Tag: audio

Indian Police Make Arrests

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Mumbai, India – Around 70 Indian call center representatives were arrested last week in different raids in several buildings across the city. The suspects allegedly call Americans and demand them to pay the money they owed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and threaten to send the police to arrest them should they fail to pay up.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to find more about this telephone scam.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/india-us-scam/3548899.html

Discussion Questions:

1. How were these callers able to deceive people?
2. What are ways to identify whether this kind of phone call is a scam or not?
3. Talk about things you know about taxation in Spain.
4. What are other phone or internet scams do you know of?
5. Why is paying taxes important?

Podcast: Domestic Chores

B2 – Upper intermediate

Should cleaning the house be really an issue between partners? Listen to the podcast below and express your thoughts about doing domestic chores. Share some of your experiences as well.

Be ready to discuss the different vocabulary terms featured in the podcast.

6 Minute English: Domestic chores

Discuss:

1. What are some of the domestic chores that you do? Which ones do you hate?
2. Would you say that you have a very high threshold or a low threshold when it comes to untidiness?
3. Do you agree that women have a tendency to take care more of their children as compared to men?
4. How do you feel about hiring cleaning ladies and nannies to help you around?

How to Sound Credible

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Being credible can greatly affect our professional career.  Lack of it will make it difficult for us to have a good deal with clients.

What is credibility and how important is it? Click on the link below to listen to the podcast.

Skills 360 – How to Sound Credible (Part 1)

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the audio saying about credibility? How would you explain credibility?
  2. Why is credibility important to an employee and to a company?
  3. How do try to maintain your credibility at work?
  4. Why are company principles and values important? Name one corporate value that you think is the most important to uphold at all times and why do you think it is important.
  5. Explain the importance of admitting mistakes? What should you do after committing one?

Strike in South Korea

B1 – Intermediate

The fight for better wages continues. In South Korea, workers are fighting for a wage system that pays based on performance and not on tenure.

Read the article then listen to the audio clip. Express your thoughts about the topic.

http://www.newsinlevels.com/products/strike-in-south-korea-level-3/

For additional information on this story, read also:

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180510000763

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “seniority” mean, “More than 40,000 South Korean workers in different industries went on strike as the government said that their pay should be based on their job performance rather than on their position or seniority.”? Use this word in your sentence.
  2. What does “demand” mean in this sentence, “The workers demand a stop to adopting the legal wage system based on performance which the government is pushing and they say will hurt the people.”? Use it in your sentence.
  3. What does “dispute” mean, “Workers hope that the protest will achieve their aim and allow the disputes to be resolved soon.” Use it in your sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘strike’?
  2. Do you think salaries should be based on performance or seniority? 
  3. Are there a lot of labor strikes and unions your country?
  4. What are the changes necessary in your current labor system/policies?
  5. In your country, is the minimum wage enough to live by?

Do Fitness Trackers Help You Lose Weight?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Are you looking for something that would finally drive you to get back into shape? Ever considered using Fitness Trackers? These are wearable devices that are designed to help you achieve that goal of losing some weight. The question is, are they really effective?

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/3532167.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your take on fitness trackers? Do you find them useful?
2. What kind of exercise/s do you do? How did you get into this workout?
3. What are effective ways to develop a habit of exercising?

Body in a Freezer

B1 – Intermediate

People will do anything not to be caught by the police. Crime nowadays are becoming more and more aggressive.

Read the article below then play the audio clip to practice your listening skills. Be ready to answer some discussion questions.

Body in a Freezer

Discuss:

1. Have you heard of a similar news happening in Europe?
2. In your country, are there people who try to sell passports and documents illegally?
3. Is drug trafficking a problem in your country/city?
4. How would you describe the police force of your country?

Speaking Activity: Talking Business

B1 – Intermediate

This speaking activity will give you phrases and dialogues you can use when on the telephone, during meetings, while having a presentation and making negotiations.

For every topic, there are recorded audios and scripts.  Remember the phrases that are useful for conversations.

Talking Business 

Speaking Activity: Eating Out

A2 – Elementary

This role-playing activity will be very good practice for your sentence construction.

Click on the link then look at the menu. Play the audio clip then answer some of the exercises. You will be having a role-play activity with your teacher using the menu.

Eating out

Have You Got Too Much Stuff?

B2 – Upper intermediate

Do you often find yourself in the middle of so many things that are not really necessary in your life? Do you think you could live a simpler and de-cluttered life?

Listen to the podcast about a world that revolves around material possessions.

Have you got too much stuff?

Discuss:

1. Kindly explain the three buckets system.
2. Do you believe we could all live better with less?
3. In your opinion, how much stuff is too much?
4. Do you buy labelled goods?
5. Talk about something that you fondly collect.
6. What thing do you own that has great sentimental value? Why?

College Decision Brings Attention to ‘Gap Year’

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B1 – Intermediate

The eldest daughter of US president Obama, Malia, is taking a year off before attending Harvard in fall next year. Nowadays, more and more high school graduates are delaying college.

The question is, is it always a good thing? Read the article below to know more about it.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/others-may-follow-malia-obama-lead-delay-college-year/3312256.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is gap year?
2. What are the top activities done during this period?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a gap year?
4. What is your personal opinion on this?
5. Did you take a gap year? / If you could go back in time, would you do it?