20 Role-play

TOPIC: Metropolis is about to die from gridlock:

viable ways out?

Participants: - the Mayor of a city - the Head of the Department for Transport (Traffic Department) - the Head of the Department for Architecture and Town planning - The Chief of the City Police Department - Representatives of the Non-Professional Drives’ Union

The Chairperson - runs the discussion - reports to the class on the discussion ( or sums up the opinions and ideas expressed)

!!! Strategy Point – exchanging views

• You are expected to exchange your own views on the topic, i.e. to express and justify your own views, not simply repeat information prepared.

• Remember to use the rule of turn-taking:

  • no two speakers should be speaking at once or for any sustained period of time

  • long silences are to be avoided

  • listen when other speakers are speaking

  • recognizing the appropriate moment to get a turn

  • signaling the fact that you want to speak

  • holding the floor while you have your turn

  • recognizing when other speakers are signaling their wish to speak

  • yielding the turn

  • signaling the fact that you are listening

• Think critically while being exposed to other viewpoints.

• You will need Useful Language to gain the floor and switch the topic, to express all shades of opinion: agreement, disagreement; to give explanations, to make suggestions, to ask and answer questions, sometimes "awkward" ones, to report ideas. You will have to interrupt and to be interrupted.

Expressing critical evaluation -

I think you are right about...

You are quite right when you say... / I'm not sure I accept your point about...

I'm not sure I'm convinced by your argument that...

I don't agree with you about... / I can't accept your idea that...

I’m afraid you don't produce any evidence for your claim that..

Getting ready for the Role Play, put down your idea and arguments.

1. …………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. ……..……………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Unit 3 science approach lead-in

1 “Ars longa, vita brevis” are the first two lines of a Latin translation of an aphorism by Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. The words are commonly translated in English as “Art is long, life is short.” The full text in Latin is “Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile”.

• Find the commonly accepted English translation.

• Think of the most common and significant caveat in this translation.

• Dwell on the aphorism and provide your own understanding of it.