UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD
School of Education – BA in English as a Foreign Language
551015 – English Conversation
Collaborative Work 1
Activity Guide and Assessment Rubric
English Conversation
Task Based Learning
Activity Guide Collaborative Work 1
Guided Debate about a Linguistic Controversial Issue
Schedule: February 22nd – March 19th
Score: 80 points
For this first collaboratively activity, you will register in a Google Drive document in order to participate in a
synchronic debate by web-conference to demonstrate your ability to support your ideas about a controversial topic,
strengthening also your sociolinguistic skills.
You must read previously the following document, available in the “Knowledge Setting” (Entorno de conocimiento):
Leaver, Betty Lou, Madeline Ehrman, and Boris Shekhtman. "Sociolinguistics: the right expression", Achieving Success in
Second Language Acquisition. 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 172-182. Cambridge Books Online.
Go to the following link, check the available dates and times for debates about a linguistic controversial topic, and
enter your name in the one that best suits your own interest and time. For each space, six students can subscribe.
Be sure you make your subscription on February 25th the latest. The link to access the encounter will be posted in
the same Google spreadsheet the eve.
(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IEqdgNKZFsoqPzdymW8BCV32xpKznGLw3KreymuLnig/edit?usp=sharin
g).
The registration spreadsheet includes: date, hour, topic, video, and link to access the web-conference. For each of
the proposed topics, there is a video you should watch before the debate. Likewise, you should have at least five
questions about the topic, based on the video. On the set day, you must be ready to support your ideas accurately
and fluently. Do not forget that you will need a good microphone and speakers to be able to participate. Do NOT use
Google Chrome when logging in the web conference, but Mozilla Firefox.
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD
School of Education – BA in English as a Foreign Language
551015 – English Conversation
Collaborative Work 1
Activity Guide and Assessment Rubric
* E-portfolio (Second entry): In the e-portfolio in the assessment environment, write your reflections about your
work in the course for Unit 1. Did your knowledge about phrasal verbs improve? Why are sociolinguistic skills
important for you as a non-native English speaker? How was your experience presenting a cultural topic of your
concern to a group of English native speakers? Are you able to support your ideas in a controversial situation, like a
debate? Remember that at the end of the course, the e-portfolio must show your reflections on the progress from
independent to proficient English user in regards of oral production skills.
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD
School of Education – BA in English as a Foreign Language
551015 – English Conversation
Collaborative Work 1
Activity Guide and Assessment Rubric
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
ITEM
Social interaction
within the
assigned team
Opening
statements
Rebuttal to
counterpart
LOW ASSESSMENT
MIDDLE ASSESSMENT
HIGHEST ASSESSMENT
Lack of interaction within the team affects
its performance in the debate
0 points
No participation in the opening statement
of the debate
0 points
The interaction of the group is not enough to set
all steps for the live academic debate
1 point
Although there is a participation in the opening
statement, student took less than 4 minutes at
this stage
5 points
The team interacts in the forum to agree on
date, time and procedures for the debate
5 points
All team members participated equally in
the opening statements, taking 4-5 minutes
10 points
There is not participation in the rebuttal
Although there is a rebuttal, this was not specific
to the opposing team's opening statement, or it
didn’t take the set time (2 minutes)
5 points
Rebuttal was specific to arguments made in
the opposing part’s opening statement. The
rebuttal is 2 minutes long
10 points
The side (pro or con) asks and answers the
counterpart’s question, but it takes more than 3
minutes
5 points
The side asks and answers accurately the
counterpart’s question no longer than 3
minutes
10 points
The conclusion takes longer than 2 minutes or it
does not go to the point of the whole exercise
3 points
Conclusion is accurately in regards of the
topic and takes no longer than 2 minutes
5 points
Ideas are expressed with ease in proper
sentence structure and tenses
10 points
0 points
Ideas are expressed adequately but
inconsistencies are often displayed with
sentence structure and tenses
5 points
It is difficult to understand because of
unclear pronunciation
0 points
It is slightly unclear with pronunciation at times,
but generally is fair
5 points
Pronunciation is very clear and easy to
understand
10 points
Speech is very slow, stumbling, nervous,
and uncertain
1 points
Uses only basic vocabulary and
expressions
3 points
Speech is slow and often hesitant and irregular
Speech is effortless and smooth with speed
that comes close to that of a native speaker
10 points
Uses a variety of vocabulary and
expressions
10 points
0 points
UNIT 1
Guided debate
about a
controversial topic
by Web-conference
(Collaborative
Work Setting)
Question and
answer
The answer to counterpart’s question does
not fit the statement
0 points
Conclusion
No conclusion is provided
0 points
Grammar
Pronunciation
Fluency
Vocabulary
It is difficult to understand ideas because
of grammar mistakes
5 points
Uses limited vocabulary and expressions or
Uses a variety of vocabulary and expressions,
but makes some errors in word choice
5 points
SCORE
80