Communicating in

Academic Situations
AGREEING AND DISAGREEING
 Task 1: Your Experience of Speaking English

Look at the following list of

situations which require you to
speak on academic courses.
Which situations have you
experienced either in your own
language or in English? Put a
tick in the appropriate box.
Compare your experiences with a partner using your answers to
the previous exercise. Give details of the following:
 Task 2: Your Attitude to Speaking English
1. Look at the following statements.
Do you agree or disagree with them?
Which statements are important to
you?
2. In groups, discuss each statement.
Appoint one student to note which
statements are the most
controversial for your group, i.e.,
which statements caused the most
disagreement.
Check your answers.
Task 3: Agreeing and Disagreeing
 Listen to two students discussing these statements. Does the second
speaker agree, disagree or partly agree with each statement? Underline the
correct alternative in the opinion column below.
 Look at the sentences below and identify the phrases used to
express opinion. Do they express agreement or disagreement?

1. I go along with your view that crime and poverty are linked.
2. I share your opinion that parents often blame teachers for problems which start within
the family.
3. I appreciate your point of view, but I still think you are overstating the problem.
4. I can see your point; Ive never thought of it that way before.
5. Differences exist between the unions and management over how to solve the problem.
6. We disagree over what to do, but Im sure we can come to/ reach a compromise.
7. I dont think we will ever agree with each other. Well just have to agree to differ.
8. I entirely agree with you on the question of nuclear waste.
 Make collocations by matching words from
the circle on the left with words firm the oval
on the right.
 Rewrite each sentence using the word in
brackets, so that it keeps the same meaning.
 What do you think?

1. English is easy to learn.

2. The most important thing about a job is the salary.
3. Life was better 20 years ago.
4. We should tax the rich to help the poor.
5. People should be more concerned about their
health.