Tag: People and Human Interest

B2 – Upper intermediate

A tattoo is a form of body modification where a pattern or design is made by inserting ink and dyes into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Though for many it is a painful process, it remains a very popular one that lots of people get done.

Meet Whang-Od, the last remaining Mambabatok, a tattoo artist who uses a thousand-year old method using traditional hand-tapping motions.

Discussion Questions:

1. Who is Whang-Od? What does she do?

2. What are your thoughts on tattoos?

3. Do you know of any ancient or traditional forms of art from your country?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Men are commonly associated with rape, murder, aggression and violence—all the stuff related to “toxic masculinity,”. For some, the obvious solution is to make men less masculine to make them less toxic. On the other hand, some say making men more like women will only result to more “toxic masculinity”.

Watch the video to find out why.

Discussion Questions:

1. What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘men’?

2. Do you agree with the solution to make men less toxic and make them more like women?

3. Do you think men are more aggressive than women?

4. In your country, who is usually regarded as the head of the family?

5. What three changes would you like to make to (other) men?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A local doughnut shop in California has people lining out the door before the sun even comes up.

Watch the video to discover the reason, which is sweeter than the treat itself. Find out why people are splurging on them.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why are the people buying all the donuts? How does the video impact you?

2. Describe your own community. How does your community look after its own people?

3. Do you support your local shops and businesses?

4. How can you encourage solidarity and charity in your community?

5. What treats are Spanish crazy about?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Halloween… many Spanish associate this holiday with the United States. But in fact, according to historians, this tradition is most likely Celtic in origin. It only became widely celebrated in America after the mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century. Nevertheless, in recent years, it has grown in popularity in Spain and has become a time for parties and revelry.

Halloween is a spooky time for many. In this video, check out some hair-raising anecdotes from real people. Truth or fiction? See for yourself.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the video about? What can you say about these stories?
2. Does your family celebrate Halloween?
3. Tell us about a spooky story of your own.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Hair fashions may change season to season, but the norm persisted that men needed to keep their hair short for sanitary reasons. Also, many view men with long hair as lazy slackers while those with short hair are seen as industrious.

However, since when – and why – did men begin cutting their hair short?

Find the story behind this in the video below.

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe your hairstyle.

2. In Spain, what is the trendy hairstyle for men and women nowadays?

3. How do you view men with long hair? How about women with short hair?

4. How do you think hair or hairstyles can affect our perception of a person’s personality?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A man quit his job for being mistreated by his manager. But before he did, he told about his bad experience to the other employees that resulted to three other people leaving the company.

When those people found themselves unemployed, they decided to start their own business. After some time and a lot of hard work, their business became very successful to the extent that they started competing with the company they used to work for. Under the pressure of the fierce competition the old company declared bankruptcy.

A small unnoticeable change can result in a very big one later on, can’t it?

Discussion Questions:

1. Explain the Butterfly Effect. Do you believe in it, or do you believe that the courses of events in this world are predetermined or inevitable?

2. Tell about your own experience of the Butterfly Effect. Think of one action that you did today. How do you think it had created a change in the events of this day?

3. How do you think your studies of English now can cause a difference in other people’s lives in the future?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to many pet owners, cats are generally more difficult to train than dogs. In this video, though, a blogger named Jun shows his way of training his cats in order to have a harmonious home life with his furry friends.

If you have a cat, or thinking of getting one, do not miss this video.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have a pet? Do you like pets? Why or why not?
2. How does Jun train his cats? What can you say about his methods?
3. If you could have any animal in the world as a pet, what would you pick?