Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

TED

232K views 14 years ago

Warm-up Questions

When you hear the title “The voices of China's workers,” what kinds of stories or opinions do you expect to hear?
What products do you use every day that might be made in factories far away?
What do you think “voices” means here: people’s complaints, their dreams, or something else?

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Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

Questioning the “simple narrative” about globalization (00:00 – 02:18)

Transcript will load here…

1. What “simple narrative” does the speaker say is appealing but inaccurate?

Chinese factories are successful because Westerners teach workers new skills.
Globalization only benefits workers and never harms them.
Western demand for cheap goods equals Chinese suffering.
Chinese workers refuse to migrate because they dislike factory work.

2. According to the speaker, why have workers become “invisible” to many consumers?

Because workers hide what they do from journalists.
Because factories refuse to sell products abroad.
Because workers all buy the same products they make.
Because consumers focus on themselves and their gadgets.

3. What does the speaker say workers choose to do (instead of being forced by Western desire for iPods)?

Stay home and avoid migration.
Leave home to earn money, learn skills, and see the world.
Stop producing goods for foreign markets.
Work only in farming villages.

Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

Workers’ voices, living conditions, and a critique of Marx’s idea (02:18 – 06:25)

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1. What topics did the workers talk about repeatedly?

Product design and brand strategy
International politics and trade agreements
How to convince Westerners to stop buying goods
Money, marriage, and whether to switch factories

2. What did the speaker later realize the worker meant by the sound “Chi”?

A local word for shoes
An insult for managers
A secret code for overtime
“QC” or “quality control”

3. What does the speaker say is the real “point” for workers, rather than what the factory makes?

What they do with the money they earn and what they learn
Whether the product wins awards
Who buys the product in the West
How quickly the brand can raise prices

Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

A surprising relationship to luxury goods, one worker’s life path, and advice for companies (06:25 – 14:26)

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1. What surprised the speaker about the handbags the family had?

They were made by the factory and were authentic.
They were stolen from a foreign tourist.
They were all fake copies bought at a market.
They were handmade at home, not in a factory.

2. What does the speaker say would help workers most, if a company wanted to support them?

Luxury gifts and discounts on iPhones
Small, focused, pragmatic education classes
More advertising about factory life
Rules to prevent workers from changing jobs

3. How does the speaker describe the general long-term trajectory for many workers who stay in the city long enough?

Completely flat with no major changes over time
Upward only if they leave the city immediately
Generally upward, though change can go different directions
Always downward because factory work is hopeless

Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

Transcript will load here…

1. What is one main message of the talk?

The best solution is to stop buying all products made in China.
Consumers fully control workers’ lives through shopping choices.
Factory products matter more to workers than anything else in life.
Workers’ own goals and perspectives are often ignored in globalization debates.

2. Why does the speaker criticize articles that calculate how long it takes a worker to afford the product they make?

Because the calculations are always mathematically incorrect.
Because it assumes the product is the meaningful goal for the worker.
Because workers usually want to buy the same product immediately.
Because workers are not paid wages in China.

3. In the speaker’s view, what do many workers prioritize beyond basic comfort improvements?

Avoiding any job changes
Owning luxury brands
Education and self-improvement
Working fewer hours at any cost

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

The speaker says the “simple narrative” about Western demand and Chinese suffering is inaccurate. What parts do you agree or disagree with, and why?
What do you think it means to include “the voices of the workers” in discussions about globalization? What would real listening look like?
The talk suggests workers often care more about education, saving money, and the future than about the products they make. How does this change your view of factory work?
If you could advise a global company that uses factory labor, what practical actions would you recommend (and what trade-offs might happen)?