English 2Introduction to the course

Cristina Mariotti

cristina.mariotti@unipv.it

Practical information

1) Lectures will be held in aula Disegno• on Tuesday from 16.00 to 17.30

• on Thursday from 09.00 to 10.30

2) Office hours = Monday from 14.00 to 15.00

3) Tutors = tutoring sessions will be organised in May to help you study.

We are looking for tutors for next year! Please refer to the COR website for information.

English 2 – Exam structure

Written test Grammar CELs Ferrari and Lynton

first + second semester

(depending on the group)Oral examination

Official course:

1) attending students (MUN): commenting on negotiation strategies analyzed in class and on MUN experience (roles in the group, difficulties, positive aspects, feedback on the experience)

2) non attending students:

- description of key concepts from the coursebook

- critical thinking on key issues about negotiation with examples from the book

Mariotti

second semester

Esse-3 Official final mark (12 CFUs)

• English 1 and English 2 will be recorded on line in Esse-3 as ONE SINGLE EXAM after the completion of the English 2 oral.

• The starting point for your final mark is given by the average of the partial marks you obtained in the English 1 and English 2 written tests.

IMPORTANT FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS

If you attend 70% of classes and participate in the MUN experience, your oral will consist in a debriefing of the course.

Questions will be on:1) your overall experience during the course: negotiation stragies youtend to adopt the most, skills you fund particularly difficult to master; how you behaved during role plays, etc.;

2) MUN experience: discussion on the role you played in the group, negotiation strategies adopted, overall feedback.

Course materials

1) Powell M., 2013, International Negotiations, Cambridge Business Skills.

2) Online materials for role play and MUN (only attending students).

3) Grammar:

- theory = Raymond Murphy, ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE, (with Answers), Cambridge University Press.

- exercises = HEADWAY Pre- Intermediate e HEADWAY Intermediate WORKBOOK with key for basic practice.

4) pronunciation = Bill Bowler, Sarah Cunningham, Peter Moor, Sue Parminter, New Headway Pronunciation Course: Intermediate, Oxford University Press.Grammar book.

The UNAn overview

What is the UN?

It is an intergovernmental organization

which promotes international cooperation.

Antonio Guterres

Main UN organs

1) The General Assembly (the main deliberative assembly);

2) the Security Council (for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security);

3) the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (for promoting international economic and social co-operation and development);

4) the Secretariat (for providing studies, information, and facilities needed by the UN);

5) the International Court of Justice (the primary judicial organ).

Main UN objectives

1) Maintaining international peace and security,

2) promoting human rights,

3) fostering social and economic development,

4) protecting the environment,

5) providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict.

Overview of The United Nations

UN Resolutions: Types of resolution

• General Assembly resolutions (not binding): less immediate but more far-reaching (they have long-term effects); they issue policies. It is a collective effort (193 countries) with respect to SC.

• Security Council resolutions (binding): very incisive, they call for directaction as a response to an emergency: it only involves 15 countries. Itis often characterized by a stalemate in negotations because of the veto power of some of its members = no action can be taken.

Security Council: The veto power problem (1)

to wield = the veto power is wielded only by the five permanentmembers of the United Nations’ Security Council

The five permanent members are: China, France, Russia, UnitedKingdom, and United States

Security Council: The veto power problem (2)

• In a nutshell, any permanent country can stop a resolution if they do not like it.

• Substantive resolutions: binding resolutions.

• The five permanent members also decide which issues are "substantive".

Security Council: The veto power problem (3)

• In practice, this means that they control the Security Council.

• This is seen by many as undemocratic and the main cause for mostinternational inaction on war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Security Council

Model UN (MUN)Organizing MUN activities

What is Model UN (MUN)?

It is a simulation where you learn about:

- diplomacy,

- international relations,

- how the UN works.

Skills you will practise:

1) negotiating and debating

2) researching information about a country’s political and economicsystem;

3) (academic English) writing;

4) public speaking;

5) critical thinking;

6) teamworking.

What are you expected to be doing in MUN?

• You will be representing a country, i.e. you will become a delegate of that country.

• Delegates (1) conduct research before conferences and (2) formulate positions that they will then (3) debate with their fellow delegates in the committee, staying true to the actual position of the member they represent.

The Countries

• Remember! It may be «cool» to be representing a «big» country, but«small» countries can also have an impact and representing them hasits pros:

1) the research can be more stimulating;

2) you can network with countries in your area/continent, or countrieswith similar issues and form alliances more easily.

Main objective of MUN: Shaping policies

• Policy planning (or policy shaping) is the main task in MUN.

• Policy planning involves moving from the abstract ideals of yourcountry (its ‘moral stance’) to more tangible, realistic and sharedplans for action.

Groups’ rules

• It is absolutely imperative that partners work together and act as a cohesive unit.

• Any disagreements should be dealt with diplomatically outside the realm of either the classroom or especially the conference.

• Any issues with partners should be brought directly to the Professor’sattention.

• It is possible for a country to be represented by just two students or by one student.

Step 1: Rules of Procedure and Glossary

We will gradually get acquainted with Model UN’s Rules of Procedure and Glossary.

Step 2: Collecting information

Each group will collect information on the assigned country conducting online research and filling in the (1) Country Information sheet.

Step 3: Preparing the Position Paper

Each group will discuss the policy of their Country on the topic of the resolution and will fill in a (2) Policy Planning sheet.

The Policy Planning Sheet serves as a guideline for the (3) Position Paper.

Step 4: Unmoderated caucuses

A month before the MUN session the Chair will distribute the text of the resolution to be amended, discussed and voted.

In class, the groups will hold unmoderated caucuses to discuss the resolution and possible amendments identifying critical issues and trying to form alliances.

Step 5: The final MUN debate

During our last class we will hold the MUN session where the groups debate the proposed resolution and decide on it by voting.

IMPORTANT!

To be eligible for participation in the final MUN session each groupmust produce (1) Country Information, (2) Policy Planning and (3) Position Paper.

MUN Keywords

• Delegate = country representative

• Committee = group of country representatives

• GA = General Assembly

• Draft resolution = a resolution that needs to be approved

• UN Resolution = decision made by the UN during one of its sessions

• Caucus = meeting

MUN TASKS

1) Conducting research. HOW? Both individually, according to the assigned role and in group during caucuses.

2) Formulating your country’s position on the issue that will be debated in our MUN session.HOW? By writing a position paper and an opening speech during caucuses.

3) Taking part in the MUN session (public speaking) during the final lecture.

Taking part in the MUN session implies:

a) engaging in research on the Country you represent;

b) writing a position paper (i.e. your Country’s policy on a specific matter);

c) negotiating an amendment in a committee;

d) delivering an opening speech;

e) debating on a draft resolution sponsored by one of the member countries and voting by staying true to the actual position of the UN Country you represent.

Roles within groups

1) Spokesperson

2) Delegate coordinating research on the country represented by the group

3) Delegate coordinating opening speech

4) Delegate coordinating work on the amendment