The Life Skills Training Program

Gilbert Botvin's Life Skills Training Program was selected as one of fourteen showcase programs by the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Promotion, Prevention, and Intervention Alternatives in Psychology Botvin's (1986) program was the only drug prevention/intervention program selected out of a field of 300 nominees.

According to Botvin, substance use is a socially learned, pur­posive, and functional behavior. His approach involves attempts to reduce pressure to smoke, to develop general personal com­petence, and to learn specific skills to resist peer pressure. The Life Skills Training curriculum consists of five main components:

1. Students are given information about the short-term and long-term consequences of substance abuse; biofeedback demonstrates the immediate effects of cigarette smoking.

2. Decision-making skills are taught to foster students' critical thinking. Counterarguments to advertising appeals are formulated.

3. Coping skills are taught so that students deal with stress more effectively.

4. Social skills training for resisting peer pressure is im­plemented. The training sessions include such topics as dealing with shyness, coping with dating, and assertiveness skills.

5. Self-improvement is emphasized by helping stu­dents to develop a positive self-image using learning principles.

The Life Skills Training Program consists of 20 sessions and is designed primarily for middle school and junior high school students. It is directed by a classroom teacher who uses a teacher's manual and receives one day of in-service training. Older peers (eleventh- and twelfth-graders) are also used as teachers after extensive training and on-site monitoring by the Life Skills Training staff.

Botvin has conducted a number of evaluations of the Life Skills Training Program and demonstrated that the program is effective in reducing cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and mari­juana use. The greatest success has occurred when the sessions are led by older peers.

2. Listening Comprehension. My Mom Smokes.

A. Before You Listen guess if the following statements about smoking are true or false. Write T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false.

1. ____ About one out of every ten Americans smokes.

2. ____ The number one cause of death by cancer for both men and

women is lung cancer.

3. ____ About 15,000 Americans a year die of lung cancer.

4. ____ Every day, about three thousand young people begin to smoke.

5. ____ Children who breathe their parents' smoke have more coughs,

colds, and ear problems.

6. ____ Smoking during pregnancy may cause premature birth.

B. Key Words. In pairs discuss the new vocabulary, then complete the sentences below.

as soon as at the moment that; when

lounge a room at work where people sit or take a break

smells to have a bad odor

short of breath not able to breathe easily

cough the act of sending out air from the lungs with

a loud sound

quit to stop

hypnotized to put in a sleeplike condition

1. My sister smokes. Her teeth are stained and her breath always ____________.

2. He lights up a cigarette______________ he wakes up.

3. He's a heavy smoker. He gets _________________ when he climbs the stairs.

4. I stopped smoking after I was_____________________.

5. I'm going to ____________________smoking when I have children.

6. Your __________ sounds terrible. When are you going to stop smoking?

7. The only place we can smoke at work is in the employees'________________.

C. First Listening Read these sentences. Then listen to the story. Check the times that this woman smokes. After you listen, tell the class any other information you remember about the story.

____ 1. when she wakes up ____ 4. at the office

____ 2. when she eats ____ 5. in the employees' lounge

____ 3. when she drives ____ 6. when she watches TV

D. Second Listening This woman's family wants her to stop smoking. Listen again and write three reasons her daughter gives. Only write two or three words for each reason.

1. ______________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________

E. Comprehension Questions Listen and circle the correct answer.

1. a. two or three

b. five or six

c. a pack or more

2. a. Employees can only smoke

in their offices.

b. Employees can smoke

anywhere.

c. Employees can only smoke

in the employees lounge

3. a. surprised

b. angry

c. worried

4. a. Yes

b. No.

5. a. She spends too much money

on cigarettes.

b. The house smells

c. She is hurting her children's

health.

6. a. She has very little energy

b. She coughs all the time.

c. She has cancer.

7. a. Yes.

b. No.

3. Listening Comprehension.

A. Listen to these conversations. In each of them, one person is asking another person not to smoke. Write the number of the conversation on the correct picture.

B. Same or Different Read each sentence. Then, listen and decide if the meaning is the same or different. Circle S or D.

S D 1. You can smoke in my office.

S D 2. I only want one.

S D 3. This is the only place I can smoke.

S D 4. We can put the windows in the car down.

S D 5. Now you can't.

S D 6. I can smoke here now.

C. Smoking Situations You will hear some common questions that smokers and non-smokers ask. How would you answer?

1. a. Yes.

b. No.

2. a. Sure, go ahead.

b. Please don't

3. a. No problem.

b. Well, I'd rather you didn't.

4. a. Thanks.

b. No. I don't smoke.

5. a. Sure.

b. Why? I can smoke here.

6. a. I don't

b. Sure. Have one.

7. a. Sorry

b. Sure.

8. a. Smoking.

b. Non-smoking.

4. Write a) an informal letter describing a personal problem; b) An informal letter giving advice. Use the information from the text. Follow the tips and the plan given below.

Plan

Dear +(your friend’s name),

Opening remarks (Par 1) – express sympathy, offer your help

Main Body (Par 2) – give your advice explain the results

Closing Remarks (Par 3) – end the letter

Take care,/Yours,/ etc

(your first name)

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