Tag: B2 – Upper intermediate

Is Writing by Hand Better?

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B2 – Upper intermediate

Scientists say that typing is a less effective way of remembering something. Many students now have resorted to typing on laptops or computers. Typing leads to mindless transcription.

Is Writing Notes by Hand Better Than Typing?

Discuss:

1. What is your opinion about the study?
2. How can computers affect us in a negative way?
3. Do you still prefer writing some of your notes?
4. What do you do to help yourself remember some things like birthdays or errands or even names?

Jailed for Helping

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A 90-year old chef was put into jail for feeding the homeless. There is a law in Florida which forbids people to feed the homeless.

Read this article about a chef who got in trouble for feeding homeless people.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/chef-90-faces-jail-fines-feeding-homeless-121414540.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does this law make sense? Explain your opinion.
  2. Why do you think the local Florida government implemented this kind of law?
  3. Is it wrong to help the needy ones? Explain.
  4. How do you help the needy ones?
  5. Is there any similar law in your city/country? Talk about it.

Spain’s Best Museums

B2 – Upper Intermediate

On top of most tourists’ destination in Spain are Galleries like Prado and Reina Sofia. But there are still a whole lot more to see. The not-so-famous museums in Spain deserve to be paid a visit. Here are top ten of them.

https://www.thelocal.es/galleries/Culture/spains-best-museums

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s the best/most interesting museum you’ve ever been to?
2. What do you like most and least about museums?
3. Do you think it should be free to enter museums?
4. If you had lots of money to start your own museum, what would you exhibit in it and what would you call it?

Zero Waste Woman

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Lauren Singer is a zero-waste advocate. As part of her advocacy, she lives a zero-waste lifestyle. She is able to do what would seem is the impossible — to only produce a jar that is 4 years worth of trash.

Read the article below to know more about Lauren Singer and her journey to living trashless.

https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/us/lauren-singer-zero-waste-blogger-plastic/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did Lauren Singer do to eliminate trash?
  2. How has her life improved since she went trash free?
  3. With your current lifestyle, do you think this is something you can do? If not, in what ways do you try to reduce your waste?

Swap Homes for Holidays

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you’ve seen the movie The Holiday you may be familiar with the concept of “Home Exchange”.

Read the article below to know more about this kind of accommodation.

https://www.thelocal.es/20141101/travel-live-like-a-local-with-home-exchange-tlccu-2/

Discussion Questions:

1. Is Home Exchange interesting to you? Why or why not?
2. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of participating in this kind of service?
3. What accommodations do you prefer when you travel?

Obama’s Executive Order on Immigration

B2 – Upper intermediate

Immigration is a complex political issue worldwide. US President Obama announces an executive order that would help pave the way for enacting actions on immigration issues.

Obama to Announce Executive Order on Immigration

Discuss:

1. Does your country have problems with undocumented immigrants?
2. What are ways to solve a country’s problem on illegal immigration?
3. Do you think that parents who are undocumented should be deported?
4. What are the advantages of deportation?

*click on the title get an update on Obama’s immigration actions: The U.S. Supreme Court and Obama’s Immigration Actions

Illegal Job Interview Questions

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Job Interview – B2 – Upper intermediate

Finding a job is hard. But perhaps harder is passing a job interview, especially if competition is tough. Always let a job interview show the best of you and avoid being pressed for unnecessary information about yourself that could lead to discrimination.

Here are some questions that employers may ask applicants that are actually stepping on their boundaries.

Five Illegal Job Interview Questions in the US

Discuss:

1. Share your job interview experiences. What kind of questions were you asked?
2. Has an employer ever made you uncomfortable answering their questions?
3. What was the most outrageous question that you were asked in a job interview?
4. Aside from the questions mentioned above, what questions during job interviews do you think shouldn’t be asked?

Is a College Education Worth the Price?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Attending college or university to complete a four- year course costs a lot of money. Is it really worth the price? Considering the high cost of education and the job market that remains weak.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/is-a-college-education-worth-the-price/2469390.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Would you say that college or university education is affordable in your country?
  2. What degrees are top earners in your country?
  3. How’s the job market in your country these days?
  4. What alternatives does your country have if a person cannot afford to attend university?

Young and Free: Prerequisite for Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Starting a career or a business when you are young is nothing but easy. Perhaps all of us went through struggles as that newbie in the company. But for some others, they used being young and free to their advantage and stopped at nothing to succeed.

Read the article below about being successful at a young age and be ready to discuss the different idiomatic expressions used in the article.

http://esl.about.com/od/businessreading/a/Young-And-Free-Prerequisite-For-Success.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. How was your work life like the first years you joined the workforce? How has it changed over time?
  2. Describe a situation at work when you had to start from scratch.
  3. Are you the type of person who takes the bull by the horns? Talk about a time in your career when you had to make a bold move.
  4. Are you interested in working on your own startup? Why or why not?
  5. Do you agree that it’s a dog eat dog world out there? Elaborate on your thoughts.

A Kingdom For Your Birthday

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B2 – Upper intermediate

What was the best birthday present you’ve ever received? Read the article below to learn about a father’s unusual birthday present to her young daughter.

https://metro.co.uk/2014/07/14/american-man-claims-african-kingdom-for-his-daughter-so-she-can-be-an-actual-princess-4797666/

Discussion Questions:

1. What can you say about the father?
2. Would you do the same thing if you were the parent?
3. What was the most extreme thing you’ve done/given for a birthday gift?
4. How do you think the father’s actions will affect the child? Describe your idea of good parenting.