Useful Expressions and Thinking Skills for the Elective Modules on Social Issues and Debating
The following are the basic thinking and debating skills and useful expressions for analysing social issues and presenting debating speeches.
English teachers
should exercise their discretion as to what to cover based on students’ language abilities and needs.
Thinking skills for writing
and debating
1.
Identify
and
Related language features for
different purposes
group Use of connectives, sequence
similar or different words and cohesive devices to
ideas under meaningful show how ideas are organized
categories
Grouping different ideas
Examples:
Pros Vs cons
Positive
side
Useful expressions
Vs
negative side
Advantages
Vs
disadvantages
Facilitating
and
hindering factors
Evidence (e.g. facts and
figures)
Examples
(e.g.
experience,
people,
events and precedents
Language Learning Support Section
Useful expressions and thinking skills for
elective modules on social issues and debating
Firstly, secondly, then, finally…
Showing the contrast of
ideas
However, but, yet, conversely, in contrast with, on the other hand, on the
contrary…
Grouping similar ideas
Similarly, in a similar way, the same goes for, in like manner …
Giving evidence
According to, based on, the figures show that…
Giving examples
For example, for instance, such as…
Giving analogies
...is like…,…can be compared to…
1
Workshop on Inter-school Collaborative Planning of NonLanguage Arts Electives in the NSS English Language Curriculum
25 January 2008
for explaining an idea)
2. Identify causal
relationships in
ideas
Examples:
Action and
Use of verbs, nouns, adverbs,
adverb clauses / phrases of
result and reason,
prepositional phrases and
conditional sentences
consequences
Causes and
consequences
Causes and impacts
Giving causes
Showing effects and
impacts
Expressions for describing causes
…stems from ..
… is caused by …
… is resulting from …
…can be attributed to …
… can be accounted for by …
…the most likely causes of …are
… is an important factor …
..one of the main causes is …
…a contributing factor is that …
…the root of ... is …
…may cause …
Expressions for describing effects and consequences
… can lead to …
…can result in …
…can give rise to…
…can bring about …
…the most likely effects of … are…
… is a result / consequence of …
…can have a serious effect / impact / influence on ….
…as a result of …
Consequently
As a result / consequence…
Language Learning Support Section
Useful expressions and thinking skills for
elective modules on social issues and debating
2
Workshop on Inter-school Collaborative Planning of NonLanguage Arts Electives in the NSS English Language Curriculum
25 January 2008
…so that…
the first and second conditional sentences (e.g. if we eat poisonous food, we may
Expressing reasons for
causes and consequences
get sick.)
Expressions for giving reasons as elaboration
Owing to…
Due to…
…because of
…because / as / since…
The reason why … is that …
It explains why…
3. Distinguish between Use of formulaic expressions
facts and opinions and and reporting verbs with
between facts and myths
different connotations
Examples:
A fact - a thing that is
known to be true or can
be proved
A myth - something
that
many
people
believe but that does
not exist or is false
An opinion - your
feelings or thoughts
about somebody or
Language Learning Support Section
Useful expressions and thinking skills for
elective modules on social issues and debating
Expressing facts
It is a fact that…
It is true to say that…
Expressing statistical data
It shows an increase / decrease of…,…analysed by sex / age,…the percentage
of...was/is..., the percentage of …has dropped slightly / drastically,…compared
with …, …display similar / different patterns…
Expressing myths
It is only a myth that…, many people believe that…
Expressing opinions
Reporting verbs to show the extent of agreement
- Neutral connotations (e.g. say, show, announce, report, state, describe, etc.)
3
Workshop on Inter-school Collaborative Planning of NonLanguage Arts Electives in the NSS English Language Curriculum
25 January 2008
something
A fantasy
imagination
- Positive connotations (e.g. agree, recommend, assert, etc.)
-
one’s
- Negative connotations (e.g. disagree, argue, object, complain, etc.)
Pointing
out
invalid
statements / claims
4.
Use
perspectives to
express
opinions
It is incorrect / ridiculous / wrong / invalid / unjustified / fallacious to say…
different Use of formulaic expressions
and phrases
ideas
and
Examples:
Different parties - Parents,
teachers, principals, students,
the government, etc.
Different
aspects
resources (e.g. time, money,
human resources, etc.) and
views
(e.g.
historical,
economic, political aspects,
etc.)
Language Learning Support Section
Useful expressions and thinking skills for
elective modules on social issues and debating
Expressing personal points
of view
In my opinion…, I think…, I consider…, I believe…, on a personal level…
Expressing
different
parties’ points of view
From parents’ / the Government’s / citizens’ point of view…
They think / believe…
They hold the view that….
A different view is held by…
Expressing
perspectives
different
…in terms of human / financial resources…
…looking at…in monetary terms
…if we view the issue from a historical / political / social / economic
perspective…
…at a micro / macro level…
4
Workshop on Inter-school Collaborative Planning of NonLanguage Arts Electives in the NSS English Language Curriculum
25 January 2008