On Screen p 54. Languages. Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England is studying linguistics and his teacher has asked him to write a report about the state of languages in different parts of the world. While doing his research, he came across these pictures about languages in Spain on Google. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on the state of languages in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.

1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. Is English used as a lingua franca in Spain when you need to speak with people from different parts of the world?
3. Are there any minority languages in Spain? Are they marginalised or preserved? Are any of them dying out? What is being done to ensure their survival? What else could be done?
4. Are languages in Spain tools of communication and understanding or instruments of conflict?
5. Is Spain a multicultural society nowadays? What are the benefits and drawbacks?
6. Do Spanish parents like to raise multilingual children? Why? What challenges does it pose?
7. Do Spanish people learn languages even in their adult life? Why? What challenges does it present?
8. Does the media in Spain incorporate terms from other languages? Do they use Anglicisms? What Anglicisms do Spanish people use in their everyday lives? In what fields of knowledge can you find foreign words in Spain? Do people embrace these terms? Does an excessive use of borrowings cause controversy at times?
9. What languages may be useful for Spaniards to learn? Why?


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On Screen p 39. Education. Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England has been asked to write a contribution to a blog about Education around the world. His assignment is to write about Education in Spain. While doing his research, he came across these pictures on Google related to education in Spain. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on education in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.

1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. What are the most popular teaching methodologies in Spain? What new methodological trends are becoming popular? Have traditional teaching methods outlived their usefulness in your country? How do Spanish children learn best?
3. What are the advantages and drawbacks of online learning in Spain?
4. Do Spanish schools invest heavily in new technologies? Do new technologies improve students' performance? 
5. What are the strengths of the Spanish Education? What problems do schools face in Spain? How do your schools deal with bullying?
6. Is studying at university a guarantee for future employment in Spain? Do they prepare people for the real world in your country? Why? Why not?
7. Do Spanish university students study away from home in order to get a degree? Do Spanish people think that studying in a foreign country on an Erasmus grant is something positive or not?
8. Does vocational training have a high status in Spain?
9. Do the Spaniards have lifelong learning opportunities? How are they being promoted?
10. What controversial issues do schools have to deal with in your country? Is religion a controversial subject at Spanish schools? Do Spanish parents have a say in what moral or sexual issues the schools can teach to their children?
11. Have there been any cutbacks in Education in Spain? What have been their effects?
12. Do many students drop out of school or university in Spain? Is it common for students to play truant? Why do you think these things happen? 
13. Have discipline problems worsened in Spanish schools in recent times? Compare what you know of these issues with your own school days. What punishments do successfully act as a deterrent in Spain? Are student sometimes suspended from school? and expelled?
14. Do Spanish students cheat in exams even at the university level? What do people think about it?
15. Are teachers considered role models in Spain? Does the media give them prominence? 

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On Screen p 31. The World of Work. Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England has been asked to write a contribution to a blog about the world of work. His assignment is to write about the world of work in Spain. While doing his research, he came across these pictures related to work in Spain. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on the world of work in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.

1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. What is the current situation in your country / region as regards employment?
3. How do employees deal with any mistakes they make at work?
4. Do Spanish workers ever suffer from ‘burnout’ at work? What aspects might lead to this situation?
5. Are there any jobs Spanish people would refuse to do regardless of the pay?
6. What are the positive aspects and the downsides of technological advancements in the world of work in Spain? Are there any ‘endangered jobs’ in your area?
7. Do Spanish people often contemplate a change in their career path? Why? Why not?
8. What labour-intensive industries in Spain can you think of? Labour Intensive Industry refers to that industry, which requires substantial amount of human labour to produce the industrial products.
9. What would Spanish people change in their present jobs? Why?
10. What aspects contribute to a good work-life balance in Spain? Is it easy to achieve where you live?

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