Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Are you the type of person who enjoys a good argument? When everyone else wants pizza, do you want salad? When everyone else wants to take the elevator, do you want to climb the stairs? When everyone else enjoys heights, do you want to stay on the ground? What if you don’t really like to climb stairs or stay on the ground? But you just say those things because you like to be difficult? If that’s the case, then you like to play devil’s advocate.
When you play devil’s advocate, this means that you argue the opposite just for fun. You like to think about different opinions or options. Playing devil’s advocate is supposed to help other people see something they didn’t think about before. It might also be annoying. Who wants a friend who disagrees with them simply for the fun of disagreeing?
Andy and Kelsey are acting in a scene for Nestor’s movie. Do you think Nestor is amused when they both play devil’s advocate? Watch and find out.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Nestor |
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Nestor: Action!
Andy_H: It’s the only way out. We have to do it.
Kelsey: Just to play devil’s advocate… What if we went back and tried to find another way out?
Andy_H: No way! I’m not going back.
Kelsey: I hate heights! I can’t go down those stairs.
Andy_H: It’s better than going back.
Kelsey: Is it, though? Maybe, we can just find another hallway. Maybe, there’s an elevator.
Andy_H: This is the plan. We climb down the stairs, and we get out of here. Simple!
Kelsey: Or we try another floor, right? That’s not a bad idea.
Andy_H: That’s a terrible plan. We can get out here!
Kelsey: What if it doesn’t go all the way down to the ground? Let’s try another way. Let’s…
Andy_H: No! That’s a terrible idea. Let’s go…
Kelsey: Wait! Do we actually go out there?
Nestor: Cut. Yes, you’re supposed to step out first, then say…
Kelsey: What if, instead of me stepping out, Andy steps out?
Andy_H: Heck, yeah! I’ll do it!
Nestor: I don’t like that. Stick to the script, Kelsey. You go first.
Kelsey: Umm…
Nestor: Fine. Andy, you go first. OK, let’s try again.
Andy_H: Ooo… Nevermind. Umm. So, just to play devil’s advocate, what if no one steps out?
Nestor: Look, it’s perfectly safe. Umm. OK, change of plans. No one steps out.
Kelsey: Good plan!
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Second Conditional" from this lesson 
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Discussion
Nestor calls action, and Andy and Kelsey begin acting. They are supposed to go out the fire escape. But the stairs are very, very steep! Kelsey wants to find another way out. Andy says that’s a terrible idea. They just need to climb down the stairs.
Kelsey asks Nestor if she really has to step out. Nestor calls cut. He tells Kelsey that she needs to go down the steep, steep stairs. She decides to play devil’s advocate and suggests that Andy go down first. Andy and Nestor both decide the stairs are too steep as well. So, no one has to step out. What a brave bunch of filmmakers!
Do you like to play devil’s advocate? When is the last time you really enjoyed an argument?
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