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Does your Facebook endorsement make a difference?: 'Slacktivism' in Greater Cleveland

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Your 'Like' Doesn't Help Charities, It's Just Slacktivism

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Posted in Advanced C1, Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes

This is a lesson plan for C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency students on the topic of non-profit organisations like the WWF. Students read a short text about the organisation then work on phrasal verbs associated with the topic. Download the handout and key below:

The procedure is pretty straightforward. First students answer the introductory questions designed to activate their schemata and encourage them to predict the content of the text. They then read the text briefly to see if their predictions were correct. They then focus on the meaning of the phrasal verbs, then recall the prepositions/particles and finally put them into practice in a speaking activity.
Save the Planet - Phrasal Verbs
Introduction
Ask and answer the questions with a partner:

1. Think of some national or international organisations dedicated to protecting the environment.

2. What do these organisations do?

3. How effective are they?

4. What problems/difficulties do they encounter?

5. What can people do to support these organisations more?

The WWF

1. Read the text quickly. Does it mention any of the things you discussed in the introduction?

2. Look at the phrasal verbs and expressions in bold and match them with the definitions below.

The World Wide Fund for Nature
Every day more and more trees are being cut down in the rainforests of the world wiping out hundreds of species. The current deforestation rate amounts to 3 football pitches per minute. Precious water supplies are being used up meaning that still more animals and plants are dying out. If we step back and look at the bigger picture, it's not just animals and plants that are affected. The rainforests are the Earth's lungs and further damage will only lead to misery for all life on the planet.

Our organisation aims to put pressure on governments all over the world to make them step up and take responsibility for the environment. Governments need to crack down on bad practices such as illegal logging and mining in rainforests. Sadly, we're coming up against a lot of resistance from big business but that won't stop us standing up for the animal kingdom. We're looking for volunteers to chip in in any way they can; handing out leaflets in the street or drumming up support online are just two ways we can get our message across. Join us today by clicking the link below!

1. Help/contribute money
2. Kill or cause to die on a large scale
3. Be faced with
4. Make people hear/understand information
5. Cause

6. Mentally withdraw from a situation
7. Try to increase/encourage support for something
8. Become extinct
9. Introduce strong restrictions
10. Give something to people

11. Cause to fall
12. Defend verbally or physically
13. Consume all of something
14. Total/add up to
15. Take action when it's needed

Practice
Try to remember the missing prepositions in the questions below without looking at the text. Then ask and answer the questions.

1. How effective do you think practices like handing _____ leaflets actually are?

2. Have you ever done anything to drum ______ support for a charity or other organisation?

3. What do you think governments should crack ____ ____ in your country?

4. Think of some endangered animals. Which one would you be saddest about if it died _____ completely?

5. What do you think is the most effective way for an organisation like the WWF to get its message _______? Online? In person?

6. What do you think are the most difficult issues that charities like the WWF come ____ ______ when trying to help the environment?

7. If you use ____ all the toilet paper, do you always replace it?

8. Think of a time when a friend or family member stood ____ _____ you in a difficult situation.

9. Now think of a time when nobody stood ____ _____ you. Or when you failed to stand _____ _____ a friend.

10. Who has the biggest responsibility to step ____ and take responsibility for the environment? Governments? Businesses? The general public? Why?

11. When it's a friend's birthday, is it better if they receive lots of little presents or if everyone chips ____ and gets them one big present. Which would you prefer on your birthday?

12. If you added up all your screen time in one day, how much would it amount ____? Do you want to cut _____? Why? Why not?

Posted in Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes

This is a quick, communicative activity for C2 students in which they practice some expressions with dependent prepositions and some idioms related to music. I'm currently working with a coursebook which is packed with great C2 language but a little lacking in communicative production activities so I thought I'd share some I've been using. Download the handout and key below:

When creating your own gap-fill exercises, why not make them questions? That way you've got a speaking activity ready to go immediately.

Have students work in pairs to fill in the missing words in the expressions, then have them underline the dependent preposition in the first set of sentences and the complete idiom in the second. Then have them ask and answer the questions.
Dependent Prepositions

Are you someone who t________ on pressure or do you tend to go to pieces?

If you're h_____-p_______ to come up with new ideas in your job/studies where do you turn for inspiration?

Think of a time when you worked towards a c_______ g_______ with a group of people. What was the experience like? Did everybody pull their weight?

Do your parents or grandparents tend to h_______ back to the good old days? What sort of comments or comparisons do they make?

Think of a time when you t_______ to a new activity/hobby like a d______ to water. Did you expect it to be that easy? Why do you think you adapted so quickly?

Music Idioms

Are you someone who tends to blow their own t_________? Do you think it's an attractive quality? Where is the line between confidence and arrogance?

Have you ever bought or sold something for a s_______ (very cheaply) on ebay/wallapop etc.?

Are you good at playing it by e_______? Or do you struggle to adapt to developing situations?

Have you or any of your friends or family ever changed your/their t_______ about a key issue/topic? What made you rethink your position?

When was the last time you had to pull out all the s________ to finish a big project?

Key Dependent Prepositions

Are you someone who THRIVES on pressure or do you tend to go to pieces?

If you're HARD-PRESSED to come up with new ideas in your job/studies where do you turn for inspiration?

Think of a time when you worked towards a COMMON GOAL with a group of people. What was the experience like? Did everybody pull their weight?

Do your parents or grandparents tend to HARK back to the good old days? What sort of comments or comparisons do they make?

Think of a time when you TOOK to a new activity/hobby like a DUCK to water. Did you expect it to be that easy? Why do you think you adapted so quickly?

Music Idioms

Are you someone who tends to blow their own TRUMPET? Do you think it's an attractive quality? Where is the line between confidence and arrogance?

Have you ever bought or sold something for a SONG (very cheaply) on ebay/wallapop etc.?

Are you good at playing it by EAR? Or do you struggle to adapt to developing situations?

Have you or any of your friends or family ever changed your/their TUNE about a key issue/topic? What made you rethink your position?

When was the last time you had to pull out all the STOPS to finish a big project?

Posted in Conversation Classes, Listening Classes, Proficiency, Reading Classes

This is another guest post by Soleil García Brito. It is a reading, listening and speaking lesson plan for B2+ students based around the topic of compulsory vaccination. Download the materials below:

Warmer

Short answers

What is a vaccine and how do they work?

Have you been vaccinated for anything?

Would you get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 if a vaccine were available?

Do you think vaccinations should be compulsory?

Watch the video and answer the questions below

1. Are vaccinations compulsory in England?

2. Who is to blame for the falling rate of vaccinations, according to the video report?

3. Do the British public trust health care professionals?

4. Where does the British Health Secretary stand on making vaccinations compulsory?

5. How is the British government planning to stop the spread of fake news about vaccines?

Watch the video again and listen for the words in the gaps below. Discuss the meaning of the words or phrases in the gaps.

Teacher tip → Play twice if necessary.

1. In the UK it's _________ parents whether their child gets vaccinated for measles

2. But if we want to _________ measles outbreaks don't spread, we need ninety five percent of the public to be vaccinated

3. But why are we so _________ about measles right now?

4. More than half a million children in the UK _________ on the MMR jab between 2010 and 2017

5. Some ________________ what's known as the anti-vax movement

6. Many worry that the MMR jab can cause autism, a theory ___________ from the British former doctor Andrew Wakefield

7. In 1998, he published a paper claiming there was a link, but his results were later completely _________ and he was __________ the doctors' register.

8. ___________, Public Health England believes social media isn't a major factor

9. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to _________ children being kept out of schools if they haven't been vaccinated against measles, but infection experts have said that this drastic solution could ________ a rise in the anti-vaxxer

10. ... to remove any post promoting false or misleading information about ______, like MMR.

Transcript
In the UK it's up to parents whether their child gets vaccinated for measles. Last year 87% of children received their full dose of MMR; that stands for measles mumps and rubella. That number sounds pretty high, right? But if we want to ensure measles outbreaks don't spread, we need ninety five percent of the public to be vaccinated. This is called herd immunity. But why are we so concerned about measles right now? Measles is one of the most contagious diseases; it can cause brain damage, blindness, and it can even be fatal. And now in England cases are rising. They've nearly quadrupled in the last year, going from 259 in 2017 to 966 in 2018. More than half a million children in the UK missed out on the MMR jab between 2010 and 2017, and each year the number of those being vaccinated is dropping. So why are vaccination rates falling? Well it's not just the UK. In America 2.6 million children have gone unvaccinated. Some put this down to what's known as the anti-vax movement. Anti-vaxxers believed that certain vaccines are not safe. Many worry that the MMR jab can cause autism, a theory stemmed from the British former doctor Andrew Wakefield. In 1998, he published a paper claiming there was a link, but his results were later completely debunked and he was struck off the doctors' register. Since then the National Autistic Society has said there is no link between autism and the vaccine, but the scare story still continues to spread. Go online in search of information around vaccinations and you'll find social media is awash with anti-vaccination propaganda. But is the anti-vax movement to blame? Actually, Public Health England believes social media isn't a major factor. It's surveyed parents and found that 93% viewed health care professionals as the most trusted source of information on immunization. In fact, public health England think the key to better vaccination rates is sending out reminders to parents and making GP appointments more convenient so that vaccinations can actually happen. So what can be done to increase vaccinations? Well, in France vaccinating children became a legal requirement last year. Could that be adopted here? Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out children being kept out of schools if they haven't been vaccinated against measles, but infection experts have said that this drastic solution could fuel a rise in the anti-vaxxer movement. For the moment the governor plans to stop the spread of fake news by introducing legislation that would force social media companies, like Facebook, to remove any post promoting false or misleading information about jabs, like MMR.

Debate - Set up - Jigsaw Reading

Discuss with your partner or group whether your point is for or against compulsory vaccination. Then, summarize the main ideas to present them to the rest of the class.

Teacher tip → there are 12 statements in total: 3 PRO, 3 AGAINST, and each of their counterpoints. This activity can be structured in many ways depending on class size, level and time constraints. Here is a suggested way of structuring the activity:

Jigsaw Reading Phase 1:

1. Cut up the texts; keep points and counterpoints separate.

2. Split class into pairs or groups of 3 depending on numbers. Ideally you want either 3 or 6 groups.

3. Give out one point to each pair/group. Don't give out the counterpoints for now.

4. Instruct students to read their text and first decide if it is a arguing for or against compulsory vaccination. Have for/against columns on the board and keep track of the points. Students could even come to the board to write their points in the column.

5. Have students reread their texts and summarize it in their own words.

6. Clear up any doubts about meaning.

7. Students present their summaries to the class.

Jigsaw Reading Phase 2:

1. Now tell students that you have counterpoints to each of the points they've just looked at.

2. Give out the counterpoint texts to each group randomly.

3. Students must now match their counterpoint to the previous points from phase 1 and then summarize it for the class.

4. Clear up any doubts about meaning.

Language Focus:

Have students look at the underlined words and phrases in the texts they've looked at; have them infer meaning from context and take note of collocations and useful expressions.

Debate

You can now conduct a class debate on the topic. Divide the class into two teams and decide which team will argue for and against compulsory vaccination. Encourage students to include their own ideas and opinions as well as the points and counterpoints previously studied. You can structure the debate in many ways. Follow the link below for language for debating and suggested debate structures: https://freeenglishlessonplans.com/2017/11/17/debating-at-higher-levels/
POINTS FOR COMPULSORY VACCINATION
POINT 1
It's the state's duty to protect its community
In an industrialized country such as the USA, unvaccinated people were 35-times more likely to contract measles than vaccinated ones; in developing countries where these viruses are still endemic, the risk would be considerably higher. After a scare about possible side effects of the MMR jab, in 2008 there was a drop in voluntary vaccinations in a part of London (Lewisham). In that part of London only 64.3 % of children were vaccinated and in that year the district accounted for one third of all South-East London measles cases. Unless there is a 95 % vaccination, there is a great threat to public health of infection outbreaks. It is therefore the role and duty of the state to understand these issues and possible threats and provide protection and care, in this case, in the form of immunization.

COUNTERPOINT 1
Voluntary immunization should be enough
Compulsory vaccination is an example of the tyranny of the majority even if it is coming from a democratic government. And in a community that praises itself as democratic and respectful to wishes of others it is in no way acceptable that the rights of some get abused by the wishes of others. Besides, The United Kingdom does not have a system of compulsory health care, but disease outbreaks are still prevented due to the voluntary immunizations. The pediatrician Miriam Fine-Goulden explains: "The risk of contracting these infections is only so low at present because the voluntary uptake of immunizations has been high enough (in most cases) to reduce the chance of contact with those organisms through the process of herd immunity."

POINT 2
Duty to protect children
Each year millions of children worldwide die of preventable diseases before the age of five. The argument presented here is that the state needs to protect the child and immunize him or her from preventable diseases as obviously the child does not have the capabilities at this stage to make informed decisions of their own. The United Nations Right to Liberty and Security of the Person treaty, article 6.2 supports this view - State Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

COUNTERPOINT 2
Forcing parents to vaccinate could backfire
The key issue at stake here is who gets to decide about the healthcare needs of children - the authorities or parents? Critics of enforced vaccinations argue that it may have the opposite effect to that desired, and end up demonizing parental choice. Indeed, adopting compulsory vaccinations can be counter-productive, causing concerned parents to withdraw their kids from school and entrenching anti-vaccination sentiment.

POINT 3
Compulsory vaccines are a financial relief on health system
Commonly used vaccines are a cost-effective and preventive way of promoting health, compared to the treatment of acute or chronic disease. In the U.S. during the year 2001, routine childhood immunizations against seven diseases were estimated to save over $40 billion per birth-year cohort in overall social costs including $10 billion in direct health costs, and the societal benefit-cost ratio for these vaccinations was estimated to be $16.5 billion. Additionally, if less people get sick, productivity rates remain high and less money is destined to social and health programs.

COUNTERPOINT 3
The cost of vaccines is itself high
Vaccines themselves are expensive to develop in the lab and to mass-produce for widespread compulsory vaccination programs. The cost of developing a vaccine-from research and discovery to product registration-is estimated to be between $200 million and $500 million per vaccine. In addition to these upfront costs, organizing compulsory vaccination programs across an entire country can be very complicated and expensive. For instance, mechanisms must be set in place to ensure that the program is indeed compulsory, which means establishing a database of those that have and have not received the vaccine.
POINTS AGAINST COMPULSORY VACCINATION
POINT 1
Compulsory vaccination violates the individuals' right to bodily integrity
In most countries and declarations, one of the most basic human rights is the one to bodily integrity. It sets down that you have a right not to have your body or person interfered with. This means that the State may not do anything to harm your body without consent. The NHS (National Health Service) explains: "You must give your consent (permission) before you receive any type of medical treatment, from a simple blood test to deciding to donate your organs after your death. If you refuse a treatment, your decision must be respected." In the case of vaccination this principle should be also applied.

COUNTERPOINT 1
Social responsibility trumps individual rights
The problem with the idea of "individual rights" is that those refusing vaccines on account of this effectively violate the same right for other people if, and when, there is an outbreak of the disease against which the vaccine is protecting. Those who wish to opt-out of vaccination (often on behalf of their children, who have no say in the matter) are classic free riders, hoping to benefit from the more responsible behavior of the rest of society. As it is assumed that most of society see it as a responsibility and a duty to protect others.

POINT 2
It is a parental right to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child
Through birth, the child and the parent have a binding agreement that is supported within the society. This agreement involves a set of rights and duties aimed at, and justified by, the welfare of the child. As custodian, the parent is under the obligation to work and organize his or her life around the welfare and development of the child, for the child's sake. Therefore, the parent is endowed with a special kind of authority over the child. If the parent believes the child will be safer and better off in society without being given vaccine it is the parent's right to decide not to give vaccination to the child.

COUNTERPOINT 2
Parents do not have absolute rights to decide for their children
An adult vaccine refusal and a parental vaccine refusal are not the same. Parents do not have absolute right to put their child at a risk even if they themselves are willing to accept such a risk for him or herself. Minors have a right to be protected against infectious diseases and society has the responsibility to ensure welfare of children who may be harmed by their parents' decisions. As seen not to vaccine children can represent a danger for their future, there should be no ultimate power of parents to prevent vaccine jabs.

POINT 3
Vaccines have severe side effects
Some of the used vaccines may have severe side effects, therefore we should let every individual assess the risk and make choices on their own. Besides introducing foreign proteins and even live viruses into the bloodstream, each vaccine has its own preservative, neutralizer and carrying agent. Evidence also suggests that immunizations damage the immune system itself, because vaccines trick the body so that it will no longer initiate a generalized response. In addition, the long-term persistence of viruses and other foreign proteins within the cells of the immune system has been implicated in a number of chronic diseases, such as allergies. Moreover, MMR vaccines may cause a child who is genetically predisposed to have autism, due to the Thimerosal, which is a compound that contains mercury.

COUNTERPOINT 3
Lack of evidence for prevalence of severe side effects
First of all, many of the arguments suggesting vaccination is dangerous refer to observations from the 60s or 70s. Since then, more recent studies have reported no link between MMR vaccines and autism. Similarly, a 2011 study from the German Health Institute comparing the prevalence of allergies and infections in vaccinated and unvaccinated children and teenagers, concluded that there was no difference between them, other than the frequency of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as mumps or measles.
The text was reproduced and adapted from http://www.idebate.org with the permission of the International Debate Education Association.
Copyright © 2005 International Debate Education Association. All Rights Reserved

Posted in Listening Classes, Reading Classes, Video Classes

This is a reading and listening lesson for B2+ students based around the topic of survival skills and myths created by Soleil García Brito. Download the student handout below:
Survival Skills - Student Handout - Word Survival Skills - Student Handout - PDF
Reading - Prediction
Look at these statements about survival. Are they factual or myths?
a) Anyone can start a fire with just two sticks

b) Boiled water is always 100% safe to drink

c) Reality shows about survival will help you prepare for a dire situation

d) You need to find food right away

e) You need to find water immediately to survive in desert heat

f) You can outrun a bear

g) The best way to stop a shark attack is by punching it in the nose
Read the texts and match the titles a-g
Matching

"In reality, you can survive on just your body's fat stores for weeks, as long as you have water. Conserving energy, avoiding injury, and sourcing a supply of water are key to surviving," said Ras. "Hunting and trapping prey are hit and miss activities which often produce nothing and simply end up expending energy and risking injury or illness. It's extremely rare for someone to die of starvation in a survival situation. Injury, illness, poisoning and exposure are much more likely to result in death. By definition, 'surviving' a situation is short-term, and in the short term a person can be fueled by their fat reserves."

"None of us would be here today if our ancestors hadn't mastered the fine art of friction firemaking, but this is a skill to practice on camping trips and backyard outings," said Tony Nester of Ancient Pathways Survival School. It's a big mistake to rely solely on friction firemaking in a survival situation, especially when you could end up in a damp environment. Modern survival is about being prepared and carrying at least three firestarters (waterproof matches, spark-rod, lighter) with you at all times," said Nester. "I teach primitive firemaking skills to show my students how to perform the method but find that, even under the best of conditions, it is a challenge and not reliable for most people."

"I've worked as a consultant on several reality shows and these shows are heavily-scripted," said Nester. "On one program, there was a crew of 12 people accompanying us, including two staff whose sole job was to drag around coolers filled with double-shot espressos and sandwiches while filming scenes of the host living off the land. There's nothing romantic or fun about real survival-it's only adventure in retrospect."

Running away from a bear is a lost cause: Usain Bolt himself couldn't beat one in a footrace, let alone on uneven terrain. The best thing to do depends on the species. If you encounter a black bear, said Nester, " Hold your ground and make yourself look big-open your coat up, throw your arms up above your head-and shout and scream and, a lot of times, they're as spooked as you are, and will take off." Take the opposite approach with a grizzly: "Avoid eye contact, which a bear will perceive to be a challenge. If the bear's not approaching, back away slowly. If it charges, simply stand your ground. If you have pepper spray, be ready to use it... and pronto. If it makes physical contact with you, cover your vitals and play dead."

"Even though it's true that sharks get stunned if they get punched in the nose, not many people the strength to do this, especially underwater," said Manighetti. Even if you could manage the strength to hit the nose hard enough, there's a chance your hand could end up getting injured by shark teeth. "The best way to scare a shark away is to scratch its eyes or gills, it's impossible to overpower these fierce creatures in attack mode."

"While boiling water will kill off organisms and germs, it will not clean harmful particulates from the water. For instance, no matter how long you boil chemically contaminated water it won't be safe to drink," said Jack. "This same principle applies to stagnant dirty water. If the water you are attempting to purify is visibly dirty or murky, you should filter the water before attempting to boil it. If you don't have a commercial water filter available, then you can either pour the dirty water through a clean fabric (towel or shirt) or leave the water to stand until the sediments sink to the bottom. Then just pour the clean water from the top...and then boil."

"You will last longer in the heat by holding up in the shade versus searching for water during the afternoon hours," said Nester. "If you do run out of water, find a north-facing boulder and sit in the shade; keep covered to prevent evaporative sweat loss; stay off the hot ground by sitting on your pack or a pile of debris; and only move around during the cooler hours of the morning or evening." If you didn't tell anyone about your travel plans, though, rescue will likely take more than a few hours and you should search for water when the temperature drops.

Text adapted from: https://www.theactivetimes.com/15-survival-myths-could-actually-kill-you-slideshow/

Discussion

Were your predictions from the first task correct?

Look at the texts again. Why are these things all bad ideas?

Language focus

Look at the underlined phrases and the words in bold. What do you think they mean?

Discuss with a partner and take a note of the dependent prepositions, collocations, phrasal verbs and idioms.

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate preposition or collocation without checking in the texts:

1. In reality, you can survive _______ just your body's fat stores for weeks

2. Injury, illness, poisoning and exposure are much more likely to result _______

3. It's a big mistake to rely solely _______ friction firemaking in a survival situation, especially when you could end _______ in a damp environment.

4. ... including two staff whose sole job was to drag around coolers filled with double-shot espressos and sandwiches while filming scenes of the host living _______ the land.

5. Running away from a bear is a _______ cause

6. ... a lot of times, they're as spooked as you are, and will take_______.

7. While boiling water will kill _____ organisms and germs, it will not clean harmful particulates from the water.

8. This same principle _______ to stagnant dirty water.

9. If you do run_______of water, find a north-facing boulder and sit _______the shade.

10. ... you should search for water when the temperature _______.

You are going to watch a video about surviving in extreme situations. These are the topics; are they good or bad ideas?
Video - Prediction
Questions:

1. Eating snow for hydration

2. Drinking cactus water

3. Drinking urine or blood

4. Using moss for direction

5. Drinking alcohol to stay warm

6. Rubbing frostbitten extremities

7. Sucking venom from a snake bite

8. Peeing on a jellyfish sting

Why are they bad ideas?

1. ____________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________

Video - Language Focus

Read the sentences below and try to fill the gaps

Watch the video a second time listening for the words in the gaps and compare to your original predictions.

1. Too good to be ___________

2. Which will dehydrate you and make _______ worse.

3. They still don't taste good, but they'll do in a _______.

4. Going _______ vampire to survive is probably not the best idea.

5. But that is the exact _______ of what you want if you need to stay warm.

6. Not to _______, freeze the water those cells were using to live.

7. Try to sit _______ and don't risk doing more harm.

8. In other _______, don't do it.

9. You're best _______ leaving the treatment to professionals.

10. Last but not _______.

Posted in Conversation Classes, Proficiency

Image credit: The Merkle

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan for higher levels (C1+) designed to help students develop their discourse management and debating skills. Download the handouts below:
Discourse Analysis: Guardian 5-minute Debates
In this section of the lesson students will watch a video from the Guardian 5-minute debate series in order to analyse the ways in which the speakers structure their arguments and the language they use. The topic of the debate is:

Should slang words be banned in the classroom?

In the debate the two speakers (Michael Rosen and Lindsay Johns) are specifically talking about London street slang. A school in South London took the decision to ban street slang from the classroom, the banned words are in the picture below:

If you want to look up any of these words you can use the urban dictionary.

Language to pre-teach:

code switching - changing from one language, dialect, or way of speaking to another depending on who you're speaking to.

cultural relativism - the theory that beliefs, customs, and morality exist in relation to the particular culture from which they originate and are not absolute. (What's considered acceptable in one culture might not be in another)

Live in an ivory tower - to be out of touch or to not understand the true reality of a situation. To live in a privileged position and therefore not understand the real world.

Have students watch the debate, while they are watching they should answer these questions:

Who wins the debate and why?

Useful phrase for debating.

Ways of structuring an argument.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2013/dec/09/should-schools-ban-slang-video-debate
Discuss their thoughts in open class.

Give out the transcript and show students the powerpoint. The powerpoint will take them through some of the structural techniques that Michael Rosen uses such as:

Conceding/partially agreeing

Hedging/being more indirect

Asking and answering your own questions

Presenting evidence

Being emphatic

A Less Formal Debate - Debate-O-Rama Cats vs. Dogs
Now tell students they're going to watch a less formal debate, the topic is dogs vs. cats. Split the class into two groups: the dog group and the cat group. Each group has to watch the video and and write down the arguments that the two people give to support their animal, i.e dogs are smelly, cats are selfish.

Students watch the video and takes notes. (Video from 1:15)

Give out the debate language handout. Tell students that they are going to recreate the dogs vs. cats debate but using the language on the handout and some of the structural techniques we saw earlier. Give them 8-10 minutes to structure their arguments. The debate will follow the following structure:
Debate Structure
Award a winner based on the strength of their arguments and how well structured they are. The debate handout has further debate topics for future classes.

Debate Handout:

Language

Opinion

The way I see it,

In my view,

In my opinion, I think that

My view on the matter is...

As far as I understand it,

As far as I'm concerned,

I'd say that...

I personally am (not) a big fan of...

Evidence/Popular Opinion

All the evidence points to/suggests...

I think you'll find that...

If you ask anyone,...

The vast majority of people would say...

We have no evidence that...

9 out of 10 people would say that...

There's no evidence to support that whatsoever.

Adding points

What's more,

On top of that,

Besides that,

Apart from that,

Another thing to consider is...

We shouldn't forget that...

It's also worth bearing in mind that...

Conceding/Partially Agreeing

I admit that your point about... may be true, however,

I take/see your point about...

Let's say I agree with the idea of...

I hear what you're saying, but...

Low-stakes Debate Topics

(Credit to debatable youtube page)

Dogs vs. Cats

Superpowers:

Flight vs. Invisibility

Pancakes vs. Waffles

Hot dogs vs. Hamburgers

French fries vs. Patatas bravas

Posted in Conversation Classes

This is a lesson plan designed for higher levels (B2+) to help students develop their presentation skills. Download the phrase sheet and topic cards below:
Micro Presentations Preparation
Prepare a 2-minute example presentation on a topic close to your heart using as much of the language from the handout as you can.
Procedure
Tell students that you're going to give a presentation, tell them that they need to make notes on: the main idea, supporting ideas and impressive language.

Give your presentation and then give students a minute to compare their notes and share in open class.

Give out the handout and have students look for the expressions that they heard, clear up any doubts students may have about the language.

Students then choose presentation topics for each other. Give them 2-3 minutes to prepare their presentations. Pairs then join together to make groups of 4. Each member gives their presentation, teacher monitors and takes notes for feedback. Other members of the group note how many expressions their classmates use in their presentations and give them constructive feedback.

Homework: Students prep another micro-presentation for the next class. Topics could include: a hobby, a product sales pitch, a persuasive argument.
Handout
Language

Starting

The thing about... is...

What I find most interesting about... is...

Abbreviating

In a nutshell,

To cut a long story short...

Sequencers

First of all,

To begin with,

First and foremost,

Secondly,

Finally,

Last but not least,

And to top it all off,

Addition

What's more,

On top of that,

Besides that,

Apart from that,

Another thing to consider is...

We shouldn't forget that...

It's also worth bearing in mind that...

Adding Emphasis

(I don't agree with him) at all.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

By far the best/worst/biggest etc. is...

The park near my house is especially/particularly beautiful

Fillers

You know?

So,

I mean,

In other words

How can I put this?

Contrast/Comparison

On the one hand, on the other hand,

But actually...

But in actual fact...

However

Whereas/while

Conclusion

So to sum up,

So in summary,

So to wrap up,

So as I was saying,

All in all,

Topics
Choose a topic for your partner from the list below, you have two minutes to make notes before giving a two minute micro-presentation.

The best place to go on a first date

The perfect weekend

Smartphone addiction

Zoos and pets

The best thing to study at uni

Posted in Conversation Classes, songs

Image credit: http://thebluesmobile.com/c-c-rider-venerates-bob-dylan/

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

bob-dylan-baby-blue - Handout

I've been quiet for a few weeks due to my exciting and terrifying new job in teacher training! However, I've made a resolution to work on more posts for the blog over the coming weeks.

Some of my C2 adults expressed an interest in listening to some Bob Dylan songs after reading about his recent Nobel Prize win. So I've prepared this short lesson plan with that in mind. Students start by reading and analysing the lyrics to the song as if it were a poem and not knowing the author or that it is in fact a folk song.
Procedure
Students read the lyrics as if it were a poem and answer the 3 questions with their partner:

Encourage use of language of speculation (could/might/may have etc.)

My DELTA tutor told me that removing words from song lyrics was a horrible crime, "butchering the text" is how he described it, so I've decided to keep the text whole. However, feel free to remove some words and have students complete them while listening. One idea would be to remove a part of each rhyming couplet and have students guess at words that would fit, before listening to confirm.

Have students discuss and share their interpretation of the song and then show them the three comments which contain different ways in which the song could be interpreted. Have them compare their own thoughts with those from the comments.
Song Handout Read the poem and answer the questions with your partner:
Comment 1

"I think there is one line here that is misunderstood, and it is pretty nifty.

When Dylan is wrapping up the song, and he's telling the woman to leave the dead and to start over, he says the line "strike another match girl, start anew" I really think it's "girl" and not "go"- if you listen to the song it could go either way, but just here me out.

I think this line reference to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl," in which a vagabond child selling matches sees visions of warm, safe places she will never be a part of, and each time she lights a match she sees a new scene, a new life. At the end of the fairy-tale, she lights her final match and dies... but in Dylan's case, when he says to "light another match, girl" he's not talking about a REAL death, he's talking about a change. Like the girl in the story, the subject of this song is down-and-out, she thought she was in a safe place, but she's not- the carpet's being pulled right out from under her. She needs to figuratively "light a match" and see the possibilities for a new life, and she needs to accept, even embrace this change and join the vagabond outside to start a new journey."

Comment 2

"I think this song is about accepting changes in life. this was the last song Dylan played at the infamous Newport concert (where he was booed for going electric) and the last song on Bringing It All Back Home (his last album that was mostly acoustic) I think he is just saying it is time for him to move on creatively"

Comment 3

"Could it be that Dylan is Baby Blue? He has to stop listening to everyone's expectations as to where he should go. He must leave those stepping stones and go his own way even though there may be a price to pay."

Posted in Vocabulary Classes

Image credit: englishbookgeorgia.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan for higher level learners (C1+) in which students learn some common English proverbs. Download the worksheet and key below:
Proverbs
Matching
Match the different sentence halves to form English proverbs.

1. Where there's a will

2. Don't look a gift horse

3. If it ain't broke,

4. Beggars can't

5. Too many cooks

6. There's no such thing

7. People who live in glass houses

8. Two wrongs

9. The squeaky wheel

10. Don't put all your eggs

11. Two heads

12. Don't count your chickens

a. Be choosers

b. Before they hatch

c. Spoil the broth

d. There's a way

e. Are better than one

f. As a free lunch

g. In the mouth

h. In one basket

i. Shouldn't throw stones

j. Gets the grease

k. Don't fix it

l. Don't make a right

Meaning
Now match the proverb to its definition:

1. Getting revenge will only make things worse.

2. Don't criticise people if you've got imperfections too.

3. If something is working well, why change it?

4. If you're desperate you're not in a position to be picky.

5. If you complain about a situation you're more likely to get better service.

6. Have a backup plan. Don't risk all of your money and time on one plan.

7. If there are too many people involved in making a decision, it won't turn out well.

8. If someone gives you a present, don't question it.

9. Two people will probably solve a problem faster than one.

10. Your plan might not work out. Don't assume they are going to work out and start celebrating or planning the next step too early.

11. If something is free, there's normally a catch or hidden cost.

12. If you really want something, you'll find a way to achieve it.

Processing

Picture Match
Match the picture to the proverb (only show up on the handout 😦 )
Scenarios
Match the scenario to proverb.

1. Just because he cheated on you doesn't mean you should cheat on him.

2. The Christmas play is going to be awful because there are 5 different directors!

3. I gave him my old bike for free and now he's complaining about the tyres.

4. I know they said we only have to go to the timeshare presentation to get the free camera but I smell a rat.

5. I'll ask Julia for what she thinks; we'll work on it together.

6. He's desperate to go travelling in the summer but he'll have to save up a lot of money first.

7. Is your soup cold too? We should say something.

8. You can talk Martin! You drink just as much as Tony does!

9. I just think we should have something else up our sleeve if they don't like the first idea.

10. Hold your horses, we haven't won the competition yet so stop planning how you're going to spend the prize money.

11. It's the only room you can afford, so it's take it or leave it I'm afraid.

12. The new accounts system is working really well but I hear they're thinking of changing it again.

Test
In pairs, take it in turns to read out the first half of a proverb to your partner, they must complete it.
A: Too many cooks...

B: Spoil the broth.

Personalise
Choose 3 proverbs and try to relate them to a time in your life. Write three sentences.

Matching

1. D

2. G

3. K

4. A

5. C

6. F

7. I

8. L

9. J

10. H

11. E

12. B

Meaning

1. Two wrongs don't make a right

2. People who live in glass houses...

3. If it ain't broke...

4. Beggars can't be choosers

5. The squeaky wheel

6. Don't put all your eggs in...

7. Too many cooks...

8. Don't look a gift horse...

9. Two heads are better than one

10. Don't count your chickens...

11. There's no such thing as a...

12. Where there's a will...

Picture Match

1. Too many cooks...

2. Don't put all your eggs...

3. Don't count your chickens...

4. Don't look a gift horse in...

5. People who live in...

6. 2 wrongs don't make a right

7. 2 heads are better than 1

8. There's no such thing as a free lunch

Scenarios

1. 2 wrongs don't make a right

2. Too many cooks...

3. Don't look a gift horse...

4. There's no such thing as...

5. 2 heads are better than one

6. Where there's a will there's a way

7. The squeaky wheel...

8. People in glass houses...

9. Don't put all your eggs in one...

10. Don't count your chickens...

11. Beggars can't be choosers

12. If it ain't broke...

Posted in Games, Uncategorized

Image credit: www.20minutos.es

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a new version of my Alphabet Quiz game designed for very high levels (high C1) in which students have to guess different idioms which begin with each letter of the alphabet. Credit to my colleague Peter Rassa for the idea. The game is similar to the gameshow "Pasaparabla" on Spanish television. You will need the lesson plan with the question sheet:
Alphabet Quiz CPE Idioms Version Procedure
Write the alphabet on the board, if you're feeling really creative you can do it in a circle as shown in the picture above. Quickly recap the letters that often cause your students problems. It varies from place to place but in Spain they struggle with J, G, E, I, Q, W, and Y.

Quickly recap the letters that often cause your students problems. It varies from place to place but in Spain they struggle with J, G, E, I, Q, W, and Y.

Write all your students' names on the board in a list.

Choose a player to go first, explain to them that you are going to ask them a question, the answer to the question begins with the letter A. They have two options: they can attempt to answer the question or they can say "pass". If they choose to answer and they get it right, they get 1 point but if they get it wrong they lose 1 point. If they choose to pass, then it is the next student's turn but the next student is asked the "B" question. You continue like this through the list of questions, every time a question is answered correctly you cross that letter out from the list on the board. When you reach the end of the list (the "Z" question) you then return to the top of the list and work your way through any questions which were not answered the first time around.

NOTE: It is important that students don't shout out the answers to the questions if it's not their turn as that question could be revisited later.

The winner is the student with the most points when all the questions have been answered or at the end of a set time limit.

1. A person's weak spot. Achilles heel.

2. A person who is bad and makes other bad. Bad Apple

3. A relaxed, quiet time immediately before period of violent activity or argument .Calm before the storm.

4. If you are overcharged or underpaid, open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning. daylight robbery.

5. If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.

6. If you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative consequences of something you have done wrong.

7. If you get something off your chest, you confess to something that has been troubling you.

8. If someone is happy-go-lucky, they don't worry or plan and accept things as they happen.

9. This expression is used to refer to something good that happens on top of an already good thing or situation. Icing on the cake

10. If people are joined at the hip, they are very closely connected and think the same way.

11. When someone kicks the bucket, they die.

12. The last straw is the final problem that makes someone lose their temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. It comes from an Arabic story, where a camel was loaded with straw until a single straw placed on the rest of the load broke its back.

13. If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money.

14. If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very close and neither is clearly winning.

15. If you're on a roll, you're moving from success to success.

16. If you go out for a night out with lots of fun and drinking, you paint the town red.

17. If someone's as quiet as a mouse, they make absolutely no noise.

18. Someone who starts life very poor and becomes rich goes from rags to riches.

19. When all the best people, things or ideas and so on are used up and people try to make do with what they have left, they are scraping the barrel.

20. If you take a leaf out of someone's book, you copy something they do because it will help you.

21. If you are feeling a bit ill, sad or lack energy, you are under the weather.

22. A vicious circle is a sequence of events that make each other worse- someone drinks because they are unhappy at work, then loses their job... 'Vicious cycle' is also used.

23. If something belongs to the past and isn't important or troubling any more, it is water under the bridge.

24. If something is x-rated, it is not suitable for children.

25. This idiom means that if you do something for me, I'll return the favour. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

26. This is used to tell someone to be quiet. Zip it.

Posted in Conversation Classes, Reading Classes, TED Talk Lesson Plans, Video Classes

Image credit: ted.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan for C1+ students on the topic of bad habits based around a TED talk by Judson Brewer and an article from Yahoo Health. You can find the TED talk, students' handout, reading text and teacher's notes below:

TED Bad habits sts copy - Students handout
TED bad habits teachers notes
Common Bad Habits - Reading Text
TED - Breaking Bad Habits - Teacher's Notes Step 1: Expressions with habit What do you think these expressions mean? Do they exist in your language?
He's been smoking since he was 15 years old and he just can't kick the habit.

When my grandad retired he didn't stop getting up at 6am and putting a suit on. Old habits die hard.

I could never go backpacking I'm too much of a creature of habit, I can't stand changes to my routine.

I've always written my essays at the last minute and I normally get good marks. Why break the habit of a lifetime?

Kick the habit = give up/quit a bad habit

Old habits die hard = it's difficult to stop a habit you've been doing for a long time

A creature of habit = someone who likes the security of a routine

Why break the habit of a lifetime? = something you say to a person you know isn't going to change their habits.
Step 2: Brainstorm bad habits on the board Step 3: Reading
Give out the reading handout, put students in groups of 3. Students read each section then discuss the meaning of the vocabulary in bold. Then they answer the discusssion questions. Then they move onto the next bad habit.
Step 4: TED Talk
Students watch the TED talk and answer the following questions:

What bad habits does he mention? Being unable to concentrate, phone/internet addiction, stress eating, smoking, distracting yourself from work.

What solution to these bad habits does he suggest? Using mindfulness to focus on the cravings we feel and see them as physical moments that pass.

After watching students discuss:

1. What do you think of the talk?

2. Do you have any of the bad habits he mentioned?

3. Do you think mindfulness would work for you?

4. Have you ever meditated? Would you consider it?

Step 5: Vocab Focus - Meaning from Context
Students try to guess the meaning of the expressions in bold from the context.

1. When I was first learning to meditate, the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath, and when my mind wandered, to bring it back.

2. Instead of this hunger signal coming from our stomach, this emotional signal - feeling sad - triggers that urge to eat.

3. What if instead of fighting our brains, or trying to force ourselves to pay attention,we instead tapped into this natural, reward-based learning process?

4. She moved from knowing in her head that smoking was bad for her to knowing it in her bones, and the spell of smoking was broken. She started to become disenchanted with her behavior.

5. And this is what mindfulness is all about: Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors.

6. These are bite-size pieces of experiences that we can manage from moment to moment rather than getting clobbered by this huge, scary craving that we choke on.

Mind wanders/drift off into a daydream = get distracted

Have/get an urge to do something = a strong desire/impulse

Trigger (v) = activate/set off/cause to function

Nerd = unpopular, studious person

Dork = unpopular, studious person, more pejorative than nerd

Tap into = manage to use something in a way that gives good results. Get access to a resource. Collocations: tap into an energy source, tap into creativity, tap into the water supply.

Know in your bones = feel something using intuition, synonyms: know in my guts, a gut-feeling.

Break a spell = end magic/enchantment

Disenchanted = two meanings. 1. Free from illusion/magic 2. Disappointed, demotivated, disillusioned.

Fall back into old habits = return to old habits after having changed

Get caught up in st = to become completely involved in something, normally bad connotation.

Craving = a consuming desire, normally physical related to addiction.

Restlessness = a state of discomfort, can't stay still/relax. A restless night.

Bite-size pieces = small easy to manage pieces

Get clobbered = to be beaten/hit severly

Choke on st = not able to breath because of something in your throat
Step 6: Sentence Completion
Students put the expressions from the vocab focus into the following sentences:

1. He was always so restless at school, he couldn't sit still for a second.

2. I'm a bit weird, whenever I go near the edge of a cliff or a tall building I get the sudden urge to jump off!

3. Don't worry, everything is going to be alright, I don't know how but I feel/know it in my bones.

4. I managed to stop biting my fingernails for 6 months but recently, because of all the stress at work, I have fallen back into old habits.

5. Most voters are completely disenchanted with politics in general and extremist politicians like Donald Trump are simply tapping into the anger and resentment.

6. When my Mum was pregnant she had strong cravings for avocado even though she normally hates them.

7. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that hit the coast at 10am.

8. When I was at school I always used to get into trouble for drifting off into a daydream during class.

9. 3 hours into the film I got a bit bored and my mind wandered to what I was going to have for dinner.

10. A man suddenly started to choke on a prawn and a fellow diner had to give him the heimlich maneuver.

11. I was definitely a bit of a nerd at school but I certainly wasn't a dork.

12. I got so caught up in the excitement of the party that I didn't realise I had missed the last train home.

13. He caught the rugby ball, turned around and was immediately clobbered by a huge opposition player.

14. I broke the carrots up into bite-size pieces so that the children wouldn't choke on

Step 7: Discussion
Students answer questions in pairs.
Students' Handout Expressions with habit What do you think these expressions mean? Do they exist in your language?
He's been smoking since he was 15 years old and he just can't kick the habit.

When my grandad retired he didn't stop getting up at 6am and putting a suit on. Old habits die hard.

I could never go backpacking I'm too much of a creature of habit, I can't stand changes to my routine.

I've always written my essays at the last minute and I normally get good marks. Why break the habit of a lifetime?
TED Talk

1. What bad habits does he mention?

2. What solution to these bad habits does he suggest?

Discussion

1. What do you think of the talk?

2. Do you have any of the bad habits he mentioned?

3. Do you think mindfulness would work for you?

4. Have you ever meditated? Would you consider it?

Vocabulary Focus Read the sentences from the transcript and discuss the words/expressions in bold with your partner.

1. When I was first learning to meditate, the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath, and when my mind wandered, to bring it back.

2. Instead of this hunger signal coming from our stomach, this emotional signal - feeling sad - triggers that urge to eat.

3. What if instead of fighting our brains, or trying to force ourselves to pay attention,we instead tapped into this natural, reward-based learning process?

4. She moved from knowing in her head that smoking was bad for her to knowing it in her bones, and the spell of smoking was broken. She started to become disenchanted with her behavior.

5. And this is what mindfulness is all about: Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors.

6. These are bite-size pieces of experiences that we can manage from moment to moment rather than getting clobbered by this huge, scary craving that we choke on.

Sentence Completion Complete the sentences with the expressions above.

1. He was always so ______________ at school, he couldn't sit still for a second.

2. I'm a bit weird, whenever I go near the edge of a cliff or a tall building I get the sudden __________ jump off!

3. Don't worry, everything is going to be alright, I don't know how but I ______________________.

4. I managed to stop biting my fingernails for 6 months but recently, because of all the stress at work, I have __________________________________.

5. Most voters are completely __________________________ politics in general and extremist politicians like Donald Trump are simply ____________________________ the anger and resentment.

6. When my Mum was pregnant she had strong _____________ for avocado even though she normally hates them.

7. The earthquake _______________ a huge tsunami that hit the coast at 10am.

8. When I was at school I always used to get into trouble for _______________________________ during class.

9. 3 hours into the film I got a bit bored and my ____________________________ to what I was going to have for dinner.

10. A man suddenly started to ________________ a prawn and a fellow diner had to give him the heimlich maneuver.

11. I was definitely a bit of a _____________ at school but I certainly wasn't a ____________.

12. I _________________________________ in the excitement of the party that I didn't realise I had missed the last train home.

13. He caught the rugby ball, turned around and was immediately ___________________ by a huge opposition player.

14. I broke the carrots up into __________________ so that the children wouldn't ___________ them.

Discussion Reading Text Common Bad Habits
Everyone has habits that they would probably be better off without. You may not have any major vices but minor ones add up and deserve attention too. "The small stuff really matters in our lives," says Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. "Life is full of the little things."

In reality, you're probably not eating poorly or shirking on sleep just once a month, but, more likely, multiple times a week. If you need some help identifying changes you might aim to make, here are some of the most common bad habits and two universal fixes from Goldstein about how we can change for the better.
Stress-Eating
We're a country of high-stress and high-calorie foods, so it should be no surprise that emotional eating is a common issue. There are many reasons people turn to food when they experience negative emotions, like stress, sadness, and boredom. First of all, food can serve as a distraction from unpleasant goings-on. Research has also suggested that foods that are high in fat and sugar may actually (temporarily) quiet parts of the brain that create and process negative emotions.

1. Do you stress eat? If so what?

2. How do you relieve stress?

Sitting Around
Surveys have found that people, on average, spend more than six hours a day sitting. Many people sit while commuting, at work, and while unwinding at the end of the day. It may feel like your body is happier taking a seat, but spending so much time off your feet has serious health effects including increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cognitive decline (like dementia), cancer, bone loss, and even a weakened immune system.

1. How much of the day do you spend sitting down?

2. What do you think of the idea of a standing office? Or a standing school?

Not Getting Enough Sleep
Days can feel far too short, especially when you want to catch up with friends at a late dinner or binge-watch your favorite show. Late nights in moderation are okay but getting too little sleep - less than seven hours - on a regular basis can make you more prone to long-term diseases, like hypertension and diabetes, and even short-term illness. Being tired can also affect how you function during the daytime, making you less productive and more prone to errors and accidents.
Over-Grooming
Picking at your nose and mouth and biting your nails are already social faux pas. They can also be bad for your health. As you should already know, our hands are usually teeming with nasty germs. Putting your fingers in your nose or mouth - even to fish unwanted spinach out of your teeth - is a good way to give those germs easy access to your body. Nail biting, in particular, can also raise your risk of getting skin infections on your fingers and spreading warts to other parts of your hand. In some cases, excessive grooming behaviors are considered a mental disorder related to obsessive-compulsive disorders.

1. Do you bite your fingernails?

2. Can you think of any other social faux pas's? What topics are faux pas when your first meet someone?

Smoking
This may feel like beating a dead horse but more than 42 million people in the U.S. still smoke cigarettes. Although this number continues to drop, it's good for people to remember why this habit is such a serious one. Smoking is known to cause several types of cancer - including cancers of the lung, mouth, stomach, and pancreas - and increases a person's risk of heart disease. It's also harmful to people who are inhaling second-hand smoke. Plus, smoking is expensive. Even a "cheap" $5 pack every day adds up to $1,825.00 each year.
Skipping Breakfast
There are mixed findings about whether or not skipping breakfast can help people lose weight. Generally, experts support eating a healthy morning meal because it fuels your body and mind for the beginning of the day. Research has shown that people who eat breakfast perform better in school and at work. If that's not enough incentive, a recent study from Harvard found that men who regularly skipped breakfast were 27 percent more likely to experience a heart attack or death from coronary heart disease.
Overspending
Another common bad habit is overspending, usually in the form of compulsive shopping. Credit is partially to blame because it is easy to obtain and use, helping people forgo responsibility and knowledge about their finances. Overspending is also an easy trap to fall into because buying things makes people feel good in many different ways. It can give us a sense of control and add some excitement to a dull day. Being able to spend money can also make us feel better about ourselves.

1. Do you often overspend?

2. Are you a compulsive shopper? If so what do you normally buy?

Listening to Loud Music
Hearing is something that often goes with age but there are still steps people can take to give theirs its best possible chance. Very loud, short-term sounds and sounds that may not seem so loud (but occur over a long period of time) can both contribute to noise-induced hearing loss. This affects about 15 percent of Americans, ages 20 to 69 according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Some loud sounds may be unavoidable but exposure anything above 85 decibels (equal to the sound of heavy city traffic) should be minimized. If you have to raise your voice to speak with someone two to three feet away, the sound level is likely over 85 decibels.

1. Do you listen to loud music? If so how often?

2. Have you got god hearing?

Phone Addiction
No, your phone isn't exactly the most threatening addiction. That doesn't mean it's something to ignore. Thanks to the advent of push notifications, many of us are now trained to grab our phone the second it flashes - or when we only think it has. This behavior takes our attention away from other things that we should probably value more, like the work in front of us or talking with friends and family.

Link to original article:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/10-common-bad-habits-and-how-to-break-them-107994730858.html

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C2 - Page 2 - Tim's Free English Lesson Plans

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Posted in Advanced C1, Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes This is a lesson plan for C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency students on the topic of non-profit organisations like the WWF. Students read a short text about the organisation then work on phrasal verbs associated with the topic.

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Here's the thing - I do love playing bingo. But here's the other thing - I'm kind of picky about the kind of bingo I play.

I like playing bingo...

where all the students are involved

where they have to use the target language

where there is some kind of prop involved

where there is heaps of fun+ lots of learning

And that's why I have designed this "Get to Know You" bingo game in teams for my first class. I have designed the task cards for the first day of the school year, but it is easily adaptable for any level and any content. You will see a mixture of speaking, translation and grammar and vocabulary tasks and also a mix of difficult and easy tasks to keep things interesting. More elements for this bingo? Yes, it is played in teams and we need hotel bells. Yay!!!

BEFORE THE CLASS

Prepare bingo cards: Create unique bingo cards for each team member. Each card should have a 5×5 grid of squares, with each square containing a different task.

Task bag: Prepare a bag or container with folded pieces of paper, each containing all the tasks listed on the bingo cards.

IN THE CLASS

Form Teams: Divide the class into teams that should sit together. Each team should have an equal number of members ( 3/4 members works fine) . Give each team member a unique bingo card. Give each team a hotel bell.

Draw a card: Start the game by drawing a task card from the bag. The drawn task card should be read aloud to everyone.

Now, this is where I twist the bingo game.

Any team and any team member can attempt to complete the task that is drawn from the bag. If they think they can do it, they will ring the bell. At this point, it is important to notice that there are two kinds of tasks:
DIFFERENT KIND OF TASKS CARDS
1. If it is a speaking task, they can ring the bell as soon as someone in the team decides to attempt to complete the task. Speaking tasks require that the student speaks for one minute non-stop.

2. If it is a task that involves thinking, conferring or writing, teams will ring the bell as soon as they have completed the task and/or are ready to answer. .

NOTE: the teacher will choose the team that rings the bell first.
SUCCESS OR FAILURE AT COMPETING THE TASK

What happens if a team fails to complete a task? Then, the teacher says NO! and another team gets the chance to complete it but to do so, they will need to ring the bell as quickly as possible.

What happens if a team completes the task successfully? If this happens, all the members in this team can claim the corresponding square on their bingo card by marking it. It doesn't matter where the square is on their bingo card or who in their team completed the task; if any member of the team completes the task drawn, all members of the team claim that square.

WINNING
The game continues until a team or individual gets five squares in a row marked horizontally, vertically, or diagonally on their bingo card. The first team, or individual in the team, to achieve this yells "Bingo!" and the team is declared the winner.
CREATING THE BINGO CARDS
I have used the free bingo generator, My Free Bingo Cards. You don't need to register, and it lets you generate 30 unique bingo cards. Here are my bingo cards in case you want to use them.
EXAMPLE OF TASK CARDS
Speaking tasks: the team member attempting to do the task will have to talk for 1 minute non-stop about

Talk: What would you change about yourself if you could?

Talk: What makes you angry?

Talk: What do you find most difficult about learning English?

Talk: If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Talk: What is your proudest accomplishment?

Talk: Why are you learning English?

Talk: Have you ever used ChatGPT?

Talk: Tell us about a time you passed an exam without studying

Talk: What is the worst gift you have received?

Talk about the computer that is on the teacher's table

Talk: Have you ever had a secret admirer?

Talk: What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?

Talk: If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

Talk. Tell us about a time you met someone famous

TRANSLATION TASKS

Translate. ¿Con cuántas almohadas duermes?

Translate: Si fueras un superheroe, ¿que poderes tendrías?

Translate: ¿Cuál es el mejor regalo que has recibido?

Translate: La policia está investigando el crimen.

GRAMMAR and VOCABULARY TASKS

An idiom that means the same as: "decide"

¿Can you name 10 wild animals?

What preposition collocates with " decide"?

Finish the sentence: it is raining cats and....

Can you say the number : 205,566,903?

What's the past and past participle of the verb "hit"?

Can you name 6 irregular plurals?

I have not tested this activity in class as classes have not started yet. I normally wait until I have tried the activity in class but this time, I could not wait to share it with you, plus this is a very busy month for me with exams and teacher training sessions and I was afraid I might forget the idea. So, here it is. Better safe than sorry! I hope you like it!

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Blog de Cristina | Digital Tools and Ideas to Transform Education

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Here’s the thing – I do love playing bingo. But here’s the other thing – I’m kind of picky about the kind of bingo I play.

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More than a thousand ESL/EFL/ESOL conversation questions. Our conversation questions are organized by topic, textbook, and grammar.

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"learn english with tv series" "learn english with tv shows" "learn english with netflix" "english listening lessons" "aprenda inglês com série" "aprenda ing...

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Are you ready to have a lot of fun learning real-life English with "Learn English with TV Series?" On this channel, we will practice and improve our listening comprehension, using your favorite TV shows, movies, and talk shows, to learn to understand native English without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles.