Expressing Opinions

Instructions:

Task 7 focuses on a social issue that is familiar too many Canadians.

• Test takers are to state their opinion and then defend it logically
• They should try to persuade the listener that their opinion is rational and practical

(use logic)

• Choose a position immediately–agree or disagree with the statement immediately
• Think of reasons/ facts to support (empirical evidence (stats), quotes from experts in the field, personal stories, or anecdotal evidence)
• 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to respond!

Procedure: (30 seconds)

1. Choose a position.
2. Write three ideas that will help you argue (against) or persuade (agree)

Note: Again, as with other tasks, this task seeks a logical response in the form of a persuasive

argument (use paragraph form).

In 90 Seconds:

1. You need to make a statement immediately that reflects which side of the argument

you are on.

2. You need to have 3 reasons to support your position – and give reasonable examples to support your 3 reasons (use facts)
3. Finally, add a simple conclusion to your argument.

Note: Do not worry if your response ends around 60 – 70 seconds – if you are logical with good paragraph form, you will score well.

Examples:

1. Do you think all university students should study abroad for a year, if there is sufficient funding? Explain your reasons.

Topic sentence: I believe that university students should study overseas for several reasons.

Reason 1: First, it is all about culture.

• Detail: Students can learn a great deal by being immersed in a different culture where they can expand their knowledge of different traditions and languages of a different culture. This can be a lot of fun because it is so interesting to be a part of Christmas, festivals, or rituals.

Reason 2: Also, studying overseas allows students to observe different professors and instructors that have different study methods.

• Detail: There are usually many ways of getting to the same answer, so this can be accelerated by studying under foreign instructors. Elon Musk chose to study in Canada even though he is from South Africa.

Reason 3: Finally, studying abroad helps students find employment after they graduate.

• Detail: Many employers seek employees with experience in multicultural environments, so education counts

Conclusion: In these ways, studying overseas can be beneficial for students.

 

Response 1:

I believe that university students should study overseas for several reasons. First, it is all about culture. Students can learn a great deal by being immersed in a different culture where they can expand their knowledge of different traditions and languages of a different culture. This can be a lot of fun because it is so interesting to be a part of Christmas, festivals, or rituals. Also, studying overseas allows students to observe different professors and instructors that have different study methods. Detail: There are usually many ways of getting to the same answer, so this can be accelerated by studying under foreign instructors. Elon Musk chose to study in Canada even though he is from South Africa. Finally, studying abroad helps students find employment after they graduate. Many employers seek employees with experience in multicultural environments, so education counts. In these ways, studying overseas can be beneficial for students.

 Statistics: 149 words spoken in approximately 74 seconds

Marker’s score = 10 /11

Content/Coherence: There are a sufficient number of reasons with examples that suggest that this response has satisfactory content. Because it is organized in a typical paragraph form it is coherent.

 

Vocabulary: The vocabulary used is related to the reasons given (culture – language), methods – accelerated, Elon Musk – Canada – South Africa, employment – multicultural environments.

 

*Listenability: This criterion depends upon the speaker’s ability to speak with rhythm, pronunciation, intonation, pauses, interjections, and self-correction. The response is grammatically correct.

                  Task Fulfillment: The task is complete because it answers directly to the question.

prompt, and it is organized. Likewise, the tone is consistent throughout.

 

Response 2:

Even if students are given the opportunity to study overseas, they should not go for several reasons. First, even if a student has funding, it is very expensive to live and study there. Rent and food in foreign countries cost a great deal and many times these costs are unexpected, including hidden taxes and utilities. Also, students new to university must learn how to study first before being exposed to different teaching methods and cultures. Culture alone can be difficult if a student is forced to use a foreign language in their daily life. Then there is the added pressure to understand lectures and new methods. Why go through all this trouble? Finally, the proper time to go overseas to study is after you have completed your first Bachelor’s degree and are seeking a Master’s degree. All students would appreciate this experience as they have already uncovered their major course of study and they know already know how to study. These are good reasons for not studying overseas.

Statistics: 168 words spoken in approximately 80 seconds

 

Marker’s score = 10 /11

Content/Coherence: The response adheres to proper paragraph form, so it is spoken in a coherent manner. Further, since there are 3 reasons with some detail, there is adequate content that answers the question prompt, so it is appropriate in this response (expensive as it relates to hidden taxes and utilities; culture that can be a form of added pressure; the comfort of study after completing a BA degree).

 

*Listenability: This criterion depends upon the speaker’s ability to speak with rhythm, pronunciation, intonation, pauses, interjections, and self-correction. The response is grammatically correct.

                   Task Fulfillment:  The task is complete in that the response answers the question.

prompt in an organized way with related content. The tone of the speaker varied only

slightly the question ‘Why go through all this trouble?’

Example 2:

Do you think that young adults should pay rent to their parents if they do not move out by the age of 21? Explain your reasons.

Response 1: I believe that young adults have a right to stay home for as long as they want without paying rent. The basis of this response is upon employment. If a 21-year-old has a job, then I think they can pay some rent. If they are not employed, then they should not have to pay any rent – and their parents should understand that. First, to have a job means that you have an income and can afford to pay rent. But, if you do not have a job, there is no way to pay rent to your parents – and your parents certainly do not want you to live on the streets. Also, if a 21-year-old has a job, they probably want to move out of the house immediately, anyway. Most people I know leave when they graduate from high school or university. Parents have to give their children a chance to graduate from university or college before asking for any kind of rent money. Finally, parents should allow their children to stay home past the age of 21 if they are employed because they need to save a little money before they start paying rent in their own apartment. For these reasons, young adults need their parent’s support.

 

Statistics: 207 words were spoken in 85 approximately seconds

 

Marker’s score

Content/Coherence: The response is organized, fulfilling the question prompt with several reasons and examples, and is, therefore, coherent.

 

Vocabulary: The vocabulary used is sufficient for the content used to explain the reasons the speaker used to explain why a student to remain at home and not pay rent. (not employed – parents should understand (modal should – as a future possibility); not employed – save a little money before moving out).

 

*Listenability: This criterion depends upon the speaker’s ability to speak with rhythm, pronunciation, intonation, pauses, interjections, and self-correction. The response is grammatically correct.

 

Task Fulfillment: The task is complete in an appropriate way with a proper paragraph form and enough content to answer the question prompt. The tone of the speaker and the force of the language used were consistent.

 

Response 2:

I think young adults should uhh pay rent to their parents because/if they are living at home. First, by the age of 21 uhh any person should have at least a part-time job that can provide rent money. Many college and university students have part-time employment while they uhh are at school, so parents should be paid for uhh supplying room and board. This is especially true if a young adult doesn’t go to university or college because, from the age of 18, they should have found work now that they are 21. Also, uhh to pay rent is a form of education for young people as well because it is just like living in the real world where people have to survive on their own. Most people pay rent for an apartment before they can afford to buy a house, so uhh by paying rent at house prepares the young adult and, from the parental point of view, it provides a stimulus for this person to formally move out. Finally, young adults should know it more fun to live on their own, so why uhh pay rent to your parents? These are some of the reasons uhh I paid rent to my parents for only one year past the age of 21.

Statistics: 205 words spoken in approximately 89 seconds

Marker’s score = 10

Content/Coherence: The form of this response is organized as it follows a proper paragraph form. The reasons and support/detail are coherent or work in unison to answer the question prompt convincingly.

 

Vocabulary: The speaker uses modal verbs correctly (should have found (present perfect with ‘should’ used as a mode of past possibility/probability) and should know (with ‘should’ used as a mode of ‘probability’).

 

*Listenability:  the speaker’s ability to speak with rhythm, pronunciation, intonation is acceptable though there are frequent pauses of hesitations that slightly distract the reader. The response is also grammatically correct.

 

Task Fulfillment: The task is complete as answers to the question prompt directly in paragraph form with adequate content. The tone is consistent even though there are some hesitations. The rhetorical question ‘why pay rent to your parents?’ helps the persuasiveness of the speaker’s argument.