Discussion topic six: Reflection

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Considering my expectations about this English course, I think that I've improved on some particular areas of study.
First of all I've found a new way to learn pronunciation of new words: using Phonemic Chart. It is a simple way to learn pronunciation if you don't have the chance to speak with a native speaker.
Secondly I've acquired an unusual (and more practical) way to learn about English Grammar, especially Tenses. This method isn't just based on grammar rules, but takes a look also at the nature of the Speaker, the Context, and much more aspects.
The next thing I'm going to work on, is my "pet hate", speaking. I think I have a lot to improve in this area, not just in relation to English, but also in regard with my own exposition, in any case and in any language.
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Discussion Topic Five. Euthanasia & the Law

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Euthanasia is one of that particular and delicate issue, like abortion for example, that the modern society has faced openly in these past decades.
In my opinion we can't decide if euthanasia is a good thing or not, once and for all: we just have to give the chance to everyone of taking a decision on their own awarness, if they would ever had the misfortune of finding theirselves in such bad situations.
I also think that polticians shouldn't take it upon theirselves to decide for everyone about something so private and delicate. All the more so the Church shouldn't push politicians to intervene drastically in this matter, that isn't religious neither political, but social.
Finally I think that the solution is yet written in our Constitution, provided by the articles 12 and 32.
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Crime and the legal system

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1- The Defendant > goes on > Trial
2- The Defendant > pleads > Guilty or Not Guilty
3- Witnesses > give > Evidences
4- Barristers > cross-examine > Witnesses
5- Judge > sums up > the Case
6- Jury > reaches > a Verdict
7- Jury > acquit/convict > the Defendant
8- Judge > passes > Sentence .
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Conditionals and other Hypotheticals

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(A) Find an example for each type from the sentences below.
1. If I went out tonight , I would see John but I’m going to stay in. (2nd)
2. If I had gone out last night, I would have seen John. (3rd)
3. If I go out, I see John, he’s always in the pub. (0)
4. If I go out tonight, I will see John, he said he was going into the West End. (1st)
5. If I couldn’t speak English well, I wouldn’t have gone on the Erasmus programme. (Mixed 2/3)
6. If we had listened to the instructions properly, we would know what to do. (Mixed 3/2)

(B) Other modals apart from will and would can also be used. Now add the sentences below to the groups above.
1. If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten his birthday. (3rd)
2. If I had the money, I could lend it to you. (2nd)
3. If you get sick, you should see a doctor. (0)
4. If you make an appointment, you can see the doctor tomorrow. (1st)


Choosing the Best Conditional:
The conditional you use not only depends on the situation and time but also how you see it. For example 3 different people might use 0, 1st or 2nd conditionals to describe the same event depending on views and beliefs from their own experience.

Look at the 3 sentences below. How is each situation different? (n.b. they are all present situations)

(a)If the train is late, what do you do?
(b)If the train is late, what will you do?
(c)If the train was late, what would you do?

Which speaker:
Lives in Germany where the trains are never late? (c)
Lives in Italy where the trains are sometimes late? (b)
Lives in England where the trains are always late? (a)
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Discussion Topic Four:

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.I've always asked myself, looking at the Italian government team of ministers, how could be possible to a non-technical subject (most of them are "simply" politician, without even a real job) administer a department in such technical and specific matters like Education, Justice, Economics, etc. I think that a jurist, also if maybe isn't well prepared on very specifical areas, would have at least a deeper knowledge of existent legislation and, not less important, of how to make a good law. In my opinion this formula allows the Executive system to face in a realistical and objective way lot of legislative and governative questions.
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Discussion Topic Three: Lord Denning

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Lord Denning was a renowned English judge, known as "the people's judge" due to the simple language of his judgements, easy to understand by ordinary people. On the other hand someone has accused him of giving an interpretation of law, biased by his ideas and his prejudices, generating uncertainty about possible case's outcomes. He has been a judje for 38 years, 20 of them heading the civil side of the Court of Appeal and exerting a big influence on the development of English Law in that period. Famous feature of Lord Denning's judgments are a strong regional accent and an unusual prose style.

This is an extract of a famous Lord Denning's judgment, about Miller v. Jackson case (1977), better known as The Cricket Case, that gives an example of his peculiar judgment'style:

"In summertime village cricket is the delight of everyone. Nearly every village has its own cricket field where the young men play and the old men watch. In the village of Lintz in County Durham they have their own ground, where they have played these last 70 years. They tend it well. The wicket area is well rolled and mown. The outfield is kept short. It has a good club house for the players and seats for the onlookers. The village team play there on Saturdays and Sundays. They belong to a league, competing with the neighbouring villages. On other evenings after work they practise while the light lasts. Yet now after these 70 years a judge of the High Court has ordered that they must not play there any more. He has issued an injunction to stop them. He has done it at the instance of a newcomer who is no lover of cricket. This newcomer has built, or has had built for him, a house on the edge of the cricket ground which four years ago was a field where cattle grazed. The animals did not mind the cricket. But now this adjoining field has been turned into a housing estate. The newcomer bought one of the houses on the edge of the cricket ground. No doubt the open space was a selling point. Now he complains that when a batsman hits a six the ball has been known to land in his garden or on or near his house. His wife has got so upset about it that they always go out at week-ends. They do not go into the garden when cricket is being played. They say that this is intolerable. So they asked the judge to stop the cricket being played. And the judge, much against his will, has felt that he must order the cricket to be stopped: with the consequence, I suppose, that the Lintz Cricket Club will disappear. The cricket ground will be turned to some other use. I expect for more houses or a factory. The young men will turn to other things instead of cricket. The whole village will be much the poorer. And all this because of a newcomer who has just bought a house there next to the cricket ground".
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Discussion Topic Two: Pronunciation & Phonetics

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Usually I learn the correct pronunciation of new words, listening to the pronunciation (if I'm watching a movie or listening to a song, or simply talking to someone) of who's speaking. I don't know anything about phonetic symbols, simply because no one of my teacher has spell out them to me before now. I'll be happy to use these symbols since now, because I've found them very useful to learn on your own the right pronunciation if you have no chance to talk with a mother tongue.