Category: Class

Unlimited Vacation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Unlimited PTO (personal time off) is a type of employee benefit where an organization allows its employees to take as much time off work as they want or need, without a specific limit or maximum number of vacation days.

This means that employees are free to take as much time off as they want, as long as they meet their work responsibilities and performance goals. Unlimited vacation policies are usually focused on results and outcomes rather than hours worked, giving employees more autonomy and flexibility to manage their own schedules and workloads.

Watch the video about the pitfalls of unlimited PTO. Be able to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “talent retention” mean? “Unlimited time off policies help employees with their talent retention.” Use the word in a sentence.
  2. What does “backfire” mean? “Unlimited PTO(personal time off) can backfire if the company culture looks down on taking time off.” Use the word in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “pitfall” mean? “There are potential pitfalls that can make time off with no limits too much of a good thing.” Give 2 synonyms and use the word ‘pitfall’ in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s your opinion on unlimited PTO (personal time off) for employees?
  2. Do see this taking off even further in your country and in the whole world? Why or why not?
  3. What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of introducing an unlimited vacation policy in the workplace?
  4. What are your company’s vacation policies and how do you feel about them? Share some of your thoughts.
  5. Do you agree/disagree that ’employees desire for flexibility is stronger now than ever before’? Share your opinion.

E-commerce is Changing People’s Shopping Habits

B2 – Upper Intermediate

E-commerce has gained so much popularity ever since the peak of the pandemic when most people were unable to go out to shop. There has been an increasing number of online shops or platforms emerging nowadays. Most people prefer online shopping to going to physical stores.

Read the article to know how e-commerce is changing people’s shopping habits.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/business-economy/ecommerce-is-changing-peoples-shopping-habits.htm

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “break into” mean, “It is breaking into traditional markets more than ever before.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “driving force” mean, “Today, Facebook and other social media networks are the driving force behind online shopping.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does “on sale” mean, “There are even apps which show you if there is a certain product on sale within a short distance of your location.“? Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is online shopping popular in your country? Why/why not?
  2. When do you think e-commerce started gaining popularity in your country?
  3. What are the most used e-commerce platforms in your country?
  4. Do you agree that e-commerce is changing people’s shopping habits? If yes, how so?
  5. Do you think physical stores will not exist in the future anymore? Why/why not?
  6. Why do you think some people prefer shopping online to shopping in physical stores?

Fewer Teens Learn to Drive

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to statistics, fewer and fewer young people do not rush to learning how to drive nowadays. Economic factors, public transportation, and social media are contributing to the decline in the number of teens learning to drive.

Watch the video as NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff takes a look at why young people are losing the drive to get behind the wheel:

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “to break the/one’s bank” mean, “She says even signing up for driver’s ed can break her bank.” Use the expression in a sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “behind the wheel” mean? “I was nervous the first time I was behind the wheel.” Use the expression in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “rodeo” mean in this sentence, “First car is usually rodeo.”? Use the word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some reasons why fewer teens learn to drive?
  2. One of the reasons mentioned in the video is that social media is replacing in-person get-togethers. What is your reaction and your opinion on this?
  3. In your own personal opinion, how important is driving?
  4. On the other hand, what do you think when someone doesn’t know or want to learn how to drive?
  5. Share your experience driving for the first time.

Eliminating Procrastination Habit

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The primary threat to productivity is procrastination. Procrastination is a terrible habit that can interfere with you achieving your objectives as well as create anxiety and negatively influence your health and quality of life, according to experts.

Despite the fact that it can be challenging to break the practice, it is very important to kick your procrastination habits to the curb.

Watch the video for some procrastination-busting advice.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”to live up to something” mean, “Do I feel like I need to live up to the previous work I’ve done in the past”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “to dive deep/deeper into something” mean, “Take a moment to dive deep into your own thoughts and feelings about your work.”? Give 2 similar words or expressions to this and use them in your own sentences.
  3. What does “in one’s tracks” mean, “Stop your habit in its tracks.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on the link between procrastination and anxiety or depression.
  2. Explain the difference between procrastination and laziness.
  3. How can managers help team members who struggle with procrastination?
  4. What are some of your intrinsic motivation for what you do at work?
  5. What do you think is the relationship between procrastination and success in life?
  6. How do you feel/What are your thoughts about strictly sticking to a to-do list or schedule?

Signs You’re Experiencing Secondhand Stress

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It involves putting oneself in someone else’s shoes and feeling what they are feeling.

But are you aware that empathy can lead to secondhand stress, also known as compassion fatigue?

Secondhand stress and anxiety pertain to the feeling of being distressed or nervous because another individual is experiencing the same thing. Primarily, our thoughts and bodies are hardwired to detect significant hazards or vulnerabilities. When we witness another person experiencing anxiety or tension, we may unknowingly mimic it as an instinctual way to safeguard ourselves or the person involved; leading to feelings of stress and burnout.

We can detect secondhand stress by perceiving others’ facial gestures, hearing their voice frequency, and even picking up on certain scents or touches. Furthermore, we are more likely to encounter secondhand stress from people we are acquainted with than from random individuals, which means that our colleagues’ stress levels, as well as how they react to and demonstrate those stress feelings, can have implications for us.

So, how do you tell if someone is causing you stress?

To learn more, follow the link and read the full article.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/secondhand-stress-symptoms_l_63ed2231e4b0255caaefb9cd

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”mind is racing” mean, “You may find that your mind is racing and you’re constantly thinking about your loved one.”?Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does ”to get under the skin” mean, “It builds up as sort of tension, and that tension — the not talking about it, the not expressing it — that’s the piece that gets under the skin? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”to get swept up” mean, “It can be easy to get swept up in other people’s problems or in situations that are largely out of your control.”? Use this idiom in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you know if someone is stressing you out?
  2. How do you deal with second-hand stress especially at work?
  3. Can you sense someone else’s stress? In what way?
  4. Do you consider secondhand stress toxic empathy? Share your thoughts.
  5. What are the benefits and downsides of being empathetic?

Covid-19 Pandemic Changes Personality Traits

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness agreeableness, and openness are the five broad personality traits.

However, according to studies, not only personal grievances, but also global events like the COVID-19 pandemic can make one exhibit changes in their personality traits.

Read the article about how the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect of changes in our personality traits.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-pandemic-changes-in-personality-traits

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define the personality traits agreeableness, openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Cite situations where you have demonstrated and (almost) lost them.
  2. What does ”impervious” mean, “It is quite significant from a theoretical perspective to know that global events, like the pandemic, might have the effect of changing personality, which is often thought to be fixed and impervious to change”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “upheaval” mean, “There were upheavals on the social, political, and economic fronts that could also have affected personality development during this time, especially in the young adults who appeared to change the most.“? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  4. What does “encompass” mean, “In the current study, the researchers categorized the period encompassing the pandemic into the acute phase and the adaptation phase.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What some of the best ways to overcome neuroticism?
  2. What might be reasons younger individuals were especially susceptible to changes in personality traits during the pandemic?
  3. How has the pandemic changed you/your personality traits? How did you manage such a change?
  4. What personality traits changed in you with age? Why do you think that happened?
  5. Share your thoughts on this: “Neuroticism, openness, and extraversion tend to decrease (with age).”.

A Sinking City

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As global warming becomes worse year by year, the Indonesian capital Jakarta is on the verge of sinking. The city has sunk by a few meters in the past decade.

Read the article to learn more about why this city is sinking.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/world/asia/jakarta-a-sinking-city.htm

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “torrential” mean, “Torrential rainfall in the monsoon season causes flooding on a regular basis.”? Give 2 synonyms and make your own sentences.
  2. What does “densely” mean, “Jakarta is one of the most densely populated cities in the world – home to about 10 million people.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “draw something out” mean, “Many people draw water out of the ground for drinking and other purposes.”? Make a sentence with this phrase in this context.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. According to the article, why is Jakarta sinking?
  3. In what ways can people contribute to slowing down the sinking of this city?
  4. Do you think it’s possible to stop global warming? Why or why not?
  5. What other cities do you know are in danger of sinking?
  6. Do you think your city will also be in danger of sinking? Why or why not?

Market Boom for Fake Tanks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Russia-Ukraine War has boosted the need for heavy military weapons and vehicles. Such military supplies cost an arm and a leg, though. This most probably the reason fake army equipment makers have seen a rise in demand for their products.

These equipment are more cost-effective, yet still pretty much gets the job done when it comes to tricking and intimidating the enemy.

Read the article about the rise in demand for inflatable military decoys worldwide.

https://www.voanews.com/a/czech-company-sees-boom-in-market-for-fake-tanks-himars/6992819.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”decoy” mean, “The company has added HIMARS to its fleet of over 30 types of inflatable real-size decoys it sells to customers worldwide, Chief Executive Vojtech Fresser said Monday.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does the expression “to find one’s way somewhere” mean, “Inflatech would not confirm Ukraine is among the destinations, but Fresser said he would expect them to find their way there.“? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “reconnaissance” mean, “The decoys are made from synthetic silk and, apart from misleading the adversary visually, have a thermal footprint and appear on radars to fool enemy reconnaissance.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on placing life-size inflatable decoys on the front lines to deceive the enemy?
  2. What are the pros and cons of using fake military equipment?
  3. Share your opinion on this: “Inflatech would not confirm Ukraine is among the destinations, but Fresser said he would expect them to find their way there.”

Supermarkets Ration Fruits and Vegetables

B1 – Intermediate

In the UK, there have been a shortage in the supply of fruits and vegetables. Customers are having difficulties finding places to buy fruits and vegetables from. The big supermarkets said there are many reasons for this shortage in their supplies. As a result, most of their shelves are left almost empty.

Due to this, supermarkets have no choice but to ration some produces in the middle of this problem with low fruits and vegetables supply in the country.

Read the article about the fruits and vegetables shortage in the UK and how the supermarkets started rationing the supply to their customers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2303/230306-uk-vegetable-rationing-5.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”bare” mean here, “The big chains have given various reasons for the shortfall in supply and why shelves are bare in supermarket aisles.”? Give 2 synonyms of the word ‘bare’ in this context and use them in sentences.
  2. What does the expression “to play a part” mean, “An industry analyst said Brexit has also played a part.”? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “war-torn” mean, “Many shoppers are shocked at seeing photos on social media of supermarket shelves in Europe, and in war-torn Ukraine, full of fresh produce.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news? Has something similar happened in your country too?
  2. What are the reasons for the lack of supply in fruits and vegetables in the UK?
  3. Is it a good solution to limit how much fruits and veggies each customer can buy? Explain your opinion.
  4. Do you agree or disagree to this, “If there are shortfalls in production in the EU, then it makes sense for EU producers to serve their local demand first.”? Share your thoughts.
  5. Talk about some products or produces that became low in supply in your country. How did that shortage affect you?

Inflation

B1 – Intermediate

Inflation is one of the most important economic issues in the world. It can be defined as the price of goods and services rising over monthly or yearly. Inflation leads to a decline in the value of money, it means that we cannot buy something at a price that same as before. This situation will increase our cost of living.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about inflation.

https://listenaminute.com/i/inflation.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is “inflation rate“? “Zimbabwe once had an inflation rate of trillions of percent.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “to keep something under control” mean, “Many countries around the world are fighting to keep inflation under control.”? Use this in a sentence.
  3. What does “to lose the battle against something” mean, “Sometimes you read about countries that lose the battle against inflation.” Use this in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is inflation important to economists?
  2. Have you changed your spending or your habits because of the rising prices?
  3. Do you think your government should do more to help people manage in the middle of this problem with inflation? Share your opinion.
  4. What will happen to the world if prices keep rising?
  5. What will happen to your lifestyle if prices keep rising?
  6. What hurts you more, increase in fuel prices or food prices? Why?