Welcome to this ELC self-learning video. Today we're going to talk about Researched
Group Discussions. We'll look at two examples and compare them.
Our students are going to demonstrate a bad example first.
Watch, and see their problems
Hey there, I want to talk about the ageing population in China.
I think that the major cause of the ageing population in China
is the one child policy. This means there are not enough young people
My parents said that the elderly in China need a lot of home-care services, so the Chinese Government
has to build more homes. And young people are not giving birth,
so there are not enough people to do all the work. And also
No, your points are silly and you've got no proof.
The elderly need money more than retirement homes.
How can you say that people in China don't give birth? There are 1.3 billion people in
China. I think ... I've got no proof?
Many people say that there aren't enough homes for the elderly.
And I think they have to be built, so the elderly can have some place to live.
And also, there was a blog post which said that the birth rate in China is low,
so the young people are not giving birth,
That's your proof! What kind of proof is that?
Hey, Wing and Sandy, do you have any other opinion?
Hmmm, OK, let's talk about the ageing population in China.
Well, I agree with all of you. I think the elderly need homes and money,
and I also think young people don't give birth.
So, there is an ageing problem in China.
Yeah. So we have finished our discussion.
I am going to have lunch now. Bye!
OK, that's a very bad example.
As you can see the problems include
OK, now it's time for a good example
Hello, everyone! Hello!
Let's start by talking about the causes of China's ageing population problem, shall we?
According to Malcolm Potts in his 2006 paper, the major cause of China's ageing problem is inconsistent
population policies since 1949. Women were encouraged to give birth in the 1950s.
The baby boomers from the 1960s are now becoming
the major sector of the senior population. So, Step, what do you think about these points?
Yes, I agree with you, but, personally, I feel that the one-child policy
launched in 1979 is also a reason for the ageing population problem. The policy reduces
the size of the younger generations. Any comments, Sandy and Wing?
Um ... I'm wondering whether the problems can be solved with just one solution.
Maybe we have to figure out solutions for each cause.
In Zhang and Goza's article, published in 2006, it was proposed that the Chinese Central
Government should adopt policies to improve the quality of life of the elderly, for example,
by promoting private pension funds. May I interrupt for a moment?
Yes, sure.
I have one more suggestion for taking care of the quality of life of the elderly.
I think that the government should provide more homes and centres for the elderly as well.
Let's take Finland as an example ...
That's right! Let's sum up our discussion, shall we?
The major causes of China's ageing problem are
the one child policy, inconsistent population policies ...
Did you notice a difference?
The second group of students were polite, well prepared and conducted the discussion effectively.
They had good structure and used their time well.
They encouraged each other to participate and contribute to the discussion.
They were courteous and expressed their own opinions respectfully
They engaged with each other's opinions critically, but politely.
And finally, they summed up their arguments at the end of the discussion.
That's all for today.
Don't forget, if you need any further help, you can always ask your lecturer, or the staff in the CILL.
Thank you for watching.