Part One: Warm Up
Look at the six photos below and discuss the questions with your partner(s).
- What controversial topic does each photo represent?
- What are the different arguments that people make about each topic?
Teacher Notes
Teacher’s guide: You should clarify that students should not give their own, personal opinions at this stage. Instead, they should talk neutrally about the different opinions that exist.
Part Two: Getting Ready to Speak
Open the exercise follow the instructions.
Exercise
With a partner, decide who will be Student 1 and who will be Student 2. Then, open your tab and follow the instructions.
Opinion : Smartphones and social media are making us less social.
As I see it, smartphones and social media are making us less social. Nobody talks to each other anymore — they just look at their phones.
I don’t think so. The way I see it is that we’re not less social; we’re just socializing in a different way. If anything, social media allows us to communicate with each other more.
You go first. Give each of the following opinions with an expression from this lesson, qualify the opinion by giving reasons/further explanation, and listen to your partner agree or disagree and give their own opinion on the same subject.
Then, listen to your partner give an opinion and use one of the expressions from this lesson to agree or disagree and one of the expressions to give your own opinion on the same subject. Make sure that you qualify your opinion by giving reasons/further explanation.
Take it in turns.
- Doing a job that you enjoy is more important than earning lots of money.
- Everyone in the world should speak the same language.
- Rich people should pay more taxes.
You go second. Listen to your partner give an opinion and use one of the expressions from this lesson to agree or disagree and one of the expressions to give your own opinion on the same subject. Make sure that you qualify your opinion by giving reasons/further explanation.
Then, Give each of the following opinions with an expression from this lesson, qualify the opinion by giving reasons/further explanation, and listen to your partner agree or disagree and give their own opinion on the same subject.
Take it in turns.
- Celebrities earn too much money.
- Going to university should be free.
- Living alone is better than living with roommates.
Part Three: Your Turn
Work in groups of two or three. One person from each group go to Scientific Fact or Fiction?. Discuss each of the statements with your partner(s). Use the expressions from this lesson to give your own opinions and agree or disagree with each other. Make sure that you qualify your opinions with reasons and further explanations.
Once you have decided together whether you think the statement is true or false, click the appropriate button. If the button stays green, you are right. If the button turns red, you are wrong.