2. Connection to the Internet

People: 2 group-mates

Place: near the fountain

Time: during the break before the lecture

Group-mate №1 wants to get the Internet to his/her computer. Group mate №2 knows much on this matter because he has the Internet already, so. he offers different variants and Group mate №1 chooses the best possible way of connecting to the Internet, taking into account the cost and the quality of the connection. After that both of them find out that it’s time to go to the lecture.

3. Choosing the higher education

People: A student of VNTU and a pupil of the 11^th form

Place: in the yard

Time: Saturday morning

Your neighbor is a pupil of the 11th form. You ask him about his plans for future. Next year he is going to enter either VNTU or some other university. Convince him to enter VNTU. Ask him what subjects he is good at and which professions he likes, and recommend him the appropriate Institute and specialty in VNTU.

4. Internet, love, marriage?

People: Mother, Father, their daughter and a young British man

Place: at the parents’

Time: Sunday afternoon

The daughter and the young British man got acquainted through the Internet. They fell in love with each other and want to get married. He came to meet her parents and to ask their permission for the hand of their daughter. The parents are shocked and they are against the marriage. They remind their daughter about well-known features of character of the British and about bad weather in Britain. The British man convinces them in the opposite. And at last love wins and the beloved couple is blessed.

Formal conversation

5. Business meeting of a software developing company

People: junior developers, senior developers, analysts, managing director, executive secretary, sales and marketing manager, personnel manager, finance director.

Place: offices in Vinnytsia, Lviv, Kyiv.

Time: Tuesday 11 a.m.

In the role play «Business meeting of a software developing company» students take part in the videoconference playing different roles. The subject of the meeting is choosing the platform for which their company will develop application programs: 1) Android, 2) Linux, or 3)Windows. Each student has his/her position in the company, defends some point of view and must make a two-minute convincing speech in the videoconference. (This task can be fulfilled after studying texts about operating systems. Time for playing is 30 min).

Preparation: 1) learn the useful expressions

2) divide the roles among students

3) students make written notes as to a) useful expressions they will need, b) option they will support, c) reasons they will give for their choice.

Useful expressions

Getting started

Let's get started.

Talking about discussion items

The first thing we need to discuss is . . .

The first item on the agenda is . . .

The first thing on the list is . . .

First, we need to talk about . . .

Presenting Options

We have several alternatives:

Moving on

Let's move on to the next topic.

We need to move on.

The next item (of business) is . . .

Stalling the Discussion

Wait a minute. We haven't discussed . . .

Not so fast. We haven't (yet) . . .

Asking for Clarification

What do you mean by . . . .

I don't quite follow you.

Could you clarify that?

Could you elaborate on that?

Making a Suggestion/Proposal

I think we should . . .

Maybe we should . . .

I suggest . . .

Why don't we . . .

How about . . .

We could . . .

Giving Feedback

(I think) that's a good idea.

Good idea/point.

I agree.

I disagree. I think . . .

Sorry. I don't agree with you.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Asking for Opinions

What do you think, George?

What's your opinion on that, Martha?

Any thoughts on that?

Any ideas?

Checking for Consensus

Do we all agree (on that)?

Summarizing

In summary,

The conclusion is . . .

So, we've decided to . . .

Closing the meeting

That's all for today.

That's it then. (informal)