Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson88 : Dogs Can Feel Their Owners' Stress, Too

PART A_1

Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.

PART A_2

1.　subject	/SAb-jekt/
	-to make someone or something experience something unpleasant
	The woman was subject to emotional neglect when she was a child.
2.　conduct	/kan-DAKT/
	-to organize and perform a particular activity
	The organization will conduct a benefit concert for cancer patients.
3.　presence	/PREZ-ens/
	-when someone or something is in a place
	The artist’s presence was recognized in the exhibit.
4.　influence	/IN-flu-ens/
	-to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves or thinks
	Social media influences the majority of today’s generation.
5.　trait	/treyt/
	-a quality, good or bad, in someone’s character
	An employee with a set of good traits is what an employer is looking for.

PART B_1

Let’s read the article. Please read it aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

PART B_2

Study: Dogs Can Feel Their Owners’ Stress, Too

In a recent study published in Scientific Sports, information came that when dog owners are being subject to a long period of stress, their dogs can feel their stress too. The study was focused on 58 people who own herding dogs. The exam was conducted by looking at the presence of cortisol in the hair of both the owner and the dog. Cortisol, a hormone that is released during stressful experiences, can attach to the hair. The study found out that the amounts of cortisol found in an owner and his dog are closely matched. The researchers assumed that it is the human who influences the dog as some human personality traits can also affect a dog’s cortisol levels. Accordingly, this is not surprising as a dog’s life is mostly centered on the owner, unlike the owner which has other social networks. Recent evidence also showed that the relationship between a dog and its owner has become closely like one of a parent and child. Thus, owners are encouraged to reduce the stress they are giving to their dogs and to have fun with them instead.

PART C_1

Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the article.

PART C_2

1.	What made the researchers conclude that a dog owner’s stress is also felt by the dog?
2.	Why is it assumed the humans influence the dog instead of the other way around?
3.	To what relationship is a dog-owner relationship closely alike?

PART D_1

Let’s discuss the article. Please answer the questions below and express your opinions.

PART D_2

1.	What can you say about dog owners adding stress to dogs?
2.	What can dog owners do to avoid stressing their dogs?
3.	Do you agree that the dog-owner relationship is closely alike to a parent-child relationship?
4.	Do you have a pet dog? Please tell me more about it.
5.	What are the things that you do to take care of your dog?

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK

Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.

ではこのレッスンで学んだことを振り返りましょう。

(Please give a short feedback on how your student did on your class.)

	Grammar 文法	Pronunciation 発音	Vocabulary 単語	Comprehension 理解
GOOD	文法の誤りはほとんどなく、完全な文章で話すことができる	ほとんどの単語をはっきりと正しく発音することができる	習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を理解し、質問に正しく答えることができる
FAIR	文法の誤りはあるが、完全な文章で話すことができる	発音の練習が必要な言葉がいくつかある	たまにミスはあるが、習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を完全に理解するのは難しく、質問に正しく答えられないときもある
POOR	文章で話すのは難しく、単語だけで話すことができる	発音の練習が必要である	習った単語と表現を少しだけ使うことができる	文章を理解するのは難しく、質問に答えるのは難しい

TUTOR FEEDBACK

GRAMMAR
Good:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with minimal grammatical errors.
Fair:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with evident grammatical errors.
Poor:	Was able to speak using words only.
PRONUNCIATION
Good:	Was able to pronounce most of the words clearly and correctly.
Fair:	Mispronounced a few words.
Poor:	Mispronounced most of the words.
VOCABULARY
Good:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class.
Fair:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class and made a few errors in word choice.
Poor:	Used only a few words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Good:	Was able to understand the passages and answer the questions correctly.
Fair:	Had a little difficulty in understanding passages and answering questions.
Poor:	Had a hard time understanding passages and answering questions.

Parts of this lesson material are based on:
An article by Voice of America