Trainer book

English for Teaching 2

Module 2: In your opinion

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 English for Teaching 2
Module 2: In your opinion Trainer book

Overview

Language
Functional expressions related to discussions
development

Language in
Advantages and problems with classroom discussions
context

Task Presenting how to carry out a classroom survey

In the classroom Exploring the use of a variety of discussions formats

Methodology Planning and setting up group work and giving instructions

Pronunciation Stress and intonation in functional expressions

Magazine Using mind maps with reading texts

Vocabulary Lexis related to speaking and listening sub-skills

Activity page Controversial topics for discussion

Reflection How I feel now

By the end of this module participants will be able to:

●● evaluate the use of classroom surveys
●● analyse and use a range of functional exponents related to classroom
discussions
●● identify and explain mistakes in the use of functional exponents related to
Learning
classroom discussions
outcomes
●● pronounce selected functional expressions more effectively in terms of
intonation and stress
●● use mind maps effectively with reading texts
●● use and evaluate a board game for discussions
●● evaluate different formats for classroom discussion.

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Contents page

1 Language
1.1 Advantages and problems with classroom discussions 3
1.2 Task: Creating a classroom survey 4
1.3 Language analysis 4
1.4 Expressions auction 6
1.5 Circles of discussion board game 6

2 Methodology
2.1 Listening: How I manage group discussions 7

3 In the classroom
3.1. Different formats 9

4 Pronunciation
4.1 Intonation and stress in functional expressions 10

5 Magazine
5.1 Using a mind map with a reading text 11
5.2 Guess my word! 12

6 Activity page
6.1 Using controversial discussions in the classroom 13

7 Reflection
7.1 How I feel now 14

Appendix 15

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1 Language

1.1 Advantages and problems with classroom discussions

This activity introduces the topic of classroom discussions and examines some advantages and problems
that teachers might have when using classroom discussions.

Materials
●● Coursebook 1.1

Instructions
●● Divide participants and ask them to focus on the classroom photo
●● Elicit what is happening and if they are familiar with classroom discussions
●● Ask participants to brainstorm some advantages and problems involved with using discussions
in the classroom
●● Ask pairs to compare their ideas with the quotations from teachers in 1.1
●● Elicit any additional ideas around the room
●● Ask participants to discuss the three questions in the Discussion section
●● Ask the whole group why one teacher suggests class surveys

Feedback
●● Classroom discussions are necessary to develop fluency in speaking skills
●● Classroom surveys can be used as a controlled language practice activity in the same ways as drills
●● Teachers can feed in the necessary functional language when required. The more learners use
functional language for discussion, the more they remember the language
●●
Teachers can create discussions and surveys to focus on topics that interest them and find out
opinions and ideas from other learners in the class
●● Discussions and surveys can also lead to classroom debates
●● Teachers should monitor discussions without taking an active part and make notes on the language
used; any mistakes can be written on the board for the whole class to correct
●● Teachers can create some visuals such as pie charts or graphs using the information collected during
classroom surveys

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1.2 Task: Creating a classroom survey

Materials
●● Coursebook 1.2

Instructions
●● Divide participants into groups of three or four and ask them to focus on Part 1 and Part 2 in 1.2
●● Monitor the group discussions and elicit ideas and collate on the board
●● Ask participants to stay in the same groups and give them enough time to prepare their group
presentation of a classroom survey
●● Monitor the groups and help participants when necessary
●● Each group presents their group classroom survey plan to the other groups
●● Ask participants who are listening to the presentation to complete the feedback box and give their
feedback after each group has completed their presentation. Encourage them to be positive

1.3 Language analysis

Participants discuss and identify functional areas used in classroom discussions by categorising expressions.

Materials
●● Coursebook 1.3

Instructions
●● Divide participants into groups of three and ask them to complete the Function Box with any expressions
that they used when preparing their task, or from their own knowledge
●●
Elicit examples and collate on the board
●● Give each participant in the groups of three a letter, A, B, C and allocate participant A to Language Box
A, participant B to Language Box B and participant C to Language Box C
●● Ask participant A to read each functional expression a few times from their box to the other two
participants in their group, and they put the expression into the correct function box
●● Participant B does the same and then participant C completes the activity
●● Elicit expressions for each function around the room and ensure that everyone has the correct answer
●● Divide participants into pairs and ask them to discuss the post-activity discussion questions

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Feedback for Language Analysis 1.3

Function Expression
Agreeing
●● You’re absolutely right about that!
●● That’s exactly what I think!
●● That’s my view entirely.

Disagreeing
●● I’m sorry, I don’t see it that way at all.
●● I’m sorry, I don’t accept that.
●● I’m afraid I don’t agree with that.

Interrupting
●● Sorry, do you mind if I say something here?
●● If I could just come in at this point.
●● Could I add something here?

Handling interruptions
●● Could I just finish what I’m saying?
●● Let me just finish my point, please.
●● Just give me a minute to finish what I was saying.

Asking for an explanation

●● Would you mind telling us what exactly you mean by that?
●● What do you mean by that?
●● Do you think we should ban…?

Asking for more information

●● Would you mind saying a little bit more about that?
●● What do you think are the causes of…?
●● Can you be more specific?

Asking for an opinion

●● What are your views on…?
●● What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of…?
●● What’s your opinion of…?

Adding more information

●● Another point I’d like to make is…
●● One other thing is…
●● Another point to add is…

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1.4 Expressions auction

This is a trainer-led auction in which participants try to buy only the expressions that they think are correct.
You may need to check that the participants understand the concept of an auction.

Materials
●● Coursebook 1.4

Instructions
●● Divide the participants into small groups and ask each group to look at the auction sheet
●● Ask the groups to plan which sentences they are going to buy in the auction. Tell them that they should
only choose sentences which are correct
●● Conduct the auction in a brisk and fun way and make a note of which group buys each expressions
●● After the auction, go through the auction sheet and elicit which sentences are correct
●● Ask participants who has lost money on incorrect sentences and elicit corrections.

1.5 The Circles of Discussion board game

Materials
●● One copy of The Circles of Discussion board game from the end of the Appendix or the coursebook
for each group of four participants
●● One marker for each participant
●● One dice for each group of four participants
●● One set of cut-up discussion cards, face down on the table for each group, from the Appendix

Instructions
●● Divide the participants into groups of four
●● For each group of four, distribute one copy of the Circles of Discussion board game, one marker for
each participant, one dice and one set of cut-up discussion cards, placed face down on the table
●● Give each participant in each group a number from one to four
●● Nominate number one in each group to start the game, followed by two, three and four
●● Explain that only if they land on an empty circle, they take a discussion card from the top of the pile
and discuss the quotation
●● Remind participants to try to use the functional language from earlier during their discussion

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2 Methodology
2.1 Listening: How I manage group discussions

An experienced teacher talks about how they manage group discussions in their classroom. If listening is
difficult for the participants, break the text up and play each section separately. Give them time to complete
the grid after listening to each section before moving on to the next.

Materials
●● CD recording
●● Coursebook 2.1

Instructions
●● Divide the participants into pairs and they predict the order of the stages in a group discussion activity,
using numbers from one to nine
●● Participants listen to check predictions
●● Elicit answers around the room
●● Participants listen again and make notes under each heading
●● Elicit the main ideas from each stage
●● Divide the participants into groups of four and they discuss the post-listening discussion questions

Answers

Number Stages

9 Relax

2 Listen

3 Don’t dominate

7 Make notes

5 Learn some useful phrases

1 Preparation

8 Speak clearly

4 Support your ideas

6 Be polite

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Listening tapescript
Good morning everyone! Today I’d like to talk to you about group discussions and how you can take a
more active part in them in class.
My first tip is good preparation. If you know what the topic of the discussion will be, you can prepare in
advance. Here are the steps:
1. Read about the main issues related to the topic
2. Spend some time deciding what your own position is about the topic
3. Research vocabulary related to the topic so that you can talk about the topic more confidently
4. Make a list of the nouns, verbs and adjectives that you think will be useful and practise them before
the discussion

Listening is a very important discussion skill so make sure you listen and reply to their ideas and opinions.
A good discussion is one where people share and discuss different viewpoints. It isn’t a competition!
Being effective in a discussion isn’t about speaking all the time. In discussions, quality is more important
than quantity. In other words, what you say is often much more important than how much you say.
By giving other people a chance to say what they think, and replying politely with your ideas, you’ll earn
their respect.
You can support your own ideas in different ways:
1. Give facts or statistics to support your idea
2. Quote expert opinion
3. Refer to your own experience
4. Explain your ideas but be prepared to support what you say and don’t make ‘empty’ points

There are lots of useful expressions that you can use in discussions. You can say:
“You’re absolutely right about that,” when your agree with someone
“ I’m sorry, I don’t see it that way at all,” when you disagree with someone
To interrupt someone politely, you can say “ Sorry, do you mind if I say something here?”
Keep a note of these expressions and tick them every time you use them to build your confidence in
discussions.
In a discussion with colleagues, it’s important to stay calm and be polite, even if you feel strongly about
the topic. Try to use words such as “please, thank you, I’d like to... May I...? Would you mind...? Could you...?”
They help make you sound polite and respectful.
It’s a good idea to have a pen and paper handy. You can jot down any useful or important words or ideas
that might come in handy later in the discussion – or afterwards.
Practise your pronunciation and speak clearly and confidently. If you need time to collect your thoughts,
you could say something like “Hmmm... just let me have a minute to think about this.” Or you could say
“Could you just repeat that please?” to get some thinking time.
Discussions are about sharing ideas in a positive atmosphere. Relax and feel confident and make sure that
you are well prepared for the discussion with your notes in front of you. In this way, you can focus on the
main ideas that you’d like to talk about. Don’t worry about making grammar mistakes or using the wrong
word, but be prepared to listen to the other people in the discussion!

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3 In the classroom
3.1 Different formats

This activity raises the participants’ awareness of using different types of formats and space for classroom
discussions. If participants don’t have a lot of space and the desks are fixed in traditional rows, participants
have several options:
1. Pairs at the same desk
2. Pairs at desks across the aisle
3. Pairs at desks behind

Participants prepare a discussion using one of the four activity types:

1. The Fishbowl
2. The Pyramid Steps
3. Buzz Groups
4. Crossover Groups

Materials
●● Coursebook 3.1
●● One discussion topic for each group

Instructions
●● Divide participants into pairs and ask them to look at the four different discussion activity formats, and
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each one
●● Elicit feedback from participants around the room
●● Divide the participants into four groups
A. The Fishbowl Group
B. The Pyramid Steps Group
C. Buzz Groups Group
D. Crossover Groups Group
●● For each group A,B,C,D, distribute one discussion topic:
1. Group A: Problems that we have when teaching speaking skills
2. Group B: Problems that we have when teaching reading skills
3. Group C: Problems that we have when teaching writing skills
4. Group D: Problems that we have when teaching listening skills
●● Next, ask participants to create a discussion activity together with instructions, for micro-training.
They should choose topics which are likely to be of interest to the learners they teach. For example, for
younger learners: homework, fashion, technology, etc. For older learners: topical issues, travel/tourism,
leisure activities, etc.

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●● Note: When delivering their activities, they should explain to the group who are their ‘learners’ the age
group the activity is aimed at.

Teaching sequence:
1. Group A delivers their lesson to Group B and Group C. Group D observes and gives feedback
2. Group B delivers their lesson to Group C and Group D. Group A observes and gives feedback
3. Group C delivers their lesson to Group D and Group A. Group B observes and gives feedback
4. Group D delivers their lesson to Group A and Group B. Group C observes and gives feedback

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4 Pronunciation
4.1 Intonation and stress in functional expressions

Participants practise two useful activities related to functional language and pronunciation: intonation and
stress in the form of pair work.

Materials
●● Coursebook 4.1

Instructions
Intonation Ping Pong
●● Divide participants into pairs and give each a letter, A and B
●● Teacher A reads each functional exponent two or three times with the correct intonation, rising or falling
●● Teacher B listens and draws a rising arrow or falling arrow next to each expression
●● Teacher B reads each functional exponent two or three times with the correct intonation, rising or falling
●● Teacher A listens and draws a rising arrow or falling arrow next to each expression
●● Both teachers check their answers

Table tap (or hand clap if there is no table available)

●● Divide participants into pairs and give each a letter, A and B.
●● Teacher A taps the stress pattern slowly for each functional exponent – o is unstressed and O is stressed
●● Teacher B listens and draws the stress pattern next to each expression
●● Teacher B taps the stress pattern slowly for each functional exponent – o is unstressed and O is stressed
●● Teacher A listens and draws the stress pattern next to each expression
●● Both teachers check their answers

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5 Magazine
5.1 Using a mind map with a reading text

In this activity participants use a reading text about discussions to create a group mind map to summarise
the text.

Materials
●● Coursebook 5.1

Instructions
●● Divide participants into five groups: A, B,C,D,E. Group A focuses on Why teach discussion skills? Group B
on Types of discussion. Group C on Sub-skills. Group D on Setting up discussions. Group E on Giving and
encouraging feedback
●● Each group reads their part of the article and highlights the main points in the text
●● Each group fills in their part of the mind map in 6.1 with the main points around the circle
●● Regroup the participants into new groups with at least one participant from groups A,B,C,D and E
●● Each new group shares their information with the other participants to complete the mind map with all
the key points about using discussions in the classroom

Feedback for each section

B.
Types of A: useful for everyday life from formal to informal/
discussion
useful for job market/extended speaking
and fluency
A.
C. B: group discussions can have lots of formats/
Why teach
Useful
group can be prepared by collecting information/
sub-skills for
discussion useful for job interviews/feedback helps to
students
skills?
Group identify areas for improvement
discussions C: Making decisions/giving and sharing opinions/
D. creating and planning something such as
Setting up F. a poster
group Giving and
discussions encouraging D: Give planning time and time to prepare/useful
feedback to discuss some associated vocabulary or
E. functional language/choose topics that you
Conclusions
are confident your students will find
interesting/brainstorm some ideas for
discussions/ensure a balance between input
and practice/use a variety of styles
E: Students can give other feedback/reflective
group feedback about how effective each
person was/videoing discussions for analysis/
monitoring and making notes on groups
and individuals

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5.2 Guess my word!

Participants play a guessing game with vocabulary related to listening and speaking skills.

Materials
●● Coursebook 5.2
●● One set of cut-up listening sub-skills cards and one set of cut-up speaking skills sub-skills cards
for each pair of participants from Appendix 2

Instructions
●● Divide participants into pairs A and B, distribute one set of cut-up listening sub-skills cards
to A and one set of cut-up speaking skills cards to B
●● Participants place the cards face down in front of each other
●● A starts the game by taking the top card from the pile and tries to define the word(s) without
saying the word itself
●● B tries to guess the word from the definition
●● If B guesses correctly, A keeps the card as she/he has defined the word successfully
●● B then continues in the same way
●● The participant with most cards at the end is the winner
●● Participants shuffle their own cards, exchange them and continue another game using the
other set of cards

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6 Activity page
6.1 Using controversial discussions in the classroom

This is a discussion activity about the use of controversial discussion topics in class and how they
might be adapted for use in the classroom.

Materials
●● One set of cut-up controversial topics for each group of four participants from the Appendix

Instructions
●● Divide participants into groups of four and place one set of cut-up controversial topics, facing down,
in the centre of the group on the table
●● Tell the participants that each cut-up contains a controversial topic and they should discuss whether
they would use the topic in their classes or if they could adapt it
●● Nominate a participant in each group who will start the discussion by picking up the first cut-up,
read the topic to the group and start the discussion
●● Tell participants that they have around three or four minutes per cut-up

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7 Reflection
7.1 How I feel now

This activity asks participants to reflect on what they have learned in this module and also asks them to think
about how they are planning to integrate their learning into future classroom practice.

Materials
●● Coursebook 7.1

Instructions
●● Participants read the reflective log individually and make notes under the five questions
●● Divide participants into small groups of three or four and they share their reflections with other people

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Appendix
1. Cut-ups for 1.5 Circles of Discussion board game

Many children
A teacher is one
struggle at You have to take
To teach is who makes
school because risks when
to touch lives himself
they are taught learning
forever. progressively
differently from languages.
unnecessary.
how they learn.

One language
You can’t see
puts you in a Those who know
Teachers open other people’s
corridor for life. no foreign
the door, but you point of view
Two languages language know
must enter by when you have
open every nothing of their
yourself. only one
door along the mother tongue.
language.
corridor.

The aim of
Good teaching is
Learning is education should
If you teach, you more a giving of
never done be to teach us
must never stop right questions
without errors rather how to
learning. than a giving of
and defeat. think, than what
right answers.
to think.

Too often we
give children Good teaching One free lunch
answers to is one quarter in the world is
To teach is to
remember preparation and to learn another
learn twice.
rather than three quarters language in
problems theatre. early childhood.
to solve.

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Learning a
Language is not language makes
Learning a
a genetic gift, our minds
foreign language
it is a social gift. To have another stronger and
provides a
Learning a new language is to more flexible.
cultural mirror
language is possess a Actually using it
in which we can
becoming a second soul. gives us an
more clearly see
member of entirely new
our own society.
the club. experience of
the world.

The greatest
A good teacher
sign of success Tell me and I
must be able to
We cannot for a teacher is forget. Teach me
put himself in
learn languages to be able to say and I remember.
the place of
without pain. ‘The children are Involve me and
those who find
now working as if I learn.
learning hard.
I didn’t exist’.

A hundred years
from now, it will What people
not matter what need and what
kind of car I they want are
Once children It is not what is
drove or much very different.
learn how to poured into a
money I had in Teachers are
learn, nothing is student that
the bank... but those who
going to narrow counts but what
the world may educate people
their mind. is planted.
be a better place to appreciate
because I made the things
a difference in they need.
the life of a child.

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2. Cut-ups for 4.2 Guess my word! – Cards for listening sub-skills

✁

Authentic Connected Extensive

Context
materials speech listening

Facial Listening
Intonation Receptive skill
expression for gist

Listening for
Stress Gesture Sub-skill detail

3. Cut-ups for 4.2 Guess my word! – Cards for Speaking sub-skills

✁

Ask for
Accuracy Appropriacy Fluency
clarification

Productive
Function Interaction Lead-in skill

Less
Controlled Connected Sub-skill controlled
practice speech practice

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4. Cut-up Controversial topics for 5.1

✁
1. Climate change is caused by humans

2. Torture is sometimes acceptable

3. Young people’s behaviour is worse than it was 20 years ago

4. Mobile phones are dangerous

5. Men should get the same paternity leave from work as women

6. Smoking should be banned from all public places

7. Animals should not be used for research

8. We live in a “throw-away” society

9. Footballers and athletes get paid too much

10. Governments should decide what people eat

11. Beauty contests are unfair to women

12. Video games make young people more violent

13. Parents should allow teenagers to make their own decisions

14. Religion causes wars

15. People should have the right to carry a gun

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20
Start
Finish

Miss a turn

Go back
Go back 4
5
Go back
4
Miss a turn

Miss a turn

Miss a turn

Move to Move
green ahead 2

Move to
Go back pink
2

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English for Teaching 2
© British Council 2012 / B091
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.