Tag: First Certificate FCE

“The Customer Is Always Right” Is Wrong

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We have heard the  slogan  “The Customer is always right”  several times and often, this attitude that the customer is always right negatively affects the company as it goes to great lengths to meet customers’ needs. But what if the customer isn’t always right? 

Read the article below and know the reasons this old adage isn’t always right.

https://www.hatchwise.com/resources/the-reasons-why-the-customer-is-always-right-is-wrong

Discussion Questions:

  1. What could happen if a company adopted the “customer is always right” policy?
  2. What are the effects of this policy to the company and to the employees? Do you think the advantages outweigh the drawbacks? Share your insights.
  3. Share your insights on this statement, “Businesses should abandon ‘The Customer Is Always Right’ once and for all — ironically, because it leads to worse customer service.“
  4. What can companies do to give customers good service, but at the same time, keep their own employees happy?
  5. What can you say about this, “You can’t treat your employees like serfs. You have to value them … If they think that you won’t support them when a customer is out of line, even the smallest problem can cause resentment.“

Niggles that Keep You Healthy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Rhinitis, eczema, and migraine, to name a few, are some of the most annoying minor ailments one can experience. However, niggle no more as science has proven that they can actually protect us from more serious illnesses.

https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/health/trends/8-annoying-niggles-that-actually-keep-you-healthy-35534

Discussion Questions:

1. Which among these minor ailments do you experience, and how do you cope with them?

2. What other minor illnesses or allergies do you have?

3. How do you keep your health boosted?

Why We Need Mean Friends More

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Agreeably to our preference, the best kind of friend is someone who would always love us – the imperfect us, the confused us, and the wrong us. Moreover, study shows that the best kind of friends are actually our mean friends. Let’s find out how having one can benefit our life more.

Study shows mean friends are the best kind of friends

Discussion Questions:

1. Say something about your friends and your mean friends.
Do you agree with the study?

2. What kind of a friend are you? Tell me about you being a mean friend.

3. What do you think of the saying “Show me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are?”

4. What was the biggest challenge your friendship has ever faced?

5.How do you maintain a good relationship with your friends?

Secrets of Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What leads to success?  Richard St. John, a success expert who spent a lot of years researching about it, gives 8 principles to address this question.

Click on the link to find out:

https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Name the secrets mentioned in the video.
  2.  How do you define success?
  3.  Can you think of any famous quotes about success or failure?

What Do You Buy When You’re Sad

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Retail therapy is the act of shopping and spending to improve one’s mood. Often seen in people during periods of depression or transition, it is normally a short-lived habit. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are sometimes referred to as “comfort buys”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-171207

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you do to feel better when you are sad?

2. Do you believe in retail therapy or is it just an excuse to go binge shopping?

3. When is retail therapy unhealthy?

Can Facebook Lessen Corruption?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The emergence of the Internet has allowed people to communicate in faster and more efficient ways. Dissemination of opinions and self-expression have been pushed into even more new areas where everything can be exposed with the advent of social media, especially Facebook. For this reason, can this be a tool to hinder corruption?

https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/social-media/facebook-corruption-social-media-internet-penetration

Discussion Questions:

1. Talk about corruption in your country. What are the government’s actions to fight corruption?

2. If you were to post about your thoughts on corruption on Facebook now, what would you say?

3. How else can Facebook and other social media make a positive impact?

Toxic People

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Has anyone stripped you of your happiness before? As the saying goes ‘Don’t let the silly little things steal your happiness’. Similarly, we should not let toxic people drag us down. Take note of these negative people and avoid interacting with them.

Read this article on different kinds of toxic people you could encounter on a rather regular basis.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-types-of-toxic-people-you-should-always-avoid.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Share your experience about an interaction with a toxic person.

2. What could be best ways to deal with these eight types of toxic people?

3. Among these eight types of toxic people, which do you consider the most crippling?

Work Burnout

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One of the most common and serious work issues is work burnout. It is often confused with stress. But there is a big difference between the two.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to find out more about occupational blues.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/podcasts-for-professionals/work-burnout

Discussion Questions:
1. What’s the difference between stress and burnout?
2. What are ways to fight work blues?
3. Share any story about being burned-out.

Jobs for School Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Working part-time while studying used to be the norm in the UK but the trend is changing. The number of student part-timers has decreased in the recent years.

Find out more through this podcast:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-171214

Discussion Questions:
1. Should schoolchildren have jobs?
2. What are the pros and cons of working while studying?
3. Share your own story about juggling work and studies.

Urban Millennials Go to Farmer School

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When you were young, have you ever thought of being a farmer? Do you want to work outdoors or indoors? This new school is trying to teach millennials who want to work on a farm.  In a society where technology is everywhere, farming has been often put behind thus creating a huge demand in the workforce for young people to work in the land.

Let’s watch and read the article below about this below:

https://www.voanews.com/a/virginia-agriculture-school-helps-train-new-farmers/4349791.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about farming?
  2.  Is farming a good and thriving industry in your country?
  3.  Do you think it is good to encourage young people to do manual jobs such as farming?
  4.  Do you need farmers and people who will work on the farm in your country?