Richard MacAndrew, Ron Martinez-Taboos and Issues_ Photocopiable Lessons on Controversial Topics (LTP instant lessons)-Heinle ELT (2001)

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Introduction Teachers often complain that teaching materials are bl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> devoid of the very topics we discuss in our daily lives. The title of this book suggests that the material covers controversial <strong>and</strong> difficult issues which students may be reluctant to discuss. Many of the issues are indeed controversial but the material is in no way intended to shock. In fact, the contents closely resemble those we find in our newspapers every day. There are good reasons why general classroom materials avoid topics which may lead to embarrassment or friction in the classroom. Many teachers may be hesitant to use such materials. However, many more experienced teachers recognise the motivational value of materials which more closely reflect the real world. This book presents just such stimulating <strong>and</strong> relevant topics. Three broad categories are covered: 1. terboos such as swearing, talking about death <strong>and</strong> prostitution 2. serious issues such as racism <strong>and</strong> genetic engineering 3. personal matters such as appearance, hygiene <strong>and</strong> nudity. The materiirl is not intended to form the basis of a course but a resource from which teachers can, with their students, select topics which interest them. The material should only be used with classes you know well <strong>and</strong> where the students are sensitive enough to respect <strong>and</strong> trust both you <strong>and</strong> their fellow students. Even then, you must use the material sensitively. Individual students or members of their family or close friends may have immediate, personal, even painful, experience of many of the topics. In some cases, you may want to check with an individual student before using a particular topic in class. It is essential that teachers remain alert for difficulties. If a particular issue becomes too sensitive, the teacher must be willing to ab<strong>and</strong>on the topic <strong>and</strong> be prepared to move on to something completely different. How a unit is organised Most units iollow this patrcrn: left h<strong>and</strong> page: introductory discussion <strong>and</strong> one or more short texts right h<strong>and</strong> page: language work <strong>and</strong> further discussion. The lcft hernd page usually provides the basic material for a lesson, while the right h<strong>and</strong> page provides extension or follow-up work. lntroduction Methodology It is expected that this material will be used by experienced teachers. The teachers' notes, therefore, have been kept to a minimum <strong>and</strong> comprise only short notes, the answers, <strong>and</strong> occasional extra ideas. Bearing in mind the sensitive nature of many of the topics, we suggest it will usually be best to start by asking students to think silently about some of the questions before they are asked to say anything at all. They then work in pairs <strong>and</strong> small groups before the topic is opened up to the whole class. In a similar way, with the reading texts, students often work in pairs, with each reading a different short text, which they then report to their partner, before the material is dealt with in the whole class. During individual or pair work, monitor what is happening. You may wish to help out with language where necessary, but you can also judge whether <strong>and</strong> how the topic(s) can be opened out to a wider class discussion. It goes without saying that, as the teacher, you should remain neutral throughout any discussions, seeking only to encourage students to express their views. Students will often have strongly-held views <strong>and</strong> possibly profound personal experiences which they are willing to share with the class. Indeed, trying to engage students in this way is perhaps the prime purpose of the materials. While encouraging <strong>and</strong> helping them to express their views <strong>and</strong> experiences, you must, however, never lose sight of the fact that it is a language lesson <strong>and</strong> they must be in no way pressurised into discussing or revealing things about themselves with which they are in any way unhappy. A student who wishes to remain silent must have their right to do so respected. Using the internet Because the topics are controversial <strong>and</strong> regularly in the news, it will almost always be easy to find related material by a quick search of the internet. Usually typing two or three key words into a search engine will be sufficient to give you contemporary examples relevant to the topic. <strong>Richard</strong> <strong>MacAndrew</strong> <strong>Ron</strong> <strong>Martinez</strong>
Contents 1. Death Talking dhout deatb, funerals, home burials 2. Nudity 'V/earing no clothes is natural. .Wby do people get so upset about this? 3. Politically incorrect jokes Is it OK to joke about disabled people, religion, deatb? 4. Taboo conversation topics Questions you cdn't ask. For example: How much do you weigh /earn? 5. lt should be banned! Bullfighting, human cloning, boxing, the Ku Klux Klan - ban them all! 6. Not my type Bdd breath, bites his nails, thin legs - what do you auoid in a pdrtner? 7. Sex for sale Prostitution - cdn we stoD it? Should we stctD it? 8. Swearing Is it OK to swear? What swetr words do/could you use? 9. Torture Does torture happen in your country? Is torture always wrong? 10. Sexual harassment rYhat's wrong with telling a colleague she has nice legs? 11. Bribery <strong>and</strong> corruption Rewards, gifts, bribes, perks - is there any difference? 12. Designer babies Blonde hair, blue eyes - would yow like to design your children? 13. Children who kill .When a child kills someone, who is responsible - the child, the parents, society? 14. Gays <strong>and</strong> jobs Does it matter that d doctor, teacher, or tbe Prime Minister is gay? 15. Animal rights We eat them, we do experiments on them, we keep them as pets. Do you object? 16. Marriage - for better or for worse What's the point of marriage these days? .Wbat's wrong with diuorce? 17. Nobody needs a gun Gun massacres in schools. .Why do people carry guns? 'Would you euer use a gun? 18. The sale of human organs .Would you let doctors remoue your orgdns? .Wbat about people who sell their organs? 19. AIDS What do you know about AIDSi .Would yow treat a friend differently (s)he had HIV? 20. Telling lies How honest dre you?
Page 3: IT E E h ts = - fl = f5 f- - l- l-
Page 7 and 8: Introduction Do you find this conve
Page 9 and 10: I I a I Nudity I I I Vocabulary Nud
Page 11 and 12: Reading The authors would like to m
Page 13 and 14: Ir i= Language i- Mark the expressi
Page 15 and 16: Language Use the correct form of th
Page 17 and 18: Sex for sale Discussion 1. Match th
Page 19 and 20: Swearing Discussion "When angry, co
Page 21 and 22: Torture Discussion Work in pairs. W
Page 23 and 24: Sexual harassment Discussion Discus
Page 25 and 26: L - Bribery and co
Page 27 and 28: Designer babies Discussion lmagine
Page 29 and 30: v- Children who kill Discussion 1.I
Page 31 and 32: Gays and jobs Disc
Page 33 and 34: t h Animal rights F J fr = Discussi
Page 35 and 36: E Discussion Marriage - for better
Page 37 and 38: Nobody needs a gun Discussion In Br
Page 39 and 40: The sale of humanorgans t I { I I D
Page 41 and 42: I I I I Discussion Work in pairs. A
Page 43 and 44: a I Discussion Telling lies Work in
Page 45 and 46: Abortion / Ic I E I Language <stron
Page 47 and 48: - National stereotypes Discussion "
Page 49 and 50: Cheating on your partner Discussion
Page 51 and 52: Are you happy with your body? Discu
Page 53 and 54: lmmigration and ra
Page 55 and 56:
Changing sex Language and</
Page 57 and 58:
ls this news? i ! I I I Discussion
Page 59 and 60:
Discussion Reading The right to die
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Old enough to be her grand<
Page 63 and 64:
Big Brotherls watching! Discussion
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i Discussion Anxiety and</s
Page 67 and 68:
I a Gay families Discussion What le
Page 69 and 70:
Begging Discussion Do you give mone
Page 71 and 72:
Compensation culture Discussion l '
Page 73 and 74:
Sport and money Di
Page 75 and 76:
- Vanity Discussion In your experie
Page 77 and 78:
Legatising drugs Discussion l. Makc
Page 79 and 80:
Read through the first part of this
Page 81 and 82:
The death penalty Discussion Work i
Page 83 and 84:
Addictions Discussion work in pairs
Page 85 and 86:
F 1 Death Bc aware that a discussio
Page 87 and 88:
lT Discussion It is very diificulr
Page 89 and 90:
Reading (clockw.ise fronr top left,
Page 91 and 92:
F Fof low-up Ask stuclents to write
Page 93 and 94:
f- Irs lr clrtss itncl see whr; wou
Page 95:
? I Follow-up Stuclents could use a
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Richard MacAndrew, Ron Martinez-Taboos and Issues_ Photocopiable Lessons on Controversial Topics (LTP instant lessons)-Heinle ELT (2001)

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