Path to Discussion 1

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PATH TO DISCUSSION

Discussion is an effective discourse that takes place in daily life from time to time. It oftentakes place between parent-child, teacher-student, co-workers, etc

We sometimes discuss about politics, the environment, school related topics, fashion, sports,relationships and so on.

Throughout the discussion, we exchange ideas among several people. It also involves sharingof ideas and experiences, solving problems and promoting tolerance with understanding. It

teaches interpersonal skills such as understanding and communication. It also helpsleadership, speaking and listening skills.

Since everybody cooperates in the discussion, and the ideas and opinions of everybody arerespected, there is a development of democratic ways of thinking and sometimes arriving atdecisions. The students learn to discuss and differ with other members of the group. Theylearn to tolerate the views of others even if they are unpleasant and contradictory to eachothers' views. Thus, respect for the view points of others is developed.

A discussion involves more than one students participation, therefore in groups, the students

can cope with the barrier of embarrassment more easily. As a result, they can expressthemselves better.

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HOW TO DISCUSS

When we discuss we should try to follow the turn-taking skills. In order to use the turn-takingskills, we can make use of several expressions. As long as these expressions are usedthroughout the discussion, it allows the discussion to flow smoothly.

Most common verbs used to ask for opinions:

The verbs in the box are the most common verbs to askfor opinion:

1. Do you think the government thinks Turkey hasone of the highest retirement pensions amongEuropean countries?

2. After a lot of failure, do the supporters of theTurkish National Football team still feel that thetrainer, Abdullah Avc, should remain in the post?

3. When the authorized people announced therewould be more taxes because of the earthquake,

did you think that the damage of the earthquake was catastrophic?

4. In your view, is image very important for the first impression?

Most common expressions used to ask for opinions:

Now read the examples:

In your opinion, which occupation has themost masculine men?

Do you agree with the opinion that only

animals kept in zoos can survive? What do you think about the death penalty

and capital punishment? Many people think traffic fines are too

high. Whats your view? How do you feel about working nights

and weekends? Do you have any views on the bad effects

of advertisements on children?

Do you think (that) the rate of trafficaccidents can be decreased if there aremore check points?

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Think View

Feel

ThoughtOpinion

In your opinion, ?

Do you agree with the

opinion that ?

What do you think

about?

Do you have any views

on...?

Many people think

Whats your view?

How do you feel

about?


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How do you feel about the latest fashion?

Personal Point of View

Most common expressions used to express personal opinions:

In my opinion, the death penalty should be banned.As far as Im concerned, animals should not be

keptin zoos as zoos are prisons for

them. Speaking for myself, parents should teach their

children how to understand theunderlying message

of advertisements. In my opinion, firefighting has the most

masculine men. Personally I think bungee jumping is the most

dangerous of all extreme sports. I believe that traffic fines are not too high; on the contrary, they are still too low.

General point of view

It is sometimes a good idea to share the common belief about the topic so that you can create

a more realistic basis.

It is thought that fast food causes a risk ofserious diseases because of chemicals used to

preserve food.

Some people say that nuclear power stationsare the best answer to the lack of energy.

It is believed that the number of traffic

accidents decreases if there are morecontrolling points.

It is generally accepted that women are moreresponsible than men.

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In my experience

As far as I'm

concerned

Speaking for myself

In my opinion

Personally, I think

It is thought

that...

Some people say

that...

It is considered...

It is generally

acce ted that...


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Agreeing with an opinion

When one of the members in the discussion is forthe idea of the speaker, he uses one of theexpressions below.

1. Colin: I guess Turkey will not be able to be amember of the European Union.

Derek: I agree with you entirely.

2. Emily: Personally, I think if the government cannottake urgent actions, the women killings will increasein Turkey dramatically.

Franco: I think so, too.

3. Garcia: In my experience as a teacher, if theMinistry of Education applies the education systemwithout considering the consequences, it will failagain.Helen: You are absolutely right.

4. Ivy: I think if one wants to be happy, first of all heshould learn how to think positively.Jason: Yeah, thats true.

5. Sharon: I dont think the traffic accidents can bedecreased unless the substructure is improved.

Catherine: I dont think so, either.

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Of course.

I agree with you

entirely.

You're (absolutely)

right.

Yes, I agree.

I think so, too.

That's a good point.

Exactly.

That's true.

I don't think so, either.

Im pretty sure


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Disagreeing with an opinion

In a discussion, it is normal to have the oppositeidea. In these situations, disagreeing is shown withan expression first. The expressions used to statethe counter argument is noted with one of theexpressions below.

1. Larry: I feel that one of the prominent reasons ofteenage violence is the unstable homes where

parents are neglectful.Manson: Thats not always true.

2.Nelly: In my opinion old people should live in ahouse where other old people live.Orson: I totally disagree with you.

3. Patrick: I dont think honesty always pays.Roberta: Im not so sure about that.

4. Sami: In my view, people should retire as soon as they can so that younger people couldfind a job more easily.Terry: Thats not always the case.

Sample short conversations on agreeing/disagreeing

1. Greg: Whats your opinion of genetically modified food?

Sam: I personally think they contribute to our eating habits.Greg: Really? I totally disagree with you. As far as I am concerned, these modified foods area great risk to our health.

2. Albert: How do you feel about working at the weekend?

Jenny: In my experience, working at the weekend means having less time to rest and relax andnot being able to spend time with your family or friends.

Albert: That is not always the case. If you can spend time effectively in the week, it doesnt

bother me.3. Sue: What do you think about the death penalty?

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I don't think so.

No way.

I'm afraid I disagree.

I totally disagree.

Not necessarily.

No, I'm not so sure about

that.

That's not always true.

That's not always the


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Ali: Oh, I believe that the death penalty is acceptable in cases where it is indisputable.

Sue: I am not sure about that. What if you are wrong? What is the difference between themurderer and us, then?

4. Jason: Emily, what do you think about the qualities needed for different jobs.

Emily: Speaking for myself, each job requires a different quality.

Jason: That is a good point but most of the jobs need common qualities such as getting acertificate or speaking at least one foreign language.

Interrupting Politely

When the speaker is talking, or discussing with someone, he sometimes wants to make a

correction, or he needs to add some more information. Therefore, he interrupts the otherspeaker and says what he wants to. There are different ways to interrupt. To interrupt politely,he can use one or more of the following expressions:

Pam: I strongly think (that) parents should be more understanding, to reduce the conflictsbetween them and their children. They are old and experienced, so they know what it is to beyoung, and they also made similar demands and mistakes when they were young.

Rod: Excuse me for interrupting but I think if parents try to compensate for their children allthe time, the young will go further and demand more. Therefore, in my view children shouldlearn to obey the family rules and behave accordingly.

Ben: Sorry, but Id like to comment on this, Rod. How can we mention about the independentindividuals if parents set up strict rules and expecttheir children to behave within these rules all thetime? Experts also suggest parents letting theirchildren be free as much as possible. And

Holding the floor

If one of the members of the group wants tointerrupt the speaker, the speaker may notwant to give him/her a turn. In this case, thespeaker can hold the floor by using some ofthe following expressions.

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Sorry, but

Sorry to interrupt, but

Excuse me for

interrupting, but

Can I say something here?

Id like to comment on

that.

Id just like to say that

Id like to add something

May I ask/say something?


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Katy: What do you think about extreme sports?Brad: Oh, I think they are perfect to produce adrenaline. I feel alive when I sky-jumpor do bungee-jumping and whenever IKaty: Sorry, but dont you think they are really dangerous and its a matter of riskingyour life?

Brad: Let me finish, please. I would say

whenever I do an extreme sport, I feel I amliving. If I cannot find the opportunity for one ofthem, I feel trapped in life and

Words used to elaborate what you mean

Sometimes, the speaker wants to explain what he has meant, or he wants to add some detailsto expound on the discussion. Its called elaboration. When we elaborate something, we try to

explain what we mean. In other words, we try to clarify what we have saidbefore in order not to cause a misunderstanding. Here are some expressionsyou can make use of for elaboration:

Branson: Why do you claim people dont know the rules of good manners?Dawson: I think so because of a lot of impolite things happening around us.Little children who dont let the grown-ups sit on a public bus, people whodont greet each other when they meet even in the same workplace, or

students who come into the class or leave the class without the permission of their teachers,and so onUnfortunately, There are a lot of similar behaviors like these.

Read the situations below. Examine the sample discussions and underline the

expressions that keep the discussion going.

Situation1. Two friends are talking about the differences between women and men.

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Let me finish (first),

please.

Im not done, yet.

Just a minute / second

Hold on a minute / second

Becaus

e

Since

As


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Student 1: You believe that men and women are equal and women can do everything which

men can do.

Student 2: You think women are not equal and they cannot do everything men can do.

Frank: What are your views on the equality of women and men?

Mary: I definitely believe that women are equal with men. What do you think about it?

Frank: I strongly disagree with you. I personally believe that men and women are equal is

just a myth since we are physically very different.

Mary: Sorry to interrupt but you know women dont work only in teaching or nursing. There

are lots of women working in construction or business. Physical strength doesnt mean we

cannot work in the same field.

Frank: Yeah, thats a good point but there are no women in the mining sector or, the motor

racing circuit.Mary: Frank, you must be kidding. You know its because women dont prefer working in

those fields not because they cannot cope.

Frank: Yeah Mary, you may be right, but I still think women and men are not equal.

Mary: And I still cannot make out why you dont agree.

Situation2. Two friends are talking about attitude changes in communication.

Student 1: You think the communication habits in the past used to be better.Student 2: You support that the new way of communication is a better way to connect with

people.

Hendrix: I miss the good old days when it comes to the point of communication.

Gregory: I dont think the old day were good in terms of communication. I think it was too

slow and ineffective.

Hendrix: Yeah, it might be slow but the old methods were more effective than the ones

today. We could speak face to face and inGregory: Can I say something here, please? We can keep in touch with everybody thanks to

webcams, you know.

Hendrix: Sorry to interrupt but it cannot be compared with face to face communication. You

cannot feel the same, as you cannot hear or touch the atmosphere.

Gregory: To an extent you are right, but it enables us to see each other whenever or wherever

we want even though you are thousands of miles away.

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Hendrix: I think that is the only benefit of the fast access. The rest is not beneficial; on the

contrary, the rest makes us feel apart. I know a lot of people who feel lonely. If you were

right, nobody would feel lonely because of having easy access to everybody.

Gregory: Yeah, I have to admit that you are right..

Sample discussion questions and the discussions. Read and examine the discussion.

What is more important in an emotional relationship?

Physical Appearance

Personality

Money

Aye: I think in an emotional relationship the most important thing is personality. Your

partner should be honest and reliable. In addition, he should be intelligent and intellectual.

Alin: Sorry, but I cant agree with you. What if he is not good-looking to an extent? It would

be really difficult to spend time with him. Whats more, what if he doesnt get dressed

properly and isnt clean? Would you like to be around him and how could you int

Buse: Hey, I have to interrupt you both because I have to remind you the most important

issue; money. Without money, the appearance and the personality are beside the point. In my

view, money comes first. Without money, a relationship cannot work well even if he is good-

looking or he is a very good person.

Alin: Sorry but I must add something here. You know money buys materialistic things but

you cannot buy happiness with it.

Aye: I agree with Alin, here. And I want to add that money cannot buy knowledge or a good

personality. One cannot be happy with a very rich but dishonest man. Living with a liar, for

example, is unbearable. You always think he cheats on you one way or another. You feel like

a detective and as a result you feel exhausted and give up.

Speaking Exam

The students will have an oral exam including speaking skills. They will have a 6-minute-

discussion (2+2+2=6) about the topics below in groups of three. They are expected to use all

turn taking rules (asking for information, giving reasons, elaborating, expressing your

opinion, asking what someone thinks, agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting politely) while

discussing. The exam will be evaluated over 100 points.Sample topics

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1. Is it better to have fewer cats and dogs and to use the money to help poor and hungry

people?

Household pets are good companions for people.

While there are so many poor and hungry people out, why keep pets?

Poor and hungry people can do something for themselves but pets cannot.

2. Is it a good system where children are put in fast and slow streams or is it better to

create mixed ability classes?

Students can learn better in fast or slow stream classes.

There should be mixed stream classes.

3. Which of the following do you think is the best form of holiday?

Working holiday

Five star hotel (all included)

Camping

4. Should rich people be permitted to send their children to private schools?

There shouldnt be private schools. People should be free to buy education, too.

A state should run all the schools itself.

5. Which do you think is the best to raise a child?

A big city

A small town

A remote place and home schooling

6. What kind of family would you like to have in the future?

An extended family with a lot of children and relatives

A nuclear family with only one child

A family with two children

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7. What is the most serious problem for the environment?

Increasing consumerism

The growth race between countries

Decreasing amount of energy sources

8. Why do you think the bonds between children and their families are very

strong in Turkish families?

Just because of the traditions

Lack of self-reliance of the children

Emotional loyalty

9. Which of the following do you think is better to make a living in the

future...?

Working as a free-lancer

Working full-time as a government official Running my own business

10.Which group do you think uses computers more effectively?

Women

Men

Children

11.Which of the following is the most important issue with video games?

Interrupts social development (interaction with other children)

Causes aggression(games include too much violence)

Prevents intellectual development(students who spend a long time with

video games get low grades)

12.What should a responsible world citizen do to find an answer to hunger in

the world?

Learn to consume more effectively

Learn to share with others

Create some distribution channels such as shelters (homeless, etc),school and

feeding programs

13.What is the best thing to do if you find a huge amount of money, for

example 200.000?

Try to find its owner

Spend it for my own needs

Give it to a charity

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Path to Discussion 1

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