The aim of debates is to help teachers of English language believe their possibilities to understand and speak English fluently. The matter is the following: from year to year teachers of foreign languages forget language if they do not speak it.
That was why we decided to organize so called “English – speaking club” of teachers of English language. The themes of our meetings were different and interesting we began our activities in 1999.
And teachers of English use successfully our methods of organizing holidays, parties, wit and wise competitions and so on. A year ago I offered a new form of our club's meetings: debates.
The author of our text-book Kuzovlev gives an example of an unusual lesson: “Teen Court – Guilty or Not?” I've already conducted the same lessons and decided to find quite another form. Once I was present at a geography lesson at our school where students discussed ecological problems of our region. I liked the form of the lesson and decided to or ganize debates among teachers of English at our “English – speaking club”. We have organized the following debates:
- Green house effect: What should we do?
- Which programmes will get money?
- People are poor: how can we help them?
- Which people should we clone?
- What do men and women think about love?
All these themes are actual now days and correspond some themes of our text-book “English for 10th – 11th forms”, authers: Kuzovlev V. P. Lapa N. M., Peregudova E. and others. The theme is given two weeks before. During this period teachers collect all necessary material. On the day of the “debates” teachers are divided info small groups (There are 21 teachers of the English language in our small town) and look through the tasks I offer them, after some time the “debates” begin.
I'd like you to look through one of such a “debate”.
Students of 10 and 11 forms take part in the debates with great interest.
The theme of one of our debates is: “People are poor.” how can we help them?”
Vocabulary:
Welfare = free money from government
Poverty – poorness
The conductor:
1. Read consider.
Most of the people in your country are poor. Many of these poor people are unemployed and homeless. Yow are members of the government Commission to help the Poor (GCHP)
You have a budget of 5 million roulles.
Study the following mformation.
How can you help poor people?
| Group | A | B | C | D | E |
| Annual income | 120,000 + | 60,000 | 36,000 | 18,000 | 0 + |
| Total population | 20,000 | 62,500 | 145,000 | 231,000 | 221,000 |
| tfomeless | 0 | 0 | 5,000 | 30,000 | 73,000 |
| Unemployed (%) | 0% | 0% | 3% | 45% | 100% |
| Monthly food expense | 6,000 3,500 |
700 150 |
50 welfare |
||
| Total population: | 679,500 | ||||
| Income tax: | None | ||||
| Poverty line: | 36,000 | ||||
| Poor people: | 452,000 = 68% | ||||
| Birthrate (among poor): |
7,5 children per family | ||||
| Business tax: | 2 % of profit (20 million/year) | ||||
2. Decide and Write.
Rant the following in order of importance ( 1= most important, 7 = least important)
______ Find Jobs for unemployed.
______ Give food to people of group E.
______ Build low-cost apartments for homeless.
______ Decrease birthrate.
______ Increase welfare.
______ Increase taxes for people.
______ Increase taxes for business.
Area1: Welfare
Flow much money should the government give to each poor person?
Group D — Group E —
Flow much tax should the other people pay for the welfare (per family per year)?
Group A — Group B — Group C —
Area 2: Jobs
How can the unemployed people in classes C,D,F get a job?
1.
2.
3.
Area 3: Housing
How many apartments should the government build for the poor people?
This year: Next year: Group E : Group F:
Area 4: Population
How can the government lower the birthrate?
1.
2.
3.
Area 5: Food
How can the government get food to the poor people?
1.
2.
3.
Discuss
Compare your decisions with those of your classmates in your discussion group. Listen carefully. Explain your opinions. What is the best way it help poor people? Finally, the group needs to agree on its decisions. One person in the group should write down the group’s decision.
Extend
1. Do you agree or disagree (explain)?
a) Most people are lazy.
b) Most people are uneducated.
c) Most poor people spend their money carefully
d) The government has a responsibility to help poor people.
2. What are the mean ceases of poverty?
3. Write a short composition describing the situation of people in our country.