8/10/2019 Debate for ESL students

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Debates in class can help English learners practice a wide range of functions including agreeing and

disagreeing, negotiating, collaboration with other students, and so on. Often students need help with

ideas and that's where this lesson plan can help. Below you will find cues to the discussion concerning

globalization, also known as multinationals.

This lesson plan is based on the idea that haing students support opinions that are not necessarily their

own during debates can help improe students fluency. !n this manner, students pragmatically focus on

correct production skills in conersation rather than striing to "win" the argument. #or more on this

approach please see the following feature$ Teaching Conversational Skills: Tips and Strategies

Aim: !mproe conersational skills when supporting a point of iew

Activity: Debate of pros and cons of multinational companies

Level: %pper&intermediate to adanced

Outline:

Review language used when expressing opinions, disagreeing, making comments on other person's

point of view, etc. (See work sheet

!rite the name of some ma"or multinational corporations on the #oard (i.e. Coca Cola, $ike, $estle,

etc.

%sk students what their opinions of the corporations are. &o the hurt local economies &o the help

local economies &o the #ring a#out homogenisation of local cultures &o the help promote peace

internationall )tc.

*ased on students' responses, divide groups up into two groups. +ne group arguing for ultinationals,

one group against ultinationals. Important: ake sure that groups are put into the group with the

opposite opinion of what the seemed to #elieve in the warm-up conversation.

ive students worksheets including ideas pro and con. /ave students develop arguments using the

ideas on the worksheet as a spring#oard for further ideas and discussion.

+nce students have prepared their opening arguments, #egin with the de#ate. )ach team has 0

minutes to present their principal ideas.

/ave students prepare notes and make re#uttal to the expressed opinions.

!hile the de#ate is in progress, take notes on common errors made # the students.

%t the end of de#ate, take time for a short focus on common mistakes. This is important, as students

should not #e too involved emotionall and therefore will #e 1uite capa#le of recogni2ing language

pro#lems - as opposed to pro#lems in #eliefs3

Multinationals: Help or Hindrance?

ou are going to debate the pros and cons of international multi nation corporations. !t is important to

remember that you hae been placed in your group based on what seems to be the oppositeof what you

really think. %se the clues and ideas below to help you create an arguement for your appointed point of

iew with your team members. Below you will find phrases and language helpful in e(pressingopinions, offeringe(planations and disagreeing.

Opinions, Preferences:

! think..., !n my opinion..., !'d like to..., !'d rather..., !'d prefer..., The way ! see it..., )s far as !'m

concerned..., !f it were up to me..., ! suppose..., ! suspect that..., !'m pretty sure that..., !t is fairly

certain that..., !'m coninced that..., ! honestly feel that, ! strongly beliee that..., *ithout a doubt,...,

Disagreeing:

! don't think that..., Don't you think it would be better..., ! don't agree, !'d prefer..., +houldn't we

consider..., But what about..., !'m afraid ! don't agree..., #rankly, ! doubt if..., et's face it, The truth of

the matter is..., The problem with your point of iew is that...

Giving Reasons and offering eplanations: To start with, The reason why..., That's why..., #or this

reason..., That's the reason why..., -any people think...., onsidering..., )llowing for the fact that...,

http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa122299a.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/smalltalk/a/Offering-Something.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/smalltalk/a/Offering-Something.htmhttp://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa122299a.htm

8/10/2019 Debate for ESL students

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*hen you consider that...

!or Multinationals

+4ers emploment to local workers

5romotes peace internationall

Creates sense of communit crossing international #orders

%llows entire world to improve standard of livingives access to 1ualit products regardless of location

5romotes economic sta#ilit

Raises standard of living for regions involved in production

ives local economies new economic opportunities

6act of life which needs to #e accepted

Re7ects glo#al econom

Against Multinationals

Ruins local economies

&epletes local work forces # drawing to metro centres

Sti7es cultural growth and expansion on local level5rovides little help with pro#lems which are local in nature

Creates cultural homogeni2ation

Too #ig, little interest in the individual

ives political power to outside interests

Creates economic unsta#ilit # #eing su#"ect to the whims of the glo#al econom

Replaces traditional values with materialistic values

akes local economies su#"ect to mass lao4s