An upper intermediate business English course Listening & Speaking Mo Qunli (Diana) Ningbo University of Technology

To express your opinion: For my part... Personally speaking... As to me,... As I see it,... It seems to me that... In my view... In my opinion… I think ... As far as I am concerned... If I may say so, I think... I'm of the opinion that... If you ask me,... I believe/feel... I advise you ... I doubt whether/if … I wonder . . ...

To invite opinions: What ‘s your idea about? What do you think...? What are your view on...? What do you have in mind about this? How shall we take this project forward?

Agreeing: Yes/yeah/you are(absolutely) right. I agree with you. I go along with that. I couldn’t agree with you more. I am 100% behind you. I entirely agree with you. Limited agreement: I’m not against it, but there ‘s a problem. Yes,I am with you, but there’s a problem.

Disagreeing: Sorry. I don’t think so. I don’t agree with you. I don’t go along with that. I understand you very well, but I have to disagree. I am not with you. I don’t think it’s workable. I don’t see eye to eye with you on that. I totally disagree.

Examples: 1. For my part／As to me／As far as I am concerned, I’d like to agree to the …. 2. It is widely acknowledged that…Experts argue that China must introduce… But I doubt whether… 3. Now it is commonly／generally／widely／universally thought／held that. . . But I wonder／doubt whether. . .

Board game

Board game Dice ( n. v.) Chessboard Something special: A statement in English & you have to express your opinion. (whether you are for or against the statement & your reasons)

Rules: Four or three students in one group to play the board game & you have to express your opinion, (whether you are for or against the statement & your reasons) You are supposed to use the phrases we summarized just now.

How to discuss ideas? (some steps to discuss ideas) introducing ideas ↓ developing ideas ↓ introducing reality ↓ killing ideas ( or accepting ideas)

Topic two: ideas and reality Please finish No.1 & then do No. 2. How to discuss ideas? (some steps to discuss ideas) introducing ideas; → developing ideas; → introducing reality; → killing ideas( or accepting ideas). P20 Discussing ideas Topic two: ideas and reality Please finish No.1 & then do No. 2.

Discussing: Introducing ideas: 1.I’ve been thinking about this for a while. 2.I don’t know what you will think of this, but… Developing ideas: 1.what I like about the idea is … 2.We could also… Introducing reality: 1.Let’s think through the implications of this. 2.What would happen if we just tried this out? Killing ideas: 1.we don’t have time to talk about this at the moment. 2.Haven’t you got anything better to think about?

Listen & write down the missing sentences: -What do you think we should do here? -Well ,I think we are ignoring the most important people in the chain_tha people who actually sell out products. -______________(1)_____________ here? -Sorry, Paul, just let Rachel finish. -I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, and find out from them how the public is responding. -____________(2)_____________ ? -I said I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, that ‘s the way to find out what people really think. I mean,we might got this whole thing completely wrong. -___________(3)_______ is that we ‘re trying to do something different. If you ask those people, they”ll just tell you that they want more of the same. -___________________________(4)? -Well, the kind of market research that Rachel is proposing is not going to produce any new ideas. And after all, that’s what we want, isn’t it? -________(5)________. ________________(6)___________ -Yes.I think you’ve got a point there.

What do you think we should do here? Well ,I think we are ignoring the most important people in the chain_tha people who actually sell out products. Excuse me, may I make a point here? Sorry, Paul, just let Rachel finish. I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, and find out from them how the public is responding. What was that ? I said I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, that ‘s the way to find out what people really think. I mean,we might got this whole thing completely wrong. But the whole point here is that we ‘re trying to do something different. If you ask those people, they”ll just tell you that they want more of the same. I don’t know what you are on about? Well, the kind of market research that Rachel is proposing is not going to produce any new ideas. And after all, that’s what we want, isn’t it? That ‘s rubbish. We’ve got many of our best ideas from just this kind of exercise in the past. Yes.I think you’ve got a point there. P

What do you think we should do here? Well ,I think we are ignoring the most important people in the chain_tha people who actually sell out products. Excuse me, may I make a point here? Sorry, Paul, just let Rachel finish. I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, and find out from them how the public is responding. What was that ? I said I think we need to get out and have meetings with shop assistants, store managers, those kinds of people, that ‘s the way to find out what people really think. I mean,we might got this whole thing completely wrong. But the whole point here is that we ‘re trying to do something different. If you ask those people, they”ll just tell you that they want more of the same. I don’t know what you are on about? Well, the kind of market research that Rachel is proposing is not going to produce any new ideas. And after all, that’s what we want, isn’t it? That ‘s rubbish. We’ve got many of our best ideas from just this kind of exercise in the past. Yes.I think you’ve got a point there.

Listening P Listen to the listening material once again & underline the sentences in each step. introducing ideas: → developing ideas; → introducing reality; → killing ideas ( or accepting ideas).

Listening introducing ideas: P introducing ideas: Well ,I think we are ignoring the most important people in the …. Excuse me, may I make a point here? → developing ideas: What was that ? I mean,we might got this whole thing completely wrong. But the whole point here is that we ‘re trying to do something different.… → introducing reality: We’ve got many of our best ideas from just this kind of exercise in the past. → killing ideas: I don’t know what you are on about? That ‘s rubbish.

P 21: Brainstorming In a group (of 3-4students) to discuss No. 1 & No.2 (Do use those useful sentences in the four steps, please: introducing ideas; developing ideas; introducing reality; killing ideas.)

think outside the box 跳出固有思维模式； 跳脱框架思考； 解放思想

Mo Qunli (Diana) Ningbo University of Technology Thanks Mo Qunli (Diana) Ningbo University of Technology