Category: Homework

Appearance and Dressing For Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Your appearance matters a lot in many situations. If you look good, you feel good. Whether you’re attending events, going out with friends, and especially at work, you want to look the part. Physical appearance does affect others’ perception of you.

Watch the video and learn why appearance and dressing for success matter.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is a person’s appearance?
  2. Does physical appearance have an impact on your work?
  3. Tell me about a time when you realized the importance of your physical appearance.

Japan to Give Children Cash Handouts

B1 – Intermediate

In Japan, the government is thinking to give money to young people 19 years old and younger. It is a way to help families during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the lesson on Japan’s plans to give money to children.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2111/211108-cash-handout-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this initiative?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with the critics of this initiative? Share your opinion.
  3. Should this money be given to everyone, including children from rich families? Explain your opinion.
  4. If you received money from your government now, what would you do with it?
  5. Describe the economic situation of your country during the pandemic.

Love Fridge

B1 – Intermediate

A lot of people suffer from hunger. In Germany, they have started an idea to put refrigerators outside where people can bring and get food for free. This is to help people who need food.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about a special refrigerator called ‘Love Fridge’.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/love-fridge-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of this idea?
  2. If there is a love fridge near your house, would you also put food there? Why or why not?
  3. What things have you done for people who need help?
  4. Explain your opinion on this statement: “There is enough food but the food does not get to the people who need it”.
  5. Americans throw away a lot of food. Do you think Spanish do the same?
  6. What do you do so you do not waste any food?

Limits of Humor and Social Networks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this generation, when the line between offensive comedy and off-limits jokes is very thin, it’s difficult to determine whether one is just being funny or downright offensive. People say, comedy is subjective. What is funny to you may not be funny or even worse, insulting to others.

Read this news about comedian David Suarez being on trial for a tweet about women with Down Syndrome.

https://euroweeklynews.com/2021/04/22/popular-comedian-on-trial-over-humiliating-tweet-about-down-syndrome-women

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this issue?
  2. Do you agree with the court sentence the comedian received? Why or why not?
  3. What is black humor? Do you find it funny?
  4. When do we draw the line between humorous and offensive?
  5. Are there laws in your country that penalize people who offend others in social media? If none, do you think there should be?

City Without Electricity

B1 – Intermediate

Electricity is a vital part of modern life. Almost everything is powered by electricity. We use it in our day-to-day life such as operating appliances, lighting, heating, public transportations, medical necessities, and much more. In our world today, we are nothing without it.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about how Maidugri, the capital city of the Borno State, live through life without electricity.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/city-without-electricity-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What kind of world would we live in without electricity?
  2. Have you ever experienced a blackout? How was it? What did you do?
  3. What are three electric appliances that you can’t live without and why?
  4. What are other alternatives to electricity?
  5. Would you prefer to have no electricity or no water? Explain your answer.

Dealing with Meeting Overload

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There is probably not a single employee in the world who’s free from meetings. The work culture nowadays is so obsessed with meetings that it takes the productivity out of the employee. Instead of focusing on essential work or projects, employees have to sit through some long hours trying to dissect some agenda that oftentimes can be dealt with by a few people in a few minutes.

Now that the digital workspace has been a generally acceptable avenue for the current situation, employees are no less immune to the demands of a meeting now and then. Being able to reach people even when they’re away from the office gives more reasons to accommodate calls for meetings because it is now more possible to do so.

So how do we alter this culture and improve productivity? It really is in our hands. Watch this video for some tips on what to do to be more in control of your calendar.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What has been your experience with meetings in the workplace?
  2. Do you agree with the tips laid out in the video? Why or why not?
  3. Which of the tips is the most effective? Why?
  4. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned in the video? How did it go?
  5. What other tips would you add to the list that would be effective in managing your schedule?

How to Master Small Talk as an Introvert

B2 – Upper Intermediate

By definition, introverts are individuals who get easily worn out by socializing and mostly dislike shallow conversations.

Watch the video to know some tips on how to manage small talk and avoid being socially uncomfortable despite being an introvert.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you like or dislike small talks? Why or why not?
  2. What can be done to be good at making conversations with people you’ve just met?
  3. Who are some prominent figures today who you would consider introverted? How do they normally conduct themselves in a group or in front of the public?
  4. What advice would you give to introverted newly-hired employees?
  5. Would you rather be an extrovert or an introvert? Explain.

Why We Forget the Things We Learn

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Memories make us who we are. They hold very important knowledge about our lives. They provide us with a sense of self and make up our continual experience of life.

They have a fundamental role in all learning because they let you store and retrieve the information that you learn. However, for some people, it is difficult to retain things they’ve read or learned but they easily remember some of the most trivial information.

Let’s listen to the audio below to find out why we tend to forget the things we learn.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-211118

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have a poor or a good memory? Explain.
  2. When was the last time you forgot something? What did you forget? Why do you think you forgot it?
  3. Is it good to have a perfect memory? Why or why not?
  4. Are you good at remembering names/numbers/faces/dates? Share some experiences.
  5. What techniques do you use to remember things?

Companies Lean Harder on Non-Parents

B2 – Upper Intermediate

With work getting very demanding nowadays, certain groups of workers are affected by some work arrangements. Parents can easily get away with leaving work early, getting extra days off, or not showing up because of domestic duties. The pressure to cover certain hours or work loads now falls on workers without kids.

Little by little, non-parents feel as if their voices or needs are not as important or respected as those of the parents. They believe that they also deserve the same benefits or leeway that the companies give parents.

Read the article below to see the differences in the work setup that non-parents experience and what they yearn for from the management.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think that there’s a huge tension building up between parents and non-parents in the workplace? Why?
  2. Do you believe that there are higher expectations for non-parents to work harder and perform better? Why?
  3. Why do you think it’s important for company management to take their employees’ concerns into account?
  4. What are some policies that you can propose for a good working environment?
  5. What are some countries that have some of the best working environments?

Flight Attendants Wear Comfortable Clothes

B1 – Intermediate

Flight attendants must maintain a certain look. We usually see flight attendants in a business jacket with either pants, skirt, or dress, hair neatly pulled back, all made-up, and wearing heels. However, flight attendants of a Ukrainian airline told their company they are not happy wearing heels and tight skirts anymore.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about flight attendants’ new way of dressing.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/flight-attendants-wear-comfortable-clothes-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about the normal flight attendant’s clothes or uniform?
  2. What can you say about flight attendants being able to wear comfortable pants and shoes?
  3. Do you think this initiative could be good for the company? Why or why not?
  4. What was the best and worst experience you have had with a flight attendant?