Tag: audio

Dating Violence Against Men

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Dating abuse or dating violence is the commission or threat of a violent act by a member of a relationship outside marriage usually during the dating or courtship period. It usually starts when one partner maintains total control over the other by means of violence and constant abuse. Although seldom reported, men can be victims of dating violence too.

Listen to this audio about dating violence against men.

Dating Violence

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who is Brandon? What predicament is he in?
  2. What did he do to get out of this messy situation?
  3. Have you heard of real cases of domestic violence against men?
  4. Why do you think it is hard for men to come forward and talk about abuse?
  5. Since male victims are usually unwilling to seek for help, how do you think the society can encourage them to open up about dating violence?

Honey, Are You Listening?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Communication is probably one of the most difficult parts of any relationship. Meanings get lost in translation because of poor communication or even worse when your partner just isn’t interested in what you have to say.

Let’s listen to this all too familiar couple’s conversation on communication.

Listening Skills

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the main issue the couple is talking about?
  2. What steps do they plan to take to resolve it?
  3. What does ” hold one’s tongue” mean?
  4. What are the qualities of a good listener?
  5. Do you have someone you always talk to to feel better?

Facebook Wrist Device Aims to Permit Control of Virtual Objects

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Technology is evolving fast. It is changing how people live their lives. We now have The Internet of Things wherein all devices we use can be connected to the internet. From washing machines to air conditioners, we can now control them through voice commands.

Facebook is developing a technology that would allow us to control objects that exist in the virtual world. This technology aims to give people the augmented reality (AR) experience that could one day be used in our day-to-day lives.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to know more about this wristband device that is supposed to be used with AR glasses.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/facebook-wrist-device-aims-to-permit-control-of-virtual-objects/5828544.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Augmented Reality (AR)? How interesting is this for you?
  2. Is this kind of device something interesting to you? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think that AR technology could replace smartphones one day? Why or why not?
  4. What could be the possible uses of AR in our day-to-day lives?
  5. How important is technology in your life? Can you live without it?

Payday Loans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Life is tough and it is even tougher for people who are short of cash.

Payday loans are a form of cash advance to help people cover their expenses until their next paycheck comes in. For some, it is an easy way to have a temporary solution to their money problems.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about payday loans.

Payday loans

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the idiom “Give it to me straight.” mean? “What do you mean complicated? Give it to me straight. Where did you get a loan?” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does “to run someone dry” mean? “Exactly, because they can run you dry.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “quicksand” mean here? “And then people like you get locked into a vicious loan cycle that is almost impossible to escape. Like quicksand.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you react/feel when someone tries to borrow money from you?
  2. Are payday loans a help to people or not? Explain your thoughts about it.
  3. Are payday loans common in your country? What is your opinion about their high interest rates?

Loose Cannon

B1 – Intermediate

Have you noticed someone in your circle with mood swings and sudden emotional outbursts? This individual is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. It is tough to be around this kind of people.

Let’s watch the video and find out what we call them.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/english-in-a-minute-loose-cannon/5982410.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does being a loose cannon mean?
  2. Who is the loose cannon in the video? What did he do?
  3. Do you know anyone who is a loose cannon? How do you deal with him/her?
  4. How can we control our temper?

Comfort Food

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When someone is emotionally stressed, they often turn to comfort food. Although most of the food are not good for our health since these are high-calorie, high-fat, salt or sugar food, we still eat it because they are delicious and they give us pleasure.

They also say that these comfort food are sentimental since they remind us of our childhood; that sweet, sweet time when we were taken care of by our parents. In some cultures, comfort food are nuanced since they believe that all food give comfort.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about comfort food.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-210107

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does eating comfort food take your stress away? Why or why not?
  2. What are your comfort food? How often do you eat them?
  3. What food make you feel a bit nostalgic? Why do you think they bring such emotion for you?
  4. Do you feel guilty after eating too much of your comfort food?
  5. Are there any comfort food that are actually healthy?
  6. What are other things that calm your nerves during your stressful or difficult situations?

To Keep Your Cool

B1 – Intermediate

If you keep your cool in a stressful situation, you manage to remain calm and composed. Now, if you lose your cool, then that would be the opposite, you get angry or enraged in difficult circumstances.

Let us hear more about the expression ‘to keep one’s cool’ in the audio below.

http://www.idioms4you.com/complete-idioms/keep-your-cool.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does “keep one’s cool mean”?
  2. How do you react to difficult situations?
  3. What do you do when you are stressed?
  4. Have you ever lost your cool before? Talk about that situation.
  5. What would you do if someone goes ballistic over something very trivial?

Fat Shaming

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to some studies, obesity is not just due to an individual’s lack of self-control. Other factors such as poverty, awareness, genetics, hormones, and some chronic illnesses also contribute to developing this complex disease.

For some people, fat-shaming actually helped them to begin losing weight. But for some, it’s been nothing but a shameful remark that could lead to self-destructive behaviors.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to know more about fat shaming.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-201231

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is fat-shaming and does it really benefit anyone?
  2. What are your thoughts on this attitude toward others?
  3. Are you happy with your body? Do you ever wish you could change something about it? If so, what changes would you like to do?
  4. How can we overcome negative thoughts on our body image?

Looking for Utopia

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever been in a place where perfection or harmony is enjoyed? It sounds dreamy, right? This kind of world is called utopia where many of us aspired to be living in especially at times when everything seems to be falling apart and we succumb to all the atrocities happening around us. We hope to be able to escape and wish we could get through life by transporting ourselves to this utopia to find serenity and happiness away from all the chaos.

Listen to the conversation about looking for utopia.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you and your society aspired for utopia? How so?

2. Could you describe the utopia you aspire for yourself, your country, and the world?

3. What inspires you to reach for that utopia?

4. Is it possible to find some kind of utopia in the real world?

5. Do you think utopian ideals would be achieved if we thrived in it?

Get Wind of Something

B1 – Intermediate

It happens all the time and in all places too. It could be in the office, school or at a local pub. We may not mean to eavesdrop but we hear things we don’t intend to know. What do we do with the piece of information we unwillingly learned?

Let’s hear more about this expression in this audio.

http://www.idioms4you.com/complete-idioms/get-wind-of.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does “get wind of something”mean? What situation was mentioned in the audio?
  2. Have you been in a similar situation? What was it about?
  3. Are you good at keeping secrets?
  4. How likely are you going to react when you get wind of an important information?