  DEVELOPMENT OF THINKING
Thinking is the most complicated and important process of cognition. It is the leading and uncompensated component in the structure of abilities for foreign languages.
It is well-known, the main mental operations are analysis, synthesis, abstraction, comparison, concrete definition and generalization. More complex mental acts (classification, systematization) represent a higher stage of the process.
Thinking is closely connected with speech and impossible without it. Therefore verbal-logical thinking is of great importance for us. Students’ abilities to analyze, to structure, to find a logical connection – all these are main indices of the level of verbal-logical thinking development.
The task below demonstrates some effective techniques for developing verbal-logical thinking.
Task 1
Split into micro groups.
Look at the picture of young man and try to put forward as many ideas of him as you can (his age, nationality, occupation, education, etc.).
Teenage Conman Given Four Years
Task 2
Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right. See how many you can do without a dictionary!
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a) utterly |
1. to ask for a court case to be heard
again |
b) custody* |
2. imprisonment |
c) to appeal* |
3. completely |
d) mortgage |
4. wasting money |
e) stockbroker |
5. of abnormal mind |
f) to be bailed* |
6. to get money dishonestly |
g) to forge* |
7. a loan to buy a house |
h) mitigation* |
8. a dealer in stocks and shares |
i) to swindle* |
9. without conscience |
j) mentally disturbed |
10. decrease |
k) squandering money |
11. to make an illegal copy of money,
signature or document |
1) ruthless |
12. allowed to leave prison before
your case is heard by the judge |
* These words are connected with crime or the law.
Key: a. 3; b. 2; c. 1; d. 7; e. 8; f. 12; g. 11; h. 10; i. 6; j. 5; k. 4; l. 9
Task 3
Read the text.
Teenage Conman Given Four Years
A teenager described by a judge as utterly selfish and ruthless was given four years’ youth custody yesterday for falsely obtaining a half a million pounds mortgage and squandering thousands of pounds on “self-indulgent pleasures”.
Mark Acklom, now 18, of Bromley, south-east London, was 16 when he persuaded the Leeds Permanent Building Society to give him a £466,000 mortgage, saying that he was a 25-year-old stockbroker earning nearly £250,000 a year, Inner London Crown Court heard.
He ran up an £11,000 bill on a credit card stolen from his father and flew friends round Europe in a private jet. Since being bailed, he had tried to obtain a £21,000 convertible BMW and had forged a cheque, stolen from his father, for more than £1,000.
Judge Brian Pry or, QC, after listening to three hours of mitigation on Acklom’s behalf, including evidence from a psychiatrist, told him: “I prefer my own diagnosis, based on many years’ experience, that you show all the typical symptoms of a con-man telling sophisticated lies to your victims, closely adapted to suit the circumstances of the particular persons you are talking to.”
Referring to £13,000 Acklom swindled from two of his old teachers at Eastbourne College, Judge Pryor said: “You told them lie after lie in order to get their money so that you could squander it on self-indulgent pleasure or gratify your gambling desires.”
Mr. Charles Conway, defending, said that, Acklom – who admitted several counts of theft and deception and asked for 119 other offences to be considered – was “greatly disturbed” and needed psychiatric treatment. After the sentence, his father Mr. John Acklom, an insurance adviser, said they might appeal.
By Wendy Holden
Task 4
Role-play: Form A/B pairs for interview.
Group A. Imagine you are Acklom.
1. What kind of upbringing did you have?
2. Do you feel you are one of “Thatcher’s children”, the result of materialistic society?
Group В. You are a journalist.
You are going to interview Acklom about his past and future.
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