Tag: Social Issues

Is This The Era of Distrust?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The fallout of trust on the government, companies, and even individuals is evident in the recent years. As access to information is at an all-time high, it creates room for doubts on people’s minds. We tend to be cynical about almost everything now.

Is it really bad that we doubt? Do we simply have to trust everything we hear and see? Or should we realize that sometimes there is more to it than meets eye?

Listen to this podcast about trust in this day and age.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200813

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you a trusting person or a skeptic?
  2. Are you familiar with the Ponzi scheme mentioned in the podcast? What is it about? Did something similar happen in your country?
  3. How would you describe someone who is gullible?
  4. What makes someone truly trustworthy?
  5. Talk about a situation you know of where public trust was betrayed.

Young Adults Live With Parents

B1 – Intermediate

The advantage of living with your parents is that you don’t have to pay rent and you don’t have to worry about buying all those groceries every month. It can be very expensive if you eat out all the time. Most importantly, you don’t have to go through some problems alone because your parents will always be there for you no matter what.

Let’s read the article below to know more about it living with parents as a young adult.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2009/200908-young-adults-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the good and bad things about living with your parents?
  2. Should all young adults have to leave home? Why / Why not?
  3. Would you prefer to live at home or on your own?
  4. What advice do you have for young adults?
  5. How has Coronavirus affected young adults in your country financially?

Catalan Leader Demands Probe Into Phone-Tapping Reports

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Pro-independence speaker Roger Torrent learned that his phone had been tapped. He claims the Spanish government seems complicit or negligent about this issue. 

Read more about this news on phone tapping and political espionage from the link below:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/spain-catalan-leader-demands-probe-phone-tapping-reports-200714112106903.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think Torrent had been the target of political espionage?
  2. What is your opinion on his claims about how the Spanish government is tackling this issue?
  3. In general, what are your thoughts on political espionage?
  4. Do you think that Pegasus is operated “solely by authorized government agencies to fight terror and serious crime, and protect public safety”? What is your opinion on this software?
  5. If you were one of the victims of this cyber attack, how would you react/feel?
  6. Share any kind of cyber-related problems you’ve encountered.

Black Lives Matter Protests Take Place Worldwide

B1 – Intermediate

The Black Lives Matter protests started again when someone took a video of a police kneeling on George Floyd’s neck that later on, caused his death. The video went viral all around the world reigniting the BLM movement.

People protested on the streets and even on the social media. BLM is now an organized movement in the USA. It advocates for non-violent civil disobedience against African-American people.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2006/200608-black-lives-matter-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the story behind the protests lead by the Black Lives Matter Movement?
  2. What is the purpose of this protest? Do you think it could make a difference?
  3. Were there such protests in your country? How did they go? Would you like to take part in this protest?
  4. How were people of color treated in the USA before? Is there any difference now?
  5. What are some ways to help support advocacies for justice and equality for all?

What Difference Has #MeToo Made?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The #MeToo movement has become viral in social media. A lot of prominent celebrities and survivors have come forward to share their saddening and traumatic stories with all the sexual harassment and abuse that they have experienced from wealthy men with high-power positions.

Tarana Burke, an American social activist, created the movement in 2006 and according to her, the purpose of the movement was to empower women through empathy. She has stated that the movement is for giving people the resources to have access to healing and to advocate for changes in the laws and policies around violence against women.

Let’s hear more about it in the audio below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200604

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you familiar with #MeToo before listening to the audio?
  2. How did the #MeToo movement start and why did it become viral?
  3. What is your reaction and opinion about the #MeToo movement?
  4. How did the #MeToo movement impact people? Did it help the victims?
  5. Are you interested in being an advocate of the #MeToo movement?
  6. How do you think we can help people who was sexually abused?
  7. Did this movement reach Spain too or are there similar organizations there? Talk about some of them and their impact on helping women.

Tell Siri You’re Getting Pulled Over By the Police

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to some incidents of police brutality we’ve seen recently, iPhone is making it possible for users to automatically record any interactions with the police by saying “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over.”

Read this news and find out about this new iPhone shortcut that might come in handy when you find yourself in a sticky situation with police officers.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/iphone-police-shortcut-record-trnd/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this phone shortcut? Do you want a similar function on your phone?
  2. Share incidents of police brutality in your country. If it never happens there, what do you think are reasons it doesn’t occur?
  3. Why do you think some police get aggressive toward civilians sometimes?
  4. Talk about your experience being pulled over by cops.
  5. How are cops like in your country?

Fixing the Housework Gender Gap

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Despite living in the 21st century, we still hear of women having to take on a huge load of the household chores.

In Sweden, they are giving tax breaks for cleaners. Does this reduce the gap or only make gender-role norms flourish even more? 

Read the article to find out more about this policy.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200303-how-sweden-is-fixing-the-housework-gender-gap

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about Sweden’s way to fix the housework gender gap and your opinion about it.
  2. How would you describe the division of household tasks in your own home and generally, in your country?
  3. Is it common in your country for families to have a house cleaner? Talk about it.
  4. Do you agree or disagree to this, “House chores are part of the family life.”?
  5. How do you think the government of your country champion work-life balance?

Trump’s ‘Disinfectant Injection’ Suggestion

C1 – Advanced

President Donald Trump suggested the possibility of an “injection” of disinfectant into a person infected with the coronavirus as a deterrent to the virus during his daily briefing. Following heavy criticism from medical professionals, Pres. Trump said his remarks were made sarcastically.

Watch the video to know more about the news and be able to express your opinion.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about the news? Do you think President Trump’s briefings are actively endangering the public’s health?
  2. How powerful are the words of political leaders to their people?
  3. What do you think about disinfectants? Do you use them at home? If so, why and how often?
  4. What do you do in order to protect yourself and your family from the Coronavirus?

Man Raises Millions for Health Service

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A war veteran started a fundraiser in order to gather funds for UK’s health service. While his act of altruism has been highly praised by many, some are quick to comment that this is nothing but a mere reflection of how poor the state of their country’s health service currently is.

Read the full lesson from the link below and be ready to answer the discussion questions.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2004/200419-fundraising.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about Captain Tom Moore’s fundraising efforts and where the funds would go.
  2. What are your thoughts on this statement that Moore’s ‘altruism is a damning reflection on the state of UK’s NHS’?
  3. Have you ever been involved in a fundraising activity before? What kind of fundraiser was it and who were the beneficiaries of the money collected?
  4. Talk about the state of health service in your country.
  5. Would you consider doing the same thing Moore did?

Harambe, Gorilla Killed at Cincinnati Zoo

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Harambe the Gorilla was a 17-year-old Western lowland silverback gorilla that was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into his enclosure in late May 2016. The incident was wildly criticized by many who blamed the child’s parents for the gorilla’s untimely death. Despite outrage from the public, some experts and activists believe the Cincinnati Zoo did the right thing to fatally shoot an endangered gorilla after a toddler fell into the animal’s enclosure.

Watch the video and read the article from the link below to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36414813

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about this news?
  2. Do you think it was right to kill the gorilla? Justify your answer.
  3. Do you think there was negligence from the child’s parents end?
  4. How active are the animal rights group in your country?
  5. In your own opinion, what rights do animals have?