How to Weigh Job Benefits

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When you finally got a job offer, after weeks or even months of job searching, you might want to think twice before accepting it. Not every job offer is the right one for you, so you’ll need to evaluate it carefully before accepting it. The hardest part when deciding whether to accept a job offer is weighing the benefits.

Watch the video below on how to weigh job offers.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What influences your choice of company to work for?
  2. In your opinion, what is the most important benefit offered by your company?
  3. What made you decide to accept your company’s job offer?
  4. If you can make a suggestion to your company, what benefit/s would you like your company to offer to its employees?

Perfectionism Makes Us Ill

C1 – Advanced

People with perfectionism hold themselves to impossibly high standards. They think what they do is never good enough. But it is a serious problem that has been linked to many mental health issues, including depression and eating disorders.

Let’s watch the video below to know more about this personality trait and its dangers.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think is the root cause of perfectionism?
  3. Can you think of any benefits to being a perfectionist?
  4. Do you find it surprising that perfectionism can lead to mental health issues? Why or why not?
  5. Never aim for perfect. That will guarantee failure almost every time. – Caroline Ghosn. What do you make of this statement?
  6. What advice would you give to someone who has a hard time dealing with failure?

Is MSG Bad for You?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a controversial food-additive mostly used in Asian countries. It enhances the flavor of food. Some people claim that it could cause headaches, chest pains, or even brain damage. On the other hand, sources such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claim that it is safe for consumption.

Let’s watch the video below to know more about MSG and find out if it’s actually bad for us.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about the use of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) How do you usually season your food?
  2. Do you like eating Asian food? If yes, what’s your favorite?
  3. How conscious are you of the food that you eat and the ingredients you use for cooking?
  4. Do you think food nowadays is becoming more or less safe to eat? Explain your opinion.
  5. Should the government do more to regulate food safety?

Venice to Charge Tourists for Entry

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The city of Venice is going to impose an entrance fee for tourists in order to prevent a massive influx of visitors arriving in the city for various reasons. This decision have been met with different reactions from locals and tourists.

Watch the video and know more about this measure.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this measure set by the Venice local government?
  2. What reasons do they have for imposing this measure?
  3. How can this affect businesses?
  4. Do you agree with the price they set simply for entering the city? Would this discourage tourists from going to Venice? Why or why not?
  5. Are there similar touristic sites in your country that have been degraded because of over-tourism? Talk about it/them.

Keeping Secrets from Your Partner

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Did you know that an average person keeps roughly 13 secrets? Let’s be honest. Everyone keeps secrets. But sometimes, the burden of having secrets can affect us in ways we might have never considered.

One of the significant concerns in many relationships involves secrets. But when does keeping a secret from your partner go from harmless to hurtful?

Let’s watch the video below to know how secrets affect a relationship.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you like knowing about and finding out secrets of your partner? Why or why not?
  2. Are you good at keeping secrets? Why or why not?
  3. How do secrets affect relationships? Is it healthy to keep secrets in a relationship?
  4. What’s the difference between privacy and secrets in a relationship?
  5. What kinds of secrets are dangerous?

Seizures

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The first detailed account of a neurological disorder related to epilepsy was dated back in the Babylonian era. In the olden days, with the absence of scientific authority, there were different beliefs and treatments used to treat this medical condition.

Let’s watch the video and find out more about the history and scientific evolution of seizure treatments.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Miqtu? What are its symptoms?
  2. What belief did Babylonians have about it and what treatments did they and ancient Greeks recommend?
  3. What causes seizures? Do all seizure treatments/medication available at present effective for all patients experiencing them?
  4. What do modern scientists recommend when you encounter someone experiencing seizures?

Causes of Opioid Addiction

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Imagine a pill that can both induce pleasure and reduce pain. Would you take it only to relieve your pain or would you take it even in the absence of pain?

Let’s watch the video and learn more about the history and the current usage of opioid.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about opium?
  2. According to the video, how do opioid drugs affect the human body?
  3. What factors can lead to opioid addiction?
  4. Do you think substance abuse in general is a problem in your country? What measures are being done in your country to fight against addiction?
  5. What is your opinion on pharmaceutical companies producing and benefitting from opioid-like synthetic substances?

The Dark Secret of Oreos

C1 – Advanced

To this day, Oreo is one of the most famous cookie snacks ever to exist and for good reason. The day it was created, people immediately fell in love with it.

However, with success comes copycats; trying to take advantage of how famous these creations are. The same happens to Oreos as well, which is not surprising at all.

The good name of Oreo, however, is what makes every copy fail in comparison to the “original”.

But what if I told you that Oreo wasn’t the original and is in fact, a copycat!

You wouldn’t believe me, would you?

Well, how about we take a look at this video and figure it out for ourselves, then?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think Hydrox should be more famous than Oreo? Why or why not?
  2. With this revelation, do you think you’d try Hydrox? If you’ve already, what do you think of this Oreo competition?
  3. In your opinion, do you think Hydrox is being done dirty by the company that owns Oreos?
  4. Will Hydrox eventually rise again, one day? What is your stance on this situation.

A Cleanse Won’t Detox Your Body

B2 – Upper Intermediate

“One green juice a day keeps the doctor away.”
It is said that detox diets can eliminate toxins from our body
and can help with weight loss but Dr. Jen Gunter explains these detox products don’t actually remove toxins and worse, could hurt our health even more.

Watch the video on how you can enhance your body’s natural detoxification.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on cleansing and detoxing? Have you ever done them?
  2. How do you take care of your liver?
  3. Why do we have to be careful with supplements?
  4. For you, what is the best self-care?
  5. What are the things you do or treatments you get to take care of your body?

Saving Money by Going Green

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Why go green? A green lifestyle is important for many reasons. The most obvious benefit is it helps make our planet sustainable and habitable. We focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling whenever possible. We ensure that we reduce the imprint we leave on the environment.

Many people assume that going green means spending more. But actually, it doesn’t have to be difficult. And it can even result in more savings than we might expect.

Let’s watch the video below on how going green can actually help us save more money.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does going green benefit us?
  2. In your opinion, does living a green lifestyle help save us money?
  3. Do you consider yourself a green person? Why or why not?
  4. Are you willing to spend more on eco-friendly products? Why or why not?
  5. Have you ever donated your time or money toward environmental causes? Which organization did you help? What is their focus?