TOPIC: LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION - The L2 Learner Identity LEVEL: C2 STUDENT´S TOPIC WORKSHEET

Grammar Phrasal verbs The Vocab

Discourse markers of condition To cut sb off Nouns and noun phrases
Provided (To interrupt when speaking)
We got into this heated argument and he kept Lingua franca
Getting by in a foreign language is rather accessible, cutting me off everytime I wanted to express
provided you have some minimal/basic skills. Global language
my point of view. Minority languages
So long as To cut sb short Dead language
Someone can become totally proficient in a FL without (To make someone finish earlier) Mother tongue
having to move there, so long as they are willing to put in a I totally monopolized the interaction and she Language barrier
considerable amount of work and time. just cut me short. Meanderings
Assuming that To catch up with A no-brainer
Assuming that motivation and consistency are in check, (To do sth that should have been done before) Minutiae
having almost full command of a foreign language is only a Most of us are struggling to catch up with our A caveat
matter of time. C2 lessons this year. At a loss for words
Intensifying adverbs Hesitation
To keep up with A pet phrase/pet word
At college, my classmates’ pronunciation would just humble (To progress at the same rate as sb or sth else) A catchphrase/catchword
me; I mean, brutally good. I’m literally trying my best to keep up with the
lessons but I’m finding it challenging to say the Declination
Emphasis (Cleft sentences) - What … is least. Conjugation
What needs to be addressed first is whether mastering a
foreign language is a priority for you. Verbs
To belittle
Idioms Sounding C2 - Common expressions in context To meander
To get a word in edgeways Too fast/slow for your own good To enunciate
(To -not- be able to take a turn in a conversation) Some students mistake proficiency for delivery, and To demean somebody
At the beginning, due to my poor command of English they end up speaking too fast for their own good, To outdo
I wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgeways when and, thus, mumbling. To excel
surrounded by more competent speakers. To get the gist of sth/ to catch somebody’s drift To quibble over sth
To get to the point I would totally mess up with grammar, but thanks to To humble somebody
gestures and body language, native speakers would To acknowledge
(To get a message across) catch my drift.
My weakness is that I rarely get to the point when dis- Adjectives
cussing a topic. Too much time wasted on minutiae! Scaredshitless
I had to recite my dissertation in front of the class, in Patronizing
To beat around the bush English! That scared me shitless / I was scaredshitless.
(To fail to get to the point) Demeaning
In oral exams I sometimes beat around the bush too To walk/go the extra mile Self-conscious
No matter your humble beginnings in a foreign
much and when I come to realize, I’ve already overrun language, you can get really far in your journey Debatable/undebatable
the allotted time. if you’re willing to walk the extra mile. Undisputed
To burn the midnight oil Wordy
A caveat to sth
(To work/study hard until late) There is a caveat to that, though, as your Long-winded
I soon understood that my grammar was rather weak, pronunciation will betray your not living in the L2 Articulate
but I burned the midnight oil, studying like crazy and country.
Compelling
caught up very quickly.

3w.thewayexperience.es c theway
EXPERIENCE
 TOPIC WORKSHEETS INSTRUCTIONS STUDENT´S TOPIC WORKSHEET

What is the purpose of the Topic Worksheets?

The purpose of the Topic Worksheets is to help you understand how you can talk about any topic, integrating all the elements from the content blocks that you have to
know at the end of a particular level.
A Topic Worksheet is like a road map to improve your speaking skills, both for presentation and interaction tasks. They provide the structure that will allow you to show off
in your speaking exams.
In all of them, you can find different sections with contents that are seen in the level specified at the top of the worksheet. They belong to three main content blocks, namely
Grammar, Vocabulary (with differentiated sections for Phrasal verbs, Idioms and Common expressions) and Speaking skills. In some of the worksheets, you can alternatively
find the section Getting informal or Common expressions in context. Sections may vary from one worksheet to another.
All the selected contents aim at guiding you into sounding more and more natural when you speak, as you use the Topic Worksheets to round up a topic that you have studied
in class in several sessions.
These Topic Worksheets are perfect to: • practise your presentations and interactions with this all-in-one speaking plan
• make the most of your speaking production including elements from all content blocks
• revise before exams

YOUR TASK
You are going to talk about the topic given at the top of the page. Your teacher will tell you how long you have for your speaking practice. You will have
a conversation in pairs or groups about the given topic, using as many elements from the different sections as possible. Take your time to read all the
information on the worksheet and to reflect on how you could use it in a conversation.
When you are not sure about how to say something, write it down and either google it or ask your teacher for help. You may need to do both, though.
Your teacher will give you some questions to discuss, like the following.

TOPIC QUESTIONS
• “Speak a new language so the world will be a new world”. Do you agree with • Do you regard your English learning journey as a rather positive one? Any setbacks / obstacles?
this proverb? Do you believe that by learning a new language our minds expand? • Do you think it is possible to become proficient in a foreign language without living / having lived
• No language is straightforward. Each one has its own peculiar complexity. in a country where said language is spoken?
Do you agree? Do you think some languages are intrinsically more difficult than others? • If a native speaker corrected your English (pronunciation, grammar, etc.), would you
• Is it possible to separate language from the culture of its speakers? Have you ever consider it thoughtful / considerate or rather patronizing / demeaning?
heard of the linguistic relativity theory? • Native speakers of English do not feel compelled to learn a foreign language. Do you agree?
• What is your opinion of English being the lingua franca? Advantages? Any downsides? What do you think about it?
• How would you regard your command of the English language? Can you spot • Which techniques / approaches work better for you when learning a foreign language?
your weaknesses/strengths? Learning by rote / heart? Learning by doing? Visual? Auditory? Other?
• Can you think of examples of facing a language barrier? Have you ever experienced • Which are your expectations / aspirations when it comes to speaking English?
one? • A proficient speaker does not equal a bilingual speaker. Do you agree? Are there any differences?

3w.thewayexperience.es c thewayEXPERIENCE