Distance between the EU Institutions and citizens: for or against EU referendums for 14th of March 2014

Here you can find a webpage on the advantages and disadvantages of holding referendums on EU-related issues.  As usual, we will be splitting into two camps, with each camp defending one of the two views. We will then be identifying the points of agreement, if any.

Primary and secondary education: use of social networks for 7th of February 2014

Here you can find an online piece on the topic. 

Please read the article carefully before our next session.  Just like last time, we will be splitting into two camps; one group will be presenting the advantages and thus will be for their use, while the other group will be presenting the disadvantages and thus will be against their use.  After considering all the relevant issues, we will be making a decision in reference how and to what extend they should be used.

English as the lingua franca for 28th of February 2014

Here a short piece on the pros and cons of English as the lingua franca.

Here is a short list of advantages:

• Mutual intelligibility – easier to communicate
• Makes business, trade easier
• Less misunderstandings – could prevent conflicts, even war
• More bilingual speakers – ability to switch between languages
• English is ‘strong’, many speak it already, cannot disappear
• Learning English helps when applying for jobs – social mobility

Here is a short of list of disadvantages:        

• Risk of languages disappearing – language death
• Loss of cultural identity, integrity
• Those of who do not know English become ‘outsiders’         
• Advantage for native speakers of English
• Even if languages do not die, words will certainly disappear

During our negotiation we will be splitting into two camps, with each camp defending a position.  Even though the above material is on English as the lingua franca in general, we should try to focus on its status as the official working language at the EI.  Our question is the following:

Shall we maintain the present policy with three offical working languages, i.e., English, French and German, or establish English as the only working language?

Useful phrases and expressions for meetings

Here are the links for some lists of useful phrases and expressions we have covered so far:

- Agreements, disagreements and interruptions
- Opening and setting the agenda
- Moderating

Opinions, agreeing and disagreeing

Here you can find some phrases which can be used to express your opinions, agreements and disagreements along with some exercises.

Basic negotiation skills

Here you can find the handouts with some basic negotiation skills.

BBC on negotiations

Here you can have access to the BBC website on negotiations, where they have useful expressions and/or phrases contextualized in short dialogues available as audio streams with transcripts.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, where they provide some examples for interruptions contextualized in a short dialogue available as an audio stream with a transcript.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, where they provide some examples for agreements and disagreements contextualized in a short dialogue available as an audio stream with a transcript.