You live in Notting Hill, where beautiful private garden squares are usually closed to the public. The local community council is meeting to discuss a new idea: opening one of these gardens to everyone for a special Open Garden Weekend. This raises concerns for residents who value their privacy and the quiet beauty of their gardens, while families and community groups argue that giving access to green spaces is important. People have strong opinions on both sides, and the council wants to hear everyone's arguments before making a final decision.

Si nécessaire, aidez-vous de la fiche méthode Interagir à l'oral.

Participate in a community meeting.
You have been invited to take part in the debate. Each participant has a role to play: residents with keys who enjoy the peace and privacy of the garden, families without gardens who would love a green space to relax in, community activists campaigning for public access to nature, and council members who must make the final decision. Together, you must share your arguments and reach a conclusion: Will the garden gates be unlocked?

• Research your role: Pick the character you will represent: resident, family, community activist, or council member. Think about their interests, concerns, and priorities.
• Gather arguments: Find at least two strong points to support your position on opening the garden for the weekend.
• Consider counterarguments: Think about what others might say and how you could respond respectfully.
• Prepare examples: Use real-life situations or stories from the unit to illustrate your arguments.

➤ Préparez vos notes

• Identifiez votre rôle, vos priorités et inquiétudes.
• Listez les arguments pour défendre votre position, et ajoutez un exemple concret ou une anecdote pour chaque argument.
• Anticipez les contre-arguments et préparez des réponses polies et claires.

➤ Présentez votre opinion

• Commencez par saluer et présenter votre rôle (Good morning, I'm representing…).
• Présentez vos idées de façon personnelle, en mêlant faits et émotions.
• Concluez en résumant votre position et en soulignant l'intérêt commun (In conclusion, I think this will benefit everyone because…).

➤ Écoutez les autres et réagissez

• Prenez des notes rapides sur les arguments des autres pendant leur prise de parole.
• Posez des questions si quelque chose n'est pas clair (Could you explain…? What do you mean by…?).
• Reformulez le point que vous voulez contredire avant de répondre (If I understand correctly, you are saying…).

➤ Impliquez-vous dans la décision finale

• Participez au vote ou au consensus en rappelant vos principaux arguments.
• Soyez prêts à faire des compromis et à vous adapter.
• Respectez le résultat final et notez ce que vous avez appris sur les différents points de vue. (I support this decision because…, I respect the outcome, even though I think…)

Write a report for the local newspaper.
You are a journalist for the Kensington Chronicles, and you attended the community meeting where the Open Garden Weekend was debated. You took notes, and now it's time to write an article describing what happened: Who took part and what did they say? What were the main arguments for and against opening the garden? What was finally decided?

• Gather your notes: Collect ideas and examples from the unit about public and private spaces, inclusion, exclusion, and community access to green spaces.
• Plan the structure of your article: Decide how to introduce the debate and present different perspectives.
• Choose a headline: Create an engaging title that captures readers' attention.
• Write your article: Summarise the council meeting, present the arguments from each side, and describe the decision reached.
• Conclude with a comment on the importance of green spaces and community access.