Empower p 61. The World of Work. Extra Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England has been asked to write a contribution to a blog about the world of work. His assignment is to write about the world of work in Spain. While doing his research, he came across these pictures related to work in Spain. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on the world of work in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.











1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. What is the current situation in your country / region as regards employment?
3. How do employees deal with any mistakes they make at work?
4. Do Spanish workers ever suffer from ‘burnout’ at work? What aspects might lead to this situation?
5. Are there any jobs Spanish people would refuse to do regardless of the pay?
6. What are the positive aspects and the downsides of technological advancements in the world of work in Spain? Are there any ‘endangered jobs’ in your area?
7. Do Spanish people often contemplate a change in their career path? Why? Why not?
8. What labour-intensive industries in Spain can you think of? Labour Intensive Industry refers to that industry, which requires substantial amount of human labour to produce the industrial products.
9. What would Spanish people change in their present jobs? Why?
10. What aspects contribute to a good work-life balance in Spain? Is it easy to achieve where you live?

Useful language to describe a chart:
 
This chart illustrates how...
This
chart compares...
The results that are shown in the
chart are...
As can be seen from these results,
...
According to this chart, 
From the data in the above
chart, it is apparent that ...
We can see on this
chart how... 
The
chart indicates that...
The
chart represents...
The information given in the chart...
The percentage of people who... is shown on the chart.  
The chart shows quite clearly 
the impact of...
 






Empower p 61. Work. Key Word Transformations

1. I don't have to answer to your demands.
OBLIGATION
I am ____________________ answer to your demands.
2. In our contract we have to start work at 8.00.
OBLIGED
In our contract we ___________________________ work at 8.00.
3. At the beginning I didn't need to put in very long hours.
REQUIRED
At the beginning I __________________________ put in very long hours.
4. Well, I have to quit then.
CHOICE
Well, I have __________________________ quit then.
5. You can choose whatever position you want.
FREE
You ______________________________ whatever position you want.


KEY

1. I don't have to answer to your demands.
OBLIGATION
I am under no obligation to answer to your demands.



2. In our contract we have to start work at 8.00.
OBLIGED
In our contract we are obliged to start work at 8.00.



3. At the beginning I didn't need to put in very long hours.
REQUIRED
At the beginning I was not required to put in very long hours.



4. Well, I have to quit then.
CHOICE
Well, I have no choice but to quit then.



5. You can choose whatever position you want.
FREE
You are free to choose whatever position you want.

Class Diary 30-Oct

- In class:

SB p 11, 1B: 2
SB p 12, 1B: 3, 4

- HW:

- Mediation: Where did English come from? You have been asked to write a contribution for the class blog explaining the history of the English language. You can watch this video or others you may find.  Afterwards summarise the most relevant information. (150 words) (Deadline 5 Nov)


- Do some research on a title (16 Oct). 
- Read an article/short story (weekly). 
- Think of a topic for your presentation (30 Oct). 
- Book fair (16 Dec)


- Announcements:
Think of a topic for your presentation (30 Oct).

 

- Speaking questions to discuss in our next session:

Empower p 12. Speaking

Empower p 59. Work. Key Word Transformations

1.  All candidates should take a short test.
REQUIRED
All candidates ________________________ take a short test.
2.  He tried unsuccessfully to persuade her to change her mind.
ATTEMPT
He failed ___________________________ to persuade her to change her mind. 
3. He finished all his work on time.
MANAGED
He ___________________________________all his work on time.
4. After a while, we were able to repair the car.
SUCCEEDED
After a while, ____________________________ repairing the car.
5. She didn't try to help me at all.
EFFORT
She _________________________________ me at all.



KEY

1.  All candidates should take a short test.
REQUIRED
All candidates are required to take a short test.



2.  He tried unsuccessfully to persuade her to change her mind.
ATTEMPT
He failed in his attempt to persuade her to change her mind. 



3. He finished all his work on time.
MANAGED
He managed to finish all his work on time.



4. After a while, we were able to repair the car.
SUCCEEDED
After a while, we succeeded in repairing the car.



5. She didn't try to help me at all.
EFFORT
She made no effort to help me at all.

Empower p 59. Listening. True or False

1. Mike is passionate about his work ._________
2. Olivia pays to work. ___________
3. Andrew didn't get the high salary he wanted. _________
4. Karen didn't complete her higher education courses. _________
5. Karen feels lucky when she works 40 hours a week. _________

KEY


1. False (works to make ends meet and to pay the bills)



2. True



3. False (managed to negotiate a higher salary)



4. F (left school at 16)



5. T

Empower p 58. Surveillance Cameras. Oral Mediation. Open Cloze


Read the instructions for the task. With the information given, speak for 4 minutes using your own words.

Task description:

Your class is working on the topic of "security". You come across these two texts about surveillance cameras . Explain to your debate class what you have read and what messages you think these texts convey. As you elaborate on these thoughts
include your own ideas.

Your MONOLOGUE should last about 4 minutes.

1)

Text 1

To Protect and Serve

Nowadays, if you enter places such as malls, banks, stadiums and airports, a network of cameras is plainly visible. It's clear to all that they are likely to be captured on film in these public places, and any questionable behaviour such as vandalism or theft will be documented. Most people realise that it is in the interest of public safety that surveillance cameras continue to be operational. In fact, the mere presence of these cameras seems to make the public feel a sense of security knowing that the "bad guys" are being watched.


2) 

Text 2

People's Guardian

The purpose of surveillance cameras is not to invade homes and other personal spaces but rather to protect the public by deterring criminal activity. This works because cameras provide material evidence when a crime has been caught on film that enables law enforcement agencies to make a case. What is more, security analytics can actually raise alarms about potential crimes or accidents before they even take place, raising the possibility of prevention. And prevention is, of course, the primary goal.


Sample answer

If you walk through any public space in any city, chances (1)_________ that you will spot at least one surveillance camera. How does that make you feel? Do you agree that this has become a controversial issue?

Evidently, there are enough reasons why we should not only tolerate but also welcome these cameras. First of all, (2)___________ everyone can see the cameras, they know that any misdeeds they commit will be recorded on film, (3)_______________ is comforting rather than threatening for most law-abiding citizens. Secondly,  cameras are there to prevent crime and they accomplish this (4)___________ providing evidence that can lead to prosecution, as (5)__________ as flagging up suspicious situations (6)__________ that police officers can act before a crime is even committed.

(7)_______________ these are valid points, I personally feel that the power of security analytics is the most significant factor in crime prevention. This is (8)____________ it can predict and give law enforcement a chance to prevent crimes rather than just punishing the perpetrators. (9)____________, while most people agree that cameras discourage planned crimes (10)_________ vandalism and theft, critics have raised the point that cameras have little effect on crimes that are committed (11)__________ impulse. What is more, the prediction of crimes comes with a (12)____________: who sets the parameters of (13)_______________ is suspicious, and what happens if someone gets it wrong?

(14)_________________ I believe there are clearly factors that need close public scrutiny when it (15)___________ to surveillance cameras, especially regarding security analytics, I would agree that the sense of protection they offer is well (16)______________ some sacrifice of privacy in public places.

Vocabulary

flag something up
(British English) to draw attention to something
  • The report flagged up the dangers of under-age drinking

 

Security Analytics is an approach to cybersecurity focused on the analysis of data used to detect potential threats to IT systems.



KEY

1. are

chances are: it is very likely that. E.g. Chances are she has already heard the news.

 

 

2. since

 

 

3. which 

 

 

4. by 

 

 

5. well 

 

 

6. so 

 

 

7. While/ Although 

 

 

8. because 

 

 

9. However 

 

 

10. like 

 

 

11. on 

 

 

12. catch 

catch: a hidden problem or difficulty  E.g. This deal looks too good to be true – there must be a catch somewhere. The catch is that you can’t enter the competition unless you’ve spent $100 in the store. 

 

 

13. what  

 

 

14. Though 

 

 

15. comes

when it comes to (doing) something ​when it is a question of something. E.g. When it comes to getting things done, he's useless. There's nothing she doesn't know when it comes to computers. He's a sweet guy, but he's a bit useless when it comes to kids. 

 

 

16. worth

well worth: 
certainly worth.
"Salzburg is well worth a visit"

Empower p 58. Crime and Punishment. Written Mediation Task

A friend of yours from England is going to write a newspaper article about crime in different parts of the world. While doing his research, he came across these pictures on Google. He shares them with you and asks you some questions about them. You decide to send your friend an email answering his questions.



















1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you? 
2. What kind of crime do people in your neighbourhood fear the most?
3. What is your opinion about the rehabilitating capacity of your prisons today?
4. Are your prisons an effective deterrent against crime? Why / why not?
5. Can the public in your country do anything to reduce crime?
6. What do you think of the judicial system in your country?
7. What are the most common types of crime in your area? Is safety a big concern in your area? Has it always been like this? What can be done to improve the situation?
8. What are the biggest criminal issues affecting your country today?

Useful language to describe a chart:
 
This chart illustrates how...
This
chart compares...
The results that are shown in the
chart are...
As can be seen from these results,
...
According to this chart, 
From the data in the above
chart, it is apparent that ...
We can see on this
chart how... 
The
chart indicates that...
The
chart represents...
The information given in the chart...
The thousands of cybercrimes committed in Spain are shown on the chart.  
The chart shows quite clearly the impact of...