says, “our __________________ about animals is the language of past thought…and the past is littered” with __________________. He wants an end to phrases he thinks are unfair, such as “sly as a fox”, “__________________” or “drunk as a skunk”.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Animal (1) ____ campaigners want the English language to be fairer to animals. Professor Andrew Linzey wrote in the Journal of Animal Ethics that we should change the names we (2) ____ to animals. He said the word “pet” (3) ____ dogs and cats. He said (4) ____, they should be called “companion animals”. He also dislikes the word “owners” because it describes animals as (5) ____ property and not living creatures. Linzey believes people will       (6) ____ animals better if we use more respectful vocabulary.

Professor Linzey (7) ____ many more words he says disrespects animals and gives alternatives. He suggests we replace the term “(8) ____ animal” with “free-living” or “free-roaming”. He also asks us to stop describing rats and mice (9) ____ “vermin” or “(10) ____”. Linzey says, “our existing language about animals is the language of past thought…and the past is (11) ____” with insulting names. He wants an end to phrases he thinks are unfair, such as “(12) ____ as a fox”, “eat like a pig” or “drunk as a skunk”.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

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WRITING

Write about animal names for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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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. ANIMAL NAMES: Search the Internet and find more information about animal names. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about animal names. Include imaginary interviews with some animals. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a language. Ask him/her three questions about animal names. Give him/her three of your opinions on this article. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.