English Lesson (Listening): "How People Woke up Before Alarm Clocks" (B1)

Vocabulary
A. knocking - hitting a surface (like a window) to make a sound and get attention (frapper / taper à la fenêtre)
B. pea - a small round green vegetable seed (pois)
C. shooters - tools used to blow or shoot small objects (here, peas) (sarbacanes: “pea shooters” = sarbacanes à pois)
D. roosters - male chickens known for crowing at dawn (coqs)
E. pins - small thin metal objects used here to fall and make a sound (petites tiges métalliques / épingles)
F. circadian rhythm - the body’s natural 24-hour cycle that controls sleep and waking (rythme circadien)
G. over time - gradually, as time passes (au fil du temps)
H. mechanical clocks - clocks that work using gears and moving parts, not electronics (horloges mécaniques)
I. affordable - cheap enough for most people to buy (abordable)

Guide Questions
1. What does the speaker say about the Industrial Revolution?
2. Who were the “knocker uppers” in Britain?
3. What other methods did people use to wake up in the past?
4. What does the speaker say about daily life?
5. Why did the “knocker uppers” disappear in the 1920s?
6. What do experts say today?

Reference: BBC

TRANSCRIPT

Throughout history, people created many ways to wake up on time. During the Industrial Revolution in Britain, factory workers needed strict schedules, but alarm clocks were too expensive. As a result, “knocker uppers” became common. These workers walked through streets, knocking on windows or using sticks and pea shooters until people woke up. Other methods included church bells, roosters, and candle clocks that dropped pins each hour. In earlier times, people often followed natural signals like daylight, which helped control their body clock, also called the circadian rhythm. However, daily life was not always simple, as people sometimes worked late or woke early for religious reasons. Over time, knocker uppers disappeared by the 1920s because mechanical clocks improved and became more affordable. Today, experts say we can learn from the past by getting more morning light, keeping regular sleep times, and avoiding artificial light at night to improve sleep quality. (150 words)

Discussion 
1. How do you wake up in the morning? Do you use an alarm clock, or do you wake up naturally? 
2. Do you prefer waking up early or late? Why? 
3. How many alerts do you have in your daily life? For example, reminders for appointments or lunch. Explain. 
4. Describe your circadian rhythm (your body clock). Is it regular or not? 
5. What factors affect your sleeping and waking habits? 
6. What do you usually do in the first hour after you wake up? 
7. Do you think technology affects your sleep? How? 
8. Can you describe a day when you felt fully rested? What was different? 9. How do changes in seasons or daylight hours affect the way you wake up?