SESSION 14: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
2.1 MOST ADMIRED: Who have you admired this year? Why?
- Friend
- Family Member
- Politician
- Celebrity
- World Leader
- Child
2.2 VIRTUES: What virtues do you appreciate most in a person? Put the one you most admire at the top:
- looks
- intelligence
- sense of humour
- honesty
- leadership skills
- fashion sense
- knowledge of technology
- creativity
2.3 DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:
a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘admired’?
c) Who do you most admire?d) What do you think people admire about you?
e) What do you think of Hillary Clinton being voted the world’s most admired woman?
f) What do you think of Barack Obama being voted the world’s most admired man?
g) Do you think the poll would have had different results if not American but Spanish people had voted? Would Spanish people vote politicians?
h) Are you surprised politicians won the awards for most admired man and woman?
i) Do you believe politicians deserve to be admired in Spain?
j) Who do you think should have won the awards?
k) What do you think of awards like this?
l) What do you admire most about politicians?
m) What would you consider in voting for your most admired person?
n) What other Americans do you admire?
o) Do you think Clinton and Obama will win again next year?
p) Why do you think George W. Bush is still in the list?
q) Why do you think so many Americans were on the lists?
r) How would the awards have been different if everyone in the world had a vote?
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 14, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions. Choose one of these two options:
- Do you believe politicians deserve to be admired? Express your opinion.
- Describe the person you admire most.
I have chosen this topic because, although it seems to me to be a joke at first, I think this is interesting enough in order to spend some minutes talking about it.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it would be great if the population of a country could admire its politicians. So, it should be an objective for the whole political leaders, instead of trying to keep their places for a few years more.
When I read the word “admire”, I understand it in a wide meaning, but always from a positive point of view. In other words, I’m trying to search the ethical values that can have a person who is working for all of us and to our advantage.
Regrettably, the truth is that this seems to be a pipe dream, at least in our country and at least nowadays. It has become usual people link politicians to lies and it is really a pity. And, in general, it is difficult to find anyone who trusts politicians.
To conclude, whereas politicians make decisions thinking always about votes and elections, instead of being honest and sincere, this topic could very often seem a joke.
From the beginning of time, sex, power and money are three of the most important motors which move our world. Talking about politicians, they are at least in connection with one of them, power.
ReplyDeleteNowadays politicians are supposed to be people who want to work in favour of the rest of the citizens in a disinterested way and this is one of the conditions we must demand them. Apart from this if they did well their job that would be fantastic.
To be a good politician is nearly impossible because they are integrated inside parties where the fight for leadership is very cruel, so even if you are an honest man or woman you have to know how to treat the rest of your ‘friends’ in your party, friends who are not there to help society but to get their own profit.
Altogether, to find a person who has all the conditions to be a perfect politician is a utopia, and to make things worse, although if a capable politician existed there would be another important handicap, he or she should convince the rest of the people that he or she is the right person to be vote, this is, he or she must have charisma.
So if you know someone with all these features, please tell me, I still do not who to vote for in the next election.