אוסף אמין שנבנה מתוך ניסיון כיתתי עשיר על ידי שני מורים פעילים בהוראת אנגלית.

זה עובד. זה בדוק. פשוט, קל ובחינם.

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Society · History · Politics · B2–C1
Teacher's Lesson Plan
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Lesson Overview
Topic
South Africa. Few countries encapsulate the extremes of the modern world more vividly than South Africa: extraordinary natural beauty and devastating inequality; a constitution celebrated as among the most progressive in the world and a state apparatus weakened by corruption; a young democracy born out of one of the most systematic forms of oppression in the twentieth century. This lesson examines South Africa from multiple angles — historical, geographical, social, political — and explores the profound and often painful relationship between South Africa and Britain.
Level
B2–C1 (upper-intermediate to advanced)
Duration
90 minutes
Grammar ★
Mixed conditionals — Type 3→2 (unreal past condition → present result): If apartheid had not ended, the country would not be the democracy it is today. · Type 2→3 (unreal present condition → past result): If South Africa were not so rich in minerals, the colonial powers would not have fought so bitterly over it.

Hedging and distancing language — essential for discussing contested political and social topics: it would appear that / it could be argued that / critics maintain / there is reason to believe / tends to / to some extent / the evidence suggests
Vocabulary
12 words (B2–C1): apartheid · legacy · inequality · corruption · constitution · reconciliation · emigration · infrastructure · township · sanctions · sovereignty · diaspora
Characters
Emma Harris (British journalist, ten years covering Africa) · Robert Clarke (South African political analyst, visiting fellow at a London university)
Britain connection
South Africa was a British colony (Cape Colony from 1806; Union of South Africa 1910). The Anglo-Boer Wars (1880–1902) are a significant and painful shared history. South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961, rejoined in 1994. Today, an estimated 250,000–400,000 South Africans live in the UK — a diaspora driven partly by emigration linked to crime, political instability, and the search for opportunity.
Teaching Notes
On the grammar — mixed conditionals

Mixed conditionals are among the most important and underused structures at B2–C1. Students often know Type 2 and Type 3 separately but struggle to mix them. The key insight: in a mixed conditional, the time frames in the condition and result clauses are different. Type 3→2: the condition is in the past, the result is in the present ("If apartheid had not ended [past], the country would not be a democracy [now]"). Type 2→3: the condition is a present reality, the result is in the past ("If South Africa were not so unequal [now], crime would not have risen so sharply [over decades]"). South Africa's history makes both types feel natural and communicatively purposeful — every sentence about apartheid's legacy is potentially a mixed conditional.

On hedging language

Hedging is the defining feature of formal academic and journalistic discourse in English — and it is particularly important when discussing sensitive topics like crime statistics, political failure, and post-colonial history. Students at B2 tend to make claims too bluntly; C1 requires the ability to qualify, distance, and attribute. Write on the board: "South Africa has a very high crime rate" vs "It would appear that crime remains a significant challenge". Both are true. The second is more appropriate in formal writing. Show students the range: from tentative (it might be) to more confident (the evidence suggests) to attributed (critics maintain).

On the listening — Robert Clarke

Robert is South African by birth and identity but academically based partly in London — this allows him to speak about South Africa with insider knowledge and outsider perspective simultaneously. He speaks carefully and precisely, as a political analyst would. Emma is professional and probing — she pushes him on difficult questions (crime, corruption, emigration). Both mixed conditionals and hedging appear naturally throughout. Read Robert with measured authority and real feeling for his country; Emma with journalistic precision. Read TWICE.

Sensitivity note

This lesson touches on apartheid, crime, and institutional failure. These are serious topics that deserve serious treatment — and students will engage with them seriously. Avoid framing South Africa purely through a deficit lens. Robert's final speech in the listening script is deliberately optimistic — the lesson should leave students with a complex, balanced picture, not a simple one.

Lesson Procedure
Time
Stage
Skill
Teacher does
Students do
0–8 min
Lead-in
Speaking
Board: "What do you know about South Africa?" Take ideas. Then: three facts to react to — (1) South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. (2) It also has one of the highest murder rates. (3) An estimated 400,000 South Africans live in the UK. Brief pair discussion: how do you explain these three things existing in the same country?
React. Discuss.
8–18 min
Vocabulary
—
H1: vocabulary cards + Task A (match) + Task B (gap fill). Focus on the apartheid/legacy/reconciliation cluster — these three words tell the story of modern South Africa. Note: diaspora /daɪˈæspərə/, sovereignty /ˈsɒvrənti/.
Match. Fill. Connect.
18–35 min
Grammar
—
★ Mixed conditionals — write the two types clearly on the board with South Africa examples. Drill word order. Then hedging language — the spectrum from tentative to confident. Exercises 1–3.
Analyse. Transform. Produce.
35–50 min
Reading
Reading
"Thirty Years On." Silent read (3 min). T/F/NG + inference + language task: find mixed conditionals and hedging expressions in the text.
Read. Infer. Identify.
50–63 min
Listening
Listening
Read TWICE. Robert = measured, authoritative, real feeling for his country. Emma = professional, probing. Grammar hunt in Task 3. Task 4: discuss Robert's final point.
Listen. Select. Analyse.
63–78 min
Speaking
Speaking
Task A: discussion. Task B: role play — South African minister vs foreign correspondent. Task C: debate motion.
Discuss. Role play. Debate.
78–90 min
Writing
Writing
Two options: analytical essay or letter. Both require mixed conditionals + hedging + vocabulary. Plan in class, write or complete at home.
Choose. Plan. Begin.
Listening Script — 'What the Country Has Become'
Emma Harris interviews Robert Clarke. Robert = South African political analyst, measured, authoritative, real warmth for his country. Emma = British journalist, professional, probing. Read twice. Both grammar structures appear naturally throughout.
Emma:
Robert, you were born in South Africa, you've spent years analysing it academically, and you now spend part of your time in London. What's your overall sense of where the country is right now?
Robert:
It would be dishonest to say things are straightforward. South Africa remains, in many respects, a country of extraordinary contradictions. There are places of real beauty, economic energy, creative vitality — and alongside them, levels of inequality and violence that are, frankly, hard to comprehend from the outside. If apartheid had not created such a systematically unequal society, the legacy problems the country faces today would be far less severe. But that's the inheritance — and it's a profound one.
Emma:
Let's talk about crime. South Africa's murder rate is frequently cited as one of the highest in the world. How does that affect daily life?
Robert:
It affects it enormously — but unevenly. It would appear that many visitors to Cape Town or Johannesburg are surprised that their experience feels relatively safe, because the statistics are real but concentrated. Violence tends to cluster in specific areas and specific communities — overwhelmingly poor, overwhelmingly Black South African communities that are, to put it plainly, still living with the spatial and economic consequences of apartheid. If the country were not as unequal as it is, it seems reasonable to suggest that the crime rate would be significantly lower. The evidence consistently links extreme inequality to violent crime.
Emma:
There's been significant emigration — particularly of skilled professionals. What do you make of that?
Robert:
The diaspora is a complicated subject. Critics maintain that the emigration of skilled South Africans — doctors, engineers, accountants — represents a serious drain on a country that can ill afford to lose them. And to some extent, that argument is difficult to counter. If South Africa had managed its governance better over the past two decades, it could be argued that many of those people would not have left. The corruption and the collapse of basic services — electricity, clean water — have pushed people out who might otherwise have stayed. I know some of them personally.
Emma:
And the British connection specifically — there are hundreds of thousands of South Africans in the UK.
Robert:
There are. And the relationship is complicated by history, as it always is with former colonies. The Anglo-Boer Wars left deep scars — the British use of concentration camps is not something that tends to be forgotten easily in Afrikaner communities. Yet the cultural and economic connections remain strong. Many South Africans feel, if they're honest, a degree of cultural familiarity with Britain — the legal system, the language, the cricket. If Britain were not an English-speaking country with a relatively straightforward visa process, I suspect the South African diaspora here would be considerably smaller.
Emma:
Is there anything that gives you genuine optimism about South Africa's future?
Robert:
Yes — and I say this as someone who has spent years documenting what has gone wrong. The constitution remains genuinely remarkable. The Constitutional Court has shown independence when it mattered. Civil society is active and vocal. The press is largely free. Young South Africans, in particular, tend to identify less with the racial categories of the apartheid era. If the political will existed to seriously address inequality and rebuild infrastructure — and there are signs, tentative ones, that it might — I believe the country could realise something close to what it promised in 1994. That promise has not been broken. It has been deferred. There is a difference.
Answer Key
H1 Vocabulary
Task A: 1-f 2-l 3-b 4-k 5-a 6-j 7-g 8-c 9-d 10-h 11-i 12-e
Task B: 1. apartheid 2. legacy 3. inequality 4. reconciliation 5. diaspora 6. infrastructure 7. corruption 8. sanctions 9. constitution 10. township
H2 Grammar
Ex 1 (type): 1. 3→2 2. 2→3 3. 3→2 4. 2→3 5. 3→2 6. 2→3
Ex 2 (complete): 1. had not imposed / would not have grown 2. were not so unequal / would be 3. had invested / would be 4. were not landlocked / would have developed
Ex 3 (hedging): Accept varied. Mark: appropriate hedging phrase + logical connection to South Africa + no overstatement.
H3 Reading
T/F/NG: 1 T · 2 F (it left in 1961, rejoined in 1994) · 3 NG · 4 T · 5 F (article says townships have changed but inequality persists) · 6 T
Language task: Mixed cond: "If apartheid had not created such a legacy of inequality, South Africa would not face the challenges it does today" / "If the country were less unequal, crime rates would arguably be lower" · Hedging: "it could be argued that" / "critics maintain" / "there is reason to believe" / "tends to"
H4 Listening
Task 1: c — he describes extraordinary contradictions: beauty and energy alongside inequality and violence
Task 2: 1. concentrated in poor, Black South African communities / linked to inequality 2. They have emigrated partly due to poor governance, corruption, and collapse of services 3. The Anglo-Boer Wars / British concentration camps — not forgotten in Afrikaner communities 4. The constitution / Constitutional Court / free press / young people identifying less with racial categories
Task 3 mixed cond: "If apartheid had not created such a systematically unequal society, the legacy problems would be far less severe" · "If the country were not as unequal as it is... the crime rate would be significantly lower" · "If South Africa had managed its governance better... many of those people would not have left" · "If Britain were not an English-speaking country... the diaspora would be considerably smaller" · "If the political will existed... the country could realise something close to what it promised"
Task 3 hedging: "It would be dishonest to say" · "It would appear that" · "tends to cluster" · "seems reasonable to suggest" · "The evidence consistently links" · "Critics maintain" · "it could be argued" · "to some extent" · "tends to be forgotten"

South Africa

Society · History · Politics · B2–C1 · Student Handouts · 90 min
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Handout 1

Vocabulary

Vocabulary
11official languages
60M+population — the most diverse country on the continent
1994first democratic elections — end of apartheid
Key Words — Society, History & Politics
apartheidn · C1
The political system of racial segregation enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994, under which the non-white majority was denied political and civil rights
"Apartheid was condemned internationally, but the West was slow to impose effective sanctions."
legacyn · B2
Something left behind by a past event, person, or period; the long-term consequences of what has come before
"The legacy of apartheid is visible in the persistent inequality between communities."
inequalityn · B2
A lack of equality, especially in the distribution of wealth, opportunity, or rights within a society
"South Africa has one of the highest levels of income inequality of any country in the world."
corruptionn · B2
The use of power or position for personal gain; dishonest conduct by those in authority
"State corruption under the Zuma administration caused enormous damage to public services and investor confidence."
constitutionn · B2
The fundamental set of laws and principles by which a state is governed; a document defining the rights of citizens
"South Africa's 1996 constitution is considered one of the most progressive in the world, enshrining extensive human rights."
reconciliationn · C1
The restoration of relations between people or groups following conflict; the process of coming to terms with a difficult past
"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission attempted to address the crimes of the apartheid era through testimony, not prosecution."
emigrationn · B2
The act of permanently leaving one's country to live elsewhere; the process of moving abroad
"Emigration of skilled professionals has been described as one of the most serious challenges facing the country."
infrastructuren · B2
The basic physical systems of a country — roads, power supply, water, transport, communications
"Chronic power cuts have revealed the extent to which infrastructure investment was neglected for decades."
townshipn · B2
In South Africa, a residential area historically designated under apartheid for Black Africans, separate from white urban areas
"Soweto, the most famous township, was the scene of the 1976 uprising that marked a turning point in the struggle against apartheid."
sanctionsn · C1
Official penalties — trade restrictions, bans, or financial measures — imposed by one or more countries on another to influence its behaviour
"International sanctions, combined with internal resistance, ultimately contributed to the end of apartheid."
sovereigntyn · C1
The supreme authority of a state over its own territory; the right and power of a people to govern themselves without external interference
"The question of sovereignty was central to the Anglo-Boer Wars: who had the right to govern the Transvaal?"
diasporan · C1
A group of people who have spread from their homeland and settled in other countries, while often maintaining cultural connections to their country of origin
"The South African diaspora in Britain numbers in the hundreds of thousands, concentrated particularly in London."
Task A — Match the Word

Match each word (1–12) with its meaning (a–l).

Words
1. apartheid → ___
2. diaspora → ___
3. inequality → ___
4. sovereignty → ___
5. reconciliation → ___
6. emigration → ___
7. legacy → ___
8. township → ___
9. corruption → ___
10. infrastructure → ___
11. sanctions → ___
12. constitution → ___
Meanings
a. the restoration of relations after conflict; coming to terms with the past
b. a lack of equality in wealth, rights, or opportunity
c. a segregated urban area historically designated for non-white residents
d. the dishonest use of power or position for personal gain
e. the fundamental laws and principles by which a state is governed
f. a system of racial segregation enforced by law
g. the lasting effects or consequences left behind by a past event or period
h. the basic physical systems of a country (roads, power, water)
i. official penalties imposed by countries to influence another's behaviour
j. the act of permanently leaving one's country to live elsewhere
k. the right of a state to govern itself without external interference
l. a community that has spread from its homeland and settled elsewhere
Task B — Vocabulary in Context

Fill each gap with the correct word. Change the form if necessary.

Word Bankapartheid · legacy · inequality · corruption · constitution · reconciliation · emigration · infrastructure · township · sanctions · sovereignty · diaspora
1.The policy of __________________ classified South Africans by race and denied the non-white majority political representation or civil rights.
2.Thirty years after the first democratic elections, the __________________ of apartheid remains visible in the patterns of who owns land, who attends which schools, and who lives where.
3.South Africa has one of the highest levels of income __________________ in the world, as measured by the Gini coefficient.
4.The Truth and __________________ Commission, chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, allowed perpetrators to seek amnesty in exchange for full disclosure of their crimes.
5.The South African __________________ in the United Kingdom is particularly concentrated in London, where communities have established their own schools, churches, and cultural organisations.
6.Persistent power cuts, known as loadshedding, have exposed deep problems in the country's electricity __________________ that were allowed to deteriorate over many years.
7.The scale of state __________________ during the Zuma era — which his critics called "state capture" — diverted billions that should have gone to public services.
8.International __________________ imposed in the 1980s isolated South Africa economically and culturally, eventually contributing to pressure on the apartheid government.
9.South Africa's 1996 __________________ is widely admired for its explicit protection of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.
10.Soweto — South Western __________________ — became famous internationally as the site of the 1976 student uprising, when schoolchildren protested against being taught in Afrikaans.
Handout 2

Grammar

Grammar
★ Mixed Conditionals — when time frames are different
In Type 2 and Type 3 conditionals, the condition and result are in the same time frame. In a mixed conditional, they are in different time frames. This is very natural when discussing history and its present consequences.

Type 3 → 2  |  Past condition → Present result
If [past perfect] + would/could/might + bare infinitive
If apartheid had not ended in 1994, the country would not be a democracy today.
If international sanctions had not been imposed, the apartheid government might still be in power.
If Mandela had not survived imprisonment, the transition could be far less peaceful.
Type 2 → 3  |  Present condition → Past result
If [past simple] + would/could/might + have + past participle
If South Africa were not so unequal, crime would not have risen so sharply.
If the government were less corrupt, it could have built much stronger infrastructure.
If the country did not have such mineral wealth, it might not have attracted colonial interest.
⚠ Common error: mixing Type 2 and 3 forms within the same half of the sentence. The condition must be internally consistent in tense.
Hedging and Distancing Language
At C1 level, you qualify claims rather than stating them bluntly. This is essential when discussing sensitive political and social topics — it shows intellectual precision and respects the complexity of the evidence.

Function
Examples
Epistemic hedging
— qualifying certainty
it would appear that · it seems that · there is reason to believe · it seems reasonable to suggest
Attribution
— ascribing to others
critics maintain that · analysts suggest · the evidence suggests · observers argue
Partial qualification
— limiting the claim
to some extent · in many respects · with certain exceptions · tends to · in part
Conceding complexity
— acknowledging difficulty
it could be argued that · admittedly · it is difficult to deny that · it remains to be seen
Compare:
Blunt: "South Africa has a very high crime rate because of inequality."
Hedged: "The evidence tends to suggest that South Africa's crime problem is, in part, a consequence of the deep inequality that persists as a legacy of apartheid."
Exercise 1 — ★ Identify the Type

Write 3→2 (past condition, present result) or 2→3 (present condition, past result).

1."If apartheid had not created such spatial inequality, the townships would not exist in their current form today." → ___
2."If South Africa were not still so economically unequal, the post-1994 transition would have delivered better outcomes for most people." → ___
3."If Mandela had not personally committed to reconciliation, the transition might be far more contested today." → ___
4."If the country did not have eleven official languages, the task of building a unified national identity would have been considerably simpler." → ___
5."If the international community had not imposed sanctions earlier, the apartheid government might still be in power." → ___
6."If governance were more effective today, the infrastructure crisis would not have developed to the extent it has." → ___
Exercise 2 — Complete the Mixed Conditional

Complete each sentence. The type is given. Both halves must be grammatically correct.

1.[3→2] "If the British government __________________ sanctions earlier, the apartheid regime __________________ (not / grow) as powerful as it did."
2.[2→3] "If South Africa __________________ (not / be) so unequal, the crime rate __________________ (not / rise) so dramatically in the post-apartheid era."
3.[3→2] "If the government __________________ (invest) more in education after 1994, the skills gap __________________ (not / be) so severe today."
4.[2→3] "If Zimbabwe __________________ (not / be) landlocked, its economic development __________________ (follow) a different path."
Exercise 3 — Add Hedging Language

Rewrite each sentence using appropriate hedging. Make it suitable for a formal essay or broadcast report.

1."South Africa's crime problem is caused by inequality."
2."The ANC government has failed to deliver on the promises of 1994."
3."The emigration of skilled South Africans is a disaster for the country."
4."South Africa will not solve its problems without major political reform."
Handout 3

Reading

Reading
Society & Politics
Adapted from broadsheet journalism
Thirty Years On: South Africa's Promise and Its Long Shadow

In April 1994, millions of South Africans queued for hours to cast their first democratic votes. Nelson Mandela became president of a country that had spent decades as an international pariah, its system of racial classification and enforced segregation condemned across the world. The transition from apartheid to democracy was, by almost any measure, extraordinary. If the apartheid government had not ultimately negotiated rather than fought, and if Mandela had not emerged from twenty-seven years of imprisonment committed to reconciliation rather than revenge, the outcome could have been incomparably more violent. South Africa did something that many thought impossible.

Yet the country's subsequent history has been more complicated. South Africa possesses remarkable natural wealth: it holds some of the world's largest deposits of gold, platinum, and chromium, and its landscape ranges from the Drakensberg mountains to the Karoo desert to the coastlines of both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It has eleven official languages — the most of any country in the world — and a cultural vitality that is genuinely its own. Its 1996 constitution is considered one of the most progressive ever written, enshrining rights to housing, education, and healthcare alongside the more familiar civil and political freedoms.

And yet. The legacy of apartheid has proved more durable than many hoped. South Africa remains one of the most economically unequal societies on earth. The spatial geography of apartheid — townships at the margins, white suburbs at the centre — has not been fundamentally altered. If the country were not still so profoundly divided by wealth along broadly racial lines, it could be argued that the promise of 1994 would have been far better fulfilled. The concentration of violent crime in poor, predominantly Black South African communities is, to a significant degree, an inheritance of that structural inequality rather than a characteristic of the people who live there.

The political story is equally complex. The African National Congress, which led the liberation struggle and governed from 1994, has seen its parliamentary majority erode significantly. Critics maintain that the Zuma era — marked by what came to be known as "state capture," the systematic looting of public institutions — set back development by a generation. The collapse of the electricity supply, once a source of national pride, into chronic daily blackouts has become a symbol of what poor governance can do to infrastructure. It would be premature, however, to conclude that the democratic experiment has failed: the Constitutional Court has demonstrated genuine independence, the press remains largely free, and civil society is active and vocal.

Britain's relationship with South Africa is long, layered, and not uncomplicated. The Cape Colony came under British control in 1806; the Anglo-Boer Wars of 1880–1902, in which Britain fought the Boer republics for control of the gold-rich Transvaal, left a legacy of bitterness in Afrikaner communities that has not entirely dissipated. Britain was slow to impose meaningful sanctions against the apartheid government — a source of criticism from those who felt that economic interests were prioritised over human rights. Yet the countries share a language, a legal tradition, and deep personal connections. The South African diaspora in the United Kingdom tends to be large, educated, and economically active. If Britain were not English-speaking with a familiar legal and institutional culture, the number of South Africans who have made their lives here would likely be considerably smaller.

What South Africa remains, above all, is a country that has not given up. The democratic institutions function — imperfectly, under pressure, but they function. The generation born after 1994 — the so-called "born-frees" — tends to be less defined by the racial categories of the apartheid era, more mobile, more connected. There is reason to believe that the arc of South Africa's story has not yet reached its defining chapter.

Task 1 — True, False, or Not Given?

Write T, F, or NG. Justify with a phrase from the text.

1.South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994.[ T / F / NG ]
2.South Africa has always been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.[ T / F / NG ]
3.South Africa's constitution has been praised by international legal scholars.[ T / F / NG ]
4.The article suggests that the concentration of violent crime is linked to structural inequality rather than personal character.[ T / F / NG ]
5.The article argues that apartheid's spatial geography has been completely reversed since 1994.[ T / F / NG ]
6.The article describes the post-1994 "born-free" generation as potentially less defined by racial identity.[ T / F / NG ]
Task 2 — Language Analysis
1.Find one mixed conditional in the text. Write it, identify the type (3→2 or 2→3), and explain what historical argument it makes.
2.Find three hedging expressions in the text. For each, explain what claim it hedges and why the hedge is appropriate in this context.
3.The final paragraph says the story has "not yet reached its defining chapter." What does this metaphor mean? Do you agree with the article's overall tone?
Handout 4

Listening

Listening
Emma Harris (British journalist, ten years covering Africa) interviews Robert Clarke (South African political analyst, visiting fellow at a London university). Your teacher reads the interview twice.
Task 1 — How does Robert describe South Africa? Tick ✓ the most accurate summary.
a. [ ]He is fundamentally pessimistic — he believes South Africa has failed to deliver on the promise of 1994 and sees no real prospect of improvement.
b. [ ]He is uncritically optimistic — he feels the transition has succeeded and the problems are being exaggerated by the media.
c. [ ]He describes a country of real contradictions — serious problems alongside genuine strengths — and maintains qualified optimism about its future.
d. [ ]He avoids taking any position, saying only that the situation is too complex to analyse.
Task 2 — Listening for Detail

Answer with short notes.

1.How does Robert explain the concentration of violent crime in specific communities?_______________________________________________
2.What does Robert say has driven the emigration of skilled South Africans?_______________________________________________
3.What does Robert say is the most significant historical complication in the South Africa–Britain relationship?_______________________________________________
4.What four things does Robert cite as sources of genuine optimism?_______________________________________________
Task 3 — Grammar in the Interview

Listen again. Find the following in Robert's speech.

1.Two mixed conditionals. Write each one, identify the type, and note what argument it supports.1: _______________________________________________2: _______________________________________________
2.Four hedging expressions. Write each one and identify its function (epistemic / attribution / partial qualification / conceding complexity).1: _______________________________________________2: _______________________________________________3: _______________________________________________4: _______________________________________________
Task 4 — Discussion
1.Robert ends by saying: "That promise has not been broken. It has been deferred. There is a difference." What distinction is he making? Do you find this convincing? Write three sentences in response using at least one mixed conditional and one hedging expression.
Handout 5

Speaking

Speaking
Task A — Discussion
1. "The greatest injustice of apartheid was not the laws themselves, but the economic inequality they created — which persists today." To what extent do you agree?
2. Robert says many skilled South Africans left due to corruption and poor services. Is emigration in response to political failure an act of giving up — or a rational individual decision? Who is responsible?
3. The article says Britain was slow to impose sanctions against apartheid South Africa. When should outside countries intervene in another country's internal politics? What are the limits?
4. South Africa's "born-free" generation grew up after 1994, without first-hand experience of apartheid. Does being born after a historic injustice change your relationship to its legacy — and your responsibility to address it?
Task B — Role Play: The Press Conference

Work in pairs. Do not show your role card to your partner.

Role Card A — Minister of Tourism
You are South Africa's Minister of Tourism. You want to attract foreign visitors and investors. Acknowledge challenges honestly, but emphasise the country's extraordinary landscapes, wildlife, culture, food, and the resilience of its people. Use hedging language carefully — you want to be credible without being dismissive. Use at least one mixed conditional to talk about what the country could achieve.
Role Card B — Foreign Correspondent
You are a foreign journalist. Ask probing but fair questions about crime, corruption, power cuts, and emigration. You are not hostile — you are trying to give your audience a balanced picture. Use hedging yourself when framing difficult questions: "Critics would argue that..." / "It has been suggested that..." Use at least one mixed conditional in a question.
After the role play: Discuss — did the minister answer the questions honestly? Did the journalist push enough? Was the overall picture balanced?
Task C — Debate
Motion: "Post-apartheid South Africa has failed its people — the promise of 1994 has not been kept."

Group A argues FOR. Group B argues AGAINST.
3 minutes prepare · 2 minutes each · 5 minutes open debate.
Language toolkit: If apartheid had not created... · If governance had been better... · It could be argued that... · Critics maintain that... · There is reason to believe that... · To some extent, the promise has... · The evidence suggests... · If the country were not still so unequal...
Handout 6

Writing

Writing
Writing Task — Choose One

250–300 words. Both options require mixed conditionals, hedging language, and vocabulary from H1.

Option A — Analytical Essay
Write an analytical essay responding to this statement:

"South Africa's greatest problem is not the legacy of apartheid, but the failure of democratic governance since 1994."

Acknowledge the counter-argument. Use hedging throughout. Reach a clear, nuanced conclusion.
Option B — Letter
Write a letter to a friend in the UK who is considering emigrating to South Africa, or to a South African friend considering emigrating to the UK. Give honest, nuanced advice. Use mixed conditionals to explore what could happen under different circumstances. Use hedging to qualify your claims.
Both options must include:
· At least two mixed conditionals (both types)
· At least three hedging expressions (different types)
· At least four vocabulary words from H1
· Reference to the reading or listening
Useful phrases:
If apartheid had not... · If the country were... · It could be argued that... · Critics maintain that... · The evidence suggests... · To some extent... · There is reason to believe... · It would appear that... · The legacy of... · It seems reasonable to suggest...
Check:  [ ] 250–300 words  [ ] two mixed conditionals (3→2 AND 2→3)  [ ] three hedging expressions  [ ] four vocabulary words  [ ] reference to reading/listening  [ ] nuanced conclusion