Intermediate Speaking Check-in: The First Debate

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Intermediate Speaking Check-in: The First Debate

Testing Lessons 1–3 — sharing opinions, partial agreement, and adding information

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Iru Challenge Note

This check-in puts you in a real debate scenario. You'll practice giving your opinion, acknowledging the other side, and building your argument — all using expressions from the first three Intermediate Speaking lessons. There's no new vocabulary here. This is your chance to prove you can use what you've already learned under pressure.

제 생각에는 재택근무가 더 효율적인 것 같아요. 게다가 시간도 절약할 수 있거든요.

(I think working from home seems more efficient. Furthermore, you can also save time.)

🗣️ What This Check-in Tests

A debate is the perfect proving ground for Lessons 1–3. You need to state your view clearly (제 생각에는), acknowledge the other person's point before pushing back (맞는 말이에요, 그런데 / 어느 정도는 동의해요, 다만), and stack your reasons convincingly (게다가). This check-in gives you 10 speaking situations from a single debate: 재택근무 vs. 사무실 근무 (working from home vs. working in the office).

📋 The Scenario

You're in a group discussion at work. Some colleagues prefer remote work; others prefer the office. You're sharing your views, responding to theirs, and building a case — all in Korean. Each prompt below gives you a moment in the debate. Speak your response out loud, then check the sample answer.

Expressions you should be using:

제 생각에는 ~인 것 같아요 (Lesson 1)

맞는 말이에요, 그런데 / 일리가 있어요, 그렇지만 (Lesson 2)

어느 정도는 동의해요, 다만 (Lesson 2)

그렇긴 한데요 / 충분히 이해해요, 다만 제 생각에는 (Lesson 2)

게다가 / 뿐만 아니라 / 더군다나 / 거기다가 (Lesson 3)

🗣️ Speaking Challenge

A. The topic is introduced: "재택근무 vs. 사무실 근무 — 어느 쪽이 더 좋다고 생각하세요?" Give your initial opinion.

<summary>Sample Answer

제 생각에는 재택근무가 더 효율적인 것 같아요. 왜냐하면 출퇴근 시간이 없어서 그 시간을 다른 일에 쓸 수 있거든요. (I think working from home seems more efficient. Because there's no commute time, so you can use that time for other things.)

B. A colleague says: "사무실에서 일하면 팀워크가 더 좋아요." Acknowledge their point and partially agree, then add your view.

<summary>Sample Answer

맞는 말이에요. 그런데 제 생각에는 온라인으로도 충분히 협업이 가능한 것 같아요. 게다가 요즘은 화상 회의 도구도 잘 되어 있거든요. (That's true. But I think online collaboration is also possible enough. Furthermore, these days video conferencing tools are also really good.)

C. Someone argues: "집에서는 집중이 안 돼요." Acknowledge this genuinely, then counter.

<summary>Sample Answer

어느 정도는 동의해요. 집에서 집중하기 어려울 수 있어요. 다만 제 생각에는 개인마다 다른 것 같아요. 저는 오히려 집에서 더 집중이 잘 돼요. (I partly agree. It can be hard to focus at home. But I think it varies by person. For me, I actually focus better at home.)

D. A colleague points out: "사무실에 오면 상사에게 빨리 보고할 수 있어요." Respond with partial agreement and add a counterpoint.

<summary>Sample Answer

그렇긴 한데요. 다만 제 생각에는 이메일이나 메시지로도 빠르게 보고할 수 있는 것 같아요. 뿐만 아니라 기록도 남길 수 있어요. (That's true in a way. But I think you can also report quickly via email or messages. Not only that, but you can also keep a record.)

E. Build your case further: add two more reasons why remote work benefits the company, using 게다가 and 뿐만 아니라.

<summary>Sample Answer

게다가 재택근무를 하면 사무실 유지 비용도 줄어들 수 있어요. 뿐만 아니라 직원들의 만족도도 높아질 수 있다고 생각해요. (Furthermore, with remote work the office maintenance costs can also decrease. Not only that, but I also think employee satisfaction can increase.)

F. Someone says: "재택근무를 하면 일과 생활의 경계가 없어져요." Acknowledge this concern thoughtfully, then respond.

<summary>Sample Answer

충분히 이해해요. 그건 정말 중요한 문제예요. 다만 제 생각에는 본인이 경계를 잘 정하면 관리할 수 있는 것 같아요. (I fully understand. That's a really important issue. But I think if you set clear boundaries yourself, it can be managed.)

G. A colleague is strongly pro-office and says: "저는 절대 재택근무가 더 낫다고 생각하지 않아요." Respond diplomatically without giving up your position.

<summary>Sample Answer

일리가 있어요. 그렇지만 저는 어느 정도는 동의하기 어려워요. 제 생각에는 어떤 환경이 더 맞는지는 사람마다 다른 것 같거든요. (That makes sense. But I find it a bit difficult to agree with that. I think which environment suits someone better varies from person to person.)

H. Summarize your position to the group. Use at least three expressions from Lessons 1–3.

<summary>Sample Answer

제 생각에는 재택근무가 많은 면에서 더 효율적인 것 같아요. 어느 정도는 사무실 근무의 장점도 있어요. 다만 게다가 재택근무는 직원 만족도를 높이고, 뿐만 아니라 통근 시간도 절약할 수 있어요. (I think remote work is more efficient in many ways. There are some advantages to office work too. But furthermore, remote work increases employee satisfaction, and not only that, it also saves commute time.)

I. The moderator asks: "그렇다면 이상적인 업무 환경은 어떤 것이라고 생각하세요?" Give your ideal scenario.

<summary>Sample Answer

제 생각에는 혼합형이 가장 좋은 것 같아요. 어느 정도는 사무실에 가고, 나머지는 재택근무를 하는 방식이요. 게다가 팀의 필요에 따라 유연하게 결정할 수 있으면 더 좋을 것 같아요. (I think a hybrid arrangement seems best. Going to the office sometimes, and working from home the rest. Furthermore, it would be even better if decisions could be made flexibly based on the team's needs.)

J. A colleague challenges you: "당신의 의견이 맞다고 생각하지 않아요. 증거가 있어요?" Respond calmly and maintain your position.

<summary>Sample Answer

맞는 말이에요. 데이터를 보면 더 설득력이 있죠. 그런데 제 생각에는 개인적인 경험도 중요한 것 같아요. 게다가 많은 회사들이 이미 재택근무로 좋은 결과를 내고 있잖아요. (That's true. Looking at data would be more convincing. But I think personal experience is also important. Furthermore, many companies are already getting good results with remote work.)

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Target Expressions — Lessons 1–3

Expression	Lesson
제 생각에는 ~인 것 같아요	1
맞는 말이에요, 그런데	2
일리가 있어요, 그렇지만	2
어느 정도는 동의해요, 다만	2
그렇긴 한데요	2
충분히 이해해요, 다만	2
게다가	3
뿐만 아니라	3
더군다나	3
거기다가	3

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Self-Check

After each response, ask:

Did I give my opinion clearly with 제 생각에는?

Did I acknowledge the other view before disagreeing?

Did I stack at least two reasons using 게다가 or 뿐만 아니라?

If yes to all three, you're debate-ready.

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Debate Tip

The hardest part of debating in Korean isn't vocabulary — it's slowing down enough to use the softening expressions. Native speakers in debates still use 맞는 말이에요, 그런데. Don't skip it just because you're under pressure.

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Keep Going!

If any of the sample answers felt out of reach, go back and review the relevant lesson. If all 10 felt manageable, you're ready for Check-in 2: The Personal Narrative. Debating gets easier every time you do it — try this same topic again tomorrow and see if your responses feel more natural.