Task 2

Group Discussion

(Group work, Individual marking - 20%)

Outcomes:

1. Give a clear, prepared description or presentation on general topics, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view and giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

2. Initiate and maintain a conversation or discussion with a degree of ﬂuency on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or related to everyday life.

3. Communicate spontaneously on general topics without grammatical errors that cause misunderstanding.

Task 2: Group Discussion

(Guidelines for Students)

Group work; individual marking (20%)

In your Talk Teams (3-4 members), have a discussion about a topic randomly selected from the List of Potential Topics shown and selected in class.

Each team gets ONE “pass” – if you do not like the topic, you have ONE chance to randomly select another topic.

Once a topic is selected, you will have “thinking time” to come up with opinions and supporting details.

Each member of the group will offer one opinion and at least one supporting reason/ fact/ example for that opinion. Opinion and support must be related to the topic.

Once you offer your opinion, you must invite another group member to show agreement or disagreement.

When you express your agreement/ disagreement, you must have one additional reason/ support to go with it.

Each group has about 20 minutes of speaking time. However, you should follow a discussion format, not a debate format. Students should not speak for 2-3 minutes without stopping; instead, speak for short turns, and comment on each other’s views.

You should use the language appropriate for giving opinions and showing agreement or disagreement.

Group members

Put the names of your group members here.

...........................................................................................

List of Potential Topics:

Basic levels

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Swimming in the ocean is better than swimming in a public pool.
Alcohol should be illegal.
Children should provide room and board for their aging parents.
Studying grammar is more important than practising conversation skills.
Television is the leading cause of violence in today's society.
Dogs make better companions than cats.
Smoking should be permitted in public places.
Females are better students than males.
A parent shouldn't pierce a baby's ears.
Women should be allowed to go topless in public.
Lawyers should make a higher salary than nurses.
Everyone should plan their own funeral.
Reading English is more difficult than writing English.
Summer is the best season of the year.
Children under 13 should not be allowed to babysit.
High school students should wear uniforms.
21 should be the legal driving age around the world.
Rock and Roll is the best kind of music.
The government should pay for post secondary education.

Advanced levels

1) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.

2) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.

3) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

4) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer.

5) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? There is nothing that young people can teach older people. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

6) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching movies. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

7) Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

8) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

9) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person’s childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most important years of a person’s life. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

10) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

11) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

12) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? High schools should allow students to study the courses that students want to study. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

13) Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful thought. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The decisions that people make quickly are always wrong. Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

14) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People behave differently when they wear different clothes. Do you agree that different clothes influence the way people behave? Use specific xamples to support your answer.

15) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

16) Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

17) “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

18) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students’ sports activities as they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

19) It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.

20) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Evaluation Criteria (20%)

Descriptor of Score 5

1: Content

1.1 Provide and justify your own views (5 marks)

All ideas are always supported by relevant, sensible, and valid reasons, facts or examples.

1.2 React to others’ views (5 marks)

Always do the followings:

- indicates when he/she is following.

- takes his/her turn when appropriate.

- smartly relates own ideas to those of other speakers.

- Helps the discussion move on by all means especially by initiating a new topic.

2: Language

2.1 accuracy – grammar & pronunciation (5 marks)

- The speaker consistently maintains a high degree of grammatical accuracy; errors are rare, difficult to spot, and generally corrected when they occur.

- The pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation are very good although a few minor pronunciation errors may be found.

2.2 use of appropriate expressions to agree/disagree (5 marks)

- Always use expressions to agree/disagree correctly and suitably for a particular time, situation and purpose

2.3 fluency /intelligibility (5 marks)

- The speaker expresses himself/herself fluently and almost effortlessly.

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