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Post by Missi on Aug 13, 2006 10:11:52 GMT 7
I'm going though my books and remaking some lesson plans. During the speech competition month here in town, I'm usually the one who gets tasked to make up the speech topics, and since this is the first year I am in the saloon surrounded by you amazing, talented, experienced teachers, I would like your input.
I am tired of the topics like "Why is studying English important?" or "Beijing 2- oh -oh 8 Olympics Games".
Here are a few so far, -What changes would you make to the Chinese Educational System if you were in a position to do so? -Why is plagiarizing REALLY a bad thing? -What do you think of the high price of oil and does oil influence a developing country?
I need to think of ten more, that are interesting, challenging and will make the students THINK.
This will be for high school and university levels.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Aug 13, 2006 10:26:05 GMT 7
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Post by Dajiang on Aug 13, 2006 12:41:35 GMT 7
Some from my personal little database:
- Should women do the military service? - Should gay couples be allowed to raise children? - The legal drinking age should be 14. - We should be allowed to smoke in school (classroom). - The school should provide VCD players for all the students¡¯ dormitories. - Nonsmokers rights are more important than smokers' rights.
- Opinions about marriage: (first groups think and get opinions about these topics, 10 mins. Then groups present their cases.) * the ideal age to get married * the ideal person * traditions * attitudes before and after the wedding * the key for a successful marriage
- opinions about men and women: * When (why) do women have an advantage over men? * When (why) do men have an advantage over women? * In which situations is there clear discrimination between men and women? * Are there any situations when discrimination is right? * Are men better at some things than women? Which things? * Do you think China will have a female Chair-'man' in the future? - Opinions about school and universities: * Do you agree that teachers can use corporal punishment as a means of discipline? * Should we abolish school uniforms? * Universities ought to focus on students¡¯ knowledge or personality * Celebrities should be allowed to enter universities without exams * Students should be able to have open relationships on campus. * How can teachers and management improve campus life? * How can students improve campus life?
- Marijuana should be legal - Love is not necessary to have a good marriage. - Marriage is unnecessary. - It is not possible to have a best friend of the opposite sex without becoming a girlfriend or boyfriend. - Korean food is delicious - Most American movies are interesting - Smoking is expensive - Cats make better pets than dogs
Complicated: - Should you do the job you love or love the job you do? - Adversity is helpful to a man¡¯s growth - An easily contented person will be happier than one who is not - We need to protect the weak in competition - Cooperation is more important than competition - Morals are more important than interests - Which is more important for the security of society, laws or morals. - Violence is not the most efficient way to deal with terrorism - Which kind of experts does our society need the most: those who specialize in one field or those who specialize in many fields? - The level of economy represents the level of civilization - Which is happier, a person who lives for himself or a person who lives for others - To have efficiency we do not need to loose equality - The internet will / will not affect social relationships - Beauty contests have more advantages than disadvantages - Tobacco production has more advantages then disadvantages - The place where you are is more important than the person you are with. - University students should be encouraged to set up their own businesses - Real kindness is in your heart or behaviour. - Peaceful methods cannot solve terrorism - Spreading liquor culture depends on quality or marketing - Sectionalism is conquerable or not - Capital is more important in the development of western China than knowledge. - Process or result is more important in a mans actualization - Chatting on the internet has more advantages than disadvantages - Government plays a more important role in dealing with illegal copies than consumers.
Some conversation topics: ¡¤ What can you do to help prevent pollution? ¡¤ What can you do to make this world a better place? ¡¤ How has the world changed since you were a child? (technology, values, environment, health) ¡¤ What types of energy are popular in your native country? ¡¤ What are some ways energy is wasted? ¡¤ Do you think overpopulation is an important environmental issue? Why or why not? ¡¤ What do you think is interesting about your culture? ¡¤ Do you know much about your own culture? ¡¤ When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of? ¡¤ In your culture is it polite to be straightforward and direct when you talk to someone? To whom is it OK and to whom is it not OK? ¡¤ What has surprised you when you've met people from other countries? ¡¤ What do you like about your culture? ¡¤ What don't you like about your culture? ¡¤ How do young people in your culture behave differently from older people? ¡¤ If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be? ¡¤ What does it mean to be polite in your culture? ¡¤ What is considered rude in your culture? ¡¤ If a group of people just came to your country from overseas, what advice would you give them? ¡¤ What do you think is important when visiting another culture? ¡¤ Describe a perfect date. ¡¤ How long do you think couples should know each other before they get married? ¡¤ How many children would you like to have? ¡¤ What do you think of single mothers? ¡¤ What kind of person do you want to get married to? ¡¤ Where do you want to go on your honeymoon? ¡¤ Where is a good pace to go on a date in this town? ¡¤ What do you think of this campus? ¡¤ What do you want to do after you graduate? ¡¤ What do you think when you see a homeless person? ¡¤ Who takes care of the elderly when they are no longer able to care for themselves? ¡¤ What was the most frightening experience you've had? ¡¤ What kinds of things make you nervous?
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Post by Missi on Aug 13, 2006 14:15:59 GMT 7
Wow.
Thank you both!!!
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Post by Mr Nobody on Aug 13, 2006 18:33:24 GMT 7
Yep
I was going to be doing a lot of this the coming term with my english majors - they now know all the pronunciation and how I do stuff, the text is a bit thin on the ground and I was thinking, hmm, discussion groups how can I . . . .
Looks like you two saved me from actually having to do any work. Thanks.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Aug 13, 2006 21:41:53 GMT 7
That's what we are for! Service with a smile.
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Post by Missi on Aug 14, 2006 5:41:28 GMT 7
And I must say that the service was excellent!!! timely, efficient, and friendly.
Any topics or ideas for middle school (junior) students?
-Should students be allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend in school? -If you are a boy be your mother for 24 hours. WAke up at the same time, do almost EVERYTHING that she does for 24 hours. -If you are a girl, be your father for 24 hours. Do almost EVERYTHING her does for 24 hours.
Anyothers for middle school students? For some reason I am drawing a blank.
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Post by solongtinik on Aug 14, 2006 7:15:35 GMT 7
missi,
i kinda envy you for the topics u can share with your students. our in charge always remind me not to get into sensitive issues (i.e., elationship)..some school admin have a shallow (if i may say so) perception of sensitive issues...
i'm also teaching middle school students and we do debate.
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Post by Missi on Aug 14, 2006 7:54:44 GMT 7
The topics I have here were suggested by my students. I teach by the rule, that if it interests you, lets do it. If my students ask me a question I must answer it.
At first my headmaster was a little nervous of me doing this, but when he saw the topic get a little too heated, I would draw the topic back and take it into a new direction.
Then again, think about it. Is discussing relationship issues sensitive to the students or to the people in charge? I think of it like this, are the students talking as much as they can in English? yes. Are they interested in the topic? yes. will they continue to discuss the topic outside of class? yes. Is it something that concerns them? yes. Then I am doing my job.
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Post by Mr Nobody on Aug 14, 2006 11:26:42 GMT 7
I can talk about ANYTHING. They didn't raise an eyebrow when we debated relationships or part time work or quality of the canteen food.
But then, we have both for and against. It always ends up about even - (how do I do that? heh)
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Post by Missi on Aug 14, 2006 11:40:14 GMT 7
Even? really? I get about 80% for boyfriends and girlfriends and about 15% NO and about 5 unsure.
Ok, so how do you get half?
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Post by Mr Nobody on Aug 14, 2006 14:16:22 GMT 7
Divide the class down the middle, move a few students to make it even. One half of the class presents points for, the other half against. They have a few minutes to think. each side takes turns, one student can only present one point, but it is ok if you give ideas away, and they can move around and talk but not pass notes or read. if the point original and valid it gets a point on the board. If it has been said before, they have to think of a new point, but they don't waste their turn, and someone else can answer instead.
While one side is trying to come up with a point, the other team counts to ten slowly, so there is pressure and a gaming feel, if no one has made a point by then they lose their turn. Using a book or a translator or reading a note or speaking anything other than english loses a point. (I had one girl point at another excitedly and say "She is using a dictionary" but she said it in putonghua which cracked me up) The other side can argue that the point has been used before (or isn't valid, but I try to limit that). When everyone has had their say or when both sides have lost their turn consecutively, the points are totalled, and the winner can pick the next topic the next time.
It self regulates at about even. And makes people think of the other sides viewpoint.
How we choose sides is that suggested topics are listed (usually I suggest 3-4, the students 1-2) - maybe 4-6 in total - and voted on (each student can vote for each one, if the winning topic has less than half the students we pick some more), the students knowing they are randomly (coin toss) going to be for or against so they don't pick topics they can only see one side of. THe side losing the coin toss goes first.
If a topic turns out to be too weighted, then half way through we change sides, and each idea must be new from either viewpoint.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Aug 14, 2006 14:19:08 GMT 7
Divide them into half - and by having to argue another viewpoint you MAKE them think of alternatives, not just what they have been fed. The debating then becomes a chance for learning independent thinking, argument analysis and other subversive activities. Not just English language practice.
Later in the term get really mean and put your most conservative students into the positions of really having to argue against things they have taken as gospel.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Aug 14, 2006 14:20:57 GMT 7
Cross-postings - but we think much the same way!
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Post by Dajiang on Aug 14, 2006 15:22:16 GMT 7
You guys tried the crazy debate? It's a brilliant exercise to do with smaller classes.
Have everyone write down a thing (a countable thing you can use for something) on a piece of paper. Then divide the class in half and collect the pieces of paper. Now take the top two items and tell the groups they should explain why their thing is more useful than the other thing. (for instance "Pens are more useful than footballs"). Of course give them a few minutes to brainstorm a bit too. Then each side can present one argument at a time (no interrupting or course). the speaker that presented the argument can then point at another student to give an answer and present their argument.
Being the teacher I am God, and therefor give out points as I see fit. Teams get a point for each argument they can nullify or give a suitable answer to, and they get an extra point for every good argument they make (or funny).
Is a cool activity to do. Very funny too (with intermediate students). The next time you do it they will be prepared, so suprise them by switching the piles of items at the last minute.
Dajiang
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Post by Missi on Aug 14, 2006 19:41:17 GMT 7
Dajiang, you jsut answered my next question! I was thinking of doing a little Speech Competition intermission or something, and was thinking of cool and neat ideas. This one takes the cake!!!!
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Decurso
Barfly
Things you own end up owning you
Posts: 581
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Post by Decurso on Aug 15, 2006 2:43:44 GMT 7
Dajiang..you have not only saved my next class..you have made me wish I was teaching them longer.Great topics.
I'm currently training middle school students for the finals of the National English Competition.They are so good that the only thing I can do that will test them is to bring up a random topic and tel them to speal frely about it for two minures.
I've used lots of great topics..but now I'm dry.Dajiang may have saved my bacon.
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Post by Missi on Aug 15, 2006 5:21:36 GMT 7
Is there any way that we can copy this entire thread and sent it over to Nate's? Its a great type of lessons for mini competitions with lots of input from different people. Is this possible?
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Post by Dajiang on Aug 15, 2006 9:22:57 GMT 7
I'm happy that you guys are happy. Some more stuff I've used you can find on a humble weblog I've set up way back, which is in dire need of an update btw: eslmaniac.web-log.nl/ The links are quite good though (if they work... www.breakingnewsenglish.com for instance is unavailable here sadly. Dunno if it might work at your place.) Dajiang
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Post by solongtinik on Aug 18, 2006 16:49:29 GMT 7
whew! dajiang, u are heaven sent to keep my idle-breathless-useless-resisting brain from functioning...
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Post by Vegemite on Oct 8, 2006 9:42:05 GMT 7
One way I get the students talking is to 'play' controversial sentences.
On the blackboard is written a statement that can be controversial, ie. 'women are bad drivers' or an even an innocuous statement such as 'cats make better pets than dogs.' I arbitrarily choose a student (usually by throwing a stuffed toy) and then deal them a card. Each suit has a value so, for example, if they are dealt a heart they must argue for the statement, if they get a club - they have to argue against, a spade partly for but with a few negative statements, a diamond, mainly against but with a few good points. No student can repeat what someone else has said and everyone must say something.
Another rendition of this game is 'argumentative' cards. The students choose a topic (related to what we're covering in class), that topic is written on the blackboard. The first student chosen says something about it and then I deal a card. This time you have to either totally agree with the previous speaker (this is the easiest option as the intelligent student will just say something along the lines of 'you're 100% right'), partly agree, partly disagree or totally disagree. I find this a particularly good way of making them have a 'normal' conversation as the topic is often totally lost and just like a 'normal' conversation the thread meanders all over the place. It also means they have to be really listening to what each speaker says as they never know when their turn will be.
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Post by Dragonsaver on Oct 8, 2006 10:07:19 GMT 7
How do you get the to continue the conversation. ie if they agree or not does the original speaker continue the topic? Does someone else reply?
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Post by Vegemite on Oct 8, 2006 21:15:17 GMT 7
When I play argumentative cards each speaker is answering / responding to the previous speaker...so it's like a huge group conversation and the topic is often totally lost. Who answers whom is totally arbitrary, I have a small teddy that is thrown about the room - the catcher (or sometimes the third catcher) must reply to the previous speaker.
If someone's responding to a speaker who just stated that they agreed 100% with the previous person, they might get a card that means they have to agree only a little...so they could say something along the lines of "You might totally agree with blabla but I don't think you should because...."
Mmm, this is hard to put into writing...a good challenge for me. I'll have a think about how to word it better. It is fun to do in a speaking class though, in a class that has an established rapport, the students enjoy it, and then we follow up with a discussion about how important listening is when speaking. People in conversation rarely stay on one topic so you never have time to stop and translate in your mind what you're going to say...you have to learn to just listen.
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