SESSION 1: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 1: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 TEENAGE PROBLEMS: What are the biggest problems for teenagers in your country? In what way are they problems? Give examples. Are there any solutions to these problems?

• bullying
• no confidence
• issues with parents
• spots / acne
• studying
• boy/girlfriends
• ____________
• ____________

2.2 ONLINE THREATS: Are these big threats? How dangerous can they become?

• your photo being shared online
• stolen passwords
• spam mail
• cyberbullying
• sites using your name illegally
• computer viruses
• phishing

2.3 VOCABULARY: All these words and expressions are related to the topic, think about how you are going to use them in your oral session:

• bullying
• teenage problems
• text messages
• pornography
• significant issues
• tragedies
• suicide
• being attacked
• feeling pain

2.4 THE INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about BeatBullying.com .

2.5 DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) Did you find the title difficult to understand before you started to read the text?

b) Did you find the article interesting?

c) What do you think of this new problem of 'sexting'?

d) Do you think this problem with teenagers also happens in your country at the moment?

e) Are you concerned about the dangers of the Internet?

f) What could you do if you found lots of private photos of you on the Internet?

g) If someone sends or forwards a photo of a child, is this illegal?

h) In the article an anti-bullying group says parents and schools should help stop this behaviour. What can they do to help?

i) What would you do if someone bullied you or a member of your family online?

j) How can people fight back if they are bullied online?

k) Do you think bullying online is really bullying?

l) If someone commits suicide because of online bullying, should the bully be arrested?

m) What other current crazes are there among young people today?

n)What other threats do youngsters face online today?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 1, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions. Choose one of the following topics:

1. EXPRESS YOUR OPINION: The use of the Internet is the most dangerous for teenagers and it should be banned.

2. Write about the different kinds of bullying that you think take place in your country, e.g. bullying at school, in the office, in the army, online, etc.

SESSION 1: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 1: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE
a.T / b.F / c.T / d.T / e.F / f.F / g.T / h.F

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH
1.h / 2.e / 3.a / 4.j / 5.c / 6.g / 7.f / 8.b / 9.d / 10.i

1.3 PHRASE MATCH
1.d / 2.f / 3.a / 4.i / 5.h / 6.j / 7.b / 8.c / 9.g /10.e

1.4 GAP FILL
ISSUED - VIA - REVEALS - NAKED - VIEWED - BREAKING - AWARE - ISSUE

ALARMING - LEADS - BULLIES - AWARE - BROKE ATTACKED - FELT - THREATS

SESSION 1: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 1: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):

a. British teenagers are mailing each other naked photos.

b. Over a third of British teenagers have sent naked images.

c. Many of the photos teenagers are sending are illegal.

d. An anti-bullying group wants parents and schools to solve the problem.

e. Messages from sexting sets off an alarm on mobile phones.

f. Many bullies are posting naked images online and committing suicide.

g. A girl who killed herself said her experience felt like torture.

h. An anti-bullying group said texting is a major threat for young people.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. issued ....................................... a. shows

2. naked ....................................... b. tormented

3. reveals ...................................... c. major

4. viewed ...................................... d. finished

5. significant .................................. e. nude

6. alarming .................................... f. disaster

7. tragedy ..................................... g. worrying

8. tortured .................................... h. published

9. ended ....................................... i. dangers

10.threats ..................................... j. seen

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. a report on the new problem ...... a. 18s have received a 'sext'

2. the sending of naked ................ b. others online

3. over a third (38%) of under- ....... c. suicide

4. viewed as pornographic ............ d. of 'sexting'

5. act to stop this kind ................. e. our young people

6. sexting is increasing at .............. f. photos via text and e-mail

7. people are using it to bully ......... g. her own life

8. Many teenagers have committed .. h. of behaviour

9. Jessica ended ........................ i. by most people

10. one of the biggest threats facing ... j. an alarming rate

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

AWARE - VIEWED - REVEALS - ISSUE - ISSUED - NAKED - VIA - BREAKING

A British anti-bullying group has __________ a report on the new problem of 'sexting' among teenagers. 'Sexting' is the sending of naked photos __________ text and e-mail. The word is a combination of 'sex' and 'texting'. BeatBullying.com´s research __________ that over a third (38%) of under-18s have received a 'sext', a text with an image of someone __________. The pictures young boys and girls are sending each other would be __________ as pornographic by most people. Many of the photos are __________ child pornography laws. Emma-Jane Cross, head of BeatBullying, said: "It is important that parents and schools are __________ that sexting is a significant __________ amongst our children ... so together we can act to stop this kind of behaviour."

AWARE - FELT - LEADS - ALARMING - THREATS - BULLIES - ATTACKED - BROKE

BeatBullying says sexting is increasing at an __________ rate. More and more young people are using it to bully others online. This often __________ to tragedy. Many teenagers have committed suicide after ___________ spread their private photos online. One case that made Americans __________ of the problem was that of eighteen-year-old Jessica Logan. She sent a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend. After she __________ up with him, he sent the picture to hundreds of teenagers in her hometown. Jessica´s friends said she felt like "she was being __________ and tortured". Jessica ended her own life because of the pain she __________. BeatBullying says sexting "is one of the biggest __________ facing our young people today online".

SESSION 1: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER

SESSION 1: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER

'SEXTING' CRAZE INCREASING AMONG CHILDREN

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The article:

A British anti-bullying group has issued a report on the new problem of 'sexting' among teenagers. 'Sexting' is the sending of naked photos via text and e-mail. The word is a combination of 'sex' and 'texting'. BeatBullying.com´s research reveals that over a third (38%) of under-18s have received a 'sext', a text with an image of someone naked. The pictures young boys and girls are sending each other would be viewed as pornographic by most people. Many of the photos are breaking child pornography laws. Emma-Jane Cross, head of BeatBullying, said: "It is important that parents and schools are aware that sexting is a significant issue amongst our children...so together we can act to stop this kind of behaviour."

BeatBullying says sexting is increasing at an alarming rate. More and more young people are using it to bully others online. This often leads to tragedy. Many teenagers have committed suicide after bullies spread their private photos online. One case that made Americans aware of the problem was that of eighteen-year-old Jessica Logan. She sent a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend. After she broke up with him, he sent the picture to hundreds of teenagers in her hometown. Jessica´s friends said she felt like "she was attacked and tortured". Jessica ended her own life because of the pain she felt. BeatBullying says sexting "is one of the biggest threats facing our young people today online".

'Sexting' craze increasing among children - 5th August, 2009

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

WELCOME TO T2L

WELCOME EVERYBODY TO T2L, THE EOI ALMERIA CONVERSATION CLUB

To all of you who joined the club last year, you have probably noticed we have a new nickname for our Conversation Club: T2L, which is the short form for 'Talk to Learn'.

To those who have just joined the club this year, we formed this club because practice makes perfect and because we have a good time together!

A new academic year has started and we must also begin after this long and hot summer. Our first appointment for the oral session will be on the 30th of September, from 20:00 to 21:30 (approximately).

Very soon a new text with exercises will be on our blog. I hope you are eager to start like I am.