Spoken Presentation on Plastic Pollution

From this month’s activities you have listened to a lecture and read an article about the problem of ocean plastic pollution. You have then done further research and written a report on plastic pollution. Now it’s time to use all this information to prepare a spoken presentation on plastic pollution.

Explain in your presentation:

  • What is plastic pollution?
  • What are the problems?
  • What are possible solutions?

Include visual aids and use palm cards with keywords to help you remember your speech. Practise your talk before your final presentation to improve your confidence!

Remember this is a spoken presentation….DON’T read from a script…….DON’T memorise a script……..DO speak naturally and…….DO video yourself to assess your own presentation techniques.

For more activities on spoken presentations go to Unit 8 Biography.

Will a robot do your job in the future?

Discuss these questions about jobs with a partner.

  1. Do you have a job now? What is it?
  2. Could a computer do your job? Explain why or why not?
  3. What types of jobs can computers or robots do now?
  4. What types of jobs will computers or robots do in the future?
  5. What is your opinion on machines doing jobs.
  6. Will a robot do your job in the future?

Now paraphrase to another person what your partner’s opinion is. Use your own words to explain what they have discussed.

For more activities on paraphrasing go to Unit 11 Paraphrasing.

Debate

A debate is an argument between two teams on one topic where each team supports one side of the argument. In other words one team will agree with the statement and the other team will disagree.

When looking at a topic you need to consider the pros and cons and make a list of both the positive and the negative points.

A class can hold a debate by having 2 teams debating the same topic. One team supports the statement and the other team opposes the statement. Students must listen carefully to the other teams arguments to be able to respond with a rebuttal or explanation that disagrees with their arguments.

Divide the class into groups of 6 students to debate this topic:

All countries should create a new national anthem every 50 years.

For each group have 3 students agree with the statement and come up with 3 main ideas or points to support the statement. The other 3 students must disagree with the statement and figure out 3 main points to oppose the statement. Each student must speak uninterrupted for a set time to explain their point (between 2 – 4 minutes). The rest of the class will be the audience and they will judge which team wins the debate with the stronger argument.

Follow this guide for each speaker:

  • Speaker 1 (PRO): introduce the topic and their team and what each speaker will discuss, argue the first point
  • Speaker 2 (CON): introduce the topic and their team and what each speaker will discuss, rebuttal, argue the first point
  • Speaker 3 (PRO): rebuttal, second point
  • Speaker 4 (CON): rebuttal, second point
  • Speaker 5 (PRO): rebuttal, third point, conclude argument
  • Speaker 6 (CON): rebuttal, third point, conclude argument

Debates are a great activity to practise speaking and listening and forming opinions, but most of all to have fun!!

For more speaking activities go to Unit 8 Biography.

Speaking about the news

Choose a current news story that you are interested in to talk about. You can either listen to the news story or read about it – in English of course!

Once you have chosen the news story take notes on these questions:

  1. Who is the story about?
  2. What happened?
  3. When did it happen?
  4. Where did it happen?
  5. Why did it happen?
  6. How did it happen?

Now use your notes to tell your partner what your news story is about. Once you have finished telling the news discuss what your opinion is on the news story.

For more lessons on the news go to Unit 4 Reading News Reports.

Pets

My pet is a chocolate Labrador called Gus. He is two years old and loves the beach and going for walks in the bush, he especially loves to sit on a mattress and float around in the pool like in the photo!

What is your pet like?

Find a photo of your pet and talk about it. If you don’t have a pet now think about a pet you had in the past or a pet that someone you know has or used to have. Answer these questions to help you talk about the pet.

  1. What type of animal is your pet?
  2. What is your pet’s name?
  3. How old is your pet?
  4. Where did you get your pet from?
  5. What does your pet normally do?
  6. What are some special things that your pet does?
  7. What do you like most about your pet?
  8. What don’t you like about your pet?
  9. Would you like to get another pet? If so, explain what pet you would like to get. If not, explain why you don’t want another pet.

Now that you have discussed your pet, write about it in your journal and include a photo.

For more ideas go to Journal Writing.

Speaking about jobs

Discuss these questions about jobs with a partner.

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  1. Do you have a job now? Describe what you do.
  2. What was your first job? What did you have to do?
  3. What different types of jobs have you had? Describe them.
  4. What are some unusual jobs you know of?
  5. What job do you hope to have in the future?
  6. Describe your dream job.

Summarise what your partner has told you and tell it to another person or the whole class. Shorten what you have heard and choose only the most important information to share. Start your summary by mentioning one thing that you found the most interesting from what your partner told you, then complete your spoken summary by talking about the other points.

For more activities on summarising go to Unit 12 Summarising.

Jokes

Look at these jokes with a partner and think about the response to them before you check the answers.

  1. What is the longest word in the English language?    
  2. What do you call a deer with no eyes?  
  3. What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter?
  4. What travels around the world and stays in a corner?
  5. What has many keys, but can’t open any doors?
  6. Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Sydney Opera House?                                         
Answers:
1. Smiles - there is a mile between the first letter and the last letter
2. No idea (no eye idea)
3. An envelope
4. A stamp
5. A piano
6. Yes, because the Sydney Opera House can't jump!

With your partner discuss these questions:

  • Do you know any jokes in English? Tell your partner.
  • Do you know any jokes in your language? Translate them into English and tell your partner. Are they still funny in English? Why/why not?

In your journal write down more jokes that you know from English or translate jokes from your language into English.

For more ideas go to Journal Writing.

Speaking about relationships

The big news of September from the Hollywood celebrities was the split of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. This can make us all consider our own relationships.

In a group discuss these questions:

  1. What is your relationship with your family like?
  2. Who do you feel closest to in your family? Explain why.
  3. Do you have a best friend? Describe him or her. When and where d you meet? Why is he/she your best friend?
  4. Do you have a husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend? Describe him or her. When and where did you meet?
  5. Do you believe in love at first sight?
  6. What do you think the secret to a happy marriage is?

To learn more about writing about yourself go to Autobiography.

Speaking about self-reliance

Discuss the topic of self-reliance with a partner.

  1. What is self-reliance?
  2. How can you become self-reliant?
  3. Do you agree that it takes “time and hard work”?
  4. What are the 3 steps mentioned in the film trailer about becoming self-reliant?
  5. Are you self-reliant when it comes to your study and learning?
  6. What are your strengths in the way you study and learn?
  7. What areas can you improve in being more self-reliant?

To learn more about writing about yourself go to Autobiography.