Tag: People and Human Interest

Could You Give Up Booze for a Month?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Holidays mean fun and celebration and what is a celebration without alcohol? Alcohol drinking has been associated with festivities and people tend to have one too many drinks during these occasions because they are allowed to.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript from the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200116

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it called a ‘dry January’ according to the podcast?

2. Do you like drinking alcohol? Are you a regular drinker or a social drinker?

3. What are the merits and downsides of drinking alcohol?

4. What is a ‘hangover’? Have you experienced it in the past?

5. What is ‘binge-drinking’? How can it be prevented?

Why We Say “OK”

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We say ‘OK’ to express agreement, acceptance, understanding and many other positive responses. It is interesting to know that the most widely used word in the English language actually started as an editorial joke.

Let’s watch the video and find out more about the origin of ‘OK’.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the origin of the abbreviation ‘OK’?
  2. How did the past American re-electionist president use it to his advantage?
  3. How did the invention of telegraph transformed the word ‘OK’ from a slang to a formal word?
  4. What expression do you often use to express agreement?
  5. What are your favorite Spanish and English words and why?

Bride Meets Recipient of Son’s Heart

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Nuptials are always memorable occasions. One wedding, in particular, stood out, going viral because of an unexpected sixth groomsman. Who was the young man, and why was his presence so significant to the newlyweds?

Watch the video below and find out.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Many people have opined that the groom’s gesture was the best wedding gift possible for his wife. Do you agree?
  2. If you could give or receive a truly memorable wedding present, what would it be? Would you prefer a physical object or a unique experience?
  3. What is the attitude towards organ donation in your country? Should people consider becoming organ donors?

Family Christmas Photo

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Christmas is a memorable time and an opportunity to spend extra time together as a family, reconnect with our spouse, children, friends and create holiday memories together. But sadly some people can’t have this, like this family. A military wife edited her deployed husband to be part of their Christmas family photo.

Watch this heart-warming video:

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you feel about their Christmas family photo?

2. Have you been away from your family during the Christmas holidays?

3. Do you enjoy large family get-togethers or find them overwhelming during Christmas holidays?

4. Describe your most memorable Christmas /New Years gathering. What makes it so special? 

5. Talk about your best Christmas family photo and some family traditions your family has.

Is Shame Always Bad?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this age of social media, public shaming is nothing new. It is easier to call out people when they have done something unacceptable – big or small. Some experts say that public shaming has lasting damaging effects but can something good also come out of it?

Listen to the podcast and learn more about this feeling.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-190718

Discussion Questions:

  1. How popular is social media shaming? Can you recall some instances of such?
  2. How is shaming someone good according to the podcast?
  3. What does the speaker mean with ‘Teflon-coated politicians’?

A Teen’s First Look at Color

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Color. It’s something most of us don’t even give a second thought to. But really, how differently we might experience the world around us if we were unable to perceive its rich hues.

Watch the video below and join a young man and his friends as they celebrate a momentous event in his life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is color? In what ways would we be disadvantaged if we couldn’t accurately see colors?
  2. Think of a memory that stands out for you. What dominant colors do you recall from this page in your personal history?
  3. What is your favorite color? Why do you like it?
  4. Aside from color perception, what other things do we humans usually take for granted?
  5. What does it mean when we say a person uses colorful language, or that he or she has a colorful past? What about if that person is a colorful character?

Japan’s Micro Apartment Boom

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Japan is famous for its minimalist and downsized architecture even though the country has not always been so densely populated. With not enough space in the cities and low budgets for renting or owning a house, many Japanese have chosen to live in these tiny and cramped apartments. Even so, Japanese have created some clever design elements that allow the micro apartment to be a very functional and cozy home.

Watch the video and see what is so special about these micro apartments in Japan:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What brought about the rise in tiny living spaces?
  2. What do you think about micro apartments?
  3. How would you feel living in this tiny apartment?
  4. What do you think are the good things about micro apartments? What are the disadvantages of living in these small apartments?
  5. What are apartments like in your country?

Why Billionaires Wake Up at 4:00 AM

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Before the advent of technology, “early to bed, early to rise” was a way of life. The daily grind followed the dictates of the sun with humans faithfully listening to the body’s natural rhythms of wakefulness and sleep.

Times have changed though. Unusual working hours, smartphone addiction, social media, and the fear of missing out have all contributed to the devaluation of sleep and its being relegated to the wee hours.

But is this wise? Watch the video below before planning your next all-nighter.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, why do many successful people choose to wake up at four in the morning?
  2. What steps can you take to effectively cultivate the habit of early wakefulness?
  3. If getting up early is so beneficial, why do most people find it difficult to do?
  4. What is generally your mood when you first wake up? Does this set the tone for the rest of your day?
  5. What are the benefits of keeping a sleep schedule more in tune with natural sleep cycles?
  6. What keeps you from getting quality sleep?
  7. Why would knowing your life’s purpose provide you with the impetus for rising early?

Nerds vs Popular Kids: Who Wins in Adulthood?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We’ve seen movies about high school life where students are divided into popular ones, who are at the top of the hierarchy, the nerds, who are at the bottom and somewhere in between are the less cool kids. The popular ones tend to bully the nerds and the ones in the middle are playing along with it. This is a reality. In all social groups, there are leaders, followers, and the oppressed.

Let’s watch the video and learn more about the likely future of these youngsters.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you classify your status when you were still in high school? Were you one of the popular or nerdy ones?
  2. What are your experiences with popular and nerdy kids?
  3. Explain instrumental targeting. Have you been a subject of it? Have you ever used this approach?
  4. Describe the high school reunion effect.
  5. Do you agree with the study that nerds/geeks are more likely to be successful in adulthood?

FBI Interrogation Techniques You Can Actually Use

C1 – Advanced

Have you ever been in a situation where you are certain of what took place but you still feel the need to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth? You are looking for a confession, perhaps to make you think slightly better of the person or to just simply validate what you have already known for so long.

Let’s watch the video and find out some techniques professional interrogators use to get someone to spill the beans.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the Reid technique? Have you applied it in a personal situation?
  2. In your own opinion, how effective is this technique?
  3. What is the difference between ‘interrogation’ and ‘interview’?
  4. What is the difference between ‘objection’ and ‘denial’?
  5. Talk about a situation where you had to get the truth out of another person.