Tag: education

Get Rid of Standardized Testing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When it was first administered, standardized testing was done to evaluate government jobs applicants and help them get into the institutions they wished to get employment in.

Required examinations are given in order to predict academic progress. Standardized testing determines both teachers and students’ potential future success or failure.

Have you ever studied excessively in order to ace this kind of test? In what manner are you retaining it? Please watch the video below to understand more about this topic.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “aptitude” mean? “Chinese officials used them to determine aptitude for various government posts.” Construct your own sentence using this word.
  2. How about “predetermined criteria“? ” Others measure performances on how well test takers meet predetermined criteria.” Use this in your own sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “percentile“? “If a diplomat is in the 70th percentile, 70% of test takers scored below her.” Kindly use the word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of standardized tests?
  2. Do you think it accurately measures performance at school or at work? Explain your stance.
  3. What do you think of this statement? “Reliability and validity are two critical ideas for understanding standardized tests.” Share your thoughts.
  4. Share about a test you’ve taken in order to land a job. Do you think it was a reliable and valid test? Why/why not?
  5. What are some controversies you know of when it comes to standardized testing?

Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms

B2 – Upper Intermediate

China is at the forefront of using artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms and it has implemented various AI-based technologies to enhance education.

It aims to provide personalized and immersive learning experiences, improve teaching effectiveness, and enhance student engagement and achievement.

However, the use of AI in education also raises concerns about data privacy, bias, and ethical issues. These are some of the challenges that need to be addressed for AI to be used effectively in classrooms.

Watch the video to learn more about how AI tech is being used in the classrooms. Be able to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the expression “a glimpse of something” mean? “Some schools offer glimpses of what the future of high tech education might look like.” Use the idiom in a sentence.
  2. What does the word “consent” mean? “School says it wasn’t hard for them getting parental consent to enroll kids into what is one of the world’s largest experiments in AI education.” Give an example sentence using this word.
  3. What does the expression “doze off” mean? “This fifth grader whom we caught dozing off in class, told us his parents punish him for low attention scores.” Use the phrase in your own sentence and give two synonyms of ‘doze off’.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of using AI in classrooms?
  2. Should AI tech be enforced in classrooms more? Explain your stand.
  3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using AI tech in education?
  4. Would you like your child to be immersed in this kind of education or would you prefer them having the traditional method? Explain your answer.

Brexit Causes Collapse in European Research Funding 

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Research grants guarantee ample financial support to reach the completion of a study. Without the proper funding, it is highly unlikely for major research to reach its conclusion or to even get started. Universities are one of the institutions where research studies are usually done. In order to do so, they need to receive research grants from their government or other external funding sources.

Let’s read the article to know more about the effects of Brexit on UK’s university research and development.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/feb/04/brexit-causes-collapse-in-european-research-funding-for-oxbridge-universities

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define the word “high-catchet”, “He has taken his high-cachet European Research Council (ERC) advanced grant with him.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the word “woo” mean in this sentence, “Although she was wooed to the US by what she calls “the best job in my field”, she says Brexit uncertainty was a big factor.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “wrangling” mean in this sentence? “The government has guaranteed it will cover all successful Horizon Europe grants applied for by the end of March, but after watching the political wranglings for more than two years, many academics are now leaving the UK, saying they no longer believe their vital European research partnerships will be protected.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did Brexit affect higher education and research in the UK?
  2. What option is available to those who have received the grant in the UK?
  3. Does your government promote and invest in research and development? How?
  4. How did Brexit affect R&D in your country?
  5. Why should we invest in R&D?

Artificial Intelligence in University Assessments

B1 – Intermediate

A lot of things in our society and how we do things have changed with the help of artificial intelligence or AI. A new way to use AI is to let students use AI text generators in their exams. This is very much like using calculators in math tests.

Read the article about allowing the use of artificial intelligence in students’ tests at universities.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2301/230123-a-i-in-assignments-4.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the expression “to go pen and paper” mean, “You cannot stop it. The alternative is the Middle Ages – going to pen and paper.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “landmark” mean here, “Three universities have adopted a new, landmark policy – to allow students to use AI in assessments.”? Use this word in your own sentence. 
  3. Give 2 synonyms of “assessment”. Three universities have adopted a new, landmark policy – to allow students to use AI in assessments. Use them in your own sentences.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this ‘new, landmark policy’?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using AI text generators/language-processing tools in exams?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that “Artificial Intelligence could affect exam fairness.”? Explain your point.
  4. Have you ever tried using any AI text generators/language-processing tools? Talk about your experience.
  5. Talk about your experience ‘going pen and paper’.

College Life

B1 – Intermediate

For a student, college life is the beginning of adulthood. College opens many new doors in life. There are new responsibilities and pressures that you have to deal with and with more freedom, these responsibilities and pressures can be difficult to handle.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript below about college life.

College Life – Script

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was you college/uni years like? What is your best memory of it?
  2. What are the best and worst things about being a university student?
  3. What are/were the top three things you hope/hoped to get out of (get as a result of) your university days?
  4. If you could change something from your college/uni days, what would it be and why?

Anti-Cheating Exam Hats

B1 – Intermediate

Cheating in exams is a dishonest action and it harms an individual. Studying for an examination is very important. Through examinations, it enhances our personality, knowledge, and learning power. We also get to know where we are behind and we can move ahead for improvement.

Let’s read the article below to know more about how creative a college in the Philippines is in fighting against cheating in examinations.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2210/221027-anti-cheating-hats-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of anti-cheating hats?
  2. How much pressure is there to pass exams? What’s the best way to pass exams?
  3. What should happen to students who cheat?
  4. How stressed out do you get about/during exams?
  5. What do schools in your country do to prevent cheating?

Children’s Books Dealing with Violent Events Like Shootings

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Unfortunately, school shootings have been occurring more frequently recently. It is but natural and sensical for people to mourn the loss of their beloved young ones. However, there is the underlying aftermath that is often overlooked and that is the trauma inflicted on the survivors and other young students who were made unwillingly aware of the tragedy. For the past decade, there has been an increase in sales of books for young readers on how to deal with violence and sorrow brought about by tragic events like school shootings.

Let’s listen to the podcast and know more about this method that could help young children cope with such god-awful situations.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/more-children-s-books-dealing-with-violent-events-like-shootings/6785696.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on children reading these books?
  2. Do you think children are ready to face this harsh reality of life? If not, is it more reasonable to keep them in the dark?
  3. What other ways might help children after witnessing a tragic event such as a school shooting?
  4. Share your thoughts on this statement, “Bringing up violence when a child is not worried about it could increase their anxiety unnecessarily.”

Choosing a School

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When choosing a place to study, there are many factors to consider, including your learning style, your preferred atmosphere, how to tell whether your school is invested in your success, the types of assistance that various institutions provide, and, of course, the subject you want to pursue.

There are many options, which might be daunting, even if there are no right or wrong decisions.

Watch this video on how to choose a school carefully.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did you decide on the school/uni you were going to attend? What were the factors you took into consideration?
  2. How was your school/uni like?
  3. What were the best and worst thing about the school/uni you attended?
  4. Would you choose a different school if you had the chance to do so? Why or why not?
  5. What advice do you have for others who are going through the school-selection process?

Paper Books Better than E-books for Bedtime Stories

B1 – Intermediate

Reading to babies and small children before they go to bed is not only a way to help them feel sleepy but also a moment to spend quality time with your children. It is also an opportunity to teach them some things from the stories that you read to them.

A study found that reading traditional books for bedtime stories are still better than using technological devices.

Read the article about how paper books are still better than e-books.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190328-paper-books-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that “Technology and digital devices can’t replace traditional, paper bedtime books.”? Explain your opinion on this.
  2. What are the benefits of reading bedtime stories to children?
  3. How was your childhood bedtimes like?
  4. Compare and contrast paper books and e-books. What are the good and bad things about the two?
  5. Do you prefer printed or e-books? Why?

Hot Weather Lowers Exam Results

B1 – Intermediate

Exams are an important part of a person’s school life. Taking tests can make us feel tensed. It is necessary to have the best environment possible in order to make sure students get excellent results.

A study found that hot weather may affect students’ learning and lower their results in tests. 

Read the article about how hot weather affects exam results and learning.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1806/180601-exam-results.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this story?
  2. If global temperatures kept increasing, it could affect the future income of students because of lower test scores. What is your opinion on this?
  3. How does the weather affect you in terms of learning or doing something?
  4. How did/do you prepare for exams? 
  5. How was your classroom like? / How is your work space like? Was/Is it the perfect place for learning/working for you?