Speaking 3

Main aims

●      Presenting your argument

●      Body language focus - turn taking

●      Panel discussion


Presenting your Argument

Aim: to agree/disagree, make suggestions, give reasons and present arguments and counter-arguments
using very natural language

Making Suggestions Language: language search: Listen to this making suggestions video and make
notes. Is there any other suggestion language we can add? (e.g. This page)

Giving reasons / presenting arguments: Use this handout to practice quick examples from some
typical classroom problems (e.g. The teacher gets angry... , the students are bored…, Students
complain about …, the seminar is too early/late in the day …)

Process:
 1. Given our topic, look at the sheet page 1 in teams and come up with a sentence for each
language point.
 2. Try out the different patterns on page 2 also.
 3. Just using page 1-2 and your agree/disagree of yesterday, have a panel discussion on the given
topic.



Topic / Problem:     Our students are going to graduate into a very different world than we did; a
21st Century world. How can we adapt our lessons and syllabi to include 21st Century skills to help
enable their future?



Listening for turn-taking strategies (pg. 45)

Aim: To gain awareness of turn-taking strategies (for use later in the course).

Preparation: Have a recording of a panel discussion/debate between 2-3 people (on an academic
topic) with turn-taking signals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7IHU28aR2E [0:00-3:30].

Process:
 1. With the same panel discussion/debate, students brainstorm with what they remember of how
speakers obtained a turn, retained a turn, relinquished a turn and shifted the topic (by filling in
the table).

Own panel discussion

With:

-       vocal features,

-       taking your thoughts straight to words,

-       describing unknown vocabulary,

-       using agree/disagree,

-       presenting your argument and

-       using your body language effectively,

have your own panel discussion!


Topic of your choice, e.g.

●     What is the solution to disengaged students?

●     What are the problems of incorporating 21st education into your classroom?





(not used) Clarification Continuum

Main aim: Persuasive speech; incorporate vocal features and body language.

Outline: Students put themselves in a continuum from strongly disagree to strongly agree and try to
persuade each other to change positions. Afterwards, the class brainstorms pros and cons.

Topic: All phones should be banned from use in the classroom.

Handout: Persuasive Language


Discourse Markers (turn-taking)

Aim: to have a conversation using turn-taking and cause and effect language that is recorded and
analysed.

Materials: Brainstorm Turn-taking strategies (see below for more ideas) and a decision with short,
medium and long-term effects.

Topic / Decision: The campus will shut down completely and all teaching will be online from next
term onwards.


Record them having a conversation

-       analyse it - where the conversation could have gone (questions to ask, topics to relate)