Tag: People and Human Interest

How to Spot a Liar

C1 – Advanced

It can be a challenge to tell if someone is lying to you. No one is safe from liars and they can strike from absolutely anywhere. It could be your partner, best friend, your work colleague, or your family member. The most practiced liars are incredibly skilled in what they do and how they do it. They are absolute masters in the ancient art of deception and many have fallen victim to their mischievous advances.

Luckily enough, there are many signs we can look out for when trying to detect a lie.

Watch the video to find out some simple tricks that you could do to trap a liar.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can you tell if someone is lying to you?
  2. What causes a person to lie?
  3. We are all liars. Do you agree or disagree with this? Explain your stand.
  4. Lying’s a cooperative act. Do you agree or disagree with this? Share an example.
  5. How do you trick a liar?

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?

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?

How to Wake Up Before 6:00 a.m. Daily

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s an English adage that goes “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Assuming this is true and that there truly is a lot to be gained from throwing back the covers at the break of day, then it seems that the majority of us have trouble jump-starting a key habit which could lead to more success.

In this video, one vlogger shares how he cracked the code when it comes to waking up before 6:00 a.m. daily.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you consider yourself an early or late riser?
  2. What are some advantages of waking up early?
  3. What ideas does Matt D’Avella have towards achieving early wakefulness? Which suggestions would you be willing to try?
  4. Do you have any tips of your own to enable one to wake up early?
  5. What are reasons you would normally rise early?

Adulting 101 – Things We Learned the Hard Way

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Growing up, we often hear our parents, especially our mom’s common and loud assertion of a common phrase “when will you grow up?” in moments when you are being mischievous. They are perhaps tired of a kid-like nature which is not responsible enough to even know what they really want in life.

Have you ever thought of a certain point where you know exactly what you want and you are able to meet the mundane demand of independent and professional living? That is an informal description of adulting.

Let’s learn more by watching the video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you define adulting?
  2. Can we determine a specific stage or age for maturity?
  3. Why do we have to learn the hard way?
  4. What is the most challenging part of adulting?
  5. What are some things that you learned the hard way?
  6. How would you describe your adult life?

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some say “two heads are better than one”. This is true in some cases wherein better judgment is reached when an issue is decided from different perspectives. However, there are some instances where having too many people involved bring about disastrous outcomes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/experiment/unit-1/session-3

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does “too many cooks spoil the broth” mean?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with this?
  3. Can you retell the other expressions with similar meaning that were mentioned in the video?
  4. Give a situation you were in where too many cooks spoil the broth.
  5. What are instances where you need more collaborators and those when you don’t?

The Importance of Sports for Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Sports help children develop their physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn teamwork, learn to play fair, and improve their self-esteem. However, these are not the only things a child can acquire from playing sports.

Click the link below to learn more about the importance of sports to children:

https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/the-importance-of-sports-for-children/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some benefits of doing sports on kids?
  2. What sports are good for kids and what are those that are dangerous for them and why?
  3. What if your child doesn’t want to do sports, would you force them to do it?
  4. What can you say about this statement: “Sport is not a privilege of wealthy people.”?
  5. Do you agree with the saying, “Start them young”? Why or why not?

The Future of the Human Race

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What do you think will happen to humankind after 12 00,000 years? Are you excited to see the future? Will a new human species arise one day? A lot of interesting and crazy predictions have been made about the future. One of these is from evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry.

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Oliver Curry studies evolution and the future, and he has an interesting idea about the future of the human race. He suggests that in 100,000 years, humankind will split into two species. In addition, one group will be the haves, and the other group will be the have nots.

We will see some changes in the next 1,000 years. For example, humans will grow to 6-7 feet (182-213 centimeters). Humans will also live for about 120 years. And lastly, there won’t be different races like today. The races will mix to produce people with similar, latte-colored skin.

Unfortunately, there will also be negatives. People will lose social skills and empathy because they will use too much technology. Weak genes will spread and affect our whole species because new medicines will lower the mortality rate. Curry predicts this will happen 10,000 years from now.

Further into the future, in the year 100,000, the healthy will only breed with one another, and so create a beautiful and intelligent group of people. The unhealthy will become short and ugly, and also be less smart. These are the haves and the have nots. In other words, humans will become rulers and slaves.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about Oliver Curry’s predictions?
  2. What do you think life will be like in the 31st century?
  3. Do you think technology will harm us, as explained in the article?
  4. Do you think the human race will still be here in 100,000 years?
  5. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future? How about the world’s future?

Dangerous Crossing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ignoring warning signs might not be the best thing to do when you’re out somewhere. These things are actually there for a very important reason. 

Listen to this audio and hear about the story of a man who in a matter of split seconds would have ended up in a fatal disaster.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/dangerous-crossing-level-3/

Discussion Questions:

What was your reaction to this incident?

Talk about a situation when you did not pay attention to warning signs. What happened then and what were the consequences of your actions?

How can people be encouraged to heed warning signs at all times?

Describe some perilous areas in your city or country.

Share situations where you saw people behaving recklessly.

Extreme Homes of Maximalists and Minimalists

Some people choose their lifestyle in extremes: minimalism and maximalism. Minimalism comes from the idea that less is more. It is removing the excess and using only the things you really need. By doing so, important elements stand out more. On the other hand, maximalism is the opposite. It is to collect things like souvenirs and fill every space with interest and variety. It is then the counterpart of minimalism in which “more is more”.

Watch the video below and be able to answer the following questions:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a minimalist lifestyle?
  2. What are the pros and cons of a maximalist lifestyle?
  3. If you were to choose between the two, which would you prefer?
  4. Describe your home design and lifestyle practices.
  5. In your country, are people more maximalist or minimalist?