Tag: video

Positive Psychology at Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ever feel like work is a bit of a rollercoaster? Well, positive psychology might just be the game-changer you didn’t know you needed. This video digs into how positive vibes can seriously shake things up in the workplace.

Dive into the full video here to get the lowdown on injecting some positivity into your 9-to-5 grind.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase “core strength” mean, “By consciously engaging in work and activities that utilise your core strengths, you can become more confident and more productive.”? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “tangible goal” mean in the sentence, “Set tangible goals for yourself.”?  Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “take pride in something” mean in the sentence “Take pride in your accomplishments.”?  Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the key takeaways from the video about positive psychology at work?
  2. Can you pick out some practical tips from the video for keeping things sunny at work?
  3. How can positive vibes improve your work life (talk about your situation)?
  4. Do you agree or disagree that a happier workplace makes you more productive? Why or why not?
  5. What are some small changes you can think of to sneak some positive psychology into your work routine?

Viral Post Blew Up a Business

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of our lives. It has revolutionized the way we communicate, connect, and promote ourselves or our businesses. With just one social media post promotion, individuals and companies can reach a vast audience and make a significant impact.

When it comes to promoting a product or service on social media, suppliers can be valuable allies. By collaborating with suppliers and showcasing their contribution in the production process through engaging posts, companies can not only increase brand visibility, but also strengthen their supplier relationships.

Watch this video to find out how a single Facebook post transformed a business.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-67692431

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does idiom “blow up” mean in the sentence? “A viral Facebook post nearly blew up our business.” Use this in your own sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of the phrase “supply chain“? “We quickly sold out of everything we had in the warehouse and we had to dial up our relationships with the whole of our supply chain.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning when “to change the game“? “We started the brand, launched it nationwide in 2014, but everything changed in 2017 when a viral Facebook post completely changed the game for us.” Use this in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is advertising for a company or a product?
  2. Do you advertise your business (the company you are working for) or its products? If so, in what ways?
  3. How significant is it to research a product’s supply and demand chain?
  4. Why should a company value its relationships with its suppliers?

Payless’ Fake Luxury Shoe Store

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Payless, the affordable shoe retailer, played a clever prank by opening a fake luxury shoe store. They set up a high-end atmosphere, complete with sleek designs and fancy displays, tricking customers into thinking they were shopping for expensive designer shoes. Little did they know, the shoes were actually affordable Payless ones. It was a humorous way to challenge perceptions of value and brand prestige.

Watch the video to know more about this effective PR stunt and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “markup” mean? “$35 shoe going for $645, an 1800% markup.” Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does the idiom “sit on one’s heels” mean? “Store owners sat on their heels as fashion influencers emptied their wallets.” Use this expression in a sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “let on” mean? “Then, they’re letting on the prank.” Make a sentence using the expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on Payless’s prank of opening a fake luxury shoe store? Do you find it humorous or do you think it might have crossed any boundaries?
  2. In your opinion, does this prank challenge your perception of brand value and the psychology behind luxury purchases? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think experiments like Payless’s fake luxury store are effective in highlighting the influence of branding on consumer choices? Why or why not?
  4. How do you believe the participants in the prank felt when they discovered the true nature of the shoes they were admiring? Would you have a similar reaction?

Largest Iceberg Breaks Free

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A23a is biggest and oldest iceberg on the planet. It is twice the size of Great London. The last time it broke off the ice shelf was in 1986. Then, in 2020, scientists started seeing the iceberg moving a little bit.

Recently, it’s been observed to be drifting away from Antarctica and making its way toward Southern Ocean. 

Read the article and also watch the short video of British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Oliver Marsh as he talks about A23a and its current state and course.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/worlds-largest-iceberg-breaks-free-heads-toward-southern-ocean-2023-11-24/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase ”calf off” mean? “Since calving off West Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg — which once hosted a Soviet research station — has largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea.” Use this expression in a sentence.
  2. What does the idiom “to gain steam” mean? “As it gains steam, the colossal berg will likely be launched into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This will funnel it toward the Southern Ocean on a path known as “iceberg alley” where others of its kind can be found bobbing in dark waters.” Make a sentence using this phrase.
  3. What does “to make a run for it” mean, “Why the berg is making a run for it now remains to be seen.”? Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘iceberg’?
  2. What are your thoughts on the biggest iceberg being on the move?
  3. What caused this move?
  4. What impact can this have on the surrounding environment?
  5. How do icebergs affect the Earth?
  6. What will happen if icebergs melt?

Lockdown Drills for School Shootings

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Drills are conducted for us to be prepared for unforeseen events such as natural disasters or school shootings, which we have unfortunately seen happening in the US.

Now, schools are conducting lockdown drills for children to know exactly what they need to do when such unprecedented event happens.

However, some of these drills are so realistic that they trigger unpleasant reactions from trauma.

To learn more about the lockdown exercise, watch the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase “out of sight” mean? “Lock down. Locks. Lights. Out of sight. This is a drill.” Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of “one wrong move“? “If we do just one wrong move then we can be like goners.” Kindly create you own sentence.
  3. What does “siege” mean? “Although there is evidence hiding behind a locked door saves lives, it is very unlikely a child would be involved in a Columbine style siege.” Please make your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think lockdown drills at schools are a good idea? Explain.
  2. What are the pros and cons of these lockdown drills?
  3. How do drills prepare you and your family/community for an unprecedented event?
  4. Talk about the different drills conducted in your school or community.
  5. What are some necessary drills that should be run in your country? What significance will it bring to your community?

What Multitasking Does to Your Brain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you’re multitasking? It turns out, our brains are more like jugglers than seamless multitasking machines.

In this brief exploration, we’ll uncover the effects of multitasking on our cognitive functions and delve into why it might not be the brain’s favorite act.

Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the idiom “under one’s nose” mean, “Being able to filter out irrelevant detail is an amazingly useful tool, but it means we can miss things that are right under our noses.” Write a sentence using this expression.
  2. What does “to miss something” mean? “When attention is overloaded, we miss things, and the result is nearly always that we perform tasks less well than we would doing them one at a time.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
  3. What does the expression “to make it through to something” mean, “Not everything will make it through to conscious awareness.” Use the phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you believe that multitasking enhances or hinders your overall productivity and efficiency? Explain.
  2. Do you think our brains are naturally wired to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, or is it a skill that can be developed over time? Share your insights.
  3. How would you weigh the importance of focus and concentration against the allure of multitasking in a fast-paced work environment?
  4. In your experience, do you find that multitasking helps or hampers your ability to retain information and learn effectively?
  5. What consequences do the pressure to multitask in today’s society has long-term?

Artificial Intelligence to Become Sentient

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In 2022, software engineer Blake Lemoine was fired from Google after blowing the whistle on the firm’s artificially intelligent chatbot “LaMDA”. He thought the AI ‘has come to life’. 

But Google was quick to respond saying Lemoine’s claims that the advanced AI chatbot was sentient were nothing short of baseless.

The question remains, though. Will computers eventually become sentient?

Watch this video and find out about computers gaining consciousness.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain what ”reframe” means. “We have to be very careful about how we talk about that and reframe these things as tools.” Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does the expression “state of affairs” mean? “It’s a sad state of affairs for us.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “means to an end” mean, “We must treat others as ends in and of themselves rather than means to our own end.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on how the AI describes itself and how it has started having a sense of a soul at the beginning of the video?
  2. How about the app that lets you chat with what seems to be a girlfriend?
  3. Share your views about the possibility of AI gaining consciousness.
  4. What does David Chalmer mean when he said “subjective experience” instead of “consciousness”?
  5. What are the pros and cons of sentient AIs?

Conscious Consumerism

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Conscious consumerism is a mindful approach to shopping and spending, emphasizing awareness of the social, environmental, and ethical implications of one’s purchases.

It’s about making intentional choices that align with personal values, supporting products and companies that prioritize sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility.

By being a conscious consumer, individuals play a role in fostering positive change and influencing businesses to adopt more ethical and sustainable practices.

Watch the video and be able to answer the questions below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the expression “to jump on the trend” mean, “A lot of people are jumping on the trend right now.” Make one sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “a sense of community” mean, “The greatest benefit for the women we help employ is that they get to work in an environment that promotes dignity, pays them a wage that is a livable wage that can provide for their families, and give them a sense of community and access to healthcare and education for their children.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “cycle of poverty“, “It’s a holistic approach that really will break a cycle of poverty and be sustainable for those women.” Make one sentence using this phrase.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you prioritize conscious consumerism in your daily shopping habits?
  2. What factors influence your decision to support a particular brand or product from a conscious consumer perspective?
  3. In your opinion, how can conscious consumerism contribute to positive societal and environmental change?
  4. Do you believe that businesses have a responsibility to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices, and how does this impact your purchasing choices?
  5. How do you handle situations where there’s a conflict between a product you want and the ethical considerations associated with its production or sourcing?

Why Do We Binge-Watch?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Binge-watching has become a cultural phenomenon in recent years, transforming the way we consume television shows and other media.

The allure of binge-watching can be attributed to a combination of factors. The convenience of streaming platforms allows us to access entire seasons of our favorite shows instantly. The immersive nature of many series creates a sense of attachment to characters and storylines, making it difficult to resist the urge to keep watching. Also, binge-watching also offers a temporary break from reality, providing a relaxing and enjoyable way to unwind. Ultimately, the rise of binge-watching reflects our changing media consumption habits and the evolving nature of entertainment in the digital age.

Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “in bulk” mean? “Netflix had realized that loads of people are gravitating towards watching shows in bulk.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  2. What’s the meaning of the word “to be caught up about something“? “I think there is an anxiety about being caught up about this content, which is forcing people to binge more.” Make a sentence using the expression.
  3. What does the phrase “to shovel” mean here, “Bingeing is to shovel yourself.“? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What factors contribute to the rise of binge-watching as a popular way of consuming television content?
  2. How has the availability of streaming platforms influenced the binge-watching trend?
  3. In your opinion, what psychological or emotional aspects make binge-watching so appealing to audiences?
  4. Do you think binge-watching has changed the way we perceive and engage with TV shows compared to traditional weekly releases?
  5. Are there any potential negative effects of binge-watching on individuals, such as health or social implications?

The Great Pocket Conspiracy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you’re a woman, you’ve probably noticed that the pockets on your pants are much shallower than those of men’s and if you’re a man, you’ve probably heard about this complaint a lot. But have you ever wondered why? Why are women’s pockets so shallow? Is it a product of misogyny, politics, or greed? And if so, why would it influence women’s pockets in all things?

Explore this topic further by watching the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Do you know the meaning of “political statement“? “The French Revolution caused a wave of changes to clothes of all kinds, as what you wore suddenly was seen as a political statement.” Use this in your own sentence.
  2. What does “sleek style” mean? “Despite men’s fashion settling into a sleeker style during this period..” Try to construct your own sentence.
  3. What is meant by “to leave nothing to the imagination“? “ They could always utilize a chatelaine, a decorative waist chain that leaves nothing to the imagination.“ Kindly write your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Did you ever wonder about the pocket size of your clothes? What do you think about it?
  2. What have you learned about the pocket theory?
  3. What is the significance of pockets in our clothings?
  4. Talk about similar historical practices in your nation.
  5. Will you go for a conventional or functional style? Explain your choice.