Masaryk university, brno faculty of education

Linguistic aims 
▪
 
produce a coherent piece of speech on specific topic
 
▪
 
practise giving opinions and negotiating
 
▪
 
improve fluency skills
 
Nonlinguistic aims 
▪
 
attract students‘ attention towards various foreign countries
 
▪
 
enhancement of general knowledge
 
▪
 
develop ability to reach compromise
 
 

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Characteristics of the activity 
During this activity, students sit at desks organized as “round tables“ and one of leads the 
discussion on specific topics. 
Preparation time: Preparation is done at home, it differs person from person 
Realization time: 40 minutes 
Materials 
Students are supposed to bring their own materials regarding the country they have chosen, it 
could be pictures, souvenirs, postcards, etc. 
Source 
Designed (Martin Štěrba) 
Motivation 
After the desks have been reorganized, students are told that they are ministers of foreign affairs 
from various countries and they have the magnificent opportunity to become gurus of the 
world’s most ambitious project in tourism. Their governemnts have sent them to negotiate the 
details of this project and terms of cooperation. 
Procedure 
Before the lesson takes place, students are asked to choose a country they would like to 
represent, they are encouraged to search some information about the country online and bring 
some objects or dress in clothes typical for their country. They also need to come up with an 
idea for a common project, in which more countries would participate in terms of funding, 
organizational matters, construction, etc. and provide some arguments to support it and 
convince the others to join the project. Two people are asked to have different role, they will 
become the faciliators of the discussions. They are prepare the outline of the debate. 
At the beginning of the lesson, students organize the classroom so that there are two cicrcles 
made of desks. Students are divided into two halves and sit in the desks. Within each group, 
there is one faciliator. He has the role of a moderator, leads the discussion and moves it forward. 
At first, students are asked to give brief characteristics of their country – general information, 
natural resources, famous sights or areas, typical animals or plants or they are free to iclude any 
other information. 

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After all the people have spoken, the faciliator will move the discussion to the question of the 
common project and gives word to the representatives of the countries. They are supposed to 
present their ideas and agree on the most interesting project. The question of funding the project 
and sharing the profits should be discussed. 
At the end of the activities, each faciliator presents the solution to the second group.