Discussing languages

This is a discussion activity that you can use to find out about your students opinions of language learning and
how important they think it is.

It gets your students talking and sharing opinions but also gives you a chance to listen in and to understand
their motivation and attitudes towards languages.

Preparation
Make a copy of the discussion statements and cut them into strips so those students can take one statement at
a time and discuss it. Add some statements of your own if your students have specific language issues they
may want to discuss.
Procedure

Put your students into groups of four or five and give each group a statement.
Let them discuss the statement for a few minutes while you monitor and feed in any language they need.
Then rotate the statements around the groups.
Once all the students have discussed all the statements you might want to have a class vote to see what the
consensus of opinion is on these statements and share some of your own opinions and insights.
Discussion statements

Everybody should speak at least two languages.

In the future there wont be so many different languages in the world.
Tourists in my country should make an effort to speak my language.
Life would be easier if all countries spoke the same language.
I think learning languages is really important these days.
Girls are normally better at learning foreign languages than boys!
If languages disappear, different ways of thinking also disappear.
I would like to know more foreign languages.
Some languages are more important than others.
English is an international language.
Knowing foreign languages helps you to get a good job.
Summer destinations These are activities that encourage students to talk about their plans for the summer.

Practise descriptions of places using photos from travel brochures. Give each group a selection of 5-6 places.
Ask them to take turns in describing the place in their picture: the climate, the location, the activities you can
do there. Make sure you have a good contrast in climates/urban and rural/developed or very deserted places.
Then either:

a. Ask each group to select their favourite destination from the pictures you have given them. Go round the
class and ask them to say why they would like to visit the place in the picture.

b. Or ask them to use their pictures to pick a holiday for a honeymoon couple, a group of teenagers and a
retired couple. Each group presents their choice to the class explaining why they have chosen this holiday, why
it is suitable.

Focus on plans for the summer (not just a holiday) and use them to preview the language needed to talk about
plans. Ask students to note down key words while you are speaking: This July Im planning to work in my
uncles shop and Im going to do some reading for my university course next year. I would like to play a bit of
tennis and spend some time with my friends. Ask students to do the same exercise in pairs. The note-taking
will help them listen carefully. Go round the class asking students to tell you about their partners plans.

Use a holiday song to introduce the topic e.g. Cliff Richards Summer holiday or Madonnas Holiday.
 Improving discussion lessons
Have you ever felt you were asking all the questions about students opinions? Do you find you are doing more
talking in a discussion than your class?

Here are some tips to:

Shift the task focus from you talking to them (they have to talk to each other)
Give them control of their own discussion
Give them practice in formulating their opinions within a controlled framework.

Make a list of issues or topics which your students might find interesting. Think of seven or eight statements on
each issue which represent typical and widely opposing comments on the topic.
For example:

Topic: Are boys and girls the same?

o Girls naturally want to play with dolls
o Boys are usually better at Science subjects than girls.

Discussion envelopes

Photocopy each list of statements on different topics and put them in 3-4 envelopes.
Divide the class into small groups. Tell them the title of each topic.
Each group selects an envelope. They work through the topic in their group, taking turns to read aloud the
statements found in the envelope and inviting comment and opinions.
You can ask each group to record their reactions to the issues for feedback at the end of the session.
Re-use the envelopes in another lesson. Each group chooses a new topic and envelope.

Listen and react

Put students in small groups of 3 all facing each other.

Act as conductor by reading aloud a statement on a list, one at a time.
After each statement students have one minute to react in their group to what they have heard, disagree,
agree, comment etc.
Stop them talking after a minute (with gong, whistle, clap) and read the next statement on your list.
Students hear you but must look at each other and tell each other what they think!

Read and modify

Give a list of statements on a set topic to each group in the class

Students must work through the statements and modify them to reflect their views as a group. This involves
discussion on how they will re word the sentence or add a further clause to justify their position.
For example:
o Topic: The school year
Statement: School holidays are too long
Students modified sentence: We think school holidays are not long enough
Use the feedback session at the end of the lesson to hear some of the new statements that each group has
created.