Conversation - Employees & Employers Negotiate (B2/C1)

One of the skills that I have most focused on in my classes is the oral one. Most part of the time, students want to SPEAK the language rather than just study its grammar (by answering some grammar exercises) in class.

Considering that speaking is developed by practice (that’s just my opinion), I developed some short activities that can be used by teachers in their EFL/ESL classes.

This one is meant to be used with B2 or C1 students.

PROCEDURE: Write the situation on the board

TIME: 30 to 40 minutes

TOPIC: business

SKILL: speaking

TEACHER’S ROLE: facilitator

Read the situation below and brainstorm with a partner a list of pints that both partners might want to include in a negotiation

Situation about the employees and employers:

IMAGINE A COMPANY. NOW, IMAGINE THAT THE COMPANY FINDS ITSELF IN ECONOMIC DIFFICULTY AND THEN EMPLOYEES HAVE ALREADY LOST THEIR JOBS. THE EMPLOYEES ARE UNHAPPY WITH EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY ISSUES.

Now, ask your students to reflect upon the following questions:  

WHY SHOULD EACH PARTY NEGOTIATE?

WHAT DOES EACH SIDE WANT TO ACHIEVE?

After the students have reflected upon the situation as well as discussed with their partners, ask them to share their thoughts on the topic. Then, divide the group into ‘employees’ and ‘employers’ and simulate the situation above.

Ask them to write short dialogues as well as practice them in pairs (or groups). Finally, when you feel that students should talk about negotiation, tell them to start a conversation in which they should use (some of) the structures/questions below:

I am willing to accept________ if ________.

I think we will have to agree with_________.

It would be an alternative to______________.

We can trade this against ________________.

Our intention is________________________.

I would like to_______________________.

We might like to____________________.

We must________________________.

Our main concern is __________________.

It is vital that __________________________.

We refuse to accept __________________________.

It is extremely important for us to include ____________.

How about ______________?

Do you feel that you can accept _______________?

How can we reach a compromise?

Could you tell us why you feel like that?

Shall we put this into a written proposal?

Can you offer us any other possibility?

And you can give them some production moment (I am considering the steps of the PPP approach) in which they are supposed to develop a role-play activity about negotiation (of any kind).

If you have enough time, you can ask your students to think about the last time they were involved in situation in which they were supposed to negotiate something.

HOW MUCH TIME DID THEY SPEND ON PREPARATION?

Ask them if they would prepare differently if they had to negotiate again.

  

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

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ADOPTING A CHILD (EFL/ESL Speaking Activity)

The activity I would like to suggest today is called ADOPTING A CHILD. It should be used with B2, C1, or C2 (intermediate, upper-intermediate, or advanced) students.

First, tell your students the following story:

A truck driver was in a gas station and was just about to get into his truck when he heard a baby boy screaming right in front of his wheel. He picked the baby up and took him to the authorities.

Now the baby is up for adoption and the authorities are looking for the ideal parents.

After the students reading moment, ask them to try to draw the situation (ask them to imagine and then draw the situation).

After that, compare their drawings and give them to read, analyze and complete the checklist below.

ADOPTING A CHILD

CRITERIA

The ideal should:

[     ] be under 30 years old

[     ] be of the same racial group as the child

[     ] be of the same religious group as each other

[     ] be a married couple

[     ] be a heterosexual couple

[     ] both have jobs

[     ] have other children in the family

[     ] not be living in poverty  

[     ] have some professional experience of dealing with children, i.e. as teachers or nurses  

Ask them to mark each item of the list or criteria on a scale of 1 (very important) to 5 (not important at all). Then, divide them into groups of 3 (or more) and ask them discuss each point. In groups, students should discuss each item, using the agreeing and disagreeing sentences below:

AGREEING

I completely agree with you.

I agree with your point of view.

I think you’re right.

By and large, I would accept what you just said (formal)

Exactly, I feel the same way.

I agree up to a point, but…

DISAGREEING

I don’t agree with you at all.

No way could I agree to that (informal)

I respect your opinion, however… (student’s’ ideas)

I am not totally convinced by what you said.

I really must take issue with you here (formal)

We’ll have to agree to agree to disagree then.

You as a teacher should guide the students during the whole activity. Nonetheless, be careful about your opinions and make sure that students understand that the activity is not a competition (there no right or wrong answer).

This activity is based on Jane G. Coury’s Speaking Activities Book.

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

Did you spot a typo? 

Do you have any tips or examples to improve this page?

Do you disagree with something on this page?

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THREE ICEBREAKERS TO BE USED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

One of the things I’m sure of is that icebreakers are really important when it comes to teaching an additional (foreign or second) language.

Icebreakers, among other definitions, may be seen as “fantastic ways to start the day running and great methods of learning about your students and getting them to interact with each other.” Some teachers start their classes with icebreakers in order to get students in the mood for the lesson. Sometimes – but not always – icebreakers are connected to the topic to be studied in the lesson.

In this very short entry, I would like to share with you some ideas I’ve been using in my classes lately – three icebreakers that can also be used as warmers.

The first one is ‘Fact or fiction?’

Fact or fiction?

What to do and how to do it?

Ask everyone to write on a piece of paper THREE things about themselves which may not be known to the others in the group. Two are true and one is not. Taking turns they read out the three ‘facts’ about themselves and the rest of the group votes which are true and false. There are always surprises. This simple activity is always fun, and helps the group and leaders get to know more about each other.

The second one is ‘interview’

Interview

What to do and how to do it?

Divide the young people into pairs. Ask them to take three minutes to interview each other. Each interviewer has to find 3 interesting facts about their partner. Bring everyone back to together and ask everyone to present the 3 facts about their partner to the rest of the group. Watch the time on this one, keep it moving along.

The third one is ‘my name is?’

My name is?

What to do and how to do it?

Go around the group and ask each young person to state his/her name and attach an adjective that not only describes a dominant characteristic, but also starts with the same letter of his name e.g. generous Grahame, dynamic Dave. Write them down and refer to them by this for the rest of the evening.

I do hope you guys enjoy this one!

See you around!

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

Did you spot a typo?

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Create your own world (Part 1 of 3)

Hi there!

How are you guys doing?

I’m absolutely certain that you have been pretty busy recently, am I right? Well, everybody is!

If you are still reading my post here on Portal da Língua Inglesa, you may have noticed the series of post about writing I have been writing.

You can read them all here:

WRITING IS CRYING OUT TO BE SHAPED, OR CREATED.

THE PROBLEM WITH REALITY IS IT’S SO EASY TO SEE.

CREATING THE CHARACTERS OF YOUR BOOK (OR STORY).

CREATING YOUR OWN UNIVERSE: THE WEATHER.

The next thing I would love to write about is:

How to create your own world.

Do you already have any idea about how your world would look like?

Start with the idea of “WHAT KIND OF WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO INHABIT?”

Answer these questions:

Who lives on those mountains, caves, tiny houses, tree house, monastery, etc? Imagine that you have already thought about those places before. Next, describe the streets, buildings and other things.

Do not forget to create a place you would like to go when you’d like to be alone.

Is this place a dark one or a bright one?

When do you go there?

Name your world.

What kind of space do you envision for it?

I have selected some picture to help you create your world.

Write some lines about the pictures. Try to use your ideas in your writing.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What’s the joke here?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do people live upside down?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there any monsters or strange creators? Are people fighting against each other or living peacefully?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One last thing: you can borrow or steal from a movie you have watched, a book you have read or a story someone has told. Just write the maximum of lines you as you can. I’m sure you will create beautiful things!

>>>> REALLY IMPORTANT THING <<<<

Reserve some time to take long walks on a regular basis. That’s the thing I’m going to do right now?

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

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TRABALHANDO COM VÍDEOS NAS AULAS DE LÍNGUA INGLESA.

Mesmo quando planejamos as aulas de forma bem feita, sempre temos a impressão de que faltou algo mais. Pensando nisso, procuro variar o máximo possível e usar todos os recursos disponíveis naquela aula ou durante a semana (Preciso lembrar aqui que minhas aulas têm duração de duas horas em cada turma, dez horas por semana em cada turma e 180 horas por semestre, ou seja, 90 dias). Com tudo isso, temos dois lados: o bom e o ruim.

Como assim? O lado bom: Temos tempo de sobra para refazer uma aula ou outra que não deu certo. Podemos repensar a forma como abordar o mesmo conteúdo, mas de maneira diferente, caso não tenha funcionado conforme o planejado, na primeira vez. O lado ruim é que corremos o perigo de ter os nossos recursos (jogos, dinâmicas, canções, vídeos etc) esgotados. Pensando nessa possibilidade, resolvi compartilhar com você, professor de inglês que está lendo essa postagem agora, essa atividade que fiz no nível pré-intermediário.

Trata-se de uma atividade baseada em uma parte de um dos episódios da série americana FRIENDS.

EPISÓDIO: THE ONE WITH THE BALLROOM DANCING – AT THE GYM. Quarta temporada – episodio 4.

PRIMEIRO PASSO: Passe esse vídeo acima uma vez e peça para que os alunos apenas assistam ao mesmo. Depois, tente fazer com que eles digam o que está acontecendo naquele momento. Qual a situação (lembre-se de apresentar os personagens ROSS e CHANDLER primeiro).

SEGUNDO PASSO: Antes de assistir o vídeo pela segunda vez e faça as seguintes perguntas:

1.   Do you like sports?

2.   What kind of sports do you like?

3.   Do you like going to the gym?

4.   If so, how often do you go?

5.   Do you practice any other sports besides going to the gym?

6.   Have you ever quit any sports you started? Why?

Essas perguntas devem ajudar a entender o que está acontecendo no vídeo. Claro que o vocabulário deve ser trabalhando antes de voltar a ver o vídeo e o professor pode acrescentar mais perguntas.

Passe o vídeo mais uma vez.

TERCEIRO PASSO: Depois de ver o vídeo mais uma vez, peça para que os alunos respondam com VERDADEIRO ou FALSO:

[   ] Chandler and Ross are members of the gym.

[   ] The gym is the worst equipped gym in New York City.

[   ] Chandler thinks it is easy to quit the gym.

[   ] Ross doesn’t want to join the gym.

[   ] Ross is easily influenced to become a member of the gym.

QUARTO PASSO: Peça para que os alunos assistam mais uma vez e tente obter feedback dos mesmos. Peça para que digam suas impressões do vídeo (se foi de difícil compreensão mesmo assistindo várias vezes, se à medida que assistiam cada vez mais, ficava mais fácil de entender etc).

Para níveis mais avançados ou caso a turma tenha vocabulário, faça as seguintes perguntas:

1.   Are you a quitter?

2.   What important things have you quit in your life?

3.   Is there a right moment to quit things?

Por fim, assistir ao episodio todo (duração de mais ou menos 24 minutos) poderia ser uma boa forma de encerrar a atividade. Nesse estágio, os alunos não teriam mais que fazer nenhuma atividade controlada, cabendo aos mesmos apenas assistir, “sem compromisso”, ao episódio todo para ter contato com o “inglês real” do seriado. Depois o professor poderia fazer algumas perguntas simples e passar para a próxima parte da sua aula. 

Temos mais atividades para compartilhar, mas a próxima somente será postada aqui no blog quando o mesmo estiver com 300 curtidas no Facebook. Se você gostaria de ver mais atividades, curta nossa página clicando na imagem acima.

Veja agora uma versão estendida e com legendas do mesmo episódio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh8PFs0LTKc

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Did you spot a typo?

Do you have any tips or examples to improve this page?

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