Integrated Discourse Skills Development

I. Agree or disagree with the quotations below. Be sure to provide solid arguments.

1. When children are doing nothing they are doing mischief (H. Fielding).

2. Teach your child to hold his tongue and he will learn to speak fast (Benj. Franklin).

3. Anger is never without a reason, but seldom without a good one (Benj. Franklin).

4. If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses (Goethe).

5. We are all geniuses up to the age of ten (A. Huxley).

6. Children begin by loving parents, as they grow older they judge them, sometimes they forgive them (O. Wilde).

II. Monologue Discourse Modelling

1. Individual Work: Compose a rendering of the article The Monster Children (Text D). Be prepared to present it smoothly in class without referring to the written copy. You can rely 1) on the questions after the text; 2) the basic procedure outlined in Article Rendering: Basic Structure Build-Up following Text A (Permissiveness: a Beautiful Idea ThatDidn’t Work), p.53. Frame your rendering in accordance with the following key points.

Article Rendering Guidelines

a) Lead-Up: Introduce the article by stating the title, the author(s), the source and the date of publication.

b) Structure Focus

1. Outline the theme and its sub-aspects. 2. Identify and formulate the message the article carries.

c) Idea Development: Develop the rendering around the central message. Paragraph it logically in accordance with the article’s macro- and micro-composition.

d) Conclusion: Give the conclusion provided by the author.

e) Close-Up: Provide your personal commentary on and interpretation of the article and the problem highlighted in it. Refer to your background knowledge and give some predictions to the future.

NB: 1) Don’t confuse a rendered version of the article with its summary or analysis of publicistic writing. Relate all the information through the eyes of the author.

2) Attend every new paragraph with a corresponding phrase to review the position of the author.

2. Class Activities: Present your rendering in class without referring to your notes.

III. Polylogue Discourse Modelling

Group Argumentative Techniques

1. Out-of-class Projecting

Individual Work: Prepare to interact a debate on a topically relevant issue.

a) Appoint a person in charge who will work out a rough step-by-step sketch and conduct the debate in class.

b) Make a thorough study of the related sources and key vocabulary (Texts A, B, C, D, supplementary texts and reference materials). Study carefully the following guidelines on debate techniques and the sample debate project for reference and helpful ideas.

Debate Techniques

Debates always have a rigid structure. There are two teams each consisting preferably of three members¹. One team is affirmative (A), that is, it plays pro; the other one is negative (N), it plays counter.

Speaker	Time	Role
A1	5 min	Introduces and defines the proposition. Presents all the team’s arguments in an organized way2.
N2	3 min	N2 is to cross-examine A1, trying to undermine A1’s arguments.
N1	5 min	Generally accepts the definition. Should not redefine. Presents all the team’s arguments in an organized way.
A2	3 min	A2 is to cross-examine N1, trying to undermine N1’s arguments.
A3	4 min	Refutes the arguments of the Negative team. Gives a final contrast of the cases to reinforce and prove the Affirmative case.
N3	4 min	Refutes the arguments of the Affirmative team. Gives a final contrast of the cases to reinforce and prove the Negative case.

Each argument should be supported with evidence (facts, figures, but no quotations or personal experience); it usually consists of maximum 3 sentences: the very statement and 1 or 2 sentences providing evidence for it.

In order to be ready for cross-examination and final statements teams will be given 1 or 2 minutes.

The winner is the team, which has more arguments that have been refuted provided that it has at least tried to refute as many as possible arguments of their opponents.

Debate Sample Project

(Pro-authoritatively sided)