5A Develop your spoken mediation skills

 
Output         Discuss a topic based on an article
Goal             Collaborate in a group
Focus           Asking and responding to suggestions
 
CEFR mediation descriptor
Can collaborate on a shared task, for example formulating and responding to suggestions,
asking whether people agree, and proposing alternative approaches.
 
Timing         40 minutes 
 
Teacher’s notes 
 
Introduction
The objective of this lesson is for students to work in groups and collaborate taking a decision.
To help them achieve this, students will focus on creating questions and give suggestions
based on the reading of two different essays on the same topic.

We suggest doing this activity before doing the Develop you writing section on page 106 of
Roadmap B1+ Students’ Book.  
 
Warm-up
Ask students to discuss the questions: How has technology changed our lives? What can you
do nowadays that you couldn’t do ten or twenty years ago? Why some people don’t like the
new technology?
 
Prepare
1 Students brainstorm ideas and expressions related to technology (artificial intelligence,
robots, automatization, etc.).
2 Students are divided in two main groups, A and B. Later, students are divided in pairs inside
their group. Later they will work with a pair of students from the other group.
3 Pairs of students read the scenario and their correspondent essay.
4 Students select the main ideas of their essay and prepare what to say to discuss it with a pair
of students of the other group.

Mediate
5 A pair of Group A students get together with another pair of Group B students
6 Students discuss their different points of view, using essays’ ideas but without looking back
at them.
 
Discussion and follow-up
1 In which job do you think technology is not proper?
2 Create a situation in which technology would be something positive for a job in which
technology is not used yet.
 
Evaluation
To assess this mediation properly, the evaluation should be based on how well students use
expressions and strategies to collaborate in a group. That is, how students interact, exchange
information and pay attention to the other, either working in pairs selecting the relevant
points of the article or just interacting with the other pair, asking and clarifying points of view
in order to reach an agreement.
Regarding the mediation task, the following student spoken productions show the kind of
student output that can be expected. These could also be used in peer evaluation if desired. 
 
If using an interlingual or intralingual approach you would expect students to paraphrase in
their message the most important points from each advert, along with translating directly or
not some of the information or words. You can also apply evaluation criteria for writing
(register, pronunciation, intonation, expression, etc) if you choose. See page 00 for suggested
criteria.
 
Examples of student spoken production
Marks awarded are based on the criteria in the rubric on page 00. 
 
Pair A
A1: So, what do you think? Do we need to buy a robot?
B1: Well, I think it’s quite obvious we don’t need a robot because if we buy one we won’t need
a secretary anymore and she will lose her job.
A2: I am afraid I don’t agree with you because clients are not happy with our secretary because
she is very slow. What else can we do to solve this problem?
B2: Why don’t we talk to the secretary and teach her what to do exactly?
A1: I think she doesn’t have too much experience. A robot would help her to her job better,
don’t you think?
B1: Because we can’t have more expenses. And apart from that, there is a big difference
between a human person and a robot and a secretary has to talk to clients too, so…
A2: Exactly, but I’m not sure I see your point, can you explain it again?
B1: Maybe the robot doesn’t have to talk to clients…
A1: Yes, because our secretary is very sympathetic and has empathy with the customers and I
think a robot is not ready to do that. Am I right?
B2: But if we have the robot, the secretary can find a better job for her, or maybe learn how to
fix the robot if it breaks…

Teacher’s comments
This is a good production because the dialogue is fluent. Students use many questions, almost
in every sentence, and they respond to enough suggestions along the dialogue. Although it
only summarizes the main notes of essay A and not all the ideas of essay B, the dialogue is
connected with the scenario and adds examples with more information.
Marks: 4/5
 
Pair B
B1: I think to have a robot in our job is going to bring more clients.
A1: Why do you think that?
B2: Because it will be something new and everybody will be curious.
A2: But are we dentist or a show?
B1: I think we have to buy the robot.
A1: We think it isn’t a good idea.
B2: Ok.

Teacher’s comments
This is a weak production because it doesn’t summarize the majority of both essays and
students go off topic without dealing with the main ideas. And, most importantly, there are
almost no questions or responses to suggestions, but almost orders and impositions.
Marks: 2/5
 
 
5A Develop your spoken mediation skills
English
 
[Objectives box:]
Output Discuss a topic based on an article
Goal Collaborate in a group
Focus Asking and responding to suggestions 
[Opener question(s)]
1 How has technology changed our lives?
2 What can you do nowadays that you couldn’t do ten or twenty years ago?
3 Why do you think some people don’t like new technologies?

[Getting into the task:]

How many ideas and expressions related to technology can you think of?

Prepare
4 Choose to be in one group, A or B, and get together with someone from your same group.
5 Read the scenario and read the essay chosen for your specific group, A or B.
6 Select the main ideas of your essay.

[Introduce the Focus box + task]

7 Read the focus box and be ready to work with your pair from either group, A or B.

[Focus box styling]

Asking and responding to suggestions
When working with a group of people it is important to make sure you ask and reply to
suggestions given to reach an agreement.
You can do this in one of the following ways:
1 repeat what someone has said to check you understood it (for example: so in your opinion,
this is perfect for us because… Is that right? Am I right?)
2 ask someone for their opinion (for example: Why do you think that is the right thing to do?
I’m not sure I quite got what you meant, can you repeat that, please?)

[Some kind of activity to focus on the sub-skill]

8 Using the focus box suggestions, decide how to support your ideas when talking with the
other pair of classmates/workmates.

Mediate
10 Get together with another pair of classmates from the other group and look back at the
scenario.
11 Without looking back to your essays, the four of you explain to each other what you think
and want to do, using ideas from the articles. Tell the others why and if it is good solution for
your job and dental practice office or not.

[scenario]
You and three more classmates are dentists and work together in the same dental practice. A
client has suggested you to buy a robot to help you in your practice. After finding two revealing
essays on the subject of technology, you can use one of the essay’s arguments to discuss the
topic with your other workmates in a work meeting you are about to have in some minutes.
[Pair A input. Pg. 106]

Pair A essay
One of the areas of technology that is developing most quickly is robots. Robots are now able
to do more things and can learn from experience. Some people argue this offers enormous
possibilities as robots are cheaper and more reliable than humans. However, I would argue
that the effects could be very bad in terms of jobs and social relationships.
While robots have been used in factories before, the number of different jobs that robots
could soon do is huge. There are already driverless cars, which may replace taxis and lorries.
Soon, there may also be robots for nursing and farming, robots working as shop assistants and
even robots offering basic legal advice. One report has suggested that 50 percent of all jobs
will soon be lost in some countries.
As well as the social problems caused by unemployment, greater use of robots damages social
relationships in other wavs. While having a robot nurse may be cheap, it cannot chat or share
emotions. There is plenty of evidence that human contact improves our health and well-being.
Robots could mean humans have less contact with each other and start feeling lonely.
In short. I think we should be very concerned about the use of robots. They will cause
unemployment and could make people feel less connected to others.

[Pair B input. Pg. 107. This text needs to be completed with examples from exercise 7. Here I
copy the whole text as needed.]

Pair B essay
Technology is progressing rapidly, especially robotics. Soon, many jobs could be replaced by
robots and some argue it will result in a huge increase in unemployment. Some studies have
suggested that 35-50 percent of current jobs are at risk.
However, I would argue that, firstly, the rise in unemployment is exaggerated and, secondly,
robots are an opportunity for a better life.
It is clear that robots will replace some jobs done by humans. However, based on what has
happened in the past, unemployment on the whole will not increase. For example, tech
companies are spending a lot of money on drones and on driverless cars. New jobs are created
to support new technology. Thirty years ago, there were no website designers and fewer
computer programmers. Something similar will probably happen in the case of robots.
While it is possible that unemployment may increase, there are still things we can do to reduce
the effects and improve our lives. We could reduce working hours and lower the age people
retire, so that work is shared out more. As a result, we may need more money to live, but we
could raise this through taxes. Bill Gates has suggested we could tax robots in the same way
we tax workers. Moreover, these changes could create more leisure time, which in turn could
create new jobs.
In short, the impact of robots on unemployment will probably be smaller than people think.
Furthermore, if the money from taxes is used to pay for more research, robots will bring great
benefits to everyone.

5A Develop your spoken mediation skills

Spanish
 
This should be the same as the English, but with the Spanish text.
 
[Spanish input]
Pair A essay
Una de las áreas de la tecnología que se está desarrollando más rápidamente es la de los
robots. Los robots son ahora capaces de hacer más cosas y pueden aprender de la experiencia.
Algunas personas argumentan que esto ofrece enormes posibilidades, ya que los robots son
más baratos y fiables que los humanos. Sin embargo, me atrevería a decir que los efectos
podrían ser muy negativos en términos de empleo y relaciones sociales.
Si bien los robots ya se han utilizado en fábricas anteriormente, el número de tareas diferentes
que los robots podrían realizar en breve es enorme. Ya hay coches sin conductor, que pueden
sustituir a los taxis y a los camiones. Pronto, también puede haber robots para la enfermería y
la agricultura, robots que trabajen como ayudantes de taller e incluso robots que ofrezcan
asesoramiento jurídico básico. Un informe ha sugerido que el 50 por ciento de todos los
empleos se perderán pronto en algunos países.
Además de los problemas sociales causados por el desempleo, un mayor uso de robots daña
las relaciones sociales de otras formas. Aunque tener un enfermero robot puede ser barato, no
puede charlar ni compartir emociones. Existen muchas evidencias de que el contacto humano
mejora nuestra salud y bienestar. Los robots podrían significar que los humanos tienen menos
contacto entre sí y empiezan a sentirse solos.
En resumen. Creo que deberíamos preocuparnos mucho por el uso de robots. Causarán
desempleo y podrían hacer que la gente se sintiera menos conectada con los demás.

Pair B essay
La tecnología avanza rápidamente, especialmente la robótica. Pronto, muchos puestos de
trabajo podrían ser reemplazados por robots y algunos argumentan que esto conllevará un
enorme aumento del desempleo. Algunos estudios han sugerido que entre el 35 y el 50 por
ciento de los empleos actuales están en riesgo. Sin embargo, yo diría que, en primer lugar, el
aumento del desempleo es exagerado y, en segundo lugar, los robots son una oportunidad
para tener una vida mejor.
Está claro que los robots reemplazarán algunos trabajos realizados por humanos. Sin embargo,
sobre la base de lo que ha ocurrido en el pasado, el desempleo en general no aumentará. Por
ejemplo, las compañías tecnológicas están gastando mucho dinero en aviones no tripulados y
en coches sin conductor. Se crean nuevos puestos de trabajo para apoyar las nuevas
tecnologías. Hace treinta años, no había diseñadores de sitios web y había menos
programadores de computadores. Algo similar ocurrirá probablemente en el caso de los
robots.
Aunque es posible que el desempleo aumente, todavía hay cosas que podemos hacer para
reducir los efectos y mejorar nuestras vidas. Podríamos reducir las horas de trabajo y reducir la
edad de jubilación de las personas, de modo que el trabajo se reparta más. Como resultado, es
posible que necesitemos más dinero para vivir, pero podríamos conseguirlo a través de los
impuestos. Bill Gates ha sugerido que podríamos poner impuestos a los robots de la misma
manera que gravamos a los trabajadores. Además, estos cambios podrían crear más tiempo
libre, lo que a su vez podría crear nuevos puestos de trabajo.
En resumen, el impacto de los robots en el desempleo será probablemente menor de lo que la
gente piensa. Además, si el dinero de los impuestos se utiliza para pagar más investigación, los
robots aportarán grandes beneficios a todos.