English Conversations 2

We have reached the completion point of this part of our Language and Executive Coaching Sessions. Here are your final tasks as an accomplished English speaker and presenter: 1. You are ...You. You have been asked by the HR department to complile a report for  the CEO explaining the procedure, features, and advantages for employees of funding such a course for thecompany employees. 2. You work at the company's HR department and have just completed this course. Prepare an internal memo to your colleagues suggesting that they attend the course.  You can find exampes here.

  Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year is brain rot—a term once used humorously, now backed by real science. Mindless scrolling, doomscrolling, and digital addiction are rewiring our brains for distraction, instant gratification, and cognitive decline. Studies show excessive screen time can shrink gray matter, weaken memory, and impair decision-making. Luckily, the brain is adaptable. 🧠 By setting boundaries, curating what you consume, and prioritizing real-world experiences, you can rewire your brain for focus, resilience, and deep thinking. A very interesting article here.

 What is your daily routine? Do you observe a specific time for meals, sleep, exercise, etc? Now check out this chart depicting the human circadian rhythm. Does it match your activities? So, what is the circadian rhythm? Where does the word come from? Watch this video to find out! READ ON... Do you want to find more information about circadian rhythms and how they affect you?  This is  a gripping article  by the Sleep Foundation. VOCABULARY PRACTICE

 What do you do to save space at home or at the office? People can become very creative when they are pressed to find space. For example, in this famous Bangkok market, Medlong, stall owners are required to move out of the way to let trains get through! Shoppers must stand to the one side to let train the pass.     Read  these other ingenious solutions: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each space-saving solution? Could any work in your town or city? Why? Which would you be happy to experience? LANGUAGE: Causative Verbs Practice more here 

 When and where do you think there were invented? brain surgery, concrete, eye make-up, water sanitation systems Read the text and check your predictions Which information did you find the most surprising?  How certain is it that the sentences are true?  Write certainly true (CT), possibly true (PT) or certainly not true (NT).  1 Egyptians invented make-up.   2 Both men and women in ancient Egypt wore make-up.  3. Our ancestors knew about bacteria.  4. It was a bad idea to perform brain surgery. 5. Roman concrete was good as modern concrete.  6. Roman concrete was very strong.  7 The people in the Indus valley were safe from dangerous diseases.  Find the sentences in the text that told you the answers to Exercise 3. Match the modal structures with their meaning (1-4). Then read the Grammar box to check.  1 It's very probable or certain that something happened  2 It's quite possible that something happened.  3 It's imp...

 Andrea is the new team leader of a team working on a project. In a meeting she gets angry and shouts at you for delaying a piece of work. You had explained beforehand that you needed more info to complete the job. You remember times in the past when Andrea didn't finish her work on time. How do you react? a. think about why she may be angry and talk to her afterward b. remind her of times in the past when she didn't finish her work on time c. decide she is a bad leader and complain to the other team members in the kitchen area Here is a video about empathy by the well-known researcher Brene Brown. As you are watching, note down 1. The characteristics of empathy 2. How it is different than sympathy Here are 5 tips to increase empathic reactions Listen actively. Practice active listening by reformulating the message to the person who just said it. ... Consider how the other person may be feeling. ... Focus on similarities ... Practise mindfulness... Listen actively. Speak less t...

  What have the masters achieved? To what extent are their achievements due to natural talent or hard work in your opinion?    So how did Judith become so good ____chess? She had a long-term commitment _____ becoming the best. So, from a very early age, she focused ____ the game and pracised. Where do Stephen's amazing abilities stem ___? Already as a child, he had a passion ____ drawing. Practice prepositions https://create.kahoot.it/share/prepositions-advanced/20ca120f-311c-4ae7-a6f9-30c426e8afb5 Circle all the /dj/, /tj/ and /sh/ sounds in the tongue twisters (1-8).  Practise saying the tongue twisters in pairs.  1. I'm sure 1 saw Sheila selling seashells on the seashore, but I can't be sure she sold seashore shells.  2. Julia, George, Jean and Joan joyfully jumped down the jagged hill.  3. Chester the Cheetah chewed a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese.  4. Fresh fried fish,  Fish fresh fried,  Fried fish fresh,  Fish fried fresh....

 DISCUSSION 1. Think of a time when you were trying to convince someone of your point of view. Work in pairs to discuss the questions. How did you try to convince them? Did you  appeal to their emotions appeal to their logical reasoning tell personal anecdotes  quote scientific evidence 2. Did you manage to convince them? What happened? B. Do you know the story of the atheist and the priest? Let's watch a video to find out why persuading people of something against their convictions is so hard.     C. Which of these things do you naturally do when you have conversations with people who don't share your point of view? Which of these things do you need to work on?  Can you think of examples of confirmation bias that you've seen? What role do you think media plays in encouraging confirmation bias? 2 What are some common beliefs that you share with your friends or family? Have you  met people with different beliefs from you? What happened? What are the ben...

Do you usually talk about problems with the people that are upsetting you? What can happen if you don't? How far do you consider "embracing Discomfort for Growth" is applicable in life? Read an article by social scientist, author, and famous speaker, Simon Sinek. What does he suggest? READING STRATEGY 1. Start with the WIIFY (what's in it for you). This engages the reward system of the brain, improving concentration and memory. 2. Skim read for general ideas. This is not the time for detail. Titles, topic sentences and key words hold the major points that interest you. 3. Read the questions one by one. (Refrain from reading the options as this will confuse you.) Go back to the text, find and underline the  answer, then match with the optimal option.  Key: pay special attention to the question key words!  Answer the following questions What is the first step that Simon Sinek suggests before starting an uncomfortable conversation? A) Presenting solutions immediately B)...

Dell's story provides an interesting outlook to a contemporary company's growth.  Let's watch a relevant video (Ch 4 & 5) and discuss the questions   here Michael's future and future tenses  here! Discover IT Vocabulary  here Now, imagine you are Dell's Training officer and you are planning a seminar. Look at this example of an  email  to the participants and find ways to improve it. Time to sing!

 Are you shy or outgoing when you meet new /or not-so-new people? Do you like to make small talk?   Where do you usually have the chance to do so? (in the office kitchen/ at the reception area/at the park/ on the way to work/ waiting in line/ ?)  What is your pet subject for small talk? Use the following expressions and take it in turn to strike a conversation with a different partner: How do you like this weather?  Are you enjoying this class?Did you hear about__________? How long have you been waiting (for the elevator/ the train/ the class to begin, etc) My Bucket list Do you have a bucket list? What are 3 items in it? Let's watch a guide on how to set one. What are the steps? What's a good piece of advice you heard from Vanessa? LANGUAGE In the blurred lines of life, things get overlooked , so here’s the brass tacks: you and your dreams exist in separate realities. Your dreams aren’t going to fall in your lap, they can’t. They have to be grabbed and dragged ...

Explore the origins of the popular festival and its decorations  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yule-festival What are some unusual Christmas traditions your nation or family observes? Write an email to a colleague you met during one of your trips abroad. Multi-word verbs

  1. What makes this person success special? 2. Which of these things mean success to you? Put them in order from 1 (most important) to 8 (least important): Then discuss with your partner  the ability to help others the chance to travel dealing with challenges enormous wealth inner peace and happiness a lot of friends a loving family a rewarding career N ow, discuss with your partner what you would like to achieve personally  a. this year b. in a few year's time c. by 2050 Read the following emails written by people to their future self.  What can you guess about the writers? What is the reason for writing them? What do they expect to have happened? What does each writer think they will be doing in the future? LANGUAGE TIME Check FUTURE TENSES  here and practice and   play Quizzes he re Check this article  on SMART goals. Set your goal for 2025 and let's discuss it at the next class! Song time!

  Have you ever shared a flat with a housemate? What did you like/dislike about it? If you had to rank these habits, how annoying would you say they are and why? a. Insists on thoroughly cleaning the flat twice a week. b. Leaves a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. c. Listens to very loud music until late. d. Often invites friends round and has parties. e. Spends most of the time in their room and rarely talks to you. Watch this video of nightmare roommates and fill in the sentences 1. He's just ...... messy. 2. For example, he asks he_________ his roommate to buy him things. 3. The bathroom is ____ a mess. 4. I wish he________smoke in the house. 5. _____ she had people over once a week but it's three or more times. 6. If only he __________ the rent on time. 7. I _______ you didn't litter the bin with your hair. PRACTICE so , such wishes ON YOU 1. Write 5 things about other people that annoy you. 2. Share using so/such 3. Make a wish AT HOME 4. How could you politely encoura...

  What do you think helps build rapport among people? How has AI affected your life so far? How does think it will affect the human society in the future? Read  an article  about AI and its implications Underline the expressions  you find  intriguing  and write each in a separate piece of paper. Exchange with partners to create a story. This is a sentence taken from the article: "If AI significantly complements higher-income workers, it may lead to a disproportionate increase in their labor income." What is the time reference of this sentence?  What does the use of this form imply? How can it be restructured to refer to something the speaker considers unlikely/improbable? How can it be restructured to refer to a past event? What other words could be used insted of "if"? Study Conditional sentences  here Practice (to your heart's desire)  here LYRICS

 DISCUSSION 1. Think of a time when you were trying to convince someone of your point of view. Work in pairs to discuss the questions. How did you try to convince them? Did you  appeal to their emotions appeal to their logical reasoning tell personal anecdotes  quote scientific evidence 2. Did you manage to convince them? What happened? B. Do you know the story of the atheist and the priest? Let's watch a video to find out why persuading people of something against their convictions is so hard.     What does the term confirmation bias mean? C. Which of these things do you naturally do when you have conversations with people who don't share your point of view? Which of these things do you need to work on?  Can you think of examples of confirmation bias that you've seen? What role do you think media plays in encouraging confirmation bias? 2 What are some common beliefs that you share with your friends or family? Have you  met people with different belie...

  Do you often need to use formal English? In what specific circumstances?  The following sentences are a mix of formal and informal. What best applies, INFORMAL or  FORMAL? (a) The project will be completed next year.  (b) I showed that his arguments didn’t hold water.  (c) I wonder why he put up with those terrible conditions for so long.  (d) Five more tests will be necessary before the experiment can be concluded.  (e) It is possible to consider the results from a different viewpoint.  (f) It has been proved that the arguments so far are without foundation.  (g) He’ll have to do another five tests before he can stop the experiment.  (h) It is not clear why such terrible conditions were tolerated for so long.  (i) There are several reasons why the questionnaire should be revised.  (j) We’ll finish the job next year There are some basic differences in formal English and these include: 1. phrasal verbs vs latin verbs 2. colloq...

  Have you ever been to a dance show? What did you enjoy most? Note-taking Watch  a video about the famous  Radio City Sho w in New York.       Since when has the Radio City show existed? What is a Rockette? How many rehearsals do the Rockettes have to do? What kinds of kicks are there? How many performances per day do they take part in? How do they keep in tip-top shape? How tall are Rockettes on average? How are Rockettes chosen for the show? Are there many dancers in each show? How many? What is the shortest time between performances? The Radio City Rockettes - visit the link here: The Radio City Rockettes Road to becoming a Rockette Present Perfect  Present Perfect vs Simple Past

  "Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people" W. B. Yeats VOCABULARY Delete the verb that does NOT go 0 an email                        send/draft/ post 1. a phone call                    do/make/receive 2. a press release               put up/issue/put out 3. an advertising campaign               launch/run make 4. a presentation               give / make/ tell 5. a meeting or seminar          hold/attend/carry out 6. a report                         produce/run/publish 7. a notice                              put out/put...

 What would be your responses to this survey about significant aspects in the workplace? READING BOOST Read this extract from Business Strategies. Where do these four types of organisation belong to? stock brokers restaurants oil companies banks VOCABULARY & LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT SPEAKING SKILLS  Focus on an organisation you have worked for or have known. 1. How many ppl were employed there? 2. What was its business /specialty? 3. How was it organised? 4. How would you describe the culture? LANGUAGE SKILLS Let's play with Present Tenses https://create.kahoot.it/my-library/kahoots/db472f9f-0cab-4a49-b9c1-23235ffc9cde