Retirement

For our next session we can first have a negotiation on whether or not retirement should be abolished.  After reaching consensus in reference to retaining it, we can further discuss the issue of mandatory retirement.

Here is a link for a Guardian article arguing for abolishing retirement. You may also want to read the comments underneath the article.

Here is a link for an online debate on abolishing social security.

Here is a link for a webpage with the pros and cons of mandatory retirement.

Signposting and survival tactics

Here you can find a four-page document with exercises on signposting and some survival tactics, which could come in handy during a negotiation. (Source: Presenting in English by Mark Powell)

Paper-based vs. digital media for learning

Here is an NPR interview with Nicholas Carr, the author of the highly acclaimed book entitled The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. There is also an excerpt from his book. He warns us about what our regular exposure to digital information technology is doing to our brains as far as our capacities for deep reflection, critical thought, creativity and empathy are concerned.

Here is a link for a review of Carr's book.

Here is a link for a webpage with advantages of digital learning for students.

In our next negotiation, we can split into the two the following two camps:
- In favor of using digital technology as much as possible with the objective of phasing out paper-based sources.
- Against using digital technology at schools and for continuing with the traditional paper-based medium.

Cambridge Dictionary

Here is the link for the online Cambridge dictionary with the US and UK pronunciations of words.

Immigration in the EU

Here is a Guardian article on the challenges of immigration in Europe.

Here is a webpage with an overview of the pros and cons of immigration in general.

Here is another list of pros and cons.

Unemployment in the EU and outsourcing

 During our next session we can have the two following camps for the negotiation:
- For outsourcing to outside of the EU
- For keeping the existing jobs and creating new ones in the EU

Here you can find a short list of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.

Here is another piece on the same topic.

Here you can find a European Voice article on creating new jobs and keeping the existing ones in Europe. In case you cannot have access to the website, here is another version, which I uploaded on google.docs.

US Elections

Here you can find a BBC piece with the highlights of the first debate.

Here you can find another BBC piece with the highlights of the second debate.

Here you can find a BBC news piece on the key points of the third debate.

Here  is a Guardian article on which candidate is supported in different parts of the world.

Living and working at home vs. abroad

Here is an article on the benefits of working abroad for the global economy.

Here is another article for people considering moving abroad for work.

Finally, here is an online forum on the topic.

Low-cost airlines vs. national flag carriers

Here you can find a BBC interview with Ryanair's CEO.  Thank you Raul!

Here is an article from The Economist on the airline sector in Europe.

Basic negotiation skills

Here you can find the handouts with some basic negotiation skills.

Future of the euro

Our negotiation can have two parts: first, reach a common ground on the preservation of the monetary union, and secondly, discuss whether or not a fiscal unity is needed to preserve the monetary union.

Here is an article from The Economist on the future of the euro.  Here, our negation can take place between two camps arguing for the disintegration vs. the preservation of the monetary union.

Here is another other article from The Economist on the two different conceptions of the origin of money, which could be useful to read for the second part of our negotiation, i.e., preserving the monetary union with vs. without a fiscal union.

Composite sentences with future tenses

Here you can find many exercises on future tenses.  I am also hereby making a list of all the tenses and key words available. You can do exercises 18 - 28, which deal with future tenses. Remember: we do not use 'will' in the part of these sentences with the linking word.

Opinions, agreeing and disagreeing

Here you can find some phrases which can be used to express your opinions, agreements and disagreements along with some exercises.

Dieting: don't do it!

Here is another article on healthy eating habits.  Thank you Jacques!

Food: industrial vs. organic farming

Here you can find an article on industrial and organic farming.

Subjunctive

A webpage on the use of subjunctive is hereby made available.

BBC on negotiations and meetings

Here you can have access to the BBC website on negotiations, where they have useful expressions and/or phrases contextualized in short dialogues available as audio streams with transcripts.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, where they provide some examples for interruptions contextualized in a short dialogue available as an audio stream with a transcript.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, where they provide some examples for agreements and disagreements contextualized in a short dialogue available as an audio stream with a transcript.

Economic crisis: austerity vs. public spending

Here I am making a Guardian article available for our next session.