Tag: First Certificate FCE

Learn English by Yourself

B2 – Upper intermediate

A lot of people wanted to learn and master the English language. It’s no doubt that most companies hire applicants who can speak in English fluently. Maybe that’s why some are trying to learn English by themselves.

Learning English by yourself could be cheaper and simpler. But this type of learning is not for everyone. It can be time -consuming and pretty challenging. You have to have the desire and patience to be really good at it.

Here in this article, you will find general recommendations for English learners that could be helpful if you are planning to learn English on your own.

https://tv-english.club/articles-en/education-en-2/how-to-learn-english-by-yourself/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the things you need to learn the English language independently?
  2. What are the recommendations for English learners?
  3. How can you improve your English skills based on the article?
  4. What are the advantages of learning a new language?
  5. Why learning English on your own is not suitable for everyone?

The Body-In-Seat Mentality Toward Remote Employees

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to fears of the spread of Covid-19 disease, citizens in a lot of countries worldwide were advised not to leave or prohibited from going out of their homes. This meant companies had no choice but to make a their employees shift suddenly from working in the office to working from home.

Does body-in-the-seat means your staff are more productive or is it just a detriment to their full capacity in achieving significant amount of deep work?

Read this article about the body-in-seat mentality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2020/04/14/when-your-employees-are-remote-you-have-to-stop-the-body-in-seat-mentality/#4ded8ff22d33

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does ‘Body-In-Seat Mentality’ mean?
  2. Explain the concept of time chunking. What are your thoughts on this?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that having a body-in-the-seat does not equal productivity?
  4. What productivity hacks do you employ during your workday?
  5. Do you think it’s important to disconnect to accomplish great work?

Tell Siri You’re Getting Pulled Over By the Police

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to some incidents of police brutality we’ve seen recently, iPhone is making it possible for users to automatically record any interactions with the police by saying “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over.”

Read this news and find out about this new iPhone shortcut that might come in handy when you find yourself in a sticky situation with police officers.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/iphone-police-shortcut-record-trnd/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this phone shortcut? Do you want a similar function on your phone?
  2. Share incidents of police brutality in your country. If it never happens there, what do you think are reasons it doesn’t occur?
  3. Why do you think some police get aggressive toward civilians sometimes?
  4. Talk about your experience being pulled over by cops.
  5. How are cops like in your country?

The Food Delivery Revolution

B2 –  Upper Intermediate


When you do not feel like spending time slaving away in the kitchen, there is a quick way to have food ready on your dining table from 30 minutes to an hour just by waiting in the comfort of your own home.


Nowadays, it is so easy to find any dish you crave for at online restaurants. A few clicks and your dinner is on its way to you!

Listen to the podcast to know more about how food deliveries have changed our food culture.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200611

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on the food delivery revolution? Is this happening in your country too?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of food deliveries?
  3. Talk about some of your food delivery experiences.
  4. What other changes in your food culture have you noticed in the past 10 years?
  5. What is your most preferred dining experience?

Spill the Tea

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People love to chat especially when it is something juicy about another person. It may seem fun and entertaining but it can also be damaging to the person who is the subject of the conversation.

Let’s listen to the podcast and learn a similar expression.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak/ep-200608

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did Feifei say about Roy? How did she know about it?
  2. What happened in the end? Was Feifei correct?
  3. Explain the phrase ‘”lost a dare”.
  4. What does “spill the tea” mean?
  5. Do you like spilling the tea or listening to someone spilling the tea?

Best Diet For Your Health

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Doctors tend to agree that what you consume on your plate has effects that go beyond having a slim waist. Ultimately, diet is one of the determinants of a long life.

In this short video, Dr. Sanjay Gupta outlines some key points of what characterizes a healthy diet.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the 80/20 rule? Do you think it’s a valid concept?
  2. How do your meal choices compare to what’s described in the video?
  3. What is meant by hara hachi bu? What are your thoughts on it?

Switching Careers

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A career transition can be challenging. Why do people change careers? Is it boredom, uncertainty, benefits, or goals that make people question their career choices? When can be the best time to change careers?

Let’s read the article about when an employee considers a career change in their life.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/08/success/switching-careers-pandemic/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What might be the challenges of making a sudden and big change in one’s career?
  2. What is your opinion on this statement, “The job market is a mess, but you can still switch careers.“?
  3. When is the best time to change careers? Why do you think so?
  4. What job skills are the most in demand for a career change?
  5. What could make you change your current job for another one?

Ancient Monuments Built Around Summer Solstice

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. This day was a big deal for people who lived in the ancient times. This is a way they track summer turning to autumn. Summer Solstice is also their sign to determine when to sow and harvest numerous crops.

There are some ancient monuments which were built to align with the sun indicating summer solstice.

Here are 7 magnificent examples of those monuments.


https://www.rd.com/culture/ancient-monuments-summer-solstice/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about the monuments built around Summer Solstice?
  2. Which one is your favorite and why? Describe the monument.
  3. Why was Summer Solstice important to ancient people?
  4. What do you think is the reason ancient people built these monuments?
  5. What was your reaction when you saw the photos of those monuments built in ancient times?

Summer Solstice

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The word solstice came from the Latin word “sol” that means “sun” and “sistere” which is “to stand still”. Summer Solstice is when the sun rises in its highest position in the sky and the day with the longest period of daylight.

Summer Solstice appears during summer, which is called June Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere while December Solstice in the Southern.

Let’s us learn more fun minutiae about this here:


https://www.rd.com/culture/summer-solstice-facts/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the dark history of Summer Solstice during the Viking Period.
  2. Do you experience Summer Solstice in your country?
  3. What time do the sun usually set in summer in your country? What adjustments do people do with longer daylight?
  4. Do you prefer a day with longer daylight? Why or Why not?
  5. What might be the good and bad things about long daylight?

There’s More to Life Than Being Happy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We all want to live a happy and meaningful life but what does having a “meaningful life” really mean? Finding happiness could be easy. Whether it’s money, family, travel, or food, we all have a different definition of happiness. Having a meaningful life is another story. Some would say seeking meaning in life is the more fulfilling path.

In this video, you will know why we should build more meaningful lives instead of just happy ones.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the four pillars of a meaningful life?
  2. What’s important to you in life?
  3. How can you help someone who has depression?
  4. What makes you happy?
  5. How can you live more meaningfully?