Now, give the jar a little shake and ask one student to take a post-it from the jar to read. Here’s how to get started. Melissa Harr is a writer and knitting pattern designer with a range of publication credits. Students write the benefits/disadvantages of each issue on the worksheet. What to Debate. I have noticed over the years that students struggle with the words “success” and “failure” and their various forms. Group 3 are the Devil’s Advocates and so it’s their job to provoke discussion, encourage various points of views and ensure the debate continues. No problem. Four corners gets students up and out of their seats, which helps break classroom monotony and forces all students, even the shy ones, to choose a side. This is an English language exercise introducing and exploring the language and vocabulary of global issues. Great materials! Give students a few minutes to write their opinion on the post-it before folding it and posting it in the jar. Place an empty jar on your desk. This usually sparks a strong discussion and students seem to be more courageous responding to an anonymous opinion than that of their classmate’s/friend’s. Controversial Topics. Inform students that they will listen to statements, then move to the corner of the room that matches their viewpoint. – and “failure” pronounced as “failyer”) and the grammar. Write the first on the board, such as ‘Homework should be banned’. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. One student from each group reads from a text, while the other two try to break his composure. They are organized by genre and some can be modified for use in different subjects. Choose statements that offer room for discussion and have no easy answers, such as “It’s OK to take one life to save five.” Read the first statement and ask students to move. ELT Networking, FREE Resources & Teacher Development. Harr holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a CELTA. Introducing a topic in the classroom can be one of the trickiest tasks for a teacher. To begin, split the students into pairs and have each pair sit facing each other. I’ve just accepted an ESL position mid-semester. Open the topic up to the class and listen to each of the arguments made. FCE Speaking Exam – Strategies for Success. Hi! 14 Advantages/disadvantages of working for a big company (with answers), This is a business English ESL exercise to help students. They then rank the issues1-10 in order of importance. Before playing, place one sign in each of the four corners of the classroom: strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. The pronunciation of the word “risk” is another word that many English as a Second Language students find difficult to pronounce. Once students have formulated their thoughts in their small groups, they will be more confident in front of the class. Choose two students, i.e those interested in a particular topic or who have strong views in a certain area and ask them to take a seat at the top of the room. Now, give each of your students one post-it/piece of paper. To begin, either read or discuss a story to elicit the predetermined debate question; if reading “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” for example, the question might be, “Was it OK for Goldilocks to enter the three bears’ house?” Once students identify the question, ask them to plan their arguments and rebuttals using a graphic debate organizer or a sheet of paper with two columns. Write a debate topic on the board and assign a point of view to groups 1 and 2. However, when you do get it right, you usually know that you have got it right forever and you can slide right into that topic effortlessly.