Category: Class

Thinking about ‘Future You’ Builds a Happier Life

B2 – Upper Intermediate

These days, mindfulness is extremely popular and for good reasons. Being present-oriented can enhance our health and quality of life, foster love and care, and deepen our emotional bonds.
What if we look beyond the here and now? A growing body of research indicates that while thinking about the future can cause anxiety, it can also enrich our lives. Yes, as implied, we ought to give our future selves more of our attention, because through fantasizing, we can look at alternate paths to reach for our aspirations in life.

Read the article to learn about how thinking about ‘future you’ can help lead a better, happier, and more meaningful life.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you hope for for your own future?
  2. What anxieties and concerns do you have for the future?
  3. How has your vision of your future self changed from when you were young to present?
  4. What did you believe about your years ahead when you were younger?
  5. Would you rather spend 100 years in the distant past or the future? Why?

Laughter

B1 – Intermediate

Laughing is contagious. It brings happiness, lifts spirits, and brings about good judgment.

Laughter has very good benefits to our body. Laughter and jokes help boost the immune system, improve your quality of life, promote healing, and protect you from the negative outcomes of stress. Best of all, this medicine is totally organic, fascinating, unlimited, and not to mention, free.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about laughter.

https://listenaminute.com/l/laughter.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What usually makes you laugh?
  2. Do you consider it necessary for people to laugh? Why or why not?
  3. Do you like making other people laugh? Why or why not?
  4. Why do some people seem to laugh more frequently than others?
  5. Is laughing synonymous to happiness, contentment, or joy? Explain. 
  6. What is the funniest moment of your life and why?

Night

B1 – Intermediate

Are you a night owl?

The night should be the most peaceful period of the day. It is a great time to look at the stars because they’re beautiful,  lay out on the beach or any other place, and just talk and hang out with friends.

Let’s listen to the audio and read the transcript about nighttime.

https://listenaminute.com/n/night.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you do at night that is different from during the day?
  2. Do you feel different at night than you do during the day? Explain.
  3. What’s the best night out you’ve ever had?
  4. What would life and the world be like if humans were nocturnal – we slept during the day and were active at night?
  5. Talk about an interesting night in your life. What made it special?

Small Talk

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A psychologist named Susan Pinker says that small talks can help us live longer. It enables people to find common ground and interest. That’s why it is not surprising how small chitchats improve our social interactions.

Watch a short clip below and see how Joseph learns a lesson from a second-grader.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How was Joseph’s first encounter with Adam? How did Adam try to make a small talk with Joseph?
  2. What are your thoughts on this conversation?
  3. Do you like making small talks? Why or why not?
  4. What questions can we ask when attempting to make a small talk? What questions shouldn’t we ask when we make a small talk? Explain your answer.
  5. What are some of the most memorable small talks you’ve ever had with a total stranger?

Safety: Nothing is Routine

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We can be a victim of our own complacency. It happens when the task becomes too familiar, and our brain goes on autopilot. Ideally, we should always be mindful of everything, but because we have done a specific activity so many times, we tend to start getting complacent.

Here’s a video clip that will remind us how dangerous it can be to start being complacent about safety when it comes to our most mundane tasks.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Retell the scenes that you saw in the video.
  2. Do you agree that nothing is routine when it comes to our safety? Express your thoughts.
  3. How can we be more mindful even if we have already done a task multiple times?
  4. Share one experience you had when you didn’t pay no mind to something you were doing which led to an accident or put you in danger.
  5. What safety practices at home and work should we never be complacent about?

The Importance of Intercultural Awareness

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Intercultural differences can be confusing. People from different parts of the world act, talk, and respond in various ways. We are compelled to gain intercultural awareness so we can co-exist with others better.

Watch the clip below and increase your understanding about the importance of intercultural awareness.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you define intercultural awareness?
  2. Tell about a time when you experienced intercultural differences.
  3. What are some ways people can adapt to foreign cultures?
  4. According to the video, it is important to respect foreign customs, rituals, and cultures. How do you think we can do this? Give some examples.
  5. What do you like most about your own culture that you want to share with others?

Meet Emma – Your Work Colleague of the Future

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Are you sitting comfortably? The fact is, that might also affect your health! A team of experts from France, Germany, and the UK created Emma. It’s a life-size model of an office worker with different health problems.

Please watch the video about some hidden dangers of office work and learn more about everyday professions that are actually very risky.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What health problems do you think Emma has? What can help office workers avoid these problems? Do you think you could have any of the problems Emma does? If so, which ones?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that “Workplace well-being in our sedentary lifestyles are having a major negative impact.” Explain.
  3. Do you think the way you are sitting right now is good for your health? Why or why not?
  4. What are your thoughts on “walk and talk” meetings?
  5. What are things do you consciously do to prevent the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle?
  6. What does your employer/company protect its employees’ well-being?

Computers

B1 – Intermediate

A computer is a machine that can store and process data and information. It is one of the best inventions of modern technology nowadays. People from all walks of life use computers to make our jobs easier, and more convenient and effective.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about computers.

https://listenaminute.com/c/computers.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How useful are computers for you?
  2. What do you do with a computer? How did you learn these skills? Which software can you work with?
  3. What would happen if all of the world’s computers suddenly stopped forever?
  4. Do you control computers or do they control you? Explain.
  5. What is the worst thing about computers? Why?

Guantanamo Bay Releases Oldest Detainee

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It has been around twenty years since the first prisoner set foot in the infamous Guantanamo Bay. There are nearly 800 detainees in this prison camp who are mostly held without charge or trial. Quite recently, the oldest prisoner has been released and sent back home to Pakistan.

Let’s read the article to know more about Guantanamo Bay and the controversies surrounding it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63438878

Discussion Questions:

  1. When and why was the detention camp established?
  2. What is your opinion on Guantanamo Bay’s human rights violations?
  3. What are your thoughts about detainees being cleared for release and do you think it is an “embarrassment to the US”? Share your opinion.
  4. How does your government treat people arrested on suspicions of terrorism?
  5. What is the maximum period of detention for people held without charges in your country? Do you think it is a reasonable period of time?

The 5G Revolution

B2 – Upper Intermediate

With the recent changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, internet connectivity has become almost always necessary in both business and our day-to-day lives.

High speed connection is what most people need especially for work and studies. The new 5G technology promises a much more stable connection and ultra-reliable low latency communication.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about the 5G technology.

Business English News 45 – The 5G Revolution

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is 5G technology? How is it better than the current 4G technology we are using?
  2. What are your thoughts on the controversies surrounding the 5G technology?
  3. Do you think 5G will make wi-fi obsolete? Why or why not?
  4. What are the benefits of 5G in the business setting?
  5. Are you satisfied with your current network connectivity? If not, how do you make it work?
  6. What other improvements do you want to see in internet connectivity?