Tag: education

We May Be Able to Learn Vocabulary While Sleeping

B1 – Intermediate

Good news to everyone who wants to expand their vocabulary! A new study in Switzerland has shown that we can learn new vocabulary while sleeping. It is also possible to learn a foreign language this way.

Check out this article below for more information.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1902/190206-learning-vocabulary.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think that this is effective?
  2. Would you like to try it?
  3. How do you expand your vocabulary?
  4. What other languages would you like to learn?
  5. What other things would you like to learn while you sleep?

Garbage Collectors Start Library with Abandoned Books

B1 – Intermediate

There’s an old saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. This phrase perfectly describes this article about garbage collectors in Turkey who recycle abandoned books. The collection grew gradually as they began saving books and has now built a library.

Learn more by reading the article on the website below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1905/190509-library.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about the article?
  2. Do you have a lot of libraries in your city?
  3. How often do you go to libraries?
  4. How can reading affect your life?
  5. Do you think there are still a lot of people who go to libraries?

School for Tired Teens

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is always a struggle for parents to get their teenage children out of bed in the morning to get them to school on time. An English school decided to delay the start of classes until the afternoon for older students so they can sleep in and begin school in the afternoons.

Watch the video and be able to express your thoughts by answering the questions below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of this kind of school? What are its benefits? Are there any drawbacks?
  2. Is later school time a solution for tired teens? If not, what are some ways to avoid sleep deprivation among teenagers?
  3. In your country, how many hours of sleep do most teenagers have?
  4. Did you use to have this problem when you were a teenager? How did you cope with it?


College Admission Scandal

C1 – Advanced

Recently, there’s been news about the cheating scandals on college admission. These involved wealthy families, celebrities, and even politicians bribing their children’s way to college. The prestige of getting into elite colleges is one of their ways to gain more popularity and great awes from those people who innocently believed that these students got accepted because of their wits and efforts and not paying millions of dollars to proctors, coaches, and school administrators of their prospective elite colleges.

Watch the video about the largest college admission scams in the US.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on cheating college admission scandals?
  2. Who do you think is responsible for these crimes and how so?
  3. How does this fraud work?
  4. Do you think the students’ involved in these scams admission should be revoked?

Anti-College

C1 – Advanced

Is college fast becoming irrelevant for many or most students? A lot of students and families are taking on enormous debt with no guarantee of a well-paying job so they ask whether technical or other programs might be the smarter choice.

Let’s find out how Jeremy Rossmann, the founder of Make School program, tries to reinvent college.

Discussion Questions:

1. How different is Make School from a traditional college?
2. Is going to college still relevant?
3. Is the college tuition reasonable in your country? Is it easy to get scholarships or government grants?
4. Which is more important, the essential skills in life you’ve learned to develop on your own or the artificial structure in college about the “real world”?
5. What do you think of the higher education system in your country?

Boarding School at An Early Age is Child Abuse

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A boarding school provides education for pupils who live on the premises. Traditionally, pupils stayed at the school for the length of the term; some schools facilitate returning home every weekend and some welcome day pupils.  The United Kingdom has  a rich history of such schools.

Increasing numbers of children are being educated at boarding schools in the UK.  According to George Monbiot, who still struggles with the emotional impact of being sent away at the age of eight, we must protect children from the damage they can cause. He says if working-class parents did this, there would be an outcry. So why are upper-class parents getting away with what has become a form of acceptable cruelty?

Watch the video and be able to express your position on this topic.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about the video? Do you agree with George Monbiot’s argument?
  2. What do you think about boarding schools? Do you know anyone who was boarded or boarding schooled?
  3. Cite some of the pros and cons of sending a very young child to boarding schools.

Children Benefit from Learning a Foreign Language

B2 – Upper intermediate

More young people are studying abroad and traveling the globe than ever before. Schools, teachers, and even parents are stressing to children, teenagers, college students, and young adults the importance of opening one’s mind to learning about and embracing other cultures, and the perspective and enrichment it brings to one’s life.

The majority of us who took a foreign language course for a couple of years in high school – and perhaps even college – might remember a few words or phrases here and there, but most likely the language never quite took root, and after your brief vacation in France or Spain or Japan, your brain quickly dumped the information.

Children who grow up learning a foreign language from a young age – starting as early as three years old- benefit tremendously. Children’s brains are able to soak in a foreign language at an impressive rate. Not only that, but they are essentially able to learn to speak the language perfectly and without an accent.

Here are our Top 5 Reasons Your Child Will Benefit from Learning a Foreign Language

1. Better Linguistics

Exposing a child to a foreign language at an early age (as early as 3 years old) will result in much easier and better fluency than if they learn later in life. Ever heard of children referred to as “sponges”? That statement couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to a child learning a foreign language. Children’s brains are developmentally ready to accept and learn a foreign language, and fluency comes fairly easily, rapidly, and without accent.

Between ages 8 and 12, your child will lose the ability to hear and reproduce new sounds as they did when they were younger, making foreign language acquisition not impossible, but more difficult.

2. Cognitive Benefits

Research shows that language learning is more cognitive than linguistic. Here are just a few of the cognitive benefits to learning a foreign language:

  • the concept of “object permanence” develops at a younger age
  • better problem solving skills
  • better critical thinking skills
  • more creativity
  • better flexibility of mind
  • enhanced memory
  • better multi-tasking abilities

3. Higher Academic Achievement

Along the same lines of the cognitive benefits mentioned above, learning a foreign language can also provide academic benefits. Bilingual children have been shown to have better critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and greater mental flexibility. All these things result in better academic performance.

Bilingual students have been shown to have higher math skills and standardized test scores (including SAT). And, contrary to popular belief, not only does learning a foreign language not inhibit the child’s English language proficiency, it enhances and improves it!

4. Cultural Enrichment

Every conscientious parents wants their children to be well-rounded, to have a love for learning and an appreciation for other cultures, and to grow up to be a successful, contributing member of society.

Learning a foreign language opens doors that would not otherwise be opened. Bilingual (or trilingual) individuals have access to resources, people, places, and things that the rest of us do not. Not only can a foreign language provide a competitive edge in the workforce, but it creates a deeper understanding of and appreciation for humanity and culture, which enriches one’s life and personal experiences in the world.

5. Societal Contributions

Want your child to change the world? All parents can relate to that. We have high hopes and dreams for our children – not only for our own pride in them, but for the betterment of society and the world at large.

According to this article by the Nanduti project:

Americans who are fluent in more than one language can enhance America’s economic competitiveness abroad, maintain its political and security interests, and work to promote an understanding of cultural diversity within the United States. For example, international trade specialists, overseas media correspondents, diplomats, airline employees, and national security personnel need to be familiar with other languages and cultures to do their jobs well. Teachers, healthcare providers, customer service representatives, and law enforcement personnel also serve their constituencies more effectively when they can reach across languages and cultures. Developing the language abilities of the students now in school will improve the effectiveness of the work force later.” (Benefits of Being Bilingual by Kathleen M. Marcos)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with some or all of the reasons mentioned in the article?
  2. Are there any disadvantages to children learning a foreign language at an early age?
  3. Would you let your child learn a new language at an early age? Why or why not?
  4. What language or languages would you like your child to learn? Why?

Dutch Fret about English on Campus

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Popularity of English as a medium of instruction at Dutch universities is alarming among local lecturers and students.  As English usage is particularly dominant at Master’s degree level,  Dutch are concerned that Dutch language is gradually disappearing from campuses.  To what extent should English language be used in non- native countries?

Read the article:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/youth/2018/06/03/shakespeare-in-trouble-dutch-fret-about-english-on-campus.html

Discussion questions:
1. Is what’s happening in Netherlands alarming?
2. Should non-English speaking countries teach English?
3. Why is English important to learn?
4. Can the use of English influence a native language?

 

 

 

Lack of Pencil Holding Skill

B1 –  Intermediate

Nowadays, it’s very common for parents to give kids access to computer tablets like iPads at a very young age. After all, early exposure will help our children understand the world better. Well, it turns out there is increasing evidence that allowing kids access to computer tablets at an early age may be counterproductive.

Read this lesson on how technology reduces children’s ability to hold a pencil.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1804/180404-pencils.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your view on this: “Children are not using pencils, so they now lack the muscle strength in their hands to be able to write properly.“?
  2. Do you know anyone who has had skills delay because of early exposure to gadgets? Talk about them.
  3. Do you think kids should never have access to gadgets? Explain your stand.
  4. According to the article, “Technology may be causing bigger problems.“. What do think are some of these problems?
  5. What other skills have we lost because of technology or too much dependency on gadgets?

Tips for Job Interviews

B2 – Upper intermediate – Job Interview

Are you going to a job interview soon? Are you nervous that maybe you will stutter and fail the interview? Then, don’t fret because we got you covered. Watch the video below and learn how to ace that interview.

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Have you ever had a job interview in English before? If yes, how was your experience?
  2.  What kind of preparations do you do before a job interview?

Sample interview questions to help you practice:

  1.  Tell me about yourself.
  2.  What is your strength?
  3.  What is your weakness?
  4.  Why should we hire you?
  5. Why are you leaving your job?
  6. Why do you want this job?
  7. What are your goals in the future?