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Learn English by Yourself

B2 – Upper intermediate

A lot of people wanted to learn and master the English language. It’s no doubt that most companies hire applicants who can speak in English fluently. Maybe that’s why some are trying to learn English by themselves.

Learning English by yourself could be cheaper and simpler. But this type of learning is not for everyone. It can be time -consuming and pretty challenging. You have to have the desire and patience to be really good at it.

Here in this article, you will find general recommendations for English learners that could be helpful if you are planning to learn English on your own.

https://tv-english.club/articles-en/education-en-2/how-to-learn-english-by-yourself/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the things you need to learn the English language independently?
  2. What are the recommendations for English learners?
  3. How can you improve your English skills based on the article?
  4. What are the advantages of learning a new language?
  5. Why learning English on your own is not suitable for everyone?

China and India Agree to Peace Over Border

B1 – Intermediate

Tensions between India and China are not new. These two countries have been in conflict for decades over territories and fought a bloody war in 1962 and have since engaged in several small skirmishes.

Both sides see the area as strategically important, economically and militarily.

Let’s read the article below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2006/200610-border-dispute-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about the skirmishes on the China-India border? What would have happened if the skirmishes led to a war?
  2. How do you think the China-India relationship should develop?
  3. Has there ever been any trouble along your country’s borders? Talk about this dispute.
  4. What sources of tension are there between your country and others?
  5. Can all border disputes be resolved cordially?

The Body-In-Seat Mentality Toward Remote Employees

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to fears of the spread of Covid-19 disease, citizens in a lot of countries worldwide were advised not to leave or prohibited from going out of their homes. This meant companies had no choice but to make a their employees shift suddenly from working in the office to working from home.

Does body-in-the-seat means your staff are more productive or is it just a detriment to their full capacity in achieving significant amount of deep work?

Read this article about the body-in-seat mentality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2020/04/14/when-your-employees-are-remote-you-have-to-stop-the-body-in-seat-mentality/#4ded8ff22d33

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does ‘Body-In-Seat Mentality’ mean?
  2. Explain the concept of time chunking. What are your thoughts on this?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that having a body-in-the-seat does not equal productivity?
  4. What productivity hacks do you employ during your workday?
  5. Do you think it’s important to disconnect to accomplish great work?

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?

Switching Careers

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A career transition can be challenging. Why do people change careers? Is it boredom, uncertainty, benefits, or goals that make people question their career choices? When can be the best time to change careers?

Let’s read the article about when an employee considers a career change in their life.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/08/success/switching-careers-pandemic/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What might be the challenges of making a sudden and big change in one’s career?
  2. What is your opinion on this statement, “The job market is a mess, but you can still switch careers.“?
  3. When is the best time to change careers? Why do you think so?
  4. What job skills are the most in demand for a career change?
  5. What could make you change your current job for another one?

Ancient Monuments Built Around Summer Solstice

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. This day was a big deal for people who lived in the ancient times. This is a way they track summer turning to autumn. Summer Solstice is also their sign to determine when to sow and harvest numerous crops.

There are some ancient monuments which were built to align with the sun indicating summer solstice.

Here are 7 magnificent examples of those monuments.


https://www.rd.com/culture/ancient-monuments-summer-solstice/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about the monuments built around Summer Solstice?
  2. Which one is your favorite and why? Describe the monument.
  3. Why was Summer Solstice important to ancient people?
  4. What do you think is the reason ancient people built these monuments?
  5. What was your reaction when you saw the photos of those monuments built in ancient times?

Summer Solstice

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The word solstice came from the Latin word “sol” that means “sun” and “sistere” which is “to stand still”. Summer Solstice is when the sun rises in its highest position in the sky and the day with the longest period of daylight.

Summer Solstice appears during summer, which is called June Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere while December Solstice in the Southern.

Let’s us learn more fun minutiae about this here:


https://www.rd.com/culture/summer-solstice-facts/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the dark history of Summer Solstice during the Viking Period.
  2. Do you experience Summer Solstice in your country?
  3. What time do the sun usually set in summer in your country? What adjustments do people do with longer daylight?
  4. Do you prefer a day with longer daylight? Why or Why not?
  5. What might be the good and bad things about long daylight?

Scientists Discover the World’s Cleanest Air

B1 – Intermediate

There’s nothing quite like opening the door and breathing fresh, clean air but how clean is the air you’re breathing right now?

Due to increasing concentration of poisonous gases in the environment, the air is getting more and more toxic day by day. These gases are also the cause of many respiratory illnesses and other diseases.

Let’s read the article below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2006/200606-clean-air.html

Questions Discussions:

  1. How important is it for you to have perfectly clean air?
  2. What will our air be like in 50 years from now?
  3. How clean is the air where you live? What damage have humans done to the air in your area?
  4. What activities do you do that creates pollution?

Beat the Monday Blues

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Mondays signal the beginning of yet another productive week of work. However, not everyone feels this way toward Mondays. Weeks start with you feeling anxious, blue, or stressed out. You are demotivated and sluggish. When this is the case, you might be suffering from Monday Blues.

Take it easy. It is dreadful but there are ways to fight Monday blues. Read this article to find out some ways on how to deal with Monday Blues.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/02/25/11-ways-to-beat-the-monday-blues/#2cb6a71b23f5

Discussion Questions:

  1. What causes Monday blues?
  2. What were the most interesting tips for you?
  3. What were the tips that you didn’t find very useful?
  4. In general, how do you view or how do you feel about Mondays?
  5. What do you do to cope with Monday Blues?

Bottled Water Has Plastic

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One cause for concern is the presence of plastic in bottled water. Research indicates that most bottled water contains micro plastics, which may pose health risks. Your bottled water probably has plastic in it, should you worry?

Even though water is not acidic (unlike soda), whenever you drink out of a plastic bottle, you risk ingesting the chemicals used to make the bottles as these toxins can leach into the water over time.

Watch the video and read the article to find out more about the dangers of drinking water from a plastic bottle:

https://time.com/5581326/plastic-particles-in-bottled-water/

Questions Discussions:

  1. Do you think tap water is better than bottled water?
  2. How concerned are you with plastic bottles and their use of resources? Why?
  3. Will this article cause you to stop buying bottled water? Why/not?
  4. What problem causes the greatest damage to the environment? Why do you think so?
  5. Were you surprised by how much Americans pollute? Why/not? How does your country compare?
  6. If we continue to use resources and pollute, what will the world be like in fifty years? Please explain.