Category: Class

Teenagers Banned From Using Mobiles In School

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The head of a prestigious boarding school said that teenagers should be stopped from using mobile phones in school because they are not mature enough to practice self-control.

Read the article below and find out more about this phone ban at a school.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/mobile-phone-ban-school-headteacher-lisa-kerr-gordonstoun-prince-charles-a9276756.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the idea?
  2. Are children in your country allowed to bring mobile phones at school?
  3. At what age do you think a person should start using mobile phones/gadgets?
  4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of letting children bring their mobile phones to school?

Being Ridiculously Forgetful

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you been feeling forgetful lately? Your memory problems likely stem from a lack of focus and lack of paying attention. As we get older, chances are, we sometimes forget a word, where we left our car keys, or the name of a neighbor. These small memory lapses happen and they are normal.

Read the article and be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/life/news/being-ridiculously-forgetful-1798447

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think you are forgetful? What do you think are reasons for this?
  2. What are the usual things that slip your mind and how often does it happen?
  3. What are some of the problems that arise from being forgetful?
  4. Are there any benefits of being forgetful?
  5. What do you do to in order to avoid forgetting important tasks and responsibilities?

Pros and Cons of Having a Part-time Job

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Is it possible for students to focus on their studies when they have a part-time job? Some people say it is a major distracting factor. However, a job can also have a positive influence on the studying process. If one prioritizes his studies, he will get the results that he wants. On the other hand, working too hard can lead to wearing oneself out and therefore getting bad grades.

There are many things to consider before making the decision to get a job while studying in college. Click the link to read the pros and cons of having a part-time job and be able to answer the discussion questions.

https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/life/pros-and-cons-having-part-time-job-1453216

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever experienced doing a part-time job when you were in college? If yes, how was it? What do you think are the up/downsides of doing it?
  2. Which of the pros and cons stated in the article do you agree and disagree with?
  3. Would you allow your child/children to get a part-time job while they are in college? Why or why not?

Improve Your Critical Thinking

C1 – Advanced

The world is overwhelmingly shocked with a pandemic that no one had ever foreseen. Critical thinking is defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary as the process of analyzing information in order to make a logical decision about the extent to which you believe something to be true or false. It is perceived to be essentially needed, especially to those who are holding an important role in the society. As we face adversities of different forms, we are bombarded by how to make a right decision or which is the right thing to do during a crucial time. Critical thinking helps us to carefully deal with the complexity of the situation.

Let’s take a look of the video below and learn more.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does the video describe critical thinking?
  2. Talk about the 5-step process that helps solve any problem.
  3. How is it essential to the crises faced by the world today?
  4. Could you think of a situation in which you had to use critical thinking? How did it help you?
  5. Why is critical thinking important?
  6. What are the benefits and downsides of critical thinking?
  7. Talk about the hardest decision you ever had to make. Explain the process that lead to that decision.

The Best Year for Music

B1 – Intermediate

Music has many effects on us. Certainly, there is a year we remember as the greatest time for music. There is a song that makes you remember a special time in your life.

Read the lesson on the link below and be ready to talk about music.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2004/200413-best-year-for-music-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is 1991 the best year for music?
  2. What do you remember from this year or this decade related to music?
  3. What is your favorite song and who is your favorite singer of all time?
  4. Do you still like the songs you listened to as a teenager? What are some of them?
  5. What song reminds you of a very unforgettable moment in your life?
  6. How does music control your emotions?

How to Embrace Emotions at Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Workplace is a challenging place and managing your emotions at work is very important. Do you feel weak or are you able to manage your emotions pretty well to have a healthy work environment?

Let us watch the video to learn some tips on how we can overcome overwhelming or sometimes unnecessary emotions at work.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to let sth/sb run wild” mean, “If you suddenly let your feelings run wild at work and give people far more information than they bargained for, you make everyone around you uncomfortable and you also undermine yourself.”? Use this expression in a sentence.
  2. What does “lurid” mean, “[ It’s ] great to say you weren’t feeling well last night — you don’t need to go into every lurid detail about how you got reacquainted with your half-digested dinner.”? Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does “read the room” mean, “And finally, read the room and provide a path forward.”? Use this expression in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is selective vulnerability? Talk about the four ways on how to practice this.
  2. Do you agree or disagree that “emotions don’t belong at work”?
  3. Are you an under-emoter or an over-emoter? Cite reasons why.
  4. Talk about some relatable stories about when your emotions (both good and bad) got the best of you at work.

How the Progress Bars Keep You Sane?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Progress bars started out as something that provided an update on a given task, to know where you stand, and what exactly you are doing. Does its presence on the screen make people feel better or worse during long-running tasks?

Let’s watch the video to learn more about it.

Discussion Questions:

1. Are progress bars a good way to measure the amount of work that is being done? Do we need it? Why or Why not?

2. Can software influence your emotions?

3. Do progress bars cause anxiety on people?

4. In a daily workday, do you constantly need the validation of your tasks to know your progress?

5. What devices or applications do you use which makes you feel that they are driving you towards a goal?

6. The speaker says, “The progress bar gives you the vision of a beginning and an end and that you’re working towards a goal and in some ways, mitigates the fear of death”. What are your thoughts on this statement?

Harambe, Gorilla Killed at Cincinnati Zoo

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Harambe the Gorilla was a 17-year-old Western lowland silverback gorilla that was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into his enclosure in late May 2016. The incident was wildly criticized by many who blamed the child’s parents for the gorilla’s untimely death. Despite outrage from the public, some experts and activists believe the Cincinnati Zoo did the right thing to fatally shoot an endangered gorilla after a toddler fell into the animal’s enclosure.

Watch the video and read the article from the link below to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36414813

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about this news?
  2. Do you think it was right to kill the gorilla? Justify your answer.
  3. Do you think there was negligence from the child’s parents end?
  4. How active are the animal rights group in your country?
  5. In your own opinion, what rights do animals have?

‘Ghosts’ Keep Frightened Indonesians Inside, Away from Coronavirus

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to the audio, Kepuh Village in Indonesia has deployed a team of ‘ghosts’ to scare people and keep them staying indoors after evening prayers. Some volunteers dress as “Pocong”. In Indonesian folklores, Pocongs are trapped souls of the dead. The village leaders have decided to take their own measures to keep people safe from Corona Virus.

Hear more information about it in the audio below.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/ghosts-keep-frightened-indonesians-inside-and-away-from-coronavirus/5370130.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction to the audio?
  2. Do you believe ghosts are real? Why or why not? If yes, talk about some ghost stories you have/know of.
  3. How can this affect people’s mindset?
  4. Do you think this could work in your country?
  5. What are some ways to keep people indoors?
  6. What are you thoughts on Widodo’s measures?

Massage Health Benefits

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Massage has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, there are many kinds of massage with a wide variety of pressures, movements, and techniques. More and more people recognize the health benefits of it. They choose from among many massage styles to get relief from symptoms or to heal injuries, to help with certain health conditions, and to promote overall wellness.

Read the article to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of massage as a therapy in promoting overall wellness?
  2. Have you ever had a massage? If so, how often do you get one and why do you do it?
  3. What are some of the reasons people get massages?
  4. In your opinion, is a massage only a feel-good way to indulge yourself or a powerful tool to be in control of your health and well-being?
  5. Why do you think such kind of therapy has boomed over the years?