Complete the following sentences according to the model.

Model: If you want to do well at your exam ….

If you want to do well at your exam you should discipline yourself. You should read widely and try to keepeverything in your memory.

 

1. If you want to be good at memorizing foreign words you …. 2. If you want to feel easy while using a foreign language you …. 3. If you don’t understand the idea of the text you …. 4. If you want to get rid of your spelling mistakes you… 5. If you want to improve your memory you … 6. If you don’t understand your teacher’s explanation you … 7. If you want to learn fluent English you … 8. If you have much difficulty in speaking and understanding you … 9. If you have a delayed reaction you …. 10. If you learn the language for a special purpose you …. 11. If you want to exercise yourself in English composition you …. 12. If you want to train your ear you …. 13. If you want to do your own research you …. 14. If you want to exercise yourself in clear thinking you … 15. If you don’t want to repeat the year you ….

Work with a partner. Make up a conversation using the cue cards below.

CUE CARD 1 A NEWCOMER You have just arrived at a new university. Ask your group-mates about 1) the time-table 2) the number of exams they are going to take this term 3) the library and reading-rooms 4) sports facilities.

CUE CARD 2 UNIVERSITY CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS You have just arrived at a new university. It is orientation week and you want to know about different clubs and associations you can join. Your partner is a Student Union representative. Ask him / her about: 1) types of clubs and associations 2) meeting times 3) types of activities

CUE CARD 3 You have to give in a piece of work to your teacher. You need two more weeks to prepare it because you had difficulty obtaining the reference books. Your partner is your teacher. Find out if you can have an extension. Ask your partner about: 5) possibility of having more time 6) different sources for information 7) rules regarding late work

Role-play the following situations.

1. You think you study all day long, but each time the most important thing is not done, and it ends in bad luck and bad mood for you. Your friends help you find out what is wrong.

 

2. You are to choose a number of optional courses. Your fellow-students advise you on the most popular ones.

 

3. You’ve failed in your English exam. Your strict parent is demanding an explanation from you.

 

4. One of you is phoning the other for a chat. Ask and answer about the exam both of you are having one of these days.

 

5. Your fellow-student and you are discussing the time-table for the next week.

PART 2

CLAIMS OF POLICY

CLAIMS OF POLICY argue that certain conditions should exist. They advocate adoption of policies or courses of action (зд. линия поведения) because problems have arisen that call for solution.

Almost always should or ought to or must is expressed in the claim. These are a few examples:

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: Improving the basic school system

should be oneof the nation’s top priorities.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: A dress code should be introduced for all colleges and universities.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: University teachers should be replaced by computers.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: The system of standard marks should be abolished.

 

SUPPORT

In defending such claims you must first convince someone that a problem exists. This will require a factual claim (or you may also find it necessary to use a claim of value). Then you will be ready to introduce your policy, to persuade someone that the solution you propose will work out the problem.

 

REASSURING PEOPLE

Very often while asserting that something should or should not be done people use persuasion to influence the attitudes or the course of actions of the listener. This is how they start doing that:

 

Reassuring

Don’t you think that...?

Wouldn’t you say / agree that...

Look at it this / another way...

I can assure you that...

You can /could say /agree / argue that…

You can be quite sure that...

 

Putting a point very strongly

I’m convinced / sure that...

I think it’s absolutely wrong / right...

I must make it clear that...

But I honestly can’t see why...

I don’t really understand what you are trying to say.

 

Now try to persuade people in the following situations. Make use of the phrases above.

 

Your friend and you are arguing about whether or not students should be strictly disciplined at universities and colleges. You tend to think they should. Your friend thinks quite the opposite. Try to persuade him / her that you are right.

 

2. Your elder sister is going to give up teaching foreign languages. She is disappointed with her work. She regularly overworks but she can’t make her students get on. Try to persuade her that she should give more thought to effective methods of teaching rather than giving up.

3. One of your fellow-students doesn’t seem to be interested in his / her studies. He / she often misses classes. Sometimes he / she comes late. He / she never does a thing to get a satisfactory mark. Persuade him / her that it will do him / her lot of harm if the way he / she treats the studies remains unchanged.

 

4. A friend of yours says that he / she is thinking seriously about giving up his / her studies at the university, although he / she likes his / her fellow-students and finds the English language very important. The trouble is that his/her teacher is unjust to him / her and often gives him / her bad marks. Try to persuade your friend that he / she shouldn’t leave the university but rather improve his / her relationship with the teacher.

PUTTING DEFENSIVE ARGUMENTS