Tag: video

The 4 Stages of Adaptation to Culture Shock

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Adapting to a new culture can be both exciting and challenging. When people move to a different country or environment, they often go through what’s known as culture shock—a process of adjusting to unfamiliar customs, values, and lifestyles. This experience typically unfolds in four stages of adaptation: the honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and adaptation stages.

Understanding these stages helps individuals navigate cultural differences more smoothly and develop a deeper appreciation for their new surroundings.

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


Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain what “honeymoon stage” means. “In the honeymoon stage, everything is beautiful. The people are friendly, the culture rich, and the way of local life fascinating.” Use the phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “reverse culture shock” mean? “Those who have adapted to a new society may face a surprise when they eventually return home. After another honeymoon, they often enter a reverse culture shock.” Use the term in a sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “set in” mean? “After the excitement of moving to a new country faded, homesickness and loneliness began to set in as part of culture shock.” Make one sentence.


Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think experiencing culture shock is a necessary part of truly understanding another culture? Share your thoughts.
  2. In your opinion, which stage of adaptation (honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, adaptation) best shows a person’s resilience?
  3. Do you believe some people adapt to new cultures faster because of personality, or is it more about preparation and experience?
  4. How might the honeymoon stage affect someone’s first impressions of a country, and how do those impressions change later?
  5. Share your own experience going through the different stages of adaptation to culture shock.

Stereotypes: The Truth Behind Cultural Clichés

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Cultural clichés, or stereotypes, are simplified ideas people hold about certain groups or nationalities. They often come from bits of truth but are exaggerated or generalized over time. While some clichés may seem harmless or even flattering, many can lead to misunderstanding and unfair judgment. Exploring the truth behind cultural clichés helps us see people as individuals, appreciate real cultural diversity, and move beyond shallow assumptions.

Watch the short video and be able to answer the questions below:


Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the difference between “explicit stereotype” and “implicit stereotype“? Cite an example situation for each type.
  2. What does the phrase “to cloud one’s judgement” mean? “Believing in stereotypes can cloud one’s judgment, causing people to misjudge others before getting to know them personally.” Make your own sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “unbiased standpoint” mean? “Armed with this self-awareness, you try to interact with each French individual from a seemingly unbiased standpoint.” Make a sentence using the term.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think stereotypes are sometimes based on a small truth, or are they mostly unfair generalizations?
  2. In your opinion, is it possible to completely get rid of cultural clichés in today’s society?
  3. Do you believe media plays the biggest role in spreading stereotypes, or do they come more from personal experiences?
  4. What are some common stereotypes about your culture, and how accurate or inaccurate do you think they are?
  5. How can education and cross-cultural experiences help break down harmful stereotypes?
  6. What stereotypes are associated with people from your country? Do you find these stereotypes to be all true?

When Capitalism Doesn’t Need Workers Anymore

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As AI continues to rapidly evolve, the global fear of it replacing human workers rapidly increases as well. Though many countries have experienced similar technological booms in the past and have been able to recover, AI still proves a major threat to non-specialized workers globally.

Low-income countries like the Philippines and Bangladesh may take the brunt of the economic damage, while countries with vast resources and AI investment like the US and China may gain large sums of profit.

To find out more, watch the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “the first domino to fall” mean? “Tools like LLMs can now handle those tasks in seconds at a fraction of the cost and these jobs which make up a big share of GDP in many developing countries are looking like they might be the first dominoes to fall.” Use this phrase in a sentence. Give a similar expression.
  2. What does “brain drain” mean in this context, “The result is an accelerating brain drain that leaves poorer nations with fewer start-ups, fewer teachers and researchers and dramatically fewer chances to catch up in the global AI race and it’s clear which countries are leading that race.” Use this phrase in a sentence. Give a similar expression.
  3. What is a “clanker”? “These factory jobs may have been replacing US workers with Chinese workers, but there is no critical reason why human workers couldn’t be replaced with clankers.” Use this term in a sentence and give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. While AI supercharges growth in rich nations what happens to the rest of the countries?
  2. If one person armed with AI can replace four people, what can those four deal with the situation?
  3. In your opinion, can workers and economies adapt fast enough to survive the shift to AI?
  4. Discuss the impact of AI growth on your country’s workforce and economy.
  5. If you were in a position of power, how would you mitigate the potential damages AI could cause?

Amazon Zoox Jumps Into US Robotaxi Race

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Amazon’s Zoox is stepping into the future of transportation, joining a growing movement toward autonomous ride services. This marks a new chapter in how technology is reshaping everyday travel and urban mobility.

Watch the video about how Zoox’s robotaxi is unfolding.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “BOM” stand for and what does the phrase “BOM cost” mean? “This is confidential information that we don’t really disclose. BOM cost is something that we watch and manage very carefully.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does the verb “shoehorn” mean in business context? “
    You can shoehorn a robotaxic into something that used to be a car. It’s just not an ideal solution.    ” Use it in your own sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “retrofit” mean when describing modified vehicles? “Zoox will soon begin testing robotaxis in those markets, and said it’s already driving retrofitted test vehicles in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Seattle.” Use it in a sentence and make two synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s your take on Zoox introducing autonomous vehicles to a major tourist hub like Las Vegas?
  2. What’s your experience with autonomous vehicles—have you ever taken a ride in one?
  3. How soon do you think driverless taxis will be a regular part of daily life where you live?
  4. How might self-driving cars change the way we think about road safety?
  5. Describe your daily habits when it comes to using ride-hailing services. How often do you rely on them, and for what kinds of trips?

The End of Globalization

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

Globalization has allowed countries to be more connected, with their economies and societies becoming very much dependent on each other.

While globalization is not dead yet, PWC Global Chairman Robert Moritz believes it will go through a very important shift into regionalization.

Will this be the end of globalization as we know it? 

Watch the video where Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum’s delegates give their two cents about the future of every nation’s interconnectivity.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to rewire” mean?  “Globalization is not dead, it’s going to be rewired.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  2. Explain the meaning of “fragmentation” in trade. “That doesn’t mean you will have fragmentation in the sense of totally competitive blocs because they’re also trying very hard to increase their trade exposure and exports to each other in order to grow their economies.” Use the term in a sentence. 
  3. What does “disaggregation” mean in economics? “The possible outcome is that we’re going to have economic growth not stemming from global integration, but from disaggregation.” Use the word in a sentence. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your insights on nations shifting to doing trade more on the regional, bilateral, or just among smaller number of countries.
  2. What might be the impacts when countries shift to regionalization instead of globalization?
  3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of globalization, regionalization, and fragmentation.
  4. Do you agree or disagree that what we have now is regionalization and not fragmentation? Discuss.
  5. Do you think that the breakdown of the global economy into distinct economic and trade blocs in North America, Europe, and Asia will not result to fragmentation? Explain.

The Best Way to Give a Presentation

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

Giving a presentation can be taxing to some. However, as soon as you are decided on your speech’s topic, you are now ready to come up with a persuasive and pretty compelling presentation.

Watch the TED-Ed video to learn the best way to give a presentation and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain the meaning of a “throughline”. “Deciding on a clear throughline is an essential part.” Use the term in a sentence.
  2. What does “best shot” mean here,  “If you have time to do that, it will probably give you the best shot at delivering a powerful talk that says everything you want it to say without sounding robotic.”? Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  3. Explain the meaning of “to make eye contact”. “Look up from the page as often as you can, and make eye contact with your audience members.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on this, “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” 
  2. How do you usually prepare for and deliver a talk?
  3. Do you prefer to make a script or be spontaneous when you are to give a presentation? Share some experience giving an unscripted talk.
  4. For you, what makes an effective speech?
  5. Talk about the most powerful speech that you have ever heard. 

BRICS: The Rise of a New Global Order

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

According to Wikipedia, the New World Order is a term often used in conspiracy theories which hypothesize a secretly emerging totalitarian world government.

The BRICS, originally a group of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has been growing economically and politically. Since its foundation, the intergovernmental organization has gained more members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

The question in everyone’s mind is: Is the BRICS going to topple the Western-led institutions like The Group of Seven or G7? Until such time that they figure out their shared values and identity, can they really be considered a powerful global force?

Watch the video about the BRICS and the new world order.

Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain the meaning of “trading block”. “BRICS is not a trading block or group. It wasn’t meant to be one.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
  2. What does “united front” mean?  “A variety of tensions between different BRICS members have kept the group from forming a united front, but they have managed it with the New Development Bank, which finances projects across the Global South and provides loans with fewer economic and political conditions compared to the World Bank.” Use the phrase in a sentence. 
  3. Explain the meaning of “multipolar world”. “They want a multipolar world in which there are multiple centuries of geopolitical influence.” Use the phrase in a sentence. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your insights on the formation of BRICS?
  2. Do you think they are a worthy rival of the Western-led G7? Do you believe they can actually stand up to Trump’s trade war? Share your thoughts.
  3. What are the pros and cons of trading blocs?
  4. Share your opinion on this, “The trade war has increased the solidarity between BRICS nations.”
  5. Share your insights regarding this, “BRICS has talked about a shared currency. BRICS countries support reduced trade in US dollar as a tool, as a method to reduce overall Western economic dominance in the global economy.”
  6. Russia was removed from G8. Thus, it is now known as G7. What are your thoughts on BRICS keeping Russia within the intergovernmental organization?

Big Beautiful Bill

B2 – Upper Intermediate

How much do American CEOs make compared to their employees in a year? The reasonable answer would be twenty times, fifty times, or maybe even a hundred times. In truth, these big CEOs can make a thousand times what their employees earn in a year. And worse, this gap will only widen with the advent of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

To find out more, watch the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “on the floor” mean in this context, “All these companies are super profitable. Wouldn’t it make sense for them to just have enough staff scheduled on the floor?” Use this phrase in a sentence and give a synonym.
  2. What is a “corporate raider”? “Danny Lovito plays a corporate raider who is trying to convince the shareholders of a small New England cable company to sell him their shares so that they can cash out when he liquidates the company.” Use this term in a sentence and give a synonym.
  3. What does “to turn the bull loose” mean? “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” Use this idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, why does the Big Beautiful Bill reduce the taxes of powerful companies?
  2. What is your opinion on the “Big Beautiful Bill”? Do you think it will worsen or improve the gap between the rich and the working classes?
  3. Do you think that the current systems that allow companies to earn big profits should be reformed? If so, why?
  4. If you were given the opportunity, how would you try to fix the money gap between the working and the CEOs of these big companies?

What is Success?

B1 – Intermediate 

Perhaps, each person has his or her own definition of success. For some, it is about being always on top, while for others, it just means to have family and friends and a job.

What is Success? – Interview

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to live paycheck to paycheck” mean, “Success is also the ability that you’re not living paycheck to paycheck.” Use this idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  2. What does “rainy day” mean here, “You know, you can also save up money for a rainy day.” Use this term in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  3. What does “well taken care of” mean? “ One of the big things for me, though, is having enough money to support my family. Uh, so I have a child. So making sure that he is well taken care of. ” Use this phase in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. For you, what is success?
  2. What is your biggest success so far?
  3. Talk about a moment when you were on the brink of success, but failed.
  4. What must a person do when they fail?
  5. We can have successes every day, especially at work or in our hobbies. What are your successes for today at work and in your hobbies? How do you feel about it?

Chesterton’s Fence Theory

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Chesterton’s Fence is a principle of not destroying things without fully understanding the purpose of their existence. It is a principle that reminds us to think before we destroy or reform a tradition, law, or rule. If we were to remove such things without pondering their purpose, we might face some unintended consequences.

But where does this principle apply in other aspects of the world we live in.

To find out more about Chesterton’s defense of conservation, watch the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “axe” mean here, “As a result, the firm makes pennies on the nuts, but spends thousands hiring new engineers, all because the reformer didn’t understand the purpose of the policy he axed.” Use this word to make your own sentence and give a synonym.
  2. Define “rule of thumb”. “Chesterton’s Fence is a simple rule of thumb that suggests that you should never destroy a fence, change a rule, or do away with a tradition until you understand why it’s there in the first place.” Use this term in a sentence and give a synonym.
  3. What does “to drop dead” mean? ” “And so millions of people hit noisy pots and pans to prevent sparrows from resting, with the goal of causing them to drop dead from exhaustion.” Use this idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on this statement, “If a fence exists, there is likely a reason for it.“
  2. Do you believe that the Chesterton’s Fence theory is a good principle to live by? Why or why not?
  3. What lessons can we learn from those who do not follow the principle?
  4. How can Chesterton’s Fence can be applied to everyday life, government, and business?
  5. Talk about a situation where someone ignored the idea of the Chesterton’s Fence and its unintended consequences.