Contact Theory

BBC

This is a list of key vocabulary and expressions from the article in order of how useful they are. The student must choose 6 items from the list to study in the lesson.

To turn out

A riot

A perception

To acknowledge

A coffin

To decline

Anxiety

Intriguing

A one off

Ethnic

Striking

To wear off

What/ why/ how/ where etc on earth?!

To what extent?

An implication

A counterpart

To do away with (something/ someone)

To go to waste

By and large

To wipe out

Abrupt

To go off the boil

To flare up

To brush up (on something)

Panacea

15 conversation-provoking questions related to the audio.

  1. What is ‘contact theory’?

  2. What did Miles Hewstone learn from studying students in Northern Ireland?

  3. In your opinion, what types of contact would lead to better relations and what types of contact would lead to worse relations between groups?

  4. How is your country divided into different groups?

  5. Do you think contact theory could be used to resolve problems in society?

  6. Which differences between people in society cause the most serious divisions? 

  7. What types of immigrants do you have in your country? How are they treated?

  8. Have you ever been treated differently because you are an immigrant?

  9. Do you think that immigrants from different places are treated differently?

  10. Do you think that young people or old people have more negative attitudes towards out-groups?

  11. Do you think that humans instinctively hate the out-group?

  12. Do you think that the number of inter-group conflicts will increase or decrease in the future?

  13. Does social media help to heal the divisions in our society?

  14. Is your country more polarised now than ever before? 

  15. Should parents be allowed to send their children to different schools based on their faith?

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