Here are some examples of issues raised by the different notions. There is no specific order. You may find links on articles published on my site to help you with further arguments and ideas.
To help you get ready for your oral examination, here is a blank grid to ARGUE ABOUT THE NOTION.
Refer to the lists to make your vocabulary richer.
List of questions you may be asked about the notion. (exam interaction)
MYTHS & HEROES
adjectives // nouns // verbs
- The American dream : myth or reality ?
- Immigration and the myth of the promised land.
- Fighting against discrimination/injustice : myth or reality ?
- How do the media foster the Myth of Beauty ?
- Heroes and Superheroes : fiction or reality ?
- Why do people need role-models ?
- Can sports champions be considered heroes ?
- Can a star giving his/her money for a cause be considered a hero ?
- Are volunteers modern day heroes ?
- Are doctors without borders/reporters without borders modern day heroes ?
- How did the fight for liberty create heroes ?
- Fighting for equality : why do we need heroic figures ?
- Are journalists only looking for scoops or heroically trying to open people’s minds ?
- Are soldiers war heroes or the victims of man’s foolish crave for power ?
- Is the hero the man who fights or the runaway ?
- Is dying for a cause a heroic deed ?
SPACE & EXCHANGE
adjectives // nouns // verbs
- How can school favor exchange ?
- Where is it better to learn : at home or at school ?
- How has the Internet changed the limits between public and private lives ?
- How can social networks favor exchange between people ?
- How do social networks make people closer or more distant ?
- Should a robot or a machine be treated as a human being ?
- Can couch surfing enhance people’s exchanges ?
- How can Art / Street Art unite or divide people ?
- How can Art be a means of self-expression ?
- How can Sport unite a nation ?
- How can public transport (buses/underground/train) be turned into a space of exchange and communication?
- Is immigration an asset for a country or not ?
- How can a mixed race child find his/her own identity ?
POWER: WHERE & HOW
adjectives // nouns // verbs
- How can the power of money change people’s behaviour ?
- How can words be more powerful than firearms ?
- How can the power of vote change a nation ?
- How can humour overcome man’s suffering or powerlessness ?
- How can education become a counterpower ?
- How can the media influence how people think and act ?
- How does advertising manipulate people ?
- How are stereotypes used and controlled by the media ?
- How far can a government go to protect a nation ?
- Why do people fight and kill for power ?
- Colonization : the power of men over men
- Man’s power vs woman’s power
- Being a woman in a man’s world
- The Internet : a new form of power
- Google : a powerful search engine
THE IDEA OF PROGRESS
adjectives // nouns // verbs
- Have mentalities changed or not?
- Has equal marriage changed people’s mentalities or not ?
- Should forced marriage be considered a positive or negative tradition ?
- How can education change the way people think and act ?
- How can education change the world ?
- How can new technologies improve the way people live ?
- Should « acting green » be a duty or not ?
- Can we consider the Internet a progress or not ?
- How can social networks change the way people communicate ?
- Traditional schooling vs E-learning : which one is better ?
- What if Robots took control of the planet ?
- Should Man be afraid of AI ?
- Can we consider PGD/designer babies/saviour siblings a progress or not ?
- How far can man progress in science ?