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Before you start you should know

In every country, there are many important decisions to be made and democracy makes it possible for the citizens to participate in the decision‑making process in many ways.
The media should mostly concentrate on conveying sound and reliable information, but often they try to manipulate the viewer/reader.

You will learn

You will understand that carrying out a discussionto carry out a discussioncarrying out a discussion may help you make up your mindto make up your mindmake up your mind about important social and political issues.
You will know the history of Oxford debates.
You will understand the rules of an Oxford debate.
You will be able to express your mindto express your mindto express your mind objectively and justify your point of view building arguments in accordance within accordance within accordance with the rules of an Oxford debate.

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Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl

nagranie abstraktu

The migration crisis in Europe in 2015 triggered a great discussion in Poland concerning the admission of refugeesrefugeerefugees fleeing their own countries escaping persecutionpersecutionpersecution or war. Some Polish citizens think that Poland should not accept refugees from the Middle East and Africa since we were not able to help our own countrymen deported to the East (Siberia and Kazakhstan) return to their homeland. Additionally, many people are afraid, that terrorists are going to come to our country with the refugees, and we would not be able to tell them apartto tell sb aparttell them apart. There are also strong fears that religious and cultural differences will leadto leadlead to social conflicts. Others believe that humanitarian reasons requireto requirerequire us to shelter the needyto shelter the needyto shelter the needy. And what do you think about this?

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Fotografia przedstawia tłum protestujących pod parlamentem w Kopenhadze. Kobieta na pierwszym planie trzyma w rękach kartkę z napisem: Refugees Welcome. — Demonstration of supporters of accepting refugees in front of the parliament in Copenhagen in 2015
Source: domena publiczna.

Now you will prepare and run an Oxford debate on the subject:

Should Poland accept refugees from countries at war or where people are being persecuted, like the Middle East or Africa?

But before you do that – a short history of the Oxford debates, and some rules to follow. The Oxford Union Society was founded at Oxford University in Great Britain in 1823. Its main purpose was (and still is to this day) to discuss various political and social problems. This is how the idea of Oxford debates was created. The most important assumptionsassumptionassumptions of those debates were to prepare speakers to express their arguments objectively. Oxford debates are supposed to teach a culture of discussion and respect for the opponents.

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Oxford debate
Source: GroMar Sp. z o.o., licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.

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Exercise 1

Who runs the Oxford debate?

the Marshal
the Opposition leader
the Proposition leader
the Expert
the Secretary

It is worth remembering that conflicts are natural and cannot be avoidedto avoidavoided. They occurto occuroccur in every society because there are always groups of people with conflicting interests. Therefore, we must learn to solve various disputesdisputedisputes and mitigate antagonisms.

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Exercise 2

Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise. Match the pairs: English and Polish words.

prześladowanie, odróżniać kogoś (od kogoś), uchodźca, wymagać, przeprowadzić dyskusję, udzielić schronienia potrzebującym, zdecydować się, wyrobić sobie zdanie, opinię, łagodzić antagonizmy (przeciwieństwa, konflikty)