Discussion Materials ELC 1

Terrorism
Before the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and the Pentagon, most terrorist incidents in the United States had been bombing attacks, involving detonated and undetonated explosive devices, tear gas and pipe and fire bombs. The effects of terrorism can vary significantly from loss of life and injuries to property damage and disruptions in services such as electricity, water supply, public transportation and communications. One way governments attempt to reduce our vulnerability to terrorist incidents is by increasing security at airports and other public facilities. The Indonesian government also works with other countries to limit the sources of support for terrorism. Questions: 1. What do you know about terrorism and terrorists? 2. Why do we or the government have to stop terrorism? 3. How to prevent terrorism? 4. What can you do to stop terrorism? 5. Why is terrorism dangerous and fearful? 6. What kind of punishment is appropriate to penalize the terrorists?

Learning to speak English

To learn to speak a foreign language well, a student must not be afraid of making mistakes. Language is for communication, the mistakes are a secondary consideration. While you are communicating, you will realize your mistakes. You can use these mistakes to improve your communicative skills. The way you say something may be different from what a native speaker says. Here is an example, an Indonesian student may say, I do it, to mean he is going to do something in the near future. While communicating with a native speaker, the student will hear, Ill do it, and so correct his mistake. The student who does not speak will probably not notice the difference; this student will never speak good English.

Questions: 1. What must we do in order to speak English well? 2. What do you think of learning to speak English? 3. Why arent we afraid of making mistakes when speak English? 4. What are importances of speaking English with a native speaker? 5. What can you do about correcting mistakes English?

Discussion Materials ELC 2

Marriage
Some people believe that marriage is a must. We were born, grew up and then got married, but other people also believe that marriage is not so important in our lives. But the happiness is the most important thing of all.

Questions:

1. Do you believe that marriage is a must? Why? 2. Do you agree or disagree that marriage should be carried out before 30 years old? Why agree or disagree? 3. Do you agree or disagree that marriage is not everything but the happiness is the most important of all? Why agree or disagree? 4. The success of married is after having child or children and having much money, do you agree or disagree? Why? 5. How old do you think is eligible to get married? Why?

Problem
No one in the world has never had problem in his or her life. No matter who you are, poor or rich, problems will always hit you; such as family problem, financial, love, study and so on.

Questions:

1. If you have a problem, who do you trust to tell your problem, your parents, friends, or. Why? 2. Which is the greatest problem, financial or love problems? Why? 3. Do you believe that all problems are resolved? Why sometimes people commit suicide because of problems? 4. Do you think drugs and alcoholic drinks can resolve problems? 5. What do you usually do to resolve your problems? 6. Have you ever advised someone who was having problems? What did you do?

Discussion Materials ELC 3

Abortion
The Indonesian House of Representatives are currently ratifying constitution to legalize practice of abortion law in Indonesia. The idea is a nation wide controversy for most people disagree with it since they know that abortion is a crime for committing murder and surely it is illegal. But still there are few people who agree that abortion is the way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy such as getting pregnant after being raped.

Questions: 1. What do you think about abortion? 2. Do you agree or disagree that abortion should be banned? Why? 3. Do you agree or disagree that abortion can be committed to the condition of unwanted pregnancy? After being raped, why? 4. To what extent do you think that abortion could be committed? 5. Why do you think abortion must be banned?

Avian Influenza

Indonesia is facing a health crisis after hundreds of citizens are either confirmed to be, or suspected of, suffering from avian influenza. It says poultry outbreaks in some areas have been successfully contained, and most human outbreaks have been traced to direct contact with diseased or dead poultry. It was found in many cases of infecting Avian Influenza that ended up with death. Prevention being done to overcome wide spread infectious deceases that kill all infected birds. While where possible, to use vaccination as a method of control, due to the expense and huge logistical hurdles involved in killing huge numbers of birds. There is so far no evidence of human-to-human transmission, but health officials fear that if the virus combines with the human influenza virus, it could become highly infectious and lead to a global flu epidemic. Questions: 1. Do you agree or disagree that kill all infected birds or spray them with disinfectants could end up the spread of avian influenza? Why? 2. What is the best way to prevent the spread of the avian influenza?

Discussion Materials ELC 4 3. Do you agree or disagree that one way to avoid you from being infected is to keep away from the people who are suffering from the flu? Why? 4. What should the government do to overcome the decease? 5. Do you guarantee that your neighborhood is free from the infection of avian influenza? If not, what should you do?

Pornography
Pornography is tearing apart the very fabric of our society. Yet we are often ignorant of its impact and apathetic about the need to control this menace.

Pornography involves books, magazines, videos, and devices and has moved from the margin of society into the mainstream through the renting of video cassettes, sales of so-called "soft-porn" magazines, and the airing of sexually explicit movies on cable television. The 1986 Attorney General Commission on Pornography defined pornography as material that "is predominantly sexually explicit and intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal." To some, pornography is nothing more than a few pictures of scantily-clad women in seductive poses. But pornography has become much more than just photographs of nude women. Psychologist Edward Donnerstein (University of Wisconsin) found that brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behavior. Male viewers tend to be more aggressive toward women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape. Researchers have found that pornography can produce an array of undesirable effects such as rape. The fight against pornography is being done widely in our society and perhaps the most important things are we must evaluate our exposure to media (magazines, TV shows, rock music) with inappropriate sexual themes. Parents should set a positive example for their children, and take time to discuss these stories, programs, and songs with them. Questions: 1. Do you agree or disagree that pornography is the main influenced factor to the committed of violence on women and children? Why? 2. Why must we fight against pornography? 3. How to prevent you from the impact of pornography? 4. What should the government do to fight against pornography? 5. Do you agree or disagree that pornography is part of human culture? Why?

Discussion Materials ELC 5 6. To what extent is the impact of pornography in our society? Why it happens and how to prevent it?

Modern Slavery
What becomes a controversy of todays enchanting modern life with the use of high technology in almost all sorts of human needs and activities and in the era where human rights has been or being appraised as the highest consciousness of human esteem, is still found slavery and human rights violence lying in another dark page of human history. Today slavery still becomes a great problem in our social life. Even the meaning becomes more complicated than ever. The UN Convention on Slavery defines a slave as anyone who is unable to withdraw his labor voluntarily. This broad definition includes economic slaves-child workers, serfs, and indentured laborers-and exists in various forms throughout much of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. Human rights organizations estimate that some three million people live in this condition worldwide. Slavery involves almost the whole poor and developing countries worldwide. Technically, they are not chattel slaves, but economically and psychologically they belong to other people. Social-economical problems includes financial crisis have drawn thousands of citizens to explore new cities or even new countries to find jobs for their family survivals. Being at those conditions they volunteer or forced to do so, to work for a very low payment over their hard and difficult jobs. Furthermore, most of the workers have to work for more than ten hours each day, under a very stressful control and some of them were found as victims of physical or psychological violence suppressed by employers that ended them up with big trauma or even death. Questions: 1. Why slavery still haunt modern human lives? 2. What is the best way to stop slavery practice? 3. Do you agree or disagree that a slave as anyone who is unable to withdraw his labor voluntarily? 4. Do you believe that International Consortium for human Rights can stop slavery practice worldwide? 5. Do you agree or disagree that working under normal payment could be categorized slavery practice? 6. What do you think of Indonesian overseas workers? Do you see them as part of slavery practice? Why? 7. How to control the slavery practice? 8. What should the government do to stop the slavery practice?

Discussion Materials ELC 6

Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be a dark place. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and over 1,200 other things. About every two weeks he created something new. Thomas A. Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. His family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when he was seven years old. Surprisingly, he attended school for only two months. His mother, a former teacher, taught him a few things, but Thomas was mostly self-educated. His natural curiosity led him to start experimenting at a young age with electrical and mechanical things at home. When he was 12 years old, he got his first job. He became a newsboy on a train that ran between Port Huron and Detroit. He set up a laboratory in a baggage care of the train so that he could continue his experiments in his spare time. Unfortunately, his first work experience did not end well. Thomas was fired when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the baggage car. Thomas then worked for five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time on the job conducting experiments. He got his first patent in 1868 for a vote recorder run by electricity. However, the vote recorder was not a success. In 1870, he sold another invention, a stock-ticker, for $40,000. A stock-ticker is a machine that automatically prints stock prices on a tape. He was then able to build his first shop in Newark, New Jersey. Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, but thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work. He called himself a "two-shift man" because he worked 16 out of every 24 hours. Sometimes he worked so intensely that his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat. Thomas Edison died at the age of 84 on October 18, 1931, at his estate in West Orange, New Jersey. He left numerous inventions that improved the quality of life all over the world. Questions: 1. What things did Thomas Alva Edison Invent? 2. When & where was Edison born? 3. What was his mothers job? 4. When Edison got his first job, how old was he? What was his job? 5. How did Edisons first work experience? Did he succeed? 6. How long did he work as telegraph operator? 7. When did Edison get his first patent? Where did he get it for? 8. What was a stock-ticker? How much was it? 9. Why did he call himself two-shift man?

Discussion Materials ELC 7 10. When & where did Edison die? How old was Edison when died?

True Friendship
True friendship involves relationship. Those mutual attributes we mentioned above become the foundation in which recognition transpires into relationship. Many people say, "Oh, he's a good friend of mine," yet they never take time to spend time with that "good friend." Friendship takes time: time to get to know each other, time to build shared memories, time to invest in each other's growth.

Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets with someone, without worrying that those secrets will end up on the Internet the next day! Failing to be trustworthy with those intimate secrets can destroy a friendship in a hurry. Faithfulness and loyalty are keys to true friendship. Without them, we often feel betrayed, left out, and lonely. In true friendship, there is no backbiting, no negative thoughts, no turning away.

True friendship requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another and forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship supports during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship, unconditional love develops. We love our friends no matter what and we always want the best for our friends.

Questions: 1. Why do we need a friend or friends? 2. Do you have a true friend in your life? 3. What is a true friend alike to you? 4. Do you agree or disagree that a friend should be someone who shares your feeling of joy and suffering and is willing to help you at your complete disposal? Why? 5. When you have a friend who needs you only when needs your help, do you trust him or not? Why? 6. Sometimes we recall true friends as someone who always gives you treats. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 7. What benefits do you get from a friend or friends?

Discussion Materials ELC 8

Childhood
Children in the middle ages had a rough time. Babies were hung up on hooks on the wall out of the way, and children were put to work early. Girls learn to cook, sew and weave, while boys learned farming or a trade. Only the upper classes were educated. Now children are amazingly resourceful and creative. They transform cardboard boxes into space ships, stones into animals, and cardboard tubes into telephones. Children do not need the most expensive toys and equipment for optimal learning, but children need hands-on activities - playing in water, building mud pies, making things out of wood, putting a doll to bed, etc. They also need lots of ways to practice and integrate new experiences that they feel fun and interesting.

Questions: 1. How was your childhood alike? Were you happy? 2. Did you make fun of your childhood? What did you do? 3. How did you spend most of childhood life? 4. What did you recall best of your childhood experience? 5. Do you agree or disagree that children should be free and protected? Why? 6. Why do we have to prevent children from work? 7. Do we need legal or constitution to protect children from being abused or violated? Why?

Department Stores VS Traditional Markets

The economic growth and increase of life values have subsequently changed lifestyles from traditional into modern. Nowadays development has been generating in big cities like Makassar through the availability of department stores which is dominating most of the city centers. Department stores have changed the city face as

Discussion Materials ELC 9 a whole from the traditional look and mesh view into a more fascinating and classy entertaining image. Moreover shopkeepers realize the appeal of one-stop shopping particularly to finely dressed ladies climbing in and out of cars. On the other hand, the development has diminished the role of traditional markets. People tend to buy things at supermarkets rather than at the traditional ones. Many reasons affect this change such as; department stores almost have everything to buy; from pins to pets under one roof, competitive price and product quality warranty, self service is also introduced, furthermore windows displays, in-store promotions and street promotions like the use of lighting equipments and moving pictures, celebrity appearances are another promotional ploy to entertain buyers or visitors. Therefore people tend to see department stores as amusement places rather than shopping center itself. All the above qualities are hardly ever found in traditional markets. But many people do not leave the traditional market though. They choose the traditional market as an alternative place for buying things that are not available at department stores. Economical reasons, price bargaining opportunities are also another option offered at traditional markets. Nevertheless, it proves a wise move. Department stores continue to flourish, and today there are around eight in Makassar, while the rest are coming up very soon.

Questions: 1. Where do you usually go shopping, at department stores or traditional markets? 2. Do you agree or disagree that department stores are a better place to shop than the traditional ones? Why? 3. Do you agree or disagree that people tend to see department store as amusement places rather than a shopping center? Why? 4. What can you do at traditional market but not at department stores? 5. Why are more people shopping at department stores than to traditional markets? 6. Mention things that are not on sale in department stores but at traditional markets? 7. Do you agree or disagree that buying things at department stores are cost more than at traditional market? Why? 8. Do you agree or disagree that one day there will be no more traditional markets in big cities like Makassar or Jakarta? Why? 9. Where can you find a price bargain opportunity? Is it important for buyers? 10. Do you usually ask for a bargain when you buy things? Why?