Tag: Reading

Emojis in Work Emails

B1 – Intermediate

There are do’s and don’ts of writing work emails. Should employees refrain from including smiley face emojis in their emails?

Read more about the use of emojis in work emails.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1708/170816-smiley-face-emojis-5.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about putting emojis/smileys in work emails?
  2. What email writing rules do you know of?
  3. What’s the importance of knowing proper emailing etiquette?
  4. If you could set the rules, should emojis be used as part of professional emails? Why or why not?

Spanish Habits That Are Hard to Master

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whether you are planning to spend a few days or stay in Spain for good, it pays to know how Spanish live in their unique culture and identity.

They have some habits that a non-native Spanish would find it to be a little hard to pick up and master.

 

Let’s read the article and start a discussion about it. Click the link below:

https://www.thelocal.es/20170719/seven-spanish-habits-youll-never-quite-master

Discussion Questions:

1. Does the article define a true Spaniard?

2. Which among the habits mentioned do you also have?

3. What unique habits do you observe from other countries?

China Moves to Ban Use of Uyghur Language in Schools

B2 – Upper intermediate

National language drives national unity in any country, even if there are hundreds of other languages and dialects present in the state. Apart from a name, boundary, currency, or flag, a national language makes a country respectable. National language clearly indicates the national character of a country. If you want to profoundly understand and penetrate into a society, you must know how to speak and write their language.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript:

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/china-moves-to-ban-uyghur-language-in-schools/3969575.html

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think this measure is an act of ethnic discrimination or a measure to educate everyone in the country to speak one common language?
2. Is it important to have one national language known and used by everyone in the country?
3. How many languages are spoken in your country?

 

 

A Day Without Internet

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We are living an “always-connected lifestyle”. This means that we are constantly connected to the internet. With this level of dependency, try to imagine a day without it.

Read the article and find out what it would be like if the internet would be shut down for one day.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170207-what-if-the-internet-stopped-for-a-day

Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think would happen if the internet stopped for a day? According to the article, what would happen if the internet stopped for a day?
2. How much do you use the internet?
3. What uses do you have for it?
4. What may be the advantages and disadvantages of a “kill switch”?
5. What do you do alternatively when you’re not online?

Best Beaches in Europe

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is summertime again and what better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day than to go to the beach?  If you find yourself in Europe this summer, here are ten beaches that would make your vacation a memorable one.

Let’s read the article and start a discussion about it. Please it through the link below:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/18/europe-beaches-france-portugal-greece-italy-spain-readers-tips

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been to the beaches listed in the article? If not, which beach would you like to visit and why?
2. What’s the nicest beach you’ve ever been to? Please share your experience.
3. What’s your favorite activity to do at the beach? Why?
4. What do you think is the best way to spend your summer vacation?
5. Do you prefer summer or winter vacations? Why?

Skills Best Sales Managers Possess

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Most of the times, companies reward their top sales people by promoting them as managers. Do excellent salespeople necessarily become good managers?

Look at three skills all best sales managers have through this article.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianaltman/2016/04/14/the-best-sales-managers-always-possess-these-3-skills/#2e97c9e859dd

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is important for managers to have the said skills?
2. What other traits do you associate with great managers?
3. What is the worst trait you’ve experienced?
4. Talk about a situation where the team failed, how did you/your team/your manager handle it?
5. Do you think anyone who is excellent at his job can be a leader?

Tackling Remote Work Challenges

© Trello

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The world is changing along with the way we live and work. Working remotely is one work styles that is becoming a trend in the workplace nowadays. With teleworking becoming more and more popular these days, it is important to note the good and bad things about it and to know how to deal with them so telecommuting becomes advantageous and satisfying to a person who works from home.

Lift the lid on the joys and struggles of being a home-based worker.

https://blog.trello.com/tips-for-tackling-remote-work-challenges

Let’s talk:

1. What are some challenges that teleworkers face and what are ways to cope with them?

2. How do you view telecommuting?

3. How would you feel about working remotely on a regular basis?

4. Do you think everyone should be given the option to telework?

5. What other workplace trends are becoming popular in your country?

Being Frugal vs. Being Cheap

B1 – Intermediate

Being frugal and being cheap are two very similar words. How can we tell the difference?

Being frugal is being mindful about and ingenious on how you spend your money. On the other hand, being cheap is trying to economize at yourself and/or others’ expense just so you can do some penny-pinching.

Click the link to find out the difference between being frugal and being cheap and be able to answer the questions that follow:

http://www.wisebread.com/12-ways-to-tell-the-difference-between-being-frugal-and-being-cheap

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you manage your money until the end of each month? How do you do it?
  2. Why is it important to save money?
  3. When was the last time you spent money on something you didn’t really need? Why did you do so?
  4. What are the things you do in order to save money?
  5. Do you spend like a sailor or are you a cheapskate? How about other people in your family?

Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diets

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The single most important thing an individual can do for their health, for the environment, and for the sake of the innocent animals is to adopt a vegetarian diet.

Read the article about the health benefits of vegetarian diets.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11311397

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain the term “lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet“. “To this large basis of plant foods, small amounts of animal foods, both indirect (i.e., milk and eggs, such as in the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet), and direct (i.e., any kind of flesh, such as in the original Mediterranean diet) can be added, or not.” Use the term in a sentence.
  2. Explain the term “meta-analysis“. “We found a meta-analysis on bone health with uncertain unfavorable effects, but it was unique, which led us to exclude bone health from the review.” Use the term in a sentence.
  3. Explain the term “paradigm shift“. “As early as 2003, Prof. Sabaté proposed a “paradigm shift” to suggest why more people following a vegetarian diet could achieve optimal health.” Use the term in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some reasons that people choose to be vegetarian?
  2. Share your insights on this, “The trend of following a vegetarian diet is increasing among citizens of developed countries.”
  3. Have you or any you know ever been a vegetarian? Talk about this diet and lifestyle.
  4. Is it good to be a vegetarian for some periods of time for the sake of our health?
  5. What’s your opinion about being a strict vegetarian? Is it healthy generally speaking?

Instant Gratification as a Marketing Tactic

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Humans are naturally inclined to have desires for things. In the business setting, whoever provides these desires in the best way and timely manner possible, gets ahead of the competition.

With this in mind, instant gratification can offer a wide array of benefits for digital marketers.

Get a deeper understanding of instant gratification, how it works to a company’s advantage in marketing, and ways to provide it to customers.

Leveraging Instant Gratification as a Winning Marketing Tactic

Discussion Questions:

1. Explain why people expect immediate responses now.

2. What are your thoughts on the ideas presented in this article?

3. What are some other ways to handle customer’s desire for instant gratification?

4. Does the company you work for use instant gratification? In what ways?

5. Do you agree that instant gratification provides benefits for businesses?