Skillful 3: Reading and Writing, page 168 - Discussion point - Unit 10

Discussion point 

In their discussion point exercises that opens each unit of Skillful, author Rogers and Zemach (2018) present an infographic and some questions to start us thinking about the coming topics and ideas.

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Rogers and Zemach's questions

1. Which prediction in the infographic do you find the most interesting, exciting or worrying?
   Why does it interest, excite or worry you?
    
2. Many predictions are inaccurate. Why do you think it's so hard to predict the future?
    
3. Make three other predictions about 2050. 

 

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Instructions

We will write three separate comments to share our ideas in response to each of the three questions. 

For each response in the allocated time, I suggest you plan for 2:00 to 3:00 minutes, write for 2:00 to 3:00 minutes, and revise for another 2:00 to 3:00 minutes before you post your response. 

Remember, it's good practice to write for readers who have not seen the question you are answering. Imagine you are writing for someone not in our class. You want that reader to know what you are talking about from your comment alone. This is also a useful strategy in IELTS and similar tests, where  the introduction of your written answers should paraphrase the ideas in the question you are answering. 

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Reference

Rogers, L. & Zemach, D. E. (2018). Skillful 3: Reading & Writing (2nd. ed.). London: Macmillan Education  

Skillful 3: Reading and Writing, page 163 - Academic words

Academic words 

Vocabulary, not vocabularies

Each unit of Skillful includes a list of words from the vocabulary of academic English. After exercises 1 and 2 check our understanding of them, the three discussion questions give us an opportunity to use the words in discussions related to the topics that have been covered in the unit (Rogers & Zemach, 2018, p. 163).

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Rogers and Zemach's questions

1. What technological devices or phenomenon have most affected modern lives?
    
2. How can companies  use technology to gain insights into customers' lives?
    
3. Is it positive or negative that technology dominates modern life so much?  

 

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Instructions

Choose one of the three questions that interests you. Write a quick response to your chosen question in 15:00 minutes. 

I suggest you organize your time roughly as: 

• planning = 4:00 minutes. You should have some clear ideas about where you are going before you start writing.
   
• writing = 7:00 minutes. Quickly turn your organized ideas into sentences in one or two paragraphs.
   
• editing = 4:00 minutes. Check that your work is clear and logically organized for readers. Correct mistakes. 

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Follow up

Publishing is the concluding step of the writing process because we normally write so that others can read our work, and that is the case with online discussion boards, which are a common part of university courses today. 

The homework is to read and reply to at least two of your classmates' comments on Rogers and Zemach's discussion questions. As with your own comment, this is also an opportunity to practice the academic vocabulary introduced on page 163. 

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Reference

• Rogers, L. & Zemach, D. E. (2018). Skillful 3: Reading & Writing (2nd. ed.). London: Macmillan Education