Tag: First Certificate FCE

The 5S System

B2 – Upper Intermediate

5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seisō, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Translated into English roughly as ‘Sort’, ‘Set in Order’, ‘Shine’, ‘Standardize’, and ‘Sustain’, this methodology has been widely used by some of the biggest companies such as Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Follow the principles of 5S closely in the article below.

Principles of 5S and lean management which can benefit every manufacturer

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the main purpose of 5S?
  2. Can you name other companies that apply this method?
  3. Explain about your company methodologies and principles.
  4. What do you think are the disadvantages of 5S?
  5. How can 5S be relevant in your daily life?

Homeschooling

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to BBC, the number of children in UK being homeschooled has risen by about 40% over the past three years. Parents have some reasons why they homeschool their children, though. It has its own share of pros and cons just like conventional schools. In reality, there are students who learn better in homeschool environment rather than in a public or private school environment and vice versa. Parents just have to find the best approach for their children to learn depending on their ability, personality, and condition.

Read the article and be able to answer the questions below:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-42624220

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of homeschooling?
  2. What are some reasons parents homeschool their children?
  3. What are its drawbacks?
  4. Is homeschooling gaining popularity in your country?
  5. Would you be different today if you were homeschooled? Why/Why not?

A Good Time to Improve Your Health

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has become a global phenomenon with over 70,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 deaths as of this writing.

This health emergency has highlighted the need to improve hygiene standards and practice proper cold and flu etiquette.

Read the article that follows to learn why the current virus threat is a good time to improve your health and discover some practical ways to achieve this.

https://www.thetimesinplainenglish.com/coronavirus-threat-is-a-good-time-to-improve-your-health/

Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you catch a cold or get the flu? What could be the possible causes for these?
  2. What are some of the things you do to safeaguard your health?
  3. What is the recommended way to wash one’s hands as stated in the article?
  4. What are examples of etiquette to observe during the flu and cold season?

Ways to Live Longer

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Live healthy and live longer, right? There are many ways to live longer and I think it’s about time we re-asses our life to live better and longer. 

Let’s read the article below and consider the simple steps to live longer. 

https://www.health.com/mind-body/9-ways-to-live-longer

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about your lifestyle.
  2. What are the habits you want to change?
  3. What are the habits you want to have?
  4. How do you intend to achieve longevity?
  5. Do you want to live a very long life? Why or why not?

Would You Return a Lost Wallet Full of Cash?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

At some point of our life we lost something that is valuable to us. One good example is losing a wallet. Isn’t it puzzling to imagine what will likely to happen if one day someone would find a lost wallet? Well, most of us would predict that it wouldn’t be returned as we assume it is normal to our human nature, but recently there is an intriguing yet very interesting social experiment of losing their wallets filled with cash to be likely returned.

Lost wallets are more likely to be returned if they hold cash

Discussion Questions:

  1. What will you do if you found a lost wallet? Will you return it?
  2. What if it has 10,000 Euros?
  3. Is it stealing if you won’t return it?
  4. What factors would influence your decision whether to return or keep it?
  5. What does this tell us about humanity?

Being Breadcrumbed At Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Breadcrumbing refers to leaving small pieces of bread for someone. It’s what happens when you lead someone on. It’s when your company gives you “just enough” to string you along. You can tell when you are being breadcrumbed when your manager gives hints about new projects, pay increase or promotions that may – or may not – ever happen.

Read the article below and learn more about breadcrumbing at work.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190723-how-to-tell-if-youre-being-breadcrumbed-at-work

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever been breadcrumbed at work? Who did it to you and why do you think they did that? How did it affect you?
  2. What can an employee do so that they won’t be lead on/strung along?
  3. What do you think are reasons employers employ such practice?

Samsung’s New Foldable Phone

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Tech giant Samsung has once again created buzz around one of its new releases with the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip. Unorthodox in design, it resembles a flip phone when folded.

One Samsung executive hailed the phone’s innovative build, going so far as to say that “it changes everything.”

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to decide whether the Galaxy Z Flip truly deserves such high praise and if its features merit a hefty price tag.

Samsung Launches New Foldable ‘Flip’ Phone

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think the Galaxy Z Flip is a good buy?
  2. How often do you change your phone? What have been your reasons for switching?
  3. What features do you look for in a smartphone?

Why Do Competitors Open Their Stores Next to One Another?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you ever wonder why you see competing shops in one crowded spot? Is it a matter of keep-your-enemies-closer strategy or an efficient spatial competition? Find out below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Please explain Hotelling’s Law.
  2. If you were to put up your own business, what would it be? How would you apply Hotelling’s Law to find a location for your business?
  3. Give some examples of product differentiation.
  4. What are some booming businesses in Spain nowadays?

Hair Dyes and Straighteners Linked to Higher Cancer Risk

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whether fine, thick, long, short, curly, or straight, your hair deserves respect. It is our crowning glory, so it deserves much care and attention. Just be careful with the products that we use as some of them are linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. Caveat emptor.

https://www.ecowatch.com/hair-dye-chemicals-cancer-risk-2641588380.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you think this study can impact society?
  2. How do you take care of your hair?
  3. Should hair dyes and straighteners be banned from the market?
  4. How in demand are hair grooming products in your country?

When Advertisers Track Emojis

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Online targeted advertising is nothing new. Advertisers have been using demographics like gender, age, political affiliation, and location to deliver what they consider as relevant ads to the netizens. The folks at Twitter, however, decided to innovate and offer advertisers information about their users’ emotional states through the emojis that they post.

Should this be a matter for concern? Watch the video below and judge for yourself.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, what is a targeted ad?
  2. What do you think about Twitter giving advertisers access to emoji data?
  3. How does an emoji differ from an emoticon? Which was introduced first to the public?
  4. What three emojis do you use most often?
  5. Give examples of emojis that have an emotional context attached to them. Which emojis come across as positive, negative, or neutral? Which emojis do you feel tend to be ambiguous?
  6. Do you follow any politicians on Twitter? In your country, does the use of Twitter by government officials impact public opinion?
  7. Is it harmless to let a faceless advertiser know how you’re feeling?
  8. A Pew Research Center survey revealed that 51% of US adults are not confident that social media sites protect user data. What do you think about this in the context of data protection practices in your country?
  9. Would you like other social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to follow Twitter’s lead and use emojis in their targeted advertising?
  10. Can you live without emojis?