phone english blogB1 – Intermediate
A school in New York built a new meditation room and hired a meditation consultant to help its students and staff relax and perform better.
Watch the video to find out more about this unique approach.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is mindfulness meditation?
2. Have you ever tried any form of meditation?
3. In your opinion, what mental health issues can be addressed by meditation?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
In a more globalized world, sharing resources hasn’t been new. Now, a new concept of a “Co-working Space” which helps small businesses and self-employed individuals to stay connected with others by renting a room or small place to work.
Let’s learn more about this and read the article below!
https://www.voanews.com/a/co-working-new-office-style/3365475.html
Discuss:
1. What does Carl Pierre think the advantages of such a workspace are?
2. What do you think about the concept of co-working spaces?
3. What does your workspace look like?
4. Do you prefer working outdoors or in an office? Why?
5. Do you think that, in the future, all business will be conducted from a co-working space? Why or why not?
6. Do you think that, in the future, offices will become obsolete because of the Internet? Why or why not?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Food waste is food that is discarded or uneaten. Each year, we dispose of a third of the world’s food.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about food wastage and ways to stop it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-170511
Let’s talk:
1. Where does the biggest percentage of food waste come from?
2. What usually happens to the food we waste?
3. What are the consequences of food waste?
4. What is Selina Juul doing to stop food waste in Denmark? What are other ways to avoid wasting food?
5. What do you tend to do with your leftovers?
6. How’s not finishing your food viewed in your country?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
There is a new trend in some societies. It’s having more than one occupation. There is someone who is a part-time computer programmer and a part-time musician or someone who is a teacher by day and a bartender by night.
Click on the links below to listen to and read the transcript of this BBC 6 Minute English podcast about having several jobs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english/ep-170413
Discussion Questions:
1. When you were young, how did you answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up”?
2. What do you do now? Are you interested in getting another job? If so, what kind?
3. What does the term “portfolio careers” mean?
4. What might be the good and bad things about having portfolio careers?
5. Think of other reasons why having multiple jobs is becoming a trend.
Think about how much time you spend each day sitting down. You may sit down throughout the entire working day at a desk in front of a computer. You sit during your commute to and from work. And you sit when you’re watching TV in the evening, or surfing the web.
But is sitting really that risky? Watch the video carefully and be able to answer the questions that follow.
Discussion Questions:
B1 – Intermediate
In movies, love stories usually end with the main characters getting together or more romantically, married. But what they don’t show us is the reality of it all — our jobs, problems, families, children. Everything that could really affect any romantic relationship.
Romanticism taught us ideas about love that are often times far from reality.
Listen to the podcast below then be ready to share your thoughts about how romanticism ruined love.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-170216
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper intermediate
If you’re into music then you’ll find this story interesting. The video below is good practice for your listening skills. Feel free to watch it more than once. The text below the video will give you extra details about the short story.
Discuss:
1. How did the song “Jambo Bwana” come to life? What was its inspiration?
2. What did you think of the tune or the melody of the pop song?
3. What are some of the local songs in your country that are considered a classic and are still played on the radio?
4. What are some of your preferences when it comes to music?
B1 – Intermediate
This activity is meant to practice your listening skills and increase your vocabulary. Listen to the podcast to understand the idiom “Killing Time” and how to use it.
Discuss:
1. What does it mean when you kill time? How would you use it in a sentence?
2. When you have appointments, do you like being early then just kill time? Or do you prefer being on time?
3. What are things you like to do when killing time?
B1 – Intermediate
This activity is meant to practice your listening skills and increase your vocabulary. Listen to the podcast to understand the idiom “Eat Humble Pie” and how to use it.
Discuss:
1. What does it mean when you eat humble pie? How would you use it in a sentence?
2. In the podcast, why did Rob have to eat humble pie?
3. What is the history of the phrase “eat humble pie”?
4. Describe a time you were wrong and had to eat humble pie.
B1 – Intermediate
Being safe in your own home is something very important.
Listen to the short audio clip and read the transcript to learn more about some home security measures. Be ready to have a discussion afterwards.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are three things you do to protect your apartment or home from burglary?
2. Do you need advanced systems like motion detectors to protect your dwelling, or is a watch dog enough?
3. What are other good ways to protect yourself and your home from burglary?