Exam Skills: Mastering Argumentation

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• University

Mastering exam Skills: sophisticated language under exam conditions

What usually happens when you are under exam pressure?

1

I forget all fancy structures and repeat simple vocabulary

2

I run out of ideas and lose coherence

3

I am pressured by time limits

Lesson outcome

By the end of the lesson we will be able to deliver a 2–4 minute argumentative monologue incorporating sophisticated grammatical structures and lexical resources under exam conditions.

Enter what you need to do to achieve the maximum score for the criteria:

TR

LR

GRA

CC

introduce her opinion

give arguments

summarise ideas

maintain coherence

Which words or phrases  does the speaker use to:

Listen again. Evaluate the answer according to the checklist. Type which criteria her answer meets.

Drag and Drop

conclusion via participle structure

inversion for emphasis

distancing from claim (hedging)

Having considered both sides of the issue, I am inclined to believe that businesses...

Arguably, in Russia internet connection wasn't that stable to...

Not only did the pandemic affect profits, but it also...

Drag and Drop

inverted conditional for formal emphasis

impersonal passive for general consensus

cleft structure for focus/emphasis

It is widely acknowledged that small enterprises...

Were governments to provide stronger support, companies...

What we had to address was the long-term impact of lockdowns on...

Controlled practice

You will see a basic but coherent monologue on how COVID-19 has affected businesses. Your task is to rewrite the underlined / marked parts using the structures.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DegYDt3dDvixcQ-cmsqTj9nuf2jc1cclzOD_kHbfOSc/edit?usp=sharing

Full model answer, but still with some flaws

Today, I would like to discuss a pressing issue that affects all of us, regardless of where we come from or our socioeconomic status. I am referring to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses worldwide.

Rarely do we consider how fragile our economic systems are until a crisis like COVID-19 strikes. Had the government not introduced financial support packages, many small businesses would have collapsed. What made the crisis particularly devastating was the disproportionate impact on hospitality, retail, and aviation.

Although the pandemic arguably destroyed millions of jobs, it is possible that it also accelerated innovation in e-commerce and remote work technologies.

Now, let's consider the positives. Having considered the negatives, it is worth noting that the pandemic forced many companies to digitalise their operations. It is widely acknowledged that remote work became mainstream. Not only was money saved on office space, but flexibility was also gained by employees. What arguably saved many businesses was the rapid growth of e-commerce. The reason why some companies not only survived but thrived appears to be their ability to adapt to online sales.

As a final point, having learned from the pandemic, companies can become more resilient, provided that they invest in flexible supply chains and crisis preparedness. It is up to each business owner to take responsibility for adapting to a post-pandemic world. Thank you for listening.

Fill in the blanks

Today, I would like to discuss a pressing issue that affects all of us, regardless of where we come from or our socioeconomic status. I am referring to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses worldwide.

First and foremost, rarely do we consider how fragile our economic systems are until a crisis like COVID-19 strikes. A prominent example of this fragility is the fact that had the government not introduced financial support packages, many small businesses would have collapsed. However, what made the crisis particularly devastating was the disproportionate impact on hospitality, retail, and aviation.

That said, it would be a mistake to focus solely on the negative consequences. Although the pandemic arguably destroyed millions of jobs, it is possible that it also accelerated innovation in e-commerce and remote work technologies. So let's now consider the positives. It is worth noting that the pandemic forced many companies to digitalise their operations. Take remote work, for instance. It is widely acknowledged that it became mainstream. Not only was money saved on office space, but flexibility was also gained by employees. Similarly, in the retail sector, what arguably saved many businesses was the rapid growth of e-commerce. The reason why some companies not only survived but thrived appears to be their ability to adapt to online sales.

Having learned from the pandemic, companies can become more resilient, provided that they invest in flexible supply chains and crisis preparedness. On balance, it is up to each business owner to take responsibility for adapting to a post-pandemic world. Thank you for listening.

First and foremost

A prominent example

However

That said

Although

let's now consider the positives

It is worth noting

Take remote work

Similarly

On balance

Guided production: find speaking skeletons in the google doc file. Practice using the suggested structures in your speaking

1. Expand on the potential dangers of relying too heavily on smartphones and digital devices.

2. Expand on the role of electric vehicles in reducing urban pollution.

3. Expand on the extent to which wealthy individuals should pay higher taxes.

4. Expand on whether traditional exams are the best way to assess student knowledge.

5. Expand on the extent to which competitive sports promote positive values.

6. Expand on the extent to which companies should prioritise employee wellbeing over profit.

7. Expand on the way modern lifestyles contribute to rising obesity rates.

Rate suggested speaking prompts