Category: Class

The 5S System

B2 – Upper Intermediate

5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seisō, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Translated into English roughly as ‘Sort’, ‘Set in Order’, ‘Shine’, ‘Standardize’, and ‘Sustain’, this methodology has been widely used by some of the biggest companies such as Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Follow the principles of 5S closely in the article below.

Principles of 5S and lean management which can benefit every manufacturer

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the main purpose of 5S?
  2. Can you name other companies that apply this method?
  3. Explain about your company methodologies and principles.
  4. What do you think are the disadvantages of 5S?
  5. How can 5S be relevant in your daily life?

Homeschooling

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to BBC, the number of children in UK being homeschooled has risen by about 40% over the past three years. Parents have some reasons why they homeschool their children, though. It has its own share of pros and cons just like conventional schools. In reality, there are students who learn better in homeschool environment rather than in a public or private school environment and vice versa. Parents just have to find the best approach for their children to learn depending on their ability, personality, and condition.

Read the article and be able to answer the questions below:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-42624220

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of homeschooling?
  2. What are some reasons parents homeschool their children?
  3. What are its drawbacks?
  4. Is homeschooling gaining popularity in your country?
  5. Would you be different today if you were homeschooled? Why/Why not?

Have/Get Something Done

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

The flower and plants in the Johnsons’ garden are well maintained. This morning, the gardener came and tended it.

The Johnsons have their garden maintained.

This means that the Johnsons arranged for the gardener to maintain their garden. They don’t maintain it themselves. 

Have/get something done is used to express that the subject arranged for somebody else to do something for them.

The form is: has/have/had + object + past participle

COMPARE:

Marta cut her hair. vs Marta had her hair cut.

(She cut it herself.)      (Someone cut Marta’s hair for her.)

Jenny replaced the broken window. vs Jenny had the broken window replaced.

(She replaced the broken window on her own.) (Someone replaced the broken window for her.)

Did you do your nails yourself? vs Did you have your nails done?

(Did you paint your nails yourself?) (Did someone paint your nails?)

Get something done can also be used in place of have something done especially in informal spoken English.

When are you going to get your passport renewed?

You need to get your computer fixed as soon as possible.

Mrs. Holmes needs to get that lump on her head checked.

However, in some cases, have or get something done has a different meaning.

Dr. Smith had/got his medical license revoked.

In this situation, Dr. Smith didn’t arrange for someone to revoke his medical license. Here it means his medical license was revoked by the medical authorities. 

When this is what you mean by have/get something done, it usually connotes something negative that happens to someone or things that belong to them.

A Good Time to Improve Your Health

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has become a global phenomenon with over 70,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 deaths as of this writing.

This health emergency has highlighted the need to improve hygiene standards and practice proper cold and flu etiquette.

Read the article that follows to learn why the current virus threat is a good time to improve your health and discover some practical ways to achieve this.

https://www.thetimesinplainenglish.com/coronavirus-threat-is-a-good-time-to-improve-your-health/

Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you catch a cold or get the flu? What could be the possible causes for these?
  2. What are some of the things you do to safeaguard your health?
  3. What is the recommended way to wash one’s hands as stated in the article?
  4. What are examples of etiquette to observe during the flu and cold season?

Best Railway Station in Europe

B1 – Intermediate

London St. Pancras is ranked as the best railway station in Europe. Most of the train stations on the top ten are from Germany. 

Read the article and find out more about some of the best train stations in Europe.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2002/200225-railway-station-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever been to any of the top ten best train stations in Europe? Which one? Describe it. Talk about your experience there.
  2. What is the best and worst train station you have ever been at?
  3. What do you think of the train stations in your city/country with respect to their ease of  access/cleanliness/connectivity/friendliness of staff/platforms?
  4. How often do workers at the train stations in your country go on strike?
  5. Do you enjoy the shops, restaurants, and services located near the train stations?

Test 770

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Adjective + Preposition + Gerund

Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Gerunds are commonly used after an adjective-preposition combination.

FORM: adjective + preposition + gerund

Take a look at these examples below:

used to She is very used to working long hours as she works in a hospital.
hooked onThey are hooked on going to the gym.
fearful of Kyle is fearful of getting into an argument with his mother.
nervous aboutThe expectant mother is nervous about finding out that there’s something wrong with her unborn baby.
tired of She is tired of helping her friend who doesn’t seem to have any plans for the future.
capable ofThey are capable of teaching him proper karate techniques.
devoted to Anna’s mother is devoted to finding her a husband.
worried about Arthur was worried about messing up this presentation.
content with My parents are content with living in the same little town for all of their lives.
committed to The police are committed to catching the criminal redhanded.
disappointed with Jennifer was disappointed with coming in last in that race she recently joined.
concerned about The firefighters were concerned about not having enough time to put out the fire in that building.
discouraged by Allan was discouraged by not getting the answer he was hoping for from his girlfriend.
excited about His whole team was excited about launching their new product.
famous for The pharmaceutical company became famous for discovering a vaccine for the deadly virus.
fond of They are not very fond of listening to foreign music.
frightened of Laura is frightened of being stuck in an elevator.
guilty of The syndicate is guilty of counterfeiting branded bags and shoes.
happy about They are happy about receiving this great news.
interested in Are you interested in joining the military?
involved in Many people were involved in coming up with this brilliant idea.
known for This band is known for singing some rock songs.
opposed to She was opposed to going in that direction.
proud of They were proud of having a doctor for a son.
remembered forMeryl Streep will be remembered for starring in some very famous films.
responsible for The design team is responsible for creating the logo for the company.
scared of Andy is scared of jumping off a cliff.
terrified of The president is terrified of being assassinated by his political enemies.
tired from They are tired from traveling all month.
sick of Anthony is sick of saying the same thing.

Ways to Live Longer

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Live healthy and live longer, right? There are many ways to live longer and I think it’s about time we re-asses our life to live better and longer. 

Let’s read the article below and consider the simple steps to live longer. 

https://www.health.com/mind-body/9-ways-to-live-longer

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about your lifestyle.
  2. What are the habits you want to change?
  3. What are the habits you want to have?
  4. How do you intend to achieve longevity?
  5. Do you want to live a very long life? Why or why not?

Big Breakfasts Help Burn More Calories

B1 – Intermediate

Some people don’t usually have breakfast so they don’t gain wait. However, a recent study shows that making big breakfasts a daily habit can help you lose weight. It could also help you burn more calories throughout the day.

Read the article to find out why some researchers recommend patients with obesity as well as healthy people to eat a significant amount of food for breakfast.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2002/200223-big-breakfast-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is breakfast for you?
  2. What’s your breakfast usually like?
  3. Do you always have breakfast in the morning or do you sometimes skip it? Why/Why not?
  4. Do you agree that big breakfasts could result to weight loss? Explain.
  5. What is the most important meal of the day for you?
  6. What are other ways to lose weight that you know of?

Take Someone Under Your Wing

B1 – Intermediate

When someone needs your guidance on something, you help them. In a way, you are like their protector. You guide them to let them learn something that they need to know about.

When you join a new company, you are going to have a training and then have a coach or mentor to help you start with your tasks. Your coach/mentor has to take you under their wing during this time.

Listen to the audio and know about the expression “take someone under your wing”.

youtu.be/qToUpkUXXHQ?si=fIThrP1DpWoKWBu0

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does ‘take someone under your wing’ mean?
  2. Have you taken someone under your wing before? If yes, Why did you do so?
  3. Speak about your experience being taken under someone’s wing.
  4. In your opinion, does taking someone under your wing come with a lot of responsibilities?