Perspective

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Our reaction to all the things that are happening in our lives has a really great impact on what will happen to our future. We make decisions and act according to what and how we feel presently. Our perspective in different situations might make or break us. After all, they say that a negative mind will never give you a positive life.

Let us find out what happened to the old lady on how changing her perspective helped her a lot in having a happy life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you tell the summary of the story of the old lady?
  2. What is perspective?
  3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
  4. What did the monk advise her?
  5. Do you agree with the monk?
  6. If you are to give an advise to the old lady, what will you tell her?
  7. How do you deal with the negative things that are happening in your life?

I Can’t Do It

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Many people are struggling from depression and the worst part is they are dealing with it just by themselves. Causes of it are usually bad experiences and misfortunes.

However, this woman was able to cope up with this in spite of all the challenges she had to go through. And now, she’s known as one of the most famous writers not only in her country but all around the globe.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think the title of the video is “I Can’t Do It”?
  2. How do you cope up with sad moments in life?
  3. What can you say about the story of JK Rowling?
  4. What have you learned from JK Rowling’s life story?
  5. Are you a fan of Harry Potter? What is your favorite part of the novel? Why?

The Power of Education

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Educating yourself is one of the best things you can do to help yourself grow and become knowledgeable. There is a saying that goes, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world “.

The story in this video will somehow prove us that education can really change the world.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about the story of Frederick Douglass?
  2. How was education instrumental to his life?
  3. How has education helped you in your life?
  4. How will you explain Frederick Douglass’ famous saying “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”.
  5. Do you believe that education is powerful? Explain your answer or cite example situations.

He Failed 1000 Times

B2 – Upper Intermediate

All of us want to be successful in this race called life. However, it is impossible to reach success without going through failures and hardships.

In this video, we will learn how one of the most popular cooks in the world became known despite thousands of rejections and misfortunes.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced failure?
  2. What was your biggest failure that you’ve had so far?
  3. How did cope up with it?
  4. What can you say about the story?
  5. If you were in Colonel Harland Sanders’ situation, will you do the same? Why/why not?

Gossiping is Worse Than Covid

B1 – Intermediate

Everyone gossips. Gossiping is usually done by talking about people behind their backs, which is painful for that person who is being talked about whether the information is true or not. It may only lead to some emotional and social problems.

Read the article below to know more about it.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2009/200910-gossip-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What images come to your mind when you hear the word ‘gossip’?
  2. Why might the Pope think gossip is worse than COVID-19?
  3. What do you think of people who gossip on social media?
  4. How do you feel if you are the subject of gossip?
  5. Should gossiping be made illegal? Why / Why not?

Ride-On Suitcase

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As we travel, we want to take as many things as we need with us considering the hassles of carrying a heavy luggage on our way to the airport. For some, it may also be troublesome to find a ride to the airport if you are traveling during peak hours. Worry no more because a man from China made an invention that will make traveling even with a weighty suitcase a breeze.

Read more about this battery-powered scooter cum luggage through this article.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/take-a-ride-on-your-suitcase-and-honk-your-way-through/story-wtQoR5SXGzNyF58gxTHPYL.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did He Liangcai come up with this invention?
  2. What do you think of the suitcase scooter? Would you purchase it?
  3. How often do you travel by plane? Have you ever forgotten something on your way to the airport?
  4. What are your usual preparations prior to going to the airport?
  5. What are your must-haves when traveling?

Online Piracy

B1 – Intermediate

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, a lot of people stay at home. One thing you can do in your house is watching movies and series. Normally, you need to pay for subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or HBO to be able to watch.

But what do you do if don’t want to pay to watch movies and series? Some people go to online piracy sites. These are websites where you can download or stream films and TV shows illegally but for free. This action is a big problem for the entertainment businesses.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about online piracy.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/online-piracy-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is online piracy and how does it affect companies like Netflix and Disney? What are its effects on the entertainment industry?
  2. What is your opinion about online piracy?
  3. How common or big is this problem in your country?

This Guy Was Accidentally Buried Alive and This Is What Happened

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you want to spend it? Death is scary. It can make us think about what we want to do with our lives.

I couldn’t think of anything worse than a slow and painful death. I couldn’t imagine someone waking up in their coffin just to die again.

Unfortunately, a lot of people were buried alive due to negligence and imagining what they had gone through is completely horrendous. As terrifying as it may seem, it’s still possible to survive being buried six feet under alive.

Watch the video and know how to escape this predicament.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are there many people who got buried alive in the past? What do they do if the dead resurrects?
  2. If this happened to someone you know, how’d you feel seeing someone “come back from the dead”?
  3. According to the video, what must one do in order to escape?
  4. Why do they have to bury the dead 6 ft under?
  5. Why are there people trying to bury themselves alive?

Gut Feeling

B1 – Intermediate

Imagine your boss making an important decision for the company based on their intuition. This would be met with doubts since important decisions should be carefully thought of, right?

Let’s listen to the audio and find out more about gut feelings.

http://www.idioms4you.com/complete-idioms/gut-feeling.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is a gut feeling?
  2. Have you ever had one before? Did you react based on it?
  3. Talk about a gut feel you had and did it come true or not?
  4. Do you believe that gut feelings help us avoid danger or potential failure?
  5. What are the things you consider before making major decisions?

Digital Marketing Trends for 2020

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We have fully immersed ourselves in all things digital these days. Internet is the best place to reach out to millions of people using different strategies. Let us familiarize ourselves with the current online marketing trends in 2020.

Read the article below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the different marketing trends mentioned in the article? Explain.

2. Do you have other marketing tactics that you use?

3. Have you embraced a more digital-minded business or digital strategies? What digital tools do you use?

4. How would you rate your skills and resources in digital marketing?

5. What other digital marketing trends or strategies do you foresee or would like to see in the coming days?