Liberian President George Weah is being praised for being a good sport and accepting defeat in the presidential race. Weah, who used to be a famous football player and has been the president since 2018, called his opponent Joseph Boakai to congratulate him on winning. This is a big deal because it helps to prevent fighting and violence in a country that has had a lot of problems in the past. Weah’s actions show that he is a good leader who cares about peace.

It wasn’t a surprise to people who know Weah well that he conceded. He has always believed in respecting what the people want and not getting into fights that could hurt people. People who study politics and human rights are happy about Weah’s concession because it shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and that the elections were fair. This is especially important because it’s the first election since the United Nations peacekeepers left.

The regional group Ecowas also praised Weah for his sportsmanship and commitment to peace in Liberia. People on social media in Africa have been talking a lot about Weah’s concession and comparing it to what former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015. It’s a good thing that more and more countries in West Africa are having peaceful transitions of power.

Overall, George Weah’s sportsmanship and concession in the presidential race are being praised for bringing peace and democracy to Liberia. People are looking up to him as a good example, and both local and international observers have recognized his actions. The challenge now is for Liberia to come together and find common ground as they move forward.

Original news source: Liberian leader George Weah hailed for his sportsmanship after accepting defeat (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students will be divided into pairs. One student plays the role of a news reporter, while the other plays George Weah. The reporter will interview Weah about his feelings on the election results, his commitment to peace, and his future plans. The “Weah” student should also be encouraged to use vocabulary from the article in their responses. After the role-play, pairs can switch roles.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the themes of sportsmanship, democracy, and leadership from the article. Students will move around the classroom indicating their agreement or disagreement with each statement. Afterwards, discuss as a class why they agree or disagree, encouraging students to use specific information from the article to support their opinions.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Have students work in small groups. Each group receives a portion of the article to read and then they must create a visual representation of the main idea of that section without using words. Once all groups are finished, they will present their sketches to the class, and the other students must guess the correct part of the article being depicted.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (e.g., concession, sportsmanship, democracy, peacekeepers, elections). Students play in teams. One student from each team comes to the front and draws a representation of one of the words for their team to guess. The team has a limited time to guess before the next team takes a turn. This will help reinforce new vocabulary from the article.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to write down their predictions for Liberia’s future based on the article’s information. They can discuss the potential challenges and opportunities that the country faces post-election. Then, have them share their predictions with a partner and provide reasons for their predictions, encouraging them to use language of speculation and probability.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is George Weah known for besides being the president of Liberia?
2. What did George Weah do after losing the presidential race to Joseph Boakai?
3. Why is Weah’s acceptance of defeat considered important for Liberia?
4. How has George Weah’s attitude towards the election results demonstrated his beliefs?
5. What are the implications of Weah’s concession for the state of democracy in Liberia?
6. Which regional group commended Weah for his behavior, and why did they praise him?
7. How are people on social media in Africa reacting to Weah’s actions, and whom are they comparing him to?
8. What are the expectations for Liberia following George Weah’s example in the election?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Liberian President George Weah is being (1)______ for being a good sport and accepting defeat in the presidential race. Weah, who used to be a famous football player and has been the president since 2018, called his (2)______ Joseph Boakai to (3)______ him on winning. This is a big deal because it (4)______ to prevent fighting and violence in a country that has had a lot of problems in the past. Weah’s actions show that he is a good leader who cares about peace.

It wasn’t a (5)______ to (6)______ who know Weah well that he conceded. He has always believed in respecting what the people want and not getting into fights that could hurt people. People who study (7)______ and human rights are happy about Weah’s concession because it shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and that the (8)______ were fair. This is especially important because it’s the first election since the United Nations (9)______ left.

The regional group Ecowas also praised Weah for his sportsmanship and commitment to peace in Liberia. People on social media in (10)______ have been talking a lot about Weah’s concession and comparing it to what former (11)______ President (12)______ Jonathan did in 2015. It’s a good thing that more and more countries in West Africa are (13)______ (14)______ful transitions of power.

Overall, George Weah’s sportsmanship and concession in the presidential race are being praised for bringing peace and (15)______ to Liberia. People are looking up to him as a good example, and both local and international observers have (16)______ his actions. The challenge now is for Liberia to come together and find common ground as they move forward.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think makes a good sport in a competition?
2. How would you feel if you had to congratulate someone who beat you in a game or contest?
3. Do you believe it’s important for leaders to show respect even when they lose? Why or why not?
4. Can you think of a time when someone showed good sportsmanship in your life? What happened?
5. Why do you think some people find it hard to accept defeat?
6. What is your opinion on the importance of peaceful elections in a country?
7. How do you think the actions of one leader can affect the peace in a whole country?
8. Do you like the idea of politicians being compared to sports players in terms of sportsmanship? Why or why not?
9. What kind of leader do you look up to? Why?
10. How do you think social media can influence people’s opinions about political events?
11. Do you think having a history in sports can make someone a better political leader? Why or why not?
12. Have you ever witnessed or heard about a political leader in your country who showed great sportsmanship? What did they do?
13. What do you think are the challenges for a country after a new leader is elected?
14. How can young people help to promote peace and democracy in their own communities?
15. Do you think it’s important for international observers to watch over elections? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. praised
2. defeat
3. prevent
4. problems
5. fair
6. commitment
7. transitions
8. recognized

Meanings:
(a) To acknowledge or give credit to someone or something
(b) To stop something from happening
(c) The process of changing from one state to another
(d) Just and unbiased
(e) To lose in a competition or battle
(f) To say good things about someone or something
(g) A promise or dedication to something
(h) Difficulties or issues
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is George Weah being praised?
(a) For being a famous football player
(b) For accepting defeat in the presidential race
(c) For becoming president in 2018
(d) For preventing fighting and violence in Liberia

2. Who did George Weah call to congratulate?
(a) Joseph Boakai
(b) Goodluck Jonathan
(c) The United Nations peacekeepers
(d) Ecowas

3. Why is Weah’s concession important for Liberia?
(a) It shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and the elections were fair
(b) It brings peace and democracy to West Africa
(c) It prevents fighting and violence in the country
(d) It helps Weah become a better leader

4. What group praised Weah for his sportsmanship?
(a) The United Nations
(b) The local and international observers
(c) The people on social media in Africa
(d) Ecowas

5. What are people comparing Weah’s concession to?
(a) What the United Nations peacekeepers did in Liberia
(b) What the people want in Liberia
(c) What Weah did as a football player
(d) What former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015

6. What does Weah’s concession show about Liberia’s democracy?
(a) It is weak and unfair
(b) It is peaceful and democratic
(c) It is strong and fair
(d) It is violent and undemocratic

7. How are people reacting to Weah’s concession on social media in Africa?
(a) They are comparing it to Weah’s football career
(b) They are criticizing Weah’s actions
(c) They are talking a lot about it
(d) They are praising the United Nations peacekeepers

8. What is the challenge for Liberia now?
(a) To elect a new president
(b) To come together and find common ground
(c) To bring back the United Nations peacekeepers
(d) To prevent fighting and violence in the country

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. People on social media in Africa are NOT discussing Weah’s concession and comparing it to what former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015.
2. Weah’s actions are NOT being praised because they help prevent fighting and violence in Liberia.
3. The regional group Ecowas has also praised Weah for his sportsmanship and commitment to peace.
4. Political and human rights experts are happy about Weah’s concession because it shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and the elections were fair.
5. Liberian President George Weah has accepted defeat in the presidential race and congratulated his opponent Joseph Boakai.
6. Weah has NOT always believed in respecting the will of the people and avoiding conflicts that could harm others.
7. Weah’s concession is seen as a positive sign for peaceful transitions of power in West Africa.
8. Weah’s actions are NOT seen as a good example, and both local and international observers have NOT recognized them.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did George Weah do after losing the presidential race that made people think he is a good sport?
2. Why is George Weah’s concession considered important for peace in Liberia?
3. What has George Weah always believed in that reflects his reaction to losing the election?
4. How did the regional group Ecowas react to George Weah’s behavior after the election?
5. What are the hopes for Liberia following George Weah’s example of sportsmanship?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is George Weah known for besides being the president of Liberia?
George Weah was famous for being a football (soccer) player before he became president.

2. What did George Weah do after losing the presidential race to Joseph Boakai?
After losing the presidential race, George Weah called Joseph Boakai to congratulate him on his victory.

3. Why is Weah’s acceptance of defeat considered important for Liberia?
Weah’s acceptance of defeat is important for Liberia because it helps to avoid conflict and violence, showing that the country values peace and respects the democratic process.

4. How has George Weah’s attitude towards the election results demonstrated his beliefs?
George Weah’s attitude shows that he respects the will of the people and believes in a peaceful, non-violent approach to politics.

5. What are the implications of Weah’s concession for the state of democracy in Liberia?
Weah’s concession implies that democracy in Liberia is strong and that the elections were conducted fairly, which is significant especially after the departure of UN peacekeepers.

6. Which regional group commended Weah for his behavior, and why did they praise him?
The regional group Ecowas commended Weah for his sportsmanship and commitment to peace in Liberia.

7. How are people on social media in Africa reacting to Weah’s actions, and whom are they comparing him to?
People on social media in Africa are praising Weah’s actions and comparing him to former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who also conceded defeat gracefully in 2015.

8. What are the expectations for Liberia following George Weah’s example in the election?
The expectations are for Liberia to unite and work together to move forward, using Weah’s peaceful concession as a positive example.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) praised
(2) opponent
(3) congratulate
(4) helps
(5) surprise
(6) people
(7) politics
(8) elections
(9) peacekeepers
(10) Africa
(11) Nigerian
(12) Goodluck
(13) having
(14) peace
(15) democracy
(16) recognized
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. praised
Answer: (f) To say good things about someone or something

2. defeat
Answer: (e) To lose in a competition or battle

3. prevent
Answer: (b) To stop something from happening

4. problems
Answer: (h) Difficulties or issues

5. fair
Answer: (d) Just and unbiased

6. commitment
Answer: (g) A promise or dedication to something

7. transitions
Answer: (c) The process of changing from one state to another

8. recognized
Answer: (a) To acknowledge or give credit to someone or something
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is George Weah being praised?
Answer: (b) For accepting defeat in the presidential race

2. Who did George Weah call to congratulate?
Answer: (a) Joseph Boakai

3. Why is Weah’s concession important for Liberia?
Answer: (a) It shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and the elections were fair

4. What group praised Weah for his sportsmanship?
Answer: (d) Ecowas

5. What are people comparing Weah’s concession to?
Answer: (d) What former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015

6. What does Weah’s concession show about Liberia’s democracy?
Answer: (c) It is strong and fair

7. How are people reacting to Weah’s concession on social media in Africa?
Answer: (c) They are talking a lot about it

8. What is the challenge for Liberia now?
Answer: (b) To come together and find common ground
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. People on social media in Africa are NOT discussing Weah’s concession and comparing it to what former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015. (Answer: False)
2. Weah’s actions are NOT being praised because they help prevent fighting and violence in Liberia. (Answer: False)
3. The regional group Ecowas has also praised Weah for his sportsmanship and commitment to peace. (Answer: True)
4. Political and human rights experts are happy about Weah’s concession because it shows that Liberia’s democracy is strong and the elections were fair. (Answer: True)
5. Liberian President George Weah has accepted defeat in the presidential race and congratulated his opponent Joseph Boakai. (Answer: True)
6. Weah has NOT always believed in respecting the will of the people and avoiding conflicts that could harm others. (Answer: False)
7. Weah’s concession is seen as a positive sign for peaceful transitions of power in West Africa. (Answer: True)
8. Weah’s actions are NOT seen as a good example, and both local and international observers have NOT recognized them. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧