phone english blogB1 – Intermediate
A man hopes to become the first to swim across the Pacific Ocean.
Read on to find out about his goal, how he prepared for this, and some challenges he might face during his attempt.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1806/180607-pacific-ocean-2.html
Discussion Questions:
1. What are Lecomte’s reasons for doing this?
2. What do you think about his goal?
3. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Are you always in a hurry? We all know that time is very precious to us and so we want to be efficient with it. But what if it’s more efficient to do things slowly? What if being in a fast lane would actually slow us down?
Read the article and be ready to discuss the questions that follow:
https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/stop-rushing-through-work-stress-is-contagious.html
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
We have heard the slogan “The Customer is always right” several times and often, this attitude that the customer is always right negatively affects the company as it goes to great lengths to meet customers’ needs. But what if the customer isn’t always right?
Read the article below and know the reasons this old adage isn’t always right.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/top-5-reasons-customer-service_b_5145636
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
You probably love your job and what you are doing but you reach a point in your life when you suddenly feel unhappy and unsatisfied with your work. Your boss would notice the change in your attitude and performance so he could either just let you go or help you get back on track by providing interventions.
Let us read the full article below on how companies can retain employees.
https://www.thedailypositive.com/retain-employees/
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Rhinitis, eczema, and migraine, to name a few, are some of the most annoying minor ailments one can experience. However, niggle no more as science has proven that they can actually protect us from more serious illnesses.
https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/health/trends/8-annoying-niggles-that-actually-keep-you-healthy-35534
Discussion Questions:
1. Which among these minor ailments do you experience, and how do you cope with them?
2. What other minor illnesses or allergies do you have?
3. How do you keep your health boosted?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
The emergence of the Internet has allowed people to communicate in faster and more efficient ways. Dissemination of opinions and self-expression have been pushed into even more new areas where everything can be exposed with the advent of social media, especially Facebook. For this reason, can this be a tool to hinder corruption?
Discussion Questions:
1. Talk about corruption in your country. What are the government’s actions to fight corruption?
2. If you were to post about your thoughts on corruption on Facebook now, what would you say?
3. How else can Facebook and other social media make a positive impact?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Has anyone stripped you of your happiness before? As the saying goes ‘Don’t let the silly little things steal your happiness’. Similarly, we should not let toxic people drag us down. Take note of these negative people and avoid interacting with them.
Read this article on different kinds of toxic people you could encounter on a rather regular basis.
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-types-of-toxic-people-you-should-always-avoid.html
Discussion Questions:
1. Share your experience about an interaction with a toxic person.
2. What could be best ways to deal with these eight types of toxic people?
3. Among these eight types of toxic people, which do you consider the most crippling?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Nothing has been more enduring than the stereotype of women as chatterboxes, gabbing about everything and anything at any time, all the time. However, some reports conclude that men are chatterboxes too depending on the context of the conversation.
Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
Who speaks more, men or women? Most people wouldn’t hesitate to say that women speak more. There are many jokes about how much, and what, women talk about. But research which some may find surprising indicates that both men and women speak more or less equally.
Four hundred university students in the United States and Mexico participated in the study. Researchers recorded the students’ daily conversations for several days. After analyzing the data, they discovered that both sexes are in a statistical dead heat when it comes to speaking. Women used a little more than 16,000 words every day. Men used a little less than 16,000 words. The report admits, though, that the numbers could change as men and women grow older, because the study only tracked university students.
The current idea that women are chatterboxes just isn’t true. In addition, men only speak when they have something important to say also isn’t true. Both ideas probably come from cultural and political discrimination against women. But the study explains that men gossip just as much as women. Men and women also talk equally about unimportant topics. But women actually talk more about relationships.
A psychologist at Yale University has a somewhat different opinion. She suggests that the idea about men and women probably come from arguments between the genders. Unfortunately, the study doesn’t know how speaking patterns change in an argument. But other studies have supported the stereotype that guys become quiet and women talk more in an emotional conflict.
Source: headsupenglish.com
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Thanks to Barbara Streisand’s lead, the spotlight is put on pet cloning.
Find out more about cloning animals and some controversies around it.
Click the link below for the full article.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60924936
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
When a company goes through transition after a merger and acquisition, there are some negative impact on the business’s operations and in some cases, customer relations.
Read more to find out about how to provide effective customer service during M&A.
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-can-you-provide-effective-customer
Discussion Questions:
1. Explain the three challenges companies face during an M&A transition.
2. Have you ever worked for a company that underwent re-organization? Talk about this period.
3. Give some ways on how to ensure smooth M&A transition.