dinner party. Bear this in mind when planning and during the language preparation stage.
4.4.2 Discussions: reaching a consensus
Choose one of the following subjects: 10 things to take into space, 10 things to take to a desert island, 10 things to take into a desert....
Ask students to work alone and to brainstorm 10 things they would take with them. Alternatively, prepare a list of 20 objects and each person chooses ten from the list.
Ask students to discuss their lists in pairs and to come to a consensus; they will need to convince each other that their chosen objects are the most useful. When the pairs
have agreed on their lists i.e. they have a new list of 10 items, pair up pairs so that students are working in groups of four. The groups of 4 now have to come to a
consensus. Continue pairing up groups to form larger groups until you think the students have lost interest. Conduct feedback on the outcome and the language used.
This is commonly known as the NASA game; I first read about it in The New Cambridge English Course by Swan and Walter.
4.4.3 Discussions: moral dilemma
A variation on the theme of consensus. Explain to students that a single mother who doesn’t have much money has been caught stealing milk. She explains why she did it:
to feed her young children. Give students roles, e.g. store detective, social worker, and shoplifter’s friend. Allow time for preparation in groups: all the social workers together,
all the store detectives work together, and all the friends work together. When everybody is ready, regroup the students so that there is 1 store detective, 1 social
worker and 1 friend in each group; students say how they would deal with the situation. They have to convince each other that their opinion is the valid one.
4.4.4 Discussions involving opinions
Try to use topics that will generate varying opinions rather than having everybody agree. Typical examples include life in the city and life in the country, environmental
issues, and traditional and alternative medicine. You can also use controversial subjects and topics that are currently in the news.
Discussions involving opinions work well in a group that has something to say. If the class is short on ideas or afraid of voicing a controversial opinion, these activities don’t
work so well. You can overcome this by giving students time to prepare what they’ll say. You can also outline the various general attitudes to the subject e.g. opinions for
and against the new underground transport system in the town where you work. Students decide what their opinions are. They prepare in groups first; put students with
the same opinion together and tell them to prepare their arguments as well as counter- arguments to what the others will say. You can then regroup students so that students
with different opinions are together.
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4.4.5 Debates
