Chapter 4: Module 1 Speaking - Reaching an Agreement

4.1 Module 1 Vocabulary

Asking for opinions Making suggestions

● What do you think about + • maybe

gerund/noun? • (Maybe) I/we/you could….
● What about you? • If we chose (noun/gerund), we
● How about you? (could/would/might)…
● What do you think? • If we met on Monday, we
(could/would/might)
• Should we (maybe)….?
• How about + gerund/noun?
• It might be…
• We could…
Agreeing Disagreeing

● I agree. ● I disagree…
● (That) sounds great! ● I don’t agree…
● Right / exactly / sure / perfect / ● That’s true, but…
yeah / absolutely ● That may be true, but…
● That’s a good idea/point! ● I’m not sure…
● I think so, too. ● I wonder if…
● I hadn’t thought about that. ● Do you (really) think so?
● The (only) thing that concerns me is…
● Maybe, but…
● Really?

Giving opinions Clarifications

● Sorry, again…
● I think… ● Could you repeat that?
● I think + gerund/noun is a nice ● Could you slow down a bit?
idea… ● Could you speak up a bit?
● I like the idea of + gerund/noun… ● Sorry, I didn’t catch that (last part/word)
● I was thinking that…
● ____ is a better option than _____
(because)
● ____ is the best option (because)

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 Summarizing Concluding – reaching an agreement

● Ok, so… ● You seem to + verb (like/think/prefer) +

● Alright, so… (noun/gerund)
● We both seem to + verb (like/think/prefer) +
(noun / gerund)
● It seems to me that/like...

Fillers Suggesting times

● Alright Informal:
● So, ● What time are you free?
● Like, ● When are you free?
● Ok, ● Are you free on (day) at (time)?
● Well ● I have time on Friday. Are you free then?
● Hmm ● Would that work for you?
● I mean ● I’m free on/from…to...
● You know…
More formal:
● Would you be available on (day) at (time)?
● I’m available on (day) at (time).
● Yes, that works.
● No, I have _______ then
Checking understanding Buying time
● Do you know what I mean? ● Let me think about that for a moment.
● You know? ● Let’s see…
● Right? ● That’s a (very) good question.

4.1.1 Word Forms

Some expressions must be followed by gerunds or nouns. Study the Module 1 vocabulary and
select the correct underlined word(s) in the sentence below.

1. What do you think about go / going to the beach?

2. How about see / seeing the movie at 2pm?
3. If we chose the movie / see the movie, we would have time for dinner.
4. What do you think about the football game / go to the football game?
5. How about going / go first to the theater?
6. I like the idea of swim / swimming.
7. I think leave / leaving early is a nice idea.
8. You seem to prefer take / taking the bus.
9. You seem to prefer take / the bus.
10. We both seem to like the first option / take the first option.

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4.1.2. Error correction

Each sentence has one error in word order, incorrect grammar, an extra word, or a missing
word. Use the Module 1 vocabulary table to help you correct the errors.

1. What time you are free?

2. The only thing that’s concern me is…
3. Are you free in Friday at 4?
4. I hadn’t think about that.
5. We both seem to prefer watch movies.
6. What you think?
7. Taking the bus is a best option than taking a car.
8. I’m agree.

4.1.3 Pronunciation
Look up the following words in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary and write the transcription of
the word on the lines below. Use the phonetic symbols and the audio to determine how to
pronounce the words.

1. thought ________________________
2. would ________________________
3. could ________________________
4. should ________________________
5. available ________________________

4.1.4 Fill-in-the-blank
Fill in the blanks with the missing words from the phrases in the Module 1 vocabulary table.

1. Sorry, could you __________________?

slow down You speak so quickly.
2. Could you _______________?
speak up I can’t hear you.
3. Sorry, I didn’t _______________________
catch the last word.
4. The only thing that __________________
concerns me is…
5. I’m free on Thursday. _______________
would that that work for you?
6. Let me think _____________
about that for a moment.
7. could
If we met on Monday, we ________________ have time to do all the activities.
8. I ___________
wonder if…

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4.2.2 Listen and Take Notes

Listen to Catalina and Federico talk about the trip they are organizing and fill in the chart below
with the opinions they express about each option:
Pros Cons
A day in Girardot

A day in Villa de Leyva

Shopping in Bogotá

Discuss with a partner: Do you agree with Federico and Catalina’s choice? Why?

4.2.3 Analyzing Spoken Language

Look in the Appendix of the book for the next activity.

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Section 4 (1:45-2:14)
if I read something that says // scientists say that chocolate cake makes you smarter well what
scientists and what exactly did they say one of the ways in which rumors spread is that a lot of
people keep repeating the same information but nobody has verified it so journalists depend
on high quality sources so experts how did you come across this information how do you know
that this information is true

Section 5 (2:15-2:48)
someone takes that photo that maybe three years ago and say this is happening right now //
we saw a lot of that during the recent hurricanes using a reverse image search on Google can
tell you where that image has appeared before and who has shared it that can give you
important tips as to whether or not the image is original whether or not the image is in its
original context

Section 6 (2:49-3:00)
this is what we have to do we try to // drill down a little bit deeper than that first tweet that
tells you that chocolate cake makes you smarter

4.2.3 Analyzing Spoken Language

Your teacher may ask you to identify features of spoken language, including:
● Pauses, chunking, and contrastive stress
● Vocabulary for making suggestions
● Vocabulary for agreeing / disagreeing
● Fillers
● Repetitions
● Comparatives and superlatives

Catalina: Alright
Federico: Alright, so…
Catalina: Yeah.
Federico: So, uhm, what do you think about…?
Catalina: So, we have to…we have to plan a field trip

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Federico: Right. Uhm. And they’re for foreign students, like, so they’re I guess, they don’t
know Colombia. Where are they from?
Catalina: I think one is from the Czech Republic, one is from Peru, and two are from
China.
Federico: Ok…hmmm…so, what do you think about, eeehm, what do you think about a
bus trip to Girardot?
Catalina: I think it’s a nice idea. Do you know Girardot? I’ve never actually been to
Girardot. I’m not from Bogotá, so…
Federico: Yeah, it’s like a small town outside of Bogotá and it has…it’s warm there, you
know, and, and you can like hang out by the pool and listen to music and eat
lunch and it’s kind of fun to go take a bus like they would get to see a little bit
outside the city.
Catalina: Ok, uhm…and, can they eat lunch there, or, or should we do, should we go for
lunch to Villa de Leyva?
Federico: So we could, uhm, go to Villa de Leyva but it’s a little bit further away. So like it’s
a longer trip, maybe. But maybe Girardot is also really traditional, right? Like it’s
uhm…traditional fish from the river, but it’s closer, so…
Catalina: Ah ok, so it’s, and it’s fish…
Federico: Yeah, a lot, but other things too.
Catalina: Uhm…I, I like the idea of Girardot. I think the foreign students will like going to a
place that’s warm.
Federico: Yeah?
Catalina: And for lunch I think both ideas are ok.
Federico: Ok. But what about, like, uhm, I mean maybe they want to go shopping, like we
have a really nice shopping in Bogotá
Catalina: Ok.
Federico: Like…Like we have fashionable shopping malls but also the outlets in Americas.
Catalina: Right, like we could show them, you know, what that…
Federico: We could show all the elegant stores and all the fashion of Bogotá.
Catalina: So maybe after Girardot, the shopping mall would be good option for the
afternoon.
Federico: That’s true but I think we have to pick only one option.
Catalina: Aaaaaah, ok, ok.
Federico: So, what do you think about the three options?
Catalina: Yeah, with the three ideas on the list, I think the most interesting is not
shopping.
Federico: Ok
Catalina: Because they…because the foreign students, they, they know shopping malls

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Federico: Ok.
Catalina: So, uhm, maybe Girardot, or maybe Villa de Leyva…
Federico: mmhmmm
Catalina: Soo
Federico: Well, maybe Girardot. Going to a warm place will be different from Bogotá, and
Tunja is already cold like Bogotá.
Catalina: Right, exactly. Ok!
Federico: So when should we do it?
Catalina: Ssss…
Federico: Ss
Catalina: Saturday June 6, Saturday June 13, or Saturday June 20?
Federico: Uhm
Catalina: Are you available all of those days?
Federico: So, I can’t on June 6th, but I could on June 13th.
Catalina: Ok.
Federico: Then I’m free on June 13th from 6am to 10pm. So that’s maybe a good amount
of time for Girardot.
Catalina: Yeah
Federico: Are you free then?
Catalina: I’m free all day. So maybe we could meet at 6:30. And then we catch the bus at
7.
Federico: Ok. Uhm, 7 is good. And then we can be back by night time.
Catalina: Ok, yeah, to sleep in Bogotá.
Federico: Ok.
Catalina: Ok.
Federico: That’s a good idea.
Catalina: Great.
Federico: So, uhm, a bus trip to Girardot on June 13th. At 6:30, and we’ll come back to
sleep in Bogotá
Catalina: Ok, perfect. Sounds great.

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