Year 10
Lesson 79
The animal rights
debate
Keywords
Recognising and using a range of
devices for changing the topic of
conversation and politely interrupting
speakers
Contents
Aims
Learning goals:
Skills: Listening and
speaking
I’m sorry, but…
If I can just move on to…
Let’s focus on…
Sorry to cut you off…
Sorry, I’m going to interrupt you there…
Speaking of …
Language Analysis
Phrases for changing the topic of the conversation
If I can just move on to ...
Let’s focus on ...
Changing the subject for just a minute ...
While I remember ...
By the way, what do you have to say about ...
Speaking on ...
Phrases for interrupting a conversation
I’m sorry to interrupt, but ...
I don’t mean to intrude ...
Pardon me, ...
Excuse me for interrupting, but ...
If I can just interrupt you there and ...
Sorry but I’m going to interrupt you there ...
Sorry to cut you off ...
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Procedure
Lead-in
Key:
Students’ own answers.
Suggested answers:
1 A mouse is being used in a laboratory
experiment.
2 Student’s own answers.
3 Three arguments for animal testing: it has
yielded a number of effective drugs for humans,
more animals are killed for food but not eaten
than are used in animal testing, animal tests are
used for more than just developing medicine –
they also contribute to the advancement of
surgical techniques and medical equipment.
Three arguments against animal testing: it is
wrong that animals should suffer or die for the
benefit of humans, many animal experiments do
not turn out to benefit people, animals and
humans are different so test results are usually
not reliable
Ask students to look at the picture. Then put them
in pairs and tell them to answer the questions.
Extension: Choose some pairs to share their
views. Then hold a full class discussion about
whether animal testing is right or wrong.
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Main input
Audio:
Presenter: Good afternoon, and welcome to the
programme. Joining me today are Elaine Fisher,
president of the World Animal Protection Trust,
and Kieran Scott, who’s a spokesman for a
medicines company. We’re going to be discussing
the issue of testing medicines on animals. Elaine,
let’s start with you.
Elaine: Well, I think it’s clear that using animals to
test medicine is completely wrong. We’re not just
talking about mice and rats, these companies also
use animals like pigs and monkeys in their
experiments. It’s cruel, the animals suffer, and the
results are often useless.
Kieran: Sorry Elaine, I’m going to interrupt you
there. First of all, no experiment is perfect but the
results of tests on animals have led to some
important medical breakthroughs. And we actually
do around 97 percent of our research on small
animals like rats and miElaine: I’m sorry Kieran, but let’s focus on the
real issue, which is that these animals are made
to suffer. It doesn’t matter if you harm a mouse or
a pig, it’s still wrong.
Kieran: We have exceptional standards of animal
welfare, Elaine, and if I can just move on to some
facts, I think you’ll find that household cats kill
more small animals in a week than we use in
tests over a whole year. We actually-
Read and explain the information in the grammar
box to the class. Then tell students to listen and
put the sentences in the order that they hear
them.
Elaine: Sorry to cut you off Kieran, but we’re not
talking about household cats, we’re talking about
tests on animals, carried out by humans.
Speaking of humans, why don’t you tell us the
real reason for using animals in your
experiments? It’s money, isn’t it?
Kieran: I’m happy to debate the issues Elaine but
we need to base the discussion on facts. First of
all, ...
Key:
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Correct order:
Sorry Elaine, I'm going to interrupt you there …
I'm sorry Kieran, but …
Let's focus on …
If I can just move on to …
Sorry to cut you off …
Speaking of humans …
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Practice 1
Audio:
Presenter: Good afternoon, and welcome to the
programme. Joining me today are Elaine Fisher,
president of the World Animal Protection Trust,
and Kieran Scott, who’s a spokesman for a
medicines company. We’re going to be discussing
the issue of testing medicines on animals. Elaine,
let’s start with you.
Elaine: Well, I think it’s clear that using animals to
test medicine is completely wrong. We’re not just
talking about mice and rats, these companies also
use animals like pigs and monkeys in their
experiments. It’s cruel, the animals suffer, and the
results are often useless.
Kieran: Sorry Elaine, I’m going to interrupt you
there. First of all, no experiment is perfect but the
results of tests on animals have led to some
important medical breakthroughs. And we actually
do around 97 percent of our research on small
animals like rats and mi-
Focus students’ attention on the red buzzer. Tell
them to listen and press the buzzer when they
hear one of the speakers change the topic.
Elaine: I’m sorry Kieran, but let’s focus on the
real issue, which is that these animals are made
to suffer. It doesn’t matter if you harm a mouse or
a pig, it’s still wrong.
Kieran: We have exceptional standards of animal
welfare, Elaine, and if I can just move on to some
facts, I think you’ll find that household cats kill
more small animals in a week than we use in
tests over a whole year. We actuallyElaine: Sorry to cut you off Kieran, but we’re not
talking about household cats, we’re talking about
tests on animals, carried out by humans.
Speaking of humans, why don’t you tell us the
real reason for using animals in your
experiments? It’s money, isn’t it?
Kieran: I’m happy to debate the issues Elaine but
we need to base the discussion on facts. First of
all, ...
Key:
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
The phrases where students should press the
buzzer are highlighted in yellow below:
Presenter: Good afternoon, ...
Elaine: I’m sorry Kieran, but let’s focus on the
real issue, which is that these animals are made
to suffer. It doesn’t matter if you harm a mouse or
a pig, it’s still wrong.
Kieran: We have exceptional standards of animal
welfare, Elaine, and if I can just move on to some
facts, I think you’ll find that household cats kill
more small animals in a week than we use in
tests over a whole year. We actuallyElaine: Sorry to cut you off Kieran, but we’re not
talking about household cats, we’re talking about
tests on animals, carried out by humans.
Speaking of humans, why don’t you tell us the
real reason for using animals in your
experiments? It’s money, isn’t it?
Kieran: I’m happy to debate the issues Elaine but
we need to base the discussion on facts. First of
all,...
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Practice 2
Audio:
Presenter: Good afternoon, and welcome to the
programme. Joining me today are Elaine Fisher,
president of the World Animal Protection Trust,
and Kieran Scott, who’s a spokesman for a
medicines company. We’re going to be discussing
the issue of testing medicines on animals. Elaine,
let’s start with you.
Elaine: Well, I think it’s clear that using animals to
test medicine is completely wrong. We’re not just
talking about mice and rats, these companies also
use animals like pigs and monkeys in their
experiments. It’s cruel, the animals suffer, and the
results are often useless.
Kieran: Sorry Elaine, I’m going to interrupt you
there. First of all, no experiment is perfect but the
results of tests on animals have led to some
important medical breakthroughs. And we actually
do around 97 percent of our research on small
animals like rats and mi-
Focus students’ attention on the red buzzer again.
This time tell them to listen and press the buzzer
when they hear one of the speakers interrupt.
Elaine: I’m sorry Kieran, but let’s focus on the
real issue, which is that these animals are made
to suffer. It doesn’t matter if you harm a mouse or
a pig, it’s still wrong.
Kieran: We have exceptional standards of animal
welfare, Elaine, and if I can just move on to some
facts, I think you’ll find that household cats kill
more small animals in a week than we use in
tests over a whole year. We actuallyElaine: Sorry to cut you off Kieran, but we’re not
talking about household cats, we’re talking about
tests on animals, carried out by humans.
Speaking of humans, why don’t you tell us the
real reason for using animals in your
experiments? It’s money, isn’t it?
Kieran: I’m happy to debate the issues Elaine but
we need to base the discussion on facts. First of
all, ...
Key:
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
The phrases where students should press the
buzzer are highlighted in yellow below:
Presenter: Good afternoon, and ...
Kieran: Sorry Elaine, I’m going to interrupt you
there. First of all, no experiment is perfect but the
results of tests on animals have led to some
important medical breakthroughs. And we actually
do around 97 percent of our research on small
animals like rats and miElaine: I’m sorry Kieran, but let’s focus on the
real issue, which is that these animals are made
to suffer. It doesn’t matter if you harm a mouse or
a pig, it’s still wrong.
Kieran: We have exceptional standards of animal
welfare, Elaine, and if I can just move on to some
facts, I think you’ll find that household cats kill
more small animals in a week than we use in
tests over a whole year. We actuallyElaine: Sorry to cut you off Kieran, but we’re not
talking about household cats, we’re talking about
tests on animals, carried out by humans.
Speaking of humans, why don’t you tell us the
real reason for using animals in your
experiments? It’s money, isn’t it? ...
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Practice 3
Key:
Changing topic
If I can just move on to …
Speaking of humans …
Let's focus on …
Interrupting
I'm sorry Kieran, but …
Sorry Elaine, I'm going to interrupt you there …
Sorry to cut you off …
Ask students to choose the correct category for
the phrases.
Extension: Put students in small groups. Ask
them to think of other phrases that can be used
for changing topic and interrupting. Ask them to
share their ideas with the class.
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Practice 4
Key:
Picture 1
Animals should not be kept in cages just so that
people can look at them.
Zoos help people to learn about animals that they
wouldn't normally be able to see.
Picture 2
Children learn important skills from doing sport,
and it keeps them healthy.
Some children don't enjoy sport and they could
learn more if they had lessons in a classroom
instead.
Picture 3
Children should have a mobile phone in case they
get lost and need to call their parents.
Young children don't need a phone because they
have nobody to call.
Picture 4
It's not fair to kill animals for food when we can
eat other foods instead.
Eating animals is part of nature.
Focus students’ attention on the pictures and the
sentences in the box. Tell students to match the
sentences with the topics.
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Practice 5
Key:
Students’ own answers.
Put students in pairs. Focus students’ attention on
the role cards. Tell them to discuss the topics
shown in the pictures for two minutes. Ask them
to use the phrases on their role cards as much as
they can. Then tell them to swap roles.
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
English to take away
Key:
Students’ own answers.
This is a ‘free practice’ stage. The aim is
personalisation. Give them the following
instructions:
Work in pairs.
Student A: Argue in favour of animal testing.
Student B: Argue against it.
Try to use the phrases you have learnt in the
lesson.
Extension: Give out a copy of the Handout and
tell students to add their ideas to it. Then set a
homework task and ask students to write an
essay about animal testing. Tell them to read out
their essays in the next lesson.
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide
Handout
Animal testing: is it right or wrong?
Arguments for
Arguments against
© Young Digital Planet 2015 – Core Curriculum for English – Teacher’s Guide