Debate and discussion

NASA and space

2012-03-12T22:40:00.001+01:00

NASA has had a space program since 1958 and has been looking at Mars as the next destination for human visitors. Yet, in these times of economic problems is space exploration worth it?

Discuss

1) How important is space exploration? Why?
2) How much of a country's budget should be
invested in it?
3) How do you feel about cancelling a country's
space exploration program?

Watch

Has the US cut NASA's budget too much?

Watch and find out:

1)Why are they reducing Mars funding??
2)Why is the US no longer leading the space race?
3)Why has Obama gone back on his promise about
Mars exploration?

Watch again

How important is innovation in space travel for a country?

How innovative do you think the US is now?

Watch and compare your answers.

1)How did the space program transform American
culture?
2)What happens when you innovate?
3)What happens when you stop innovating?
4)What culture does the man want to resurrect?
Why?

Debate

Motions:Space programs should all be canned
Innovation drives a country
The US lacks innovation

Debate

1)Make groups of 5/6/7 and sit in circles with a

chair in the middle.

2)Choose 1 person to sit in the middle and lead the

debates.

3)Ask the leader to choose a motion and a person
to start talking. Then they should lead the
discussion by choosing others to speak or respond
but also add their own questions or comments.
4)After 10 minutes create a large circle and do one
discussion together.

Follow-up

Find out what your country is doing about space exploration and leave a comment.

Cheap computers

2012-03-07T11:24:00.002+01:00

Laptops and tablets are still quite expensive while notebooks often don't have enough power for most users. The newest solution could be the Raspberry Pi.

Discuss

1) What type of computer/tablet/device do you use?

Why?

2) Why are computers/tablets/devices so expensive?

3) How important is the price factor when choosing

what to buy?

Watch

How much would you pay for these:

Watch again

Watch the video and find out how much one of them costs and why:

1) Why would anybody want to buy this device?
2) Why is it so cheap?
3) Does it mean that normal computers are too
expensive?
4) Will this kill off laptops and tablets?

Watch again

Here's a review. Listen and make notes of any technical specifications you understand.

Compare your notes to the diagram at the bottom.

1) How does it compare to your
laptop/desktop/idevice/notebook?
2) Will this really inspire the next generation of
programmers?
3) Is it really the future for businesses, education
and home users?
4) How will the producers of Raspberry Pi and the
creaters of Open Source programs make money?

Debate

Motions: The Raspberry Pi will kill off all laptops

and devices within 2 years

Apple and Microsoft will have to reduce

all their prices to stay competitive

The Raspberry will only be bought by

kids for playing games

Debate

1)Make 3 groups and allocate a motion to each
one.

2)Discuss the motion for 2 minutes then write 5

words to summarise what was said.

3)Repeat for all 3 topics.

4)Split into pairs (each person from a different

group).

5)Take turns summarising your talks using your

words but when you are the second speaker you

have to say what your group agreed and

disagreed. For instance "Your group said....but

we disagree.."

6)When you have summarised all 3 then have your

own discussion about your opinions.

Follow-on

This is the smallest PC currently available. Watch the video and decide if you would buy it or not:

Here are the specs:

The future of Facebook

2012-02-06T12:28:00.000+01:00

Mark Zuckerberg has recently announced that Facebook is going to float on the stock exchange with an IPO but what does it mean?

Discussion

1)What have you heard recently about FB?
2)What's your opinion about it?

Watch

1) How big will the IPO be?
2) How did it become part of most people's lives?
3) How did it take over from email?

Discussion

How do you feel about the following?

1)Being targeted by advertisers on Facebook.

2)FB will probably be valued at $100bn.

3)It wants to become a 1 service destination for all

our internet needs.

4)The IPO and continued expansion.

Watch again

1)Does FB want to be the GOOGLE of tomorrow

or does GOOGLE want to be the FB of

tomorrow?

2)How similar is GOOGLE search/plus and FB?

3)How can both companies challenge each other?

Watch and check your answers:

1) What is the USP of each product?
2) How can FB compete with and beat GOOGLE?
3) Which would you prefer to use for all your
internet needs? Why?

Debate

Motions: Facebook should be Advert Free

Facebook cannot beat Google

The internet must not be

dominated by just Facebook and

Google

Follow-up

Watch the video and find out about what FB has learnt from Google China:

Here is an article about the IPO, a quiz and some discussion questions for homework:
http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/business-english-facebook-ipo/

Internet freedom

2012-01-22T18:37:00.002+01:00

Internet freedom is an important issue in every country but how free should the internet be?

Discuss

1) What do you know about FILE SHARING?
2) Why do people use file sharing websites?
3) Are these kinds of sites legal or illegal? Why?

Watch

The famous file sharing site MEGAUPLOAD was recently shut down by the US government but why?

Watch the video and find out:

1) What's your reaction to this event?
2) How illegal was MEGAUPLOAD?
3) Why do famous people still support the site?
4) Why do you think it was not shut down before?

Discuss

All file sharing websites should be shut down

Watch again

Many MEGAUPLOAD users were angry about the closing down of the site. They decided to take revenge. What do you think they did and how?

Watch and see how correct you were:

1) What/Who is Anonymous?
2) Who did they attack?
3) How did they do it?
4) Who will they attack next? Why?
5) What can the police do in response?

Debate

Motions: File sharing should be made illegal

The internet needs more control

Cyber hacking is unstoppable

Debate

1) Brainstorm the motions on your own for 2
minutes. Think of For and Against arguments.

2) Make groups of 3

3) Choose a speaker to present a For argument with
support for motion 1.

4) Then the next person should give an Against and
so on.

5) Continue until you have run out of arguments.

6) Move on to the next motion.

7) After every group has debated each motion
select 3 people to debate in front of the class.

Follow-up

Many say that MEGAUPLOAD was closed down due to the controversial SOPA legislation. Take a look at what all the discussion is about:

Politics

2011-11-17T05:47:00.001+01:00

England is run by politicians but influenced by members of nobility. Both groups have recently been in the news for the wrong reasons.

Discuss

1) What's your opinion about politics?

2) How do you feel about politicans?

3) Which politicans do you admire and not
admire? Why?

Watch

What do you know about the House of Lords?

In a recent debate there was an interesting event involving the 89-year-old Baroness Trumpington of Sandwich. What do you think it was?

NOTE:The 2 fingers sign is a rude insult to the other person in England. It is the same as the American 1 finger gesture.

1)Why did she do it?

2)How acceptable is this behaviour?

3)How do you feel about British politicans now?
4)How can these kinds of people run our country?

Watch again

Politicians have also been caught misbehaving on TV.

1)Why do politicians go on TV?

2)How should they behave? Why?

Watch and find out how 2 politicians behaved in a TV discussion:

1) How do you think it evolved into a fight?

2) Has or could this happen in your country?

3) How could this be prevented form happening

again?

Motions

Politicans who behave badly should be

arrested

England should remove the House of

Lords

Young politicians should be put in charge

Debate

1)Have a class vote to choose a motion

2)Brainstorm ideas with a partner for 2 minutes

3)Create a list of 10 For and Against ideas on the

board

4)Create groups of 4 and toss a coin to decide

For/Ag

5)Prepare 1 minute 1 argument speeches

6)Take turns debating

7)After 6-10 turns discuss the debate

Follow-on

Find examples of badly behaving politicians in your country and discuss your opinions with a friend.

2011-11-03T19:26:00.001+01:00

Assessing students and schools is a tough area. What is the best method?

Discuss

1) How good were/are the schools you went to?

2) Why are some schools better than others?

3) Who decides which schools are the best?

Watch

In England an organisation called OFSTED assesses schools and rates them.

Who else should be able to assess schools?

children teachers parents

politicians

Watch and compare your ideas:

1) How constructive are parents views?

2) Why should the government listen to them?

3) Should teachers and students also be allowed to

assess schools? Why?

4) Should schools just be rated by people's views

or on test results?

Debate

"What is the best and fairest way to assess schools?"

Watch again

How capable are kids of self-reflection and self-assessment?

Watch and find out:

1) How typical are these students?

2) Could students in your area do this?

3) What is the point of doing self-assessment?

4) How about peer assessment?

Debate

Motions: Teachers should assess students and

inspectors should assess teachers.

Parents should be involved in assessing

the education their children receive.

Children are more mature nowadays

and should become more involved in

their own development.

Debate

1) Find a partner and choose a motion.

2) Flip a coin to decide who is FOR and

AGAINST

3) Speak for 30 seconds each

4) Swap partners and continue but DO NOT repeat

yourself

5) Form groups of 4 and flip a coin to make FOR

and AGAINST teams

6) Choose 1 motion and prepare 1 minute speeches

7) Do 1 min For+Ag+For+Ag speeches

Follow-on

Watch this video which show peer assessment and the replies.

Wasted tax payer money?

2011-10-20T20:53:00.001+02:00

The tax that we pay to our governments gets used for a huge range of purposes but how effectively is it spent?

Discuss

1) What do you think your tax money is used for?

2) How effectively does your government use it?

3) How do you think it should be used
differently? How?

Watch

One use for tax payers money is funding the police.

Watch the video to find out what the UK tax payers have been funding recently:

1) How much money do you think has been spent
on this?
2) Why?
3) What cheaper alternatives can you think of for
solving this problem?

Discuss

Should the police spend money and time catching serious criminals or minor law breakers?

Watch again

One problem in the UK is lack of housing for people on a low income. Where do you think they can stay?

Watch the video to find out how legal/illegal one group's accommodation is.

1) Do you consider these people as law breakers?

Why/Why not?

2) Why are they not arrested?

3) Why do they do this?

4) What should governments spend money on to

improve the situation?

Debate

Motions: The police should focus more on minor

law breakers

The police force should be run as cost

effectively as possible

Governments should be held

accountable for wasting tax payers

money

Debate

1) Revise phrases for agreeing/disagreeing

2) Make pairs

3) Give your opinions about the motions and

agree/disagree

4) Take a class vote on the first option and then

make two groups, one for agree and one for

disagree

5) Discuss your reasons with your group

6) Summarise to the group

Follow-on

Watch the video about squatters and add a comment.

Less is more

2011-10-09T11:22:00.001+02:00

For many of us having more stuff makes us happier. But does it really and do we really need all that stuff?

Discuss

1) How much stuff do you have in your home?

2) How much space do they take up?

3) How essential is your stuff?

4) What stuff could you live without?

Watch

1) How could you reduce the amount of your

stuff?

2) How could you maximise the space in your

home?

Watch the video and find out how you can do both:

1) Why do many of us think more stuff=more

happiness

2) Would these ideas of reducing stuff work for

you?Why/Why not?

3) How feasible is having a home like this

for couples or families?

Watch again

1) What are the results of having a materialistic

society?

2) Are parents to blame?

3) How about communities?

Watch the video to find out what one respected member of a community feels.

Note down 3 of his opinions and discuss them with a partner/group.

Debate

Motions: More stuff=more happiness

Buying stuff is better than using it

Materialism is destroying our society's

values

Debate

1) Make a list of 3 possessions you could not live
without.

2) Prepare arguments in support.

3) Find a partner a debate about why you

should/n't keep those belongings.

4) After 2 minutes (1 min each) swap partners.

5) After several rounds present a summary of the

main arguments in your discussions.

Follow-on

Have a look at the article and videos here then add a comment below.

Protests in sport

2011-09-30T20:39:00.000+02:00

Sportsmen and women make quite a lot of money from playing and sponsorship. As a result, many of them have become very famous. But, are they as important as they thin?

Discuss

1) How famous are football players in your

country?

2) How influential are they?

3) Are they judged more by their behaviour on or

off the pitch? Give an example.

Watch

Watch the video and find out what 1 footballer did and what the reaction was:

1) Why do you think he wouldn't play?

2) Is the manager's reaction justified?

3) Is this damaging football?

4) What should the player and manager do?

Discuss

"Sportsmen/women should strike if they are not satisfied with their treatment"

Watch again

1) How many matches do you think the top 10

tennis players play every year?

2) Why do they have to play so many?

3) What effect does the is gruelling schedule have

on them?

4) What can be done to improve this situation?

Watch the video to find out what some top 10 players may do:

1) Do they have the right to strike?

2) How about the other players?

3) Should these players be given more control

over the game? Why?Why not?

4) What would be the result of having less games?

Debate

Motions: Sportsmen/women think they are too

important

Footballers deserve their bad reputation

Sportsmen/women should be able to

refuse to play if they want to

Debate

1) Make teams of 3.

2) Brainstorm each motion for 1 minute.

3) Join another team and debate each topic for 3

minutes.

4) Afterwards, present your final opinions to the

class.

Follow-up

Watch this video about the French football strike and add a comment.

Corporal Punishment

2011-09-18T18:57:00.002+02:00

Since the recent British riots everyone has been asking how they can stop it happening again. One solution is corporal punishment but will it work?

Discuss

1) How were you punished at school?

2) What effect did it have on you?

3) Does corporal punishment work? Why/Why

not?

Watch

1) What percentage of parents would like to see

corporal punishment in schools?

2) How about students?

3) Will it improve student behaviour?

Watch and check your ideas:

1) Is smacking better than the cane? Why?/Why

not?

2) Why do lots of kids want to be punished?

3) Should teachers really respect their students?

4) Is this 'strong discipline' idea just a reaction

against the riots?

Discuss

Positive behaviour reinforcement works better than corporal punishment

The characteristics of a great teacher are passion, patience and a good sense of humour

Watch again

What do you think the average English person has to say about corporal punishment?

Watch and find out:

How do you feel about these topics mentioned in the video:

"there is no discipline in schools"

"parents don't have any control"

"they should bring back the cane"

"a caning could kill"

Debate

Motions: Kids need punishing to discipline them

Only physical punishment works

There has been a big decline in

behaviour since they banned corporal

punishment

Debate

1. Every student creates their own opinion about

the topic and thinks of support.

2. Every student presents their opinion for 1

minute.

3. The student then chooses 3 others to debate

him/her for 1 minute via Q&A

4. When every student has finished presenting

and debating discuss the motions as a class.

Follow-on

Watch this video about spanking and add a comment below.

Drinking culture

2011-09-06T13:13:00.002+02:00

Alcohol is part of British culture for many people. A beer or a pint is a traditional way of relaxing and socialising. But do people really enjoy it and do some people enjoy it too much?

Discuss

1)How much alcohol do you drink? Why?

2)Why is 'drinking' viewed positively in England?

3)Do people need alcohol to enjoy themselves?

4)Why do people go to pubs even if they don't

drink?

Watch

Watch the video and find out what one person thinks of pubs and beer.

1)What do you think of drinking now?

2)Does alcohol really make parties better?

3)Why do people like going to the pub a lot?

4)What would pubs and parties be like without

alcohol?

Discuss

What are the similarities or differences between British and American drinking culture?

How about at university/college?

Watch again

What do you know about American college spring break?

Watch and see what students do:

The Dangers of Binge Drinking During Spring Break

1)What surprised you?

2)Why do they drink so much?

3)Where did this drinking culture come from?

4)Why are underaged student drinkers allowed to

break the law?

Debate

Motions: Drinking is part of our culture so it's a

good thing

The age limit for drinking alcohol

should be raised and enforced

Students should be better educated

about the dangers of drinking

Debate

1) Choose a motion as a class

2) Choose For/Ag sides

3) Develop 2 arguments and search online for

photos/images to support them

4) Take turns presenting arguments for 1 minute

followed by a 1 minute Q&A

5) Have a final free discussion as a class about

the topic

Follow-on

Have a look at some of the reasons why teens drink and add a comment.

The Fringe

2011-08-27T00:03:00.011+02:00

The concept of 'the arts' is very subjective as it covers so many things.

Discuss

1) What do you see as 'the arts'? Why?

2) How important are they in people's lives?

3) Should they we encouraged or developed?

Watch

Watch the video about a famous arts festival in Scotland and note down all the types of arts you see.

1) Which did you like? Why?

2) What do you think of the festival? Why?

3) What is the point of this festival?

4) Why doesn't every city have an arts festival

like this?
5) What would people/society gain from a festival
like this in your country?

Watch again

1) How entertaining are street performers? Why?

2) What do they do?

3) How much money do they make?

Watch the video about the Fringe festival and street performers.

1) What did this show about the festival that the

first video did not?

2) Why do you think it is so popular?

3) Why do people give money to street performers?

4) Is it real art?

5) Could anybody become a street performer?

Debate

Motions: The world needs 'the arts'

Calling something art does not make

it valuable

Street performers are just beggars

Artistic Debate

1) Divide the class into FOR and AG

2) Prepare arguments for each motion

3) All FOR members make a large circle facing

inwards

4) All AG make a smaller circle inside the first

with each student facing a member of the other

group

5) Begin debating/arguing on the first topic

6) After a minute CHANGE partners (middle

group move)

7) Continue

Follow-up

Have a look at the programme for the Fringe this year.

University places

2011-08-19T09:49:00.001+02:00

At one time almost everyone in the UK went to university but then when tutition fees were introduced things changed. Now there aren't enough places for students and fees are going up again.

Discuss

1) Who do you know who doesn't have a
University degree? Why?

2) How useful is a University degree?

3) Which class(es) is a degree for? Why?

4) How can poorer students go to University?

Watch

1) What do you think is the amount of UK

students who want to go to University

compared to the amount of places?

2) Which UK social class will not find places at

University?

Watch and check your ideas.

UCAS is the organisation that helps find courses for students who don't get the grades they hoped. Traditionally, this was quite simple because there were lots of available courses compared to the number of students.

Discuss

1) Students won't have a 'gap year' to travel before

going to University

2) More students will do apprenticeships

3) The increasing tuition costs will put off more

and more students

4) University is only for the high and middle
classes
5) It is essential for people to go to University

Watch again

If tuition fees are increasing and University places are hard to get what subjects should students choose and why?

1) Should University be about studying something

you enjoy or studying something to get a job?

2) Will studying a 'core adademic subject
guarantee a job after graduation?

3) Would you be happy if you had to study/work

in a field you didn't enjoy?

4) What affect will a decrease in creative/unusual

subjects have on a country?

Debate

Motions: University is only for the rich

A degree in art is useless

A gap year is a waste of time

1) Divide into 3 groups. Group 1=students. Group

2=parents. Group 3=employers.

2) Discuss the motions with other people in your

group

3) Make groups of 3 with one person from each

group

4) Discuss/Debate each topic for 5 minutes

5) Present and compare ideas

Follow-up

Have a look at these unusual degrees. How useful are they?

My England

2011-08-11T13:55:00.007+02:00

England seems to have changed a lot recently. Or are we just seeing a different side to the country I was born in?

Discuss

1) What have you seen/heard about the situation in

London and the UK?
2) How do people you know feel about it? Why?

Watch

This footage will never be forgotten:

1) Why?

2) What does this say about my country?

3) What does this say about English people?

4) How did British society sink to this level?

This is one response to the video:

1)What would you say to this girl?

2)If she's studying in the UK how could we convince her to stay?

3)If she has bought tickets to the Olympic games should she still come?

4)If she was born here how could we ask her not to emigrate?

5)If she lives in Brixton or Croyden or another place where the riots happened how can we help her have the courage to return to her normal life when this was caused by her neighbours?

Debate

How can we ever forget these images and how can we recover from this event?

Discuss these statements:

This has been brewing for a long time

Our government has taken away everything so people have nothing to lose

This is our fault

The police are too soft

These are not real English people

We the British people are ashamed

Follow-on

Listen to why these kids looted London shops:

Leaked documents

2011-08-07T14:58:00.000+02:00

Leaked documents appear all the time which show us that countries don't always do or not do what they say. Trying to punish those involved in illegal or unethical behaviour can be difficult.

Discuss

1) What's your opinion about leaked documents?

2) How much disclosure of information should

governments do?

3) When documents are leaked who should be

punished?

Watch

England has a long history of leaked documents. Some were given to newspapers while others were have been sent to the wrong address or even left in a pub.

Watch the video to find out about the latest 'leaked document scandal':

1) How surprising is this information? Why?

2) Why was it covered up?

3) How can British voters trust their government

now?

4) Should a government tell its citizens

everything?

5) Is it possible to punish the people involved?

Why?/Why not?

Watch again

1) Should politicians be honest?

2) Should we know everything they do and think?

Watch this off-mike conversation:

1) How did this change people's opinion of

George Bush?

2) What does it show you about the relationship

between him and Tony Blair?

3) How would you feel if he had been as honest

when he was in power?

4) Who would vote for an honest politician?

Debate

Motions: Governments sometimes need to break

the law

Voters are used to politicians lieing so

soon forget about scandals

Some people are beyond prosecution

Leaking debate

1) Make groups of 3

2) Choose a motion

3) Choose roles. 1x For, 1x Ag and 1 judge

4) Present 1 min arguments+criticisms

5) After a few rounds stop and ask the judge to

explain who debated better and why

6) Swap roles, choose another motion and continue

Follow-up

Have a look at these funny leaked revelations.

Are they true?

Government cuts

2011-08-01T21:12:00.000+02:00

The crisis has led the British government to cut back on lots of local facilities which they don't see as important. One of these is youth clubs.

Discuss

1) What do you know about youth clubs?

2) Who goes there? Why?

3) What purpose do they provide in a community?

4) What would kids do without them?

Watch

London is home to great deal of young people who enjoy spending time in youth clubs.

Now that many are closed what do they do?

1) Do you think the money saved from the

closures was worth it?

2) How much will now be spent on solving the

effects of the closures?

3) What message does the closures send to these

kids?

Discuss

'we live in a democracy but the government doesn't listen to what we say'

How do you think the young people of the UK can fight back against these cuts?

Watch again

1) What surprised you about this video?

2) How mature would you say these young people

are?

3) How effective will their strategy be?

4) How does this compare to your country?

Debate

Motions: Governments just care about money

Unless you can vote you're not

important

Youth centres are more than about

hobbies

Debate

1)Brainstorm each topic for a minute in class and

write up some common words.

2)Create 2 more motions and add them.

2)Prepare your own ideas about each motion.

3)Make groups.

4)Choose 1 person to choose the class motions

and then he/she selects the 1st.

5)Begin discussing in groups.

6)The chosen person is free to change topic when

they feel everyone has spoken enough about it.

7)Continue and at the end discuss which topics

created more conversation and why.

Follow-on

Have a look online to see what else has been cut in the UK and why?

Education

2011-07-27T13:16:00.000+02:00

Education and teaching methods don't always suit everyone but why?

Discuss

1) How do you like to learn?

2) What activities do you like to do in class?

3) How do you feel about projects?

Watch

A more modern approach to teaching involves asking students to be creative but how can this be encouraged on a bigger scale?

1) What is the purpose of this competition?

2) If students are this creative why do they need

classes?

3) Do students ever learn creativity in school?

Watch again

1) What is your opinion of how you are taught and

learn at university?

2) How effective is it?

Watch the video to see how a group of students in the US feel:

1) What do you agree with?

2) Why do these students feel the way they do?

3) Is this situation the same in other countries?

Where?Why?

Debate

Motions: Technology is the answer to improve

education

Lectures are no longer effective

Universities should all become private to

provide better teaching

Debate

1) Have a class vote to select a motion.

2) Split into For and Ag and research the topic

3) Prepare arguments with examples, statistics and

quotes

4) Form groups of 6 (3 For + 3 Ag)

5) Present 1 minute speeches

6) Present summaries to the class

Follow-up

Here are some more student opinions. Do they reflect your own?