1

SPEAKI NG PRACTI CE: DEBATE

Do you agree?
1. Instructons for the teacher:
Type of Actvity: Speaking
Level: B1 to C2.
Objectve: Get students to express their opinion, elicit their partners views on a subject and agree/disagree using
certain model expressions.
Time: 2 hours (can be adapted to longer/shorter lessons)
Number of students: 1 to 10. (If you have large groups, divide them in teams so that everyone gets a
chance to express their opinion).
Material: Chart A (expressions)/Handout 1 (exercise)/Chart C: Statements (Teachers copy).

A) Before class, print and cut out the expressions you will fnd in Chart A. Place them on the table so that each
student (or member of a team) can take one when their turn comes.
B) Tell your students you will be discussing politcs and the current role politcians play in their country/in the
world.
C) Warm-up: Are you interested in politcs? Do you watch the news on TV? How ofen do you read the newspaper?
Do you fnd the news interestng or boring? Whats the most impressive piece of news you have heard lately?
D) Expressions: Give each group a copy of Handout 1 and tell them to sort expressions according to their role in a
conversaton. They will surely have questons about some of them and their use. Check together (teacher
decides if the expressions are placed in the right column/diferent answers possible).
E) Vocabulary: Elicit vocabulary related to politcs and politcians from your students. Anything counts but you will
fnd some ideas in Chart B. Discuss meaning and use. (If you have groups and not individual students, you could
play this as a game in which the group that comes up with a longer list of terms wins).
F) Tell your students you will now be reading certain statements (Chart C) and that they will need to express
whether they agree with them or not and justfy their opinion. Each student (or one member in each team) will
pick a card with an expression from the table. Their individual speech will not fnish untl they have used the
expression correctly.
G) Read frst statement and let them express themselves. (If any new vocabulary comes up, make sure you write it
on the board for reference).
H) When each student (or one member in each team) has fnished speaking, read the following statement and
make them pick diferent cards. (Cards used before can be handed to other students who havent yet spoken).
I) If any statement remains undiscussed, you can use it for homework as a Writng exercise, for example.

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SPEAKI NG PRACTI CE: DEBATE
Do you agree?

Actually


In my opinion

If you ask me,

What I dont
understand is


On the whole


Hang on,

In fact,

The worst thing is

The thing is


Strangely enough

Basically

I really think

The point I am
trying to make is


The problem is

Yes, but

Eventually,

Imagine


All in all,

To be honest,

I see what you
mean, but


Do you see what
I mean?


Do you agree
with me?

I agree up to a
point, but

Am I making
myself clear?

I think so


I dont think so

I am not quite
sure


I am under the
impression that

Yes, thats exactly
what I mean


If I were in this
situaton,

I wholeheartedly
agree

How about you?
Chart A: Expressions

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SPEAKI NG PRACTI CE: DEBATE
Do you agree?
Agreement Disagreement Elicitng opinion Giving opinion





















Handout 1: Sort the expressions according to the chart
I see what you mean, but To be honest, All in all, Imagine Eventually, Yes, but
The problem is
The point I am trying to make is I really think Basically Strangely enough, The
thing is
What I dont understand is If you ask me In my opinion Actually, Hang on On
the whole, The worst thing is
In fact Do you see what I mean? I think so I dont think so I agree up to a point,
but
Do you agree with me? Am I making myself clear? I am not quite sure
I am under the impression that Yes, thats exactly what I mean
If I were in this situaton,
I wholeheartedly agree How about you?

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SPEAKI NG PRACTI CE: DEBATE
Do you agree?
Chart B: Vocabulary
Politcs
Politcs Policy-Policies
Politcian Electon
Survey Poll
Census Candidate
Leader Citzen
Citzenship Labour
Tory Republicans
Democrats Party
Corrupton Campaign
Electon/Campaign promises Voters

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SPEAKI NG PRACTI CE: DEBATE
Do you agree?
Chart C: Statements
1. Politcians never listen to anyone.
2. Politcians have a very difcult job.
3. Politcians like being the centre of atenton.
4. Politcians are honest.
5. Politcians are more concerned about winning electons than serving people.
6. Politcians try to satsfy everybody and satsfy no one.
7. Politcians are unfairly critcised by the public opinion.
8. Politcians can change the world.
9. Politcians carry out their promises.
10. Politcians make policies which will win them votes.
11. Politcians never keep their Word when they win electons.
12. Politcians behave like children fghtng for a ball.
13. Politcians only want power.
14. Politcians dont respect each other.
15. Politcians should not base their programmes on discreditng other politcians.
16. Politcians need to have ideals.