Category: Class

Herd Immunity

B1 – Intermediate

There are many infectious diseases that has been affecting all of us. Because it is not simple to fight infectious diseases, in some cases, reaching herd immunity is the only way to manage the said diseases.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about herd immunity.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/herd-immunity-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is herd immunity?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of reaching herd immunity?
  3. What is your opinion about giving the disease to all people to make everyone immune to it? Do you agree to this way in order to deal with a health problem like coronavirus?
  4. What are some illnesses that affected people in your country previously and how were they managed?

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some say “two heads are better than one”. This is true in some cases wherein better judgment is reached when an issue is decided from different perspectives. However, there are some instances where having too many people involved bring about disastrous outcomes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/experiment/unit-1/session-3

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does “too many cooks spoil the broth” mean?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with this?
  3. Can you retell the other expressions with similar meaning that were mentioned in the video?
  4. Give a situation you were in where too many cooks spoil the broth.
  5. What are instances where you need more collaborators and those when you don’t?

The Importance of Sports for Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Sports help children develop their physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn teamwork, learn to play fair, and improve their self-esteem. However, these are not the only things a child can acquire from playing sports.

Click the link below to learn more about the importance of sports to children:

https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/the-importance-of-sports-for-children/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some benefits of doing sports on kids?
  2. What sports are good for kids and what are those that are dangerous for them and why?
  3. What if your child doesn’t want to do sports, would you force them to do it?
  4. What can you say about this statement: “Sport is not a privilege of wealthy people.”?
  5. Do you agree with the saying, “Start them young”? Why or why not?

City Pilots Cyber-Graduation Rites

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Graduation is one of the most important milestones not only to students but also their parents. It’s the event where you’ll feel fulfillment and exhibit your achievements to other people. The day that you’ll feel proud of yourself and make your loved ones proud.

However, this opportunity was revoked by the pandemic that we are facing right now. It was unfortunate but as the proverb goes, “When there’s a will, there’s a way” and that what was proven by one schools in the Philippines. They held a cyber-graduation.

Let’s learn more about what they did here:

https://www.cnn.ph/news/2020/5/22/Taguig-City-pilot-cyber-graduation-rites.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did they perform the cyber-graduation?
  2. What is your reaction about cyber-graduation?
  3. Do you think it’s a great idea to do this? Why or why not?
  4. Compare the education system before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  5. What are school graduations like in your country?

Asthma from Traffic Pollution

B1 – Intermediate

Asthma is a serious lifelong, incurable condition. When a person has it, they suffer from difficulties in breathing. According to some studies, traffic pollution causes this medical condition and it has affected millions of people.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to find out more about diseases that are caused by pollution from traffic.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/asthma-from-traffic-level-3

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this fact “pollution from traffic connects to 4 million new asthma sufferers”?
  2. Do you know anyone who has asthma or other pulmonary conditions that were caused by pollution? How did it begin and how are they doing now?
  3. What do you do to keep your lungs healthy?
  4. Is air pollution a problem in your city? What are its bad effects on people and the environment?
  5. How can air pollution problems be solved?

What is Deja Vu?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Almost everyone has experienced déjà vu at some point in their life. It’s a mysterious feeling that something that is happening right now has happened before because it seems too familiar to you.

The term déjà vu is French which means “already seen”. Scientists had tried studying it but everyone failed since it’s too complicated.

Let’s watch the video below to learn more about déjà vu.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define deja vu? What are the theories about it?
  2. Have you experienced deja vu before? Talk about it.
  3. Do you think deja vu is related to our past or future? How so?
  4. Is deja vu good or bad? How can it affect us in some way?
  5. Do you believe it is a sign of reincarnation? Support your stand.

How to Build Your Confidence and Spark It in Others

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is necessary to have confidence in whatever you do in order to get things done. Being confident does not necessarily mean bragging about your achievements but having a mindset that you can make your dreams into reality despite the hardships.

Being confident means getting back up after every failure. Being confident means not being stuck in the past. Confidence is a revolutionary choice.

Here in this video, you will learn why having confidence can help you change your life for the better.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you a confident person? Why is confidence so important?
  2. What are the ways that you can do to boost your confidence?
  3. Is it necessary to live in a supportive community? Why?
  4. Do you feel intimidated when you make mistakes? Cite a situation when this happened to you.
  5. How do you handle failures? Share your experiences.

Cuckoo Completes Epic Migration

B1 – Intermediate

Cuckoo birds are birds that are popular for their parenting skills. They have a habit of laying their eggs in the nests of other species and letting other birds raise their babies for them. Several weeks later, young cuckoos are ready to migrate and fly to Africa and find their real parents.

Read the article below and learn more about Cuckoo birds.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2005/200529-cuckoo-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about Cuckoo birds?
  2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word ‘cuckoo’?
  3. What do you think of migration? Where would you migrate to if you could?
  4. Where would you go if you traveled to 16 countries?
  5. What is your favorite bird and why?

The Future of the Human Race

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What do you think will happen to humankind after 12 00,000 years? Are you excited to see the future? Will a new human species arise one day? A lot of interesting and crazy predictions have been made about the future. One of these is from evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry.

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Oliver Curry studies evolution and the future, and he has an interesting idea about the future of the human race. He suggests that in 100,000 years, humankind will split into two species. In addition, one group will be the haves, and the other group will be the have nots.

We will see some changes in the next 1,000 years. For example, humans will grow to 6-7 feet (182-213 centimeters). Humans will also live for about 120 years. And lastly, there won’t be different races like today. The races will mix to produce people with similar, latte-colored skin.

Unfortunately, there will also be negatives. People will lose social skills and empathy because they will use too much technology. Weak genes will spread and affect our whole species because new medicines will lower the mortality rate. Curry predicts this will happen 10,000 years from now.

Further into the future, in the year 100,000, the healthy will only breed with one another, and so create a beautiful and intelligent group of people. The unhealthy will become short and ugly, and also be less smart. These are the haves and the have nots. In other words, humans will become rulers and slaves.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about Oliver Curry’s predictions?
  2. What do you think life will be like in the 31st century?
  3. Do you think technology will harm us, as explained in the article?
  4. Do you think the human race will still be here in 100,000 years?
  5. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future? How about the world’s future?

How Do We Educate the Workforce of the Future?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For us to remain competitive, it is important to understand the era of technology. The innovative development such as AI, electric vehicles, e-commerce, and smart utilities all affect changes, influences, and challenges in the work sector.

Read the article on how to educate the future workforce.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/how-do-we-educate-the-workforce-of-the-future-a4390596.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the workforce of the future?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that technology is revolutionizing how many sectors operate?
  3. “Some prefer more employment – labour intensive with lower pay – while others like better-paid workers to the detriment of outsiders, but with higher levels of social protection”. Which would you choose here?
  4. Do you think technological development can increase workers’ productivity and increase companies’ profits?
  5. Explain the 4 C’s human characteristics that machines cannot replicate.