Category: Class

Things Successful People Do Every Friday Afternoon

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A lot of (working) people would agree that Friday is the best day of a workweek. And why not? It serves as the welcome wagon to the weekend.

We have different habits, plans, and practices on a Friday afternoon. Some are fun and dynamic, while some are easy-breezy and laid-back. But, how do successful people spend theirs? Let’s find out.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-do-friday-afternoon-2016-10

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you usually end your workweek?
  2. What do you normally do on Friday afternoons?
  3. Do you agree that we should adhere to our routines to be more successful?
  4. How do your bosses and colleagues contribute to you having a perfect end-of-shift Friday?

Mad Cool Festival Chaos

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Mad Cool Festival is a relatively new rock and pop festival held in Madrid in the summer. 80,000 tickets to the event sold out in a few days. Concert-goers were expecting 3 days of music, fun, and unforgettable moments. It was indeed unforgettable, but for entirely different reasons.

Read the article and find out what went “mad” at the Mad Cool Festival 2018.

https://www.thelocal.es/20180716/complaints-flood-in-over-madcool-festival-chaos

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the article in your own words.
  2. What do you think the organizers should have done differently?
  3. Have you been to a concert or music festival before? Talk about your own experience.

Beautiful Spanish Beach Towns

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Spain is a hugely popular destination for tourists. Pristine beaches with crystal-clear waters, a thriving nightlife, and dozens of unique festivals draw millions of people to this culturally-diverse country every year. Many people have flocked to the partying capital Mallorca or the magnificent Costa Brava strip in Catalonia but what about the other lovely seaside towns that Spain has to offer?

Take a look at the gallery and find out more about 10 lesser-known but no less beautiful seaside destinations in Spain.

https://www.thelocal.es/galleries/travel/spains-ten-most-beautiful-beach-towns-

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, what is the most famous tourist destination in your country?
  2. What can you say about these other seaside towns? Do you know any of these from the list?
  3. Describe the most beautiful beach you’ve ever been to. What is special or unique about it?
  4. What may be some pros and cons of visiting popular and off-the-beaten track beaches?

The Inevitability of the Office Romance

C1 – Advanced

Fraternization in the workplace involves relationships that go beyond the normal scope of employee interactions. Some companies may allow dating among their employees, but others strictly do not.

Read more about employee fraternization and how an organization can establish a healthy employee dating policy within it.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220228-the-inevitability-of-the-office-romance

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some benefits and harms of allowing a romantic relationship in a workplace?

2. Tell me about employee fraternization in your workplace. Why or why is it not allowed?

3. In what industries do you think employee fraternization can and can stringently not be allowed?

4. If employee fraternization were not allowed in your company, what would you do if you fell in love with a colleague?

A Conversation about Life

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As one saying goes, “Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable”… Or, is it?

Watch the video below of a very young boy and an old man, who are 57 years apart as they talk about life and their experiences.

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s the worst thing about being young? What do you fear about being old?

2. Do you wish you were young/er, or old/er? Why?

3. How do you view falling in love at your age now?

4. What advice would you give your younger self? What would you ask your older self?

5. What is the most important thing in your life now?

Stress Relief

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Everyone experiences stress at times. Stress can be helpful because people can develop the skills they need to deal with possible threatening situations throughout life. Stress is a disadvantage when it prevents a person from taking care of themselves or their family.

More and more people try to find healthy ways to cope with it.

Click the link and find out some simple tips to help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/stress-relief-10-extremel_b_617967.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you stressed out? What usually makes you stressed?
  2. Do you think the tips mentioned in the article are helpful to relieve stress?
  3. How do you cope up with stress?
  4. Do you have any more tips to add in order to reduce stress?

 

What Causes Insomnia?

C1 – Advanced

Do you struggle to go to sleep even though you are tired? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours, tossing and turning, anxiously checking the clock?

Insomnia is a very common problem and most of us experience this some time in our lives.

So what is insomnia? Is there any way to break the cycle?

Watch the video as Dan Kwartler details the science of insomnia.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What usually keeps you up at night?
  2. Have you ever had any difficulty sleeping? Talk about it.
  3. What are some ways to help you fall asleep easily?
  4. Do you know anyone who suffers from insomnia? How do they cope with it?

What Everyone Should Know About Teamwork

C1 – Advanced

We are living in a modern world where people rely much on technology and machines. This only means that competition is also rapidly tougher than before. As competition rises, individualism occurs along with it. Therefore, if we talk about teamwork nowadays, it is almost as impossible as climbing the Himalayas Mountain.

Everyone knows that teamwork is the key to any organization’s success and challenges are dealt with more easily when two or more heads are taking part, but teamwork is a challenge in itself. It requires effective communication and humility towards a common goal.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/luisromero/2016/01/20/what-everyone-should-know-about-teamwork/#55eecea73631

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you describe your ability to work as a team member?
2. Do you prefer working in a team or independently?
3. Have you ever had difficulty working with a team?
4. Talk about your own experiences that demonstrate teamwork.
5. What strategies would you utilize to cultivate teamwork within your team/department?

Relationship-Building

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Employees spend a good deal of time in the office. You interact with different people with different personalities all the time.

It is vital that you establish a good relationship with the people you work with everyday.

Listen to the audio and learn some practical ways to develop relationship-building competency.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/podcasts-professionals/relationship-building

Discussion Questions:
1. Differentiate team building and relationship-building.
2. What are ways to develop relationship-building competency?
3. Why is this competency important in the workplace?

The Green Card Lottery

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The government’s protection on one’s pursuit of happiness is the main concept of the American dream. People from different parts of the world would like to have a piece of this dream. In order to do so, the first step would be to secure a green card.

There are millions of immigrants who are applying for this to gain residency in America. Every year, a lottery is held by the US government to give out green cards.

Read on to find out more details about the American Green Card Lottery.

https://www.english-online.at/government/green-card-lottery/green-card-immigration-to-the-us.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. What is a green card?

2. What are the benefits of having a green card in the United States?

3. Why do people from many countries wish to live in the USA?

4. Would you ever want to live in the United States of America? Why or why not?