In-Class Pair Work for Week of 3 March 2009 (after we complete the remainder of last week's in-class assignment)

For Week of 3 March 2009

PREPARE A DIALOGUE with a classmate about abuse between romantic couples or abuse in general (family, siblings, friends). This would include abuse you know of personally, read about, or hear about from your friends.
    Here are some issues to consider.

    1. How to define abuse.
    2. Causes. (For example, low self-esteem among women; romantic dependence; anger among men or women towards their romantic other; poor role models; media stereotypes (advertisements, movies, soap operas, etc.)
    3. Solutions.
    4. Prevention.
    5. Personal responsibility. (For example, signals to the other; tolerance of previous abuse; indifference to abuse of friends or acquaintances, etc.)
    6. Known facts. (Examples you can give in your pair work.)

You should strive for a reasonably adequate vocabulary. Googling for "abuse" may help you build a good vocabulary. In a language class, pair work is not about psychology but about language use (vocabulary, sentence constructions, coherence, pace, fluency, volume, poise, inflection, pronunciation, variety [of tone, pitch, pace, diction/vocabulary]).

NOTE: If you're the odd person out (extra person), join a pair to make a trio.

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