TOPIC 25MAN AND SOCIETYpage 1

Warm-up questions:

  1. What do you do when you meet someone for the first time?
  2. Friends kiss on both cheeks when they meet or when they say goodbye? Where is it so?
  3. We often invite people to our home for a meal. T/F?
  4. If you have arranged to do something with friends, it´s OK to be a little late?
  5. You shouldn´t yawn in public. T/F?
  6. We call most people by their first names. T/F?
  7. What are the two differences between the American and the Japanese greeting?
  8. List some of the clothes you think women shouldn´t wear in Asian and Japanese countries?
  9. Is your main meal of the day the same as in Italy or Spain?
  10. In which country do they prefer not to discuss business during meals?
  11. What are some of the rules about business cards?
  12. Why is not a good idea to say to your Japanese business colleagues „ I don´t feel like staying out late tonight“.
  13. Which extra tips are about food and drink? Which ones are about general behaviour?
  14. There is saying in English: „When in Rome, do as the Romans do“ What does it mean? Do you agree? Do you have a similar saying in your language?
  15. Think of one or two examples of bad manners in your country. For example, in Britain it is considered impolite to ask people how much they earn.
  16. What advice would you give somebody coming to live and work in your country?
  17. Extra tips before you travel
  18. Have you ever been a guest in someone´s home in a foreign country?

SOFTENING OPINIONS AND MAKING GENERALISATION

See topic Sport

  1. Do you, or people you know, support a football team? If so, why did you/they choose that team?
  2. Have you ever been to a football match? If so, speak about the last match you went to.
  3. Are there ever fights at football matches in your country? If so, why?
  4. Substitute:
    football fans are all just a bunch of stupid idiots
    they´re really aggressive, most of them are just out looking for a fight
    some fans are incredibly violent
    they are like a bunch OF spoilt children
    the next generation OF stupid idiots

TOPIC 25MAN AND SOCIETYpage 1

TOPIC 25MAN AND SOCIETYpage 1

SURVEILLANCE – CCTV – RFID . /reading, see topic Science and technology/

  1. What are Closed-Circuit Television cameras?
  2. Where do you usually fin CCTV cameras? Are there any places you don´t find them?
  3. Say arguments for surveillance and against surveillance
  4. Do you think the increase in surveillance in our society is a good thing or a bad thing?
  5. Which, if any, of these methods of surveillance do you think are worrying? Give reasons.
  6. CCTV cameras are going to be installed in your school. Where do you think they may be used/classrooms, toilets, halls/ and who will have access to the screens and recorded material /teachers, parents, the police?

BRITISH SUPERSTITIONS – pictures!!! - listening mp3

  • Pictures – do you know these superstitions?
  • Which of the superstitions are true in your country?
  • What other superstitions do people in your country?
  • Do you believe in any superstitions? If so, which ones?
  • Synonyms / concerned – frightened – make a decision – try to do – talk to someone – nice – enormous – pleased – wonderful – terrible – choose - satisfied – lucky – behave – notice – by chance/

Reading

NUDITY

Nude – naked – both words mean wearing no clothes. He was completely naked. She was standing there, in the nude.

Naturism is the activity of not wearing any clothes because you believe it is more natural and healthy. The people who do this are called nudists or naturists.

HW: Look for: – Naturism, Nudism, British Naturism

Opinions: I feel that there is nothing wrong with nudity - People should be able to choose to wear clothes or not, .....

POLITICALLY INCORRECT JOKES

Is if OK to tell jokes about anything and everything?

A joke about a physically disabled person – a joke that makes fun of women, men – that makes fun of the elderly people – a joke that ridicules a particular religion – a joke involving a particular country of nationality – a joke that makes fun of blondes /!!!! See Freedom Writers – a cartoon about Negroes/

Is there a particular group of people in you country who are often the object of jokes?

  • How do you make a blonde laugh on Friday? Tell her a joke on Monday
  • How do you drown a blonde? Put a mirror at the bottom of a swimming pool
  • What is the difference between a blonde and a computer? You only have to put information into a computer once
  • Why does a blonde climb over the glass wall? To see what is on the other side.
  • What do intelligent blondes and UFOs have in common? You often hear about them, but you never see one
  • What do you call a blonde with half a brain? Gifted
  • A woman was paying for some items in a supermarket – a pint of milk, a packet of bacon,a small bag of rice and few vegetables. The man at the checkout said: I bet you are single, aren´t you? – Well, yes, I am – how did you know?- Because you are very ugly.
  • How to impress a woman? - compliment her, cuddle her, kiss her, caress her, hug her, wine and dine her, stroke her, comfort her, protect her, hug her, buy gifts for her, listen to her, respect her, stand by her, support her, go to the ends of earth for her.
    How to impress a man? – arrive naked – with beer
  • How do you make a cat go woof? Soak it in petrol and throw in on the fire
  • A young man with a wild and multi-coloured hairstyle sits next to an old man on a park bench. The old man stares at the young man. – What is the matter, old man?, says the young man – Never done anything crazy in your life? – The old man replies: Yeah, when I was in the Navy, I got really drunk one night and had sex with a parrot.I thought you might be my son.

Do you find these jokes funny, very funny, a bit funny, not funny – offensive – a little offensive – not offensive at all.

Reactions: anybody who thinks setting fire to an animal is funny needs psychiatric help – they are sick – people who have a speech impediment can not help it - I don´t think you should joke about people´s appearance – it´s not their fault – I don´t get it, I don´t understand it

TABOO CONVERSATION TOPICS

When you fill in a form, are you happy to give this information: your age – your marital status? – your income? Are there any other questions you don´t like answering?

/Who has the right to ask these questions? It may be a particular person – a doctor, a priest, a police officer, a partner

How old are you? – How much do you earn? – How tall are you? – How much do you weigh? – Have you got a boyfriend/a girlfriend? – Are you a virgin? – Are you married? – Have you ever taken drugs? – Are you planning to start a family? –Who did you vote for at the last election? – Have you got a criminal record? – Are you a gay? – What religion are you? – How do you feel about abortion?/

Phrases to ask and answer.

  • I hope you don´t mind asking, but...
  • I´d rather not answer that / if you don´t mind/
  • I know that it´s a bit nosey but....
  • Mind your own business
  • Why do you ask?
  • Can I ask you a personal question?
  • That´s rather a personal question
  • I know this is a bit personal

Could you say this to your best friend?

Your breath is terrible – you smell nice – you need a haircut – I wish you´d learn how to make coffee – I think you´ve had enough to drink – you look silly in that shirt – I think you should ring and apologise – if you want to smoke, do it outside – your fly is undone

Could you say same things to your teacher or your boss? – Do you have a friend you can say anything to? – Are you a tactful person or are you more blunt and direct? - Do you think being direct is a good thing or a bad thing?

IT SHOULD BE BANNED

Here is the list of some things which are banned in some countries, but are allowed in others.

  • Smoking inside public buildings
  • Smoking marijuana
  • Parents smacking children
  • Topless sunbathing
  • Abortion pills
  • Selling alcohol on election day

If some or all of the things above are not banned in your country, do you think they should be?

NOT MY TYPE

Problems and giving advice

Acne – a missing limb – extremely short – thick body hair – huge nose – BO – pierced tongue – bad breath – completely bald – a hairy mole – overweight – very thin – hairy legs –spits when he speaks – pierced navel – bad dandruff – a tattoo – a beard – a moustache – a big beer belly – bites fingernails – a heavy smoker – pierced nipples

/Dear Betty – I have one of the most thoughtful, kind, considerate man on the planet but he has this really disgusting habit that I can´t stand and I can´t decide how to tell him. Basically, the problem is he picks his nose. I don´t mind so much when we are at home, alone, but when we are in public, in a nice restaurant or worse, at my parents´house when we are having dinner, I just want to disappear. He starts digging in and pulling things out and throwing them on the floor, or even worse, putting them in his pocket. And then, afterwards, when he wants to hold my hand or touch my face, I avoid his advances – and of course, he gets upset. I want to tell him about it because I don´t think he realises that he does it, but I´m afraid I´ll embarras him and I don´t want to lose him. I mean, I don´t want to sound like I´m his mother/

SWEARING

“When angry, count to a hundred, when very angry, swear” – Mark Twain

Do you swear? What is swearing good for?

Swearing can be creative and expressive – it´s useful to be able to swear in English – itś difficult to know how to use English swear words – you can sound silly if you swear in English – people who swear a lot are just uneducated – children should be taught that swearing is wrong – you can upset people by saying Jesus Christ – people shouldn´t use swear words in the street/

The list below shows that swear words vary in strength. Different people of different ages find some words more offensive than others. Here is a rough guide to some of the most common English swear words and expressions.

/weaker – damn – blast – hell – bloody hell – it was bloody awfull – crap – it was really crap – bullshit – heś a real dickhead – shit – piss off – bastard – bitch– he´s a total wanker – a stupid prick - .../

Religious swear words can offend much more than words connected with sex, body parts or bodily functions. Using God, Juses Christ and Christ Almighty will greatly offend some people. Native speakers often avoid swearing by using other similar-sounding words.

DESIGNER BABIES

  • There´s a history of red hair in my family. I have red hair and I was badly teased at school. I would like to make sure my child does not have red hair
  • My four-year-old daughter, my only child, has a fatal blood disease. She will die before she is 12 unless we can find a match for a bone marrow transplant. I want to make sure my next baby is a suitable match for my daughter
  • In my family there is a history of fatal disease that affects the nervous system. I want to make sure that my baby is not likely to get this disease.
  • I´m a univerity professor and my husband is a doctor. We would like to make sure our baby is intelligent
  • The male members of my family often suffer from a rare and unpleasant bone disease. I would therefore like to make sure I have a baby girl
  • I feel there is too much violence and aggressions in the world. I would like to make sure my child is calm and gentle person
  • I would like to have a very musical or artistic daughter. She should have blond hair, blue eyes and be about medium height when she grows up
  • I suffer from a genetic disease which I inherited from my mother. My children have a one in five chance of having the same gene. Before I start a family, I want to have treatment to make sure I do not pass on this gene.

Opinions: an unborn child has rights – those rights must be protected – we don´t have the right to interfere with a child´s future personality and appearance – we should have the automatic right to choose particular genes for our own baby

Imagine that before you were born your parents had designed you. If you had been them, what would you have changed?

-which one aspect of your appearance would you change?

-Which one aspect of your character/personality would you change?

-How do you think your life might have been different?

-Are you pleased your parents did not designed you do you wish they had?

Phrases: I think that is fine – it is quite OK to....I strongly disapprove of – I wish people wouldn´t - I´ve got no problem with – I think it is awful – it is outrageous – there is nothing wrong with – it seems completely wrong to me – I have got no objections to – it doesn´t bother me – I´ve got no problem with... -

SOCIETY /tw Being young today/

  • Who can you ask for when you have a problem?
  • How can the Internet be dangerous or harmful to teenagers? Tell me your opinion.
  • How would you help someone close to you who has a problem?
  • What are the different problems that adolescents face today? /see topic Being young today/
  • How can drugs be a problem for youth?
  • How many different ways can people communicate?
  • What is special about human communication? What can people do?
  • What can animals do that people can not?
  • How do you communicate?
  • What is happening in information technology today?
  • GOOD WALLS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBOURS – what does it mean?
  • Say three things that young people think about older people and three things that older people think about young people.
  • What do you understand by the word GENERATION GAP?
  • Who are your ideal neighbours?
  • Do you think it is dangerous to have everything you want?
  • Examples of generosity and meanness
  • How can you be more polite when speaking to people?
  • Do you act your age? Do your parents act their age? Are you a slave to anything?
  • How old are children when they leave home in your country?
  • You have to be cruel to be kind! Do you know any example?
  • Pocket money and young people.