Unit 3.

What are we going

to do now?
 Unit 3. What are we going to do now?

We will now begin unit 3 of the English level 2. After developing unit 1, through which you
identified and developed the self-knowledge skill; and unit 2, in which you applied
assertive communication techniques to avoid potentially problematic or conflictive
situations; we are now going to work on a new skill of the social dimension. It is about the
management or handling of conflicts.

Conflict management is one of those skills that we must use every day and in all contexts:
family, work, academic, etc. It aims to prevent or avoid the escalation of a conflict situation,
or to mitigate its destructive nature, with the intention of reaching a new situation in which
it is possible to reach an agreement or, in the best of scenarios, the resolution of the conflict.

But, of course, we will not only work on this important social skill. On a linguistic level, we
will address tourist destinations, accommodations, vacation activities, weather, clothing,
among others. All of which should result in you making more progress in your command of
the second language.
Throughout the unit, you will carry out learning exercises where you will identify familiar
vacation destinations, identify the weather conditions and associate them with the
appropriate clothing; you will match conflicting situations with techniques to overcome
such conflicts.

As in the two previous units, you will use the spaces, resources and human talent that the
IU Digital makes available to you, through the virtual campus and its other support
platforms, as well as some free online applications, to develop new social and language
skills, as well as to work in groups, elaborate and share the digital objects with which you
will put into practice your new skills and demonstrate your learning process.

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Our family vacation
In our culture, it is common to take trips with our family and friends. It is a valuable
opportunity to share special moments. We enjoy, we integrate, we have fun. But, of
course, there can also be difficult, tense moments. We must be careful and prepared to
overcome those moments. How was your last family vacation?

Family vacations

Before we go on vacation with our family, one of the first things we do is to choose the
place we will visit and where we will stay. We will also decide on who will accompany us
and the activities we are likely to do.

Grammar - Modal verbs 'can' and 'could’

In the previous exercise, we observed the use of the modal verb 'can' with the intention of
expressing the possibility of carrying out certain activities depending on the tourist
destination. Let's now look at all its other uses and those of the verb 'could'.
A. Possibility and impossibility

The modal verb 'could' is used to express that something is possible, even though it is
uncertain:

• Someday, I could go to Sweden.

• She likes comfort. She could stay in a hotel or a resort.

The modal verb 'can' is used to make general statements about what is possible:

• We can swim in the lake.

• You can easily get lost in this town.

‘Can't’ and 'cannot' are used to express that something is not possible.

• That can’t be real.

• You cannot be serious.

B. Ability
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The modal verbs 'can' and 'can't' are used to talk about a person's talents or abilities.

• Silvia can ski very well. She is very talented.

• He can climb any mountain. He is an expert.
• I can’t speak French very well.

'Can' and 'can't' are also used to talk about the ability to do something at a specific time in
the present or future.

• We can go to Spain in August.

• Help! I can ride a horse.

The verbs 'could' or 'couldn't' are used to talk about the past.

• Charles could speak several languages but now he only speaks English and Spanish.
• Some years before, you couldn’t play the piano very well.

C. Permission

The verb 'can' is used to ask for permission or authorization to do something.

 • Can I ask you something?
• Can we go to the party?

‘Could' is more formal and polite than 'can'.

• Could I ask you something?

• Could we talk later?

'Can' is used to give permission or authorization.

• You can use the swimming pool until 6 p.m.

• You can use my shoes. No problem.

'Can't' is used to deny permission.

• You can’t check in until 1 p.m.

• They can’t go there without supervision.

D. Requesting
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'Could you...' is a polite way to request someone to do something:

• Could you help me with this, please?

• Could I have a sandwich, please?

'Can' is less polite.

E. Offering

'Can' and 'could' are also used to make offers, 'could' being more polite.

• Can I help you?

• I can do that for you.
• I could go with you tomorrow morning.

F. Suggestions

'Could' can be used to make suggestions.

• You could start this afternoon.

• We could go to the island in the morning.
G. Questions

To ask questions, the subject of the sentence is placed after the modal verb.

• Can I… ?
• Could we..?

H. Negation

The oral negative form is 'can't' and the written form is 'cannot'. The oral negative form is
'couldn't' and the written form is 'could not'.

Dressed for the occasion

After deciding our vacation destination, our accommodation, and planning some of the
activities we want to do, it is necessary to prepare our clothing according to the climate of
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the places we will visit.
Family conflicts

As you have seen, there are many decisions to be made when taking a family vacation trip:
the destination, the place to stay, the activities, the clothing, etc. Therefore, it is very likely
that potentially problematic or conflictive situations will arise.

But it is not only from these decisions that family conflicts can arise. In fact, the variety of
these types of conflicts expands over a wide range. Conflicts are generated around the
couple's relationship, between parents and children, between siblings, for money, for
spaces, for attention, etc. Therefore, it is important to have tools that allow us to address
these types of situations so that conflict can be avoided.

We should not be afraid of this type of situation. In fact, they are quite normal and even
necessary. That is why it is important to know how to react to a family argument, so that all
members can express themselves and reach an agreement that benefits everyone.

Conflict management techniques

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A conflict does not always have to be a negative thing. In fact, on many occasions, if properly
managed, it can become an opportunity to generate positive results and improvements in
our actions.
For these positive results to be possible, it is necessary to have a favorable, safe
environment and people prepared to manage the conflict or potentially problematic
situations.

These safe environments refer to spaces where mistakes are not punished, where all
opinions are heard without prejudice, and where clear basic rules have been defined from
the beginning to guide the actions of those involved.

In this way, if from the start there is agreement between all parties on how to proceed in
the event of problematic situations, misgivings and favouritism will be avoided.

The idea is to always seek a win-win solution, so that the parties involved feel heard, and to
treat the situation ethically, honestly and collaboratively.

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 Bibliographic references

General References

• Admin, P. (2019, September 21). Why Do Families Fight? 7 Common Types of Family
Conflicts | PPS. Retrieved from https://pollackpeacebuilding.com/blog/common-
types-family-conflicts/
• B. (2018a, March 20). Cinco consejos para resolver un conflicto familiar. Retrieved
from https://cuidateplus.marca.com/bienestar/2016/05/15/cinco-consejos-resolver-
conflicto-familiar-112759.html
• C. (2018, December 3). 5 Técnicas Efectivas para resolver Conflictos (Método
Thomas/Kilmann). Retrieved from http://www.ceolevel.com/5-tecnicas-efectivas-
resolver-conflictos
• El manejo del conflicto en la familia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dev.kliquers.org/el-
manejo-del-conflicto-en-la-familia/
• What Is Conflict Management? - Definition, Styles & Strategies Video. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-conflict-management-definition- 9
styles-strategies.html#lesson

Video References

• Blessed Worldwide. (2019, July 24). Cartagena Colombia Travel VLOG Blessed
Worldwide & Highroller Gang. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSajpvjb9ak&feature=youtu.be

Ejemplo Imagen
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