Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №4/2009

Тематические кейсы для подготовки учащихся к ЕГЭ

(“Говорение” и “Письмо”)

continued from No. 3

PART 1. SPEAKING

Кейс 2: Topic: Education and School Life. The Importance of Language Learning

Speaking 1. Answer the questions:

1. Education and School Life

1. Why do you go to school?
2. Are school years happy ones for you? Why/why not?
3. Are school years boring and uninteresting for you or others? Why?
4. What is the main purpose of Russian school?
5. What kind of a teacher do you appreciate most?
6. What makes a good teacher? Do you have such teachers in your school?
7. What kinds of activities help you in your education and relationships among your classmates?
8. Why do students want to have harmony in their class?
9. How do parents help children in their education?
10. What is one of the greatest problems of school life?
11. Do you have any problems with your parents? How do you cope with your problems?
12. Do you have true friends in your class?
13. What do you usually do during the breaks?
14. What do you talk about with your classmates?
15. Some people, when they grow older, do not like to speak about their school years. What do you think about that?
16. What options do students in Russia have after finishing the ninth form?
17. What kind of education does your school offer? Are you satisfied with the level of education?
18. What types of schools are there in Russia?
19. Will you stay on at your school, or enter another secondary educational institution? Why?
20. What subjects are offered at lyceums and gymnasiums?
21. Is it difficult to choose your future career? Why?
22. Would you choose your parents’ profession? Why or why not?
23. What are the advantages and disadvantages of your future profession?
24. Will you continue your education after finishing school?
25. Will you need English for your future career?
26. How have the schools changed? What great changes are expected in the Russian education system?
27. Why are Russian students not as motivated as English or American students?
28. Is the marking system in Russia good? Why? Would you like to introduce any changes?
29. Who helps Russian schools to survive? Do you think it is fair?
30. What does our school lack?
31. What is the main aim of British, American and Russian education?

2. The Importance of Language Learning

1. Why do people study foreign languages?
2. What would the world be like if everyone spoke the same language? Is it possible nowadays?
3. Why did you decide to study English? Is it easy to learn English at school?
4. Do you feel that English is a particularly easy language to learn in comparison with others? Why/why not?
5. Is it necessary to speak ideal, correct English?
6. What activities do you enjoy doing at your English lessons? Why?
7. How much English do you see in our country? Does it help you in everyday life? How?
8. What do you like and dislike doing at English lessons? Is it possible to learn English without a teacher?
9. Is your English good enough to travel as a tourist/to study abroad/to invite English-speaking guests? Give your reasons.
10. Will you need English (or any other foreign languages) in your career? Which kinds of jobs need excellent, good or satisfactory command in English?
11. How will you study your next foreign language (at the university, by TV, travel abroad, etc.)?
12. If German/French is a second language for you, tell your classmates about the difficulties you had or still have with the language, and about some of the main differences between your native language and German/French.
13. What do you think is the best way to learn a language? Why?
14. In the future, do you think English will become more widely used? If so, what will happen to other languages?
15. How can you practice, master a foreign language?

Speaking 2. Give a one-minute talk on the situation.

1. School and School Life

1. Speak about the importance of being a well-educated person.
2. Do you think good education should prepare you for life in general or for a particular job? Give your reasons.
3. Some people say that school is your second home. Do you agree or not?
4. Some people say that school days are the happiest days in people’s lives. Do you agree? Give your arguments.
5. Why do you go to school? Number these reasons in their order of importance and say what your reasons are.

6. Say what you like and dislike in your school. Why/why not?
7. What would you like to tell the foreign students about your school and its traditions?
8. What do you think it is necessary to do to make your school life more interesting?
9. What is your idea of a modern school?
10. What changes would you like to introduce in your schooling?
11. If you want to continue your education, what kind of institution will you attend? Explain your choice.
12. Can you say that there is an educational crisis in Britain and Russia?
13. What innovations are you expecting?
14. Some people say that the system of education in Russia is full of pressure. Is it justified? Why/why not?
15. Say how important knowledge is in modern life.
16. Say how people acquire knowledge.
17. Do you think school gives you enough knowledge in the subjects you are interested in?
18. In what way are specialized schools different from general secondary schools?
19. How do you feel when you have to take an exam? Do you think exams are fair? Why/why not?
20. Do you think you do your best in exam conditions?
21. There will be no more than 5 compulsory subjects in senior classes. If you are a school master, what subjects will you choose for your school? Give your reasons.

2. The Importance of Language Learning

1. Why do people learn foreign languages? Is it necessary to speak ideal, correct English? What do you need to do to become ‘fluent’ in a foreign language? Give your reasons.
2. What do you think about the role of English in our life? How much English do you see in our country? Does it help you in everyday life? How? Give some examples.
3. Some people say that when we learn a foreign language, we enrich our native language. What do you think about it?
4. Why did you decide to study English? Why has English become so widely spoken? Do you think there will be an increase in the quantity of English spoken in our country in the next few years? Can you see any reasons for this? Which variety of English (British or American) do you like more? Why?
5. Is it easy to learn English at school? What do you like and dislike doing at English lessons? Is it possible to learn English without a teacher?
6. Is your English good enough to travel as a tourist/to study abroad/to invite English-speaking guests? Give your reasons.
7. Will you need English (or any other foreign languages) in your career? Which kinds of jobs need excellent, good or satisfactory command in English? How will you study your next foreign language (at the university, by TV, abroad, etc.)?
8. Express your opinion on the subject: “What makes a good language school and what makes a good language teacher”.
9. If German/French is a second language for you, tell your classmates about the difficulties you had or still have with the language, and about some of the main differences between your native language and German/French.
10. A friend of yours wants to learn English as quickly as possible, but needs advice about what to do to be most effective. What is your advice?
11. Say how learning foreign languages helps you or will help you in the future. Give some examples.
12. Say if your knowledge of history, geography and other subjects has increased since you began learning English? Does English help you to study other subjects? Why/why not?
13. There are some people who know many foreign languages. Is it useful or not? Give your reasons.
14. In many countries children start learning English when they go to school, but some people think children should start learning English much younger. What do you think of it? Give your reasons.

Speaking 3. Debates and Discussions

1. Education and School Life

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both a relaxed and a strict atmosphere in the classroom. Decide what makes it possible to create an atmosphere in which teachers are able to teach effectively and students enjoy learning.
2. Do you think secondary education should be selective or compulsory? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
3. In Britain they have single-sex and mixed schools. Speak about the advantages and disadvantages of these schools. What do you think about the same schools in our country?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of single-sex schools? Do you think it is a good idea for children to work together in groups in the classroom? Why/why not?
5. Can we say that Russia and Britain are truly educated countries? Compare the system of education in Britain and Russia (or the USA and Russia). Which are the most important ways in which school in Britain differs from school in Russia? In what significant ways are schools in Britain and Russia alike?
6. Russian schools, 20 or 30 years ago, were very different from the way they are today. Were schools better or worse than they are now? Give your reasons.
7. A lot of private tuition classes appeared in Russia in recent years. What do you think about them? Parents who have enough money can still buy their children greater opportunities in life by sending them to private schools. Do you think that this is fair? Compare school environment in fee-paying classes and in comprehensive ones (in Britain and in Russia)
8. Speak on the advantages and disadvantages of taking a year out between school leaving and higher education.
9. In Britain it is quite common for school students to have to wear a school uniform. Discuss the following with your partners:

10. What are the most important characteristics that make: a) your ideal teacher? b) an ideal student?
11. Discuss whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Give reasons.

12. An international young people’s magazine is investigating the question: Should students only be judged by their results in end-of-year exams? Discuss this question and express your opinion.
13. Imagine the following situation. A language school in London is offering two scholarships. All applicants are invited to tell about themselves and explain their situation. The scholarship includes three-month English course, all food and accommodation and some pocket money. You’d like to become one of the candidates. Give information about yourself and say why you should win a scholarship.
14. Here is a list of ideas which can be suggested to improve the quality of education. Which of these suggestions are you for or against? Give your reasons.

15. Education is constantly changing and adapting itself to new demands and new circumstances. In our technological age there is much emphasis on Science, Business Studies, Design and Technology, Computing, Management, Ecology and Economics, all so necessary in today’s world. Do you think it is correct that all these subjects should be included in the school curriculum? Which subjects are highly valued at school at present and why? Do you think it is good in present-day schools that freedom is given to select subjects for the examinations? Express your opinion about early subject specialization. Give some arguments for and against the early choice of subjects at school.
16. You are in Great Britain, and you are invited to the Teachers’ Training College. Future teachers would like to know how the Russian system of education functions:

2. The Importance of Language Learning

1. Sometimes newspapers write about people who know many foreign languages (they are called polyglots). Say if it is useful or not, if it is good or bad for your health? What do you think about the methods these people use to learn languages?
2. What’s your idea of programmed teaching? Do you believe in hypnopedia? (hypnopedia – to teach foreign languages with the help of hypnosis)
3. A foreign language can be learnt by TV. Speak about advantages and disadvantages of a TV language programme.
4. Read the statements below and say if you agree or disagree. Give your reasons.

Speaking 4. Discussing Quotations, Sayings and Proverbs

1. Education and School life

1. Comment on the quotation, “Education has for its object the formation of character.” (Spencer, an English philosopher, 1820–1903); “Learning makes a good man better and an ill man worse.”
2. Express your opinion on the following “Men learn while they teach.” (words of wisdom) What is easier – to teach or to study? Give your reasons.
3. What makes a person educated? Do you agree with the following: “Only the educated are free.” (Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, 1-2c.); “A child miseducated is a child lost.” (John Kennedy, 35th US President, assassinated in 1963). Express your opinion on this subject.
4. Comment on the quotation, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than a progress in education.” (John Kennedy)
5. What do you think about these statements: “It’s never too late to learn.” (Syrus, 42c. B.C.) “A man is never too old to learn.” (Thomas Widdleton, an English dramatist, 1570–1627)
6. Give comments on this Chinese proverb “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”
7. Imagine you are a teacher. How would you treat your pupils if you were a teacher? What subject would you prefer to teach? Give your comments on the following “A great teacher is a great artist and you know how few great artists there are in the world” (John Steinbeck). What is an ideal teacher in your opinion?
8. Read these lines about the road to education. Say how you understand them, what common idea they are united by.

9. Comment on Edison’s words:

2. The Importance of Language Learning

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following, “Language is the light of mind.” (J. Mill, a Scottish historian and economist, 18c.)
2. Give comments on the proverb “Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain.”
3. “If a person doesn’t know any foreign language, he doesn’t know his own.” Do you agree with this statement?
4. “A language is not a subject which can be taught; it is a subject which must be learnt. We learn to perform any skill by actually performing it.” (M. West) What do you think about it?

Speaking 5. Dramatizing and Role-play

1. Education and School life

1. Imagine that you’re a head teacher making a presentation of your school before the Municipal Education Board. You want to persuade them to increase your school budget. Your point is that the school is really good and is worth addition funding to work out some interesting projects. What would you say?
2. Imagine that you are a famous and clever scientist. Your small son/daughter is not successful in his/her studies, he/she can’t cope with a difficult subject. Explain, help him/her. Act out a dialogue.
3. You have a friend who is interested in math. You are interested in English. You have a talk about your favourite subject.
4. You are a headmaster/headmistress of a secondary school. During lesson-time you meet a pupil/pupils in the corridor of the school. You want to know why he/they is/are not at the lesson.

2. The Importance of Language Learning

1. A friend of yours wants to learn English as quickly as possible, but needs advice about what to do to be most effective. What is your advice? Act out a conversation.
2. Role-play.

Student A. You want to be a student at the institute for one month in July or August. You want to stay with the British family. Telephone the secretary and ask about the cost of courses, the starting dates of courses and where you can stay.

Student B. You are the secretary at ... Institute. A student wants to study at the institute and telephones you. Read the information and answer his/her questions.

Summer course dates: July 3rd – July 30th; July 31st – August 27th
Course fees: £1,200 per four-week course (includes accommodation, all meals and the social programme)
Accommodation: Available with a British family or at the Institute
Sports: Tennis, football, swimming, aerobics.

Speaking 6. Give a two-minute talk on the topic.

Task 1. Give a 2-minute talk on your school.

Remember to say:

Task 2. Give a 2-minute talk on your favourite subject at school.

Remember to say:

Task 3. Give a 2-minute talk on education.

Remember to say:

Task 4. Give a 2-minute talk on learning English.

Remember to say:

to be continued

By Tatyana Kireeva ,
Gymnasium No. 2, Saint-Petersburg