Tag: Psychology

Museumgoers and Concertgoers Could Live Longer

B1 – Intermediate

Museum and concert enthusiasts now have more reasons to stick to their interests. A research shows that visiting museums and watching live concerts could help people live longer.

Please read the article below and be ready to share your opinions.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1912/191223-live-concerts.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Tell me about your experiences going to museums and concerts. Which do you prefer doing between the two?
  2. What other activities do you think could help improve our mental health and could help us live longer lives?
  3. Why do you think some people do not fancy watching concerts or visiting museums?
  4. What things are you doing so you could live longer?

Chatting to New People

B2 – Upper Intermediate

“Don’t talk to strangers.” That is the advice we hear from parents to their young ones for safety reasons. In contrast, this may be terrible advice for adults.

Let’s listen to the podcast and find out why it is good to talk to strangers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-191212

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you like talking to strangers?

2. Do you like starting the conversation or do you wait for others to initiate contact?

3. According to the podcast, why is it good to talk to strangers? Do you agree with these reasons?

Living By the Sea Makes Us Happier

B1 – Intermediate

They say, ‘home is where the heart is‘. Who lives happier lives – is it the people who live by the beach or the ones who reside in the inland?

Read the article and find out how living near the coast helps with mental health.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1910/191004-living-by-the-sea-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with the result of the study?
  2. In which place do you want to live that could make you happier?
  3. What might be reasons living near the beach helps improve our mental health?

Dealing with Self-doubt

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whenever you are preparing for something, most likely there is something that might prevent you from thinking that you’ll succeed in doing it. It is what we call the evil within or our self-doubt. We are often told not to be overwhelmed with negative thoughts and trust one’s self to overcome obstacles and succeed in whatever you are aiming for. However, most of us are struggling with how to fight the devil within ourselves.

Watch this video about five things you can do to eliminate self-doubt.

 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever felt self- doubt? Share your experience/experiences.
  2. In general, are you confident in yourself? Or are you plagued by doubts?
  3. What role does self-doubt play in your life? Does it affect your performance at school or work?
  4. What are the sources of your self-doubt?
  5. Do you have your own strategies to deal with self-doubt? How effective have they been?

Time Outs to Discipline Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Time out is often used by parents nowadays as a form of discipline to their misbehaving children. Some suggest that this can be ineffective and even harmful to a child’s emotional health and the relationship with their parents. While others say it doesn’t affect the child’s behavior.

Let’s know more about the effects of time outs on children.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49692573

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of time-outs as a punishment?

2, What measures of discipline do/would you give your children?

3. How might time-outs affect parent-child relationships?

4, How effective are time-outs in disciplining children?

5. How’s your parenting skills like?

 

 

Active or Reflective Listening

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When we think of communication, we think of talking. That’s where we’re wrong. Listening is also a crucial skill that is necessary for effective communication.

Active listening involves full concentration, understanding, responding and looping back.

Watch the video and learn tips and expressions you can use when the need for active or reflective listening arise.

Read the article here as well: https://spunout.ie/health/article/listening-is-helping

Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss the 6 tips from the video. Which expression/s or tip/s did you find most useful/interesting? Why?
2. Talk about a situation when you lend someone your ear.
3. Do you agree that listening is helping?
4. How important is talking and listening during difficult times for you?
5. What are other ways to show someone your support during tough times?

The Stanford Experiment

C1 – Advanced

In August 1971, Stanford University psychology professor Philip Zimbardo set up a simulated prison in the basement of the university’s building and hired ordinary people to play the roles of guards and prisoners. The experiment was supposed to last for 2 weeks. However, things got out of hand and they had to shut it down on the 6th day.

Watch the video to learn more about the Standford Experiment.

 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the Stanford experiment about? What is the “Lucifer effect”?
  2. What is your opinion about/reaction to this experiment?
  3. How did the experiment transform the participants playing as guards?
  4. In your opinion, was it ethical to conduct this experiment even with the written consent of the participants?
  5. Would you be interested to participate in a social experiment?

Ways to Make Yourself Happier

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Happiness can be defined from different perspectives. Others find happiness mainly in relationships with others especially from family and friends while some depend on success and material things.

Our sources of happiness may differ but there are ways to make our pursuit of happiness easier.

Please read the article below to know the 10 ways to be happier.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201607/10-ways-make-yourself-happier-in-30-seconds-or-less

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you define happiness?
  2. What are your sources of happiness?
  3. Is it easy for you to be happy?
  4. What do you to make others happy?
  5. Why is it important to stay happy?

Pet Dogs Lower Stress in Kids

B1 – Intermediate

It is believed that dogs play an important role in children’s development. A new study finds that dogs actually help stressed children.

Read about how having pet dogs help relieve children from stress from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1512/151204-anxiety-1.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the benefits of having a pet dog for children?
2. Do you believe in the idea that dogs help reduce children’s stress?
3. What might be reasons very young kids get stressed out?
4. What did your parents do when you were being anxious when you were little? / What do you do to help your children relax when they seem stressed out?
5. What would be the best pet for you? Why?

Optimism is Good for Our Health

B1 – Intermediate

Research has found that people who are overly optimistic may have “faulty” brains. According to a study, the reason a lot of people always see the positive side of things is perhaps due to the fact that they don’t have the ability to sensibly deal with risk.

Read about over-optimism from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1110/111010-optimism.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion about positive thinkers possibly having “faulty” brains?
2. What are the good and bad things about always being optimistic?
3. Do you believe that we must always be optimistic?
4. Do you agree or disagree that “seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty can be a positive thing”?
5. Talk about some ways that help you stay positive.