Question of the day

What is the worst or best rage bait you’ve encountered?

“A woman’s place is in the home”

“Immigrants should go back to their country”

“No doesn’t always mean no”

Did I trigger you? Do you want to tell me? Well then my rage bait trap worked. Rage bait is internet slang for when someone says something (usually online) in hopes of getting a reaction out of people. If you were to be scrolling through your phone and see a random video of someone saying something you absolutely disagree with, you might be tempted to leave a comment expressing your anger, however if you do, you are contributing to something much bigger than you think. 

The judgmental monster in all of us

Rage bait use a very powerful human trigger: judgement.  But by leaving a comment, the algorithm behind the post makes it more popular, thus suggesting it to even more people.  This causes it to be more and more seen and therefore make money. Sometimes people use rage bait as a form of publicity for their own product. For instance,  if you see something on Tiktok that makes you angry, and click on the creator you might see a link to a website trying to sell you something, this is one of the ways that indicate it is probably a scam.

A dark truth lurks

Unfortunately, among those who use rage bait for attention and money, there are some people who actually believe these ideas no matter how extreme.  Can you tell what is real and what is not? I can’t.

Alpha, Red Pill, Conservatism

Among the more debated points of view are those belonging to the rising conservatism voices.  One of the more disturbing trends is the Red Pill content that is gaining popularity among young boys. Seemingly an easy rage bait tactic–a thread dedicated to creating “safe space” where contributors vent their misogynistic grievances–it is also creating wide group of people who are inspired by it.

This scheme, used to make a small impact on your wallet, is making a much bigger impact on society and the next generation–a ripple effect that could impact the future more than you think.  What will happen if the young kids, responsible for building the future, head out into the world with a mindset that was spawned from anger and hatred? 

Discussion Questions

  • Have you seen or experienced rage bait?
  • What was your reaction? (see vocabulary below)
  • Now that you know about the algorithm, what will you do now?
  • How do you think rage bait effects younger audiences?
  • How can we protect them from it?
  • If rage baiters are really just trying to make money, is it really so bad?
  • Would you ever consider doing rage bait to earn some extra cash?

Vocabulary

Here is a list of words and expressions to help you express your opinions:

Critical:

Manipulative – This seems manipulative

Deceptive – The person is very deceptive

Exaggerated – They exaggerated the situation.

Out of context – That quote is taken out of context.

One-sided – It’s a very one-sided argument.

Unverified – They shared unverified information.

Neutral

Not worth my time – I’m not going to argue about that.

Ignore it – I just ignore that stuff.

Scroll past – I usually scroll past posts like that.

Let it go – Just let it go.

Angry

infuriating – That post is infuriating!

Outrageous – What an outrageous claim.

Disgusting – That’s just disgusting.

I can’t believe this – I can’t believe people fall for this.

So unfair – This is so unfair.

They crossed the line – That really crossed the line.

Surprised

Shocking – That video is shocking.

Unbelievable – Unbelievable!

Ridiculous – This is ridiculous.

Over the top – It’s way over the top.

Mind-blowing – That’s mind-blowing, in a bad way.

What’s the weather today?

I love talking about the weather. It is the easiest way to initiate a conversation with a stranger or acquaintance if you need to break the silence. Great for elevator rides, spontaneous waiting time and warm repartee.

It is also a ubiquitous element that can have multiple impacts on our lives. Indeed a rainy day, bright sun, or a snowstorm will change how we dress, the meals we eat, the activities we plan and perhaps how we get to work. Personally, I check the weather every morning because I take my bike to work–even in winter.

Moreover, I find weather phenomena fascinating. Tsunamis, earthquakes,  tornadoes, nature has a way of reminding us who is really in control. Beautiful, powerful, terrifying the planet is a person. She breathes, she aches and she speaks. Are we listening?

This particular discussion lesson goes from general to scientific to silly. The objective is to elicit the vocabulary around a familiar topic and add a level of complexity with either the science behind weather or weather-related expressions. I just couldn’t choose, so I put everything.

Pre discussion

  • What are the different types of weather or climates you can name?
  • What affects the weather?
  • How does the weather make you feel? When it rains, when it is sunny when the snow falls…
  • How do you use the weather forecast?
  • What activities do you do in spring, summer, fall and winter?
  • What are the seasons like in your country?

Option 1: The Video: The Science of Weather

  • Divide the video into 2 or 3 segments and do a Tell Back  of the main themes and words
  • How do meteorologists sort through information, identify trends, and make predictions?
  • Why do they often get it wrong?
  • Why is it important to predict the weather?

Option 2: Weather idioms

For this, I made a handout and some flashcards. They are on Teachers Pay Teachers TPT. Click to see the handout.

Try something new for 30 days

I recently read the book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. In the book, the main character visits a library in a parallel dimension where each book represents one of her possible lives…should she have made different choices. The journey takes us into multiple different versions of this character, Nora Seed. She is a rock star, a mother, a glaciologist, an Olympic swimmer, a philosophy professor and the list goes on. In each life, Seed has the luxury of measuring the level of happiness and fulfillment the different paths procure her.

What if

It is the classic “what if”, question. Of course, it got me thinking of my own life. Then, instead of delving into regretted choices or getting depressed about what could have been, I thought of this TED talk by Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days. Since we cannot travel into parallel universes to see what could have been, Cutts’ idea is the next best thing.

Parallel Lives for 30 Days

We have all heard it before, we must step out of our comfort zone to grow…right? Cutt’s takes this to the next level with his self-imposed 30-day challenge. What I like about Cutt’s talk, is it gives a more tangible objective to this idea of trying new things. It may not be as profound as the Midnight Library, but it’s a start. After all, what’s 30 days?

Warm-up

  • What new thing would you like to try but haven’t yet?
  • What does it mean to “step out of your comfort zone”?
  • What are the benefits of doing new things? Any disadvantages?
  • What are the benefits of sticking with what you know? Any disadvantages?

The Video: Try something new for 30 days

Discussion Questions

  • Why does Matt think this is a good idea?
  • What did it change in his life?
  • What areas of our lives could we apply this to? Make a Mind Map…
  • Do you have any spontaneous ideas that you might like to try for 30 days?



What makes you feel grateful?

Let’s talk about gratefulness: the good, the bad and the ugly.

  • Language focus: prepositions, vocabulary building
  • Media: Article and video

Is it me, or does gratefulness seem to be the miracle serum of the millennium? Everywhere I look, someone is singing its praises. Instagram posts, articles, scientific and not-so-scientific, books, shorts, reels, TED talks, you name it, and there’s a gratitude champion behind it. Want to rewire your brain for happiness? Gratefulness. Hoping to live longer, control inflammation, push away degenerative brain afflictions? Gratefulness. It seems to be the miracle balm of our century.

Authenticity vs. Gratefulness

Don’t get me wrong.–I am authentically grateful for many, many things in my life. I have genuine awe for little things, like the poetry of the billowy plumes that float over buildings on cold winter days, the comforting hum of my family bustling around while I’m cooking dinner, my dog’s deep soul-soothing snores, and gossiping with my mother. And of course, the sun–how can you not be grateful for the sun?

But there are days when stress takes the wheel. Days where you watch loved ones slip away into Alzheimer’s, when people say goodbye to their pets, their friends, or–unthinkably–their children. On those days, life can be downright cruel.

And you know what, I think it’s ok to let it suck. To sit with the pain and be human–without the looming guilt of neglecting your gratefulness practice. Life can be heavy and you don’t always have to look for the silver lining.

When the Clouds Move Over

That said–and I think it needed to be said first–when the clouds part and life finds its way to a steady plateau, practicing gratefulness (or as I tend to think of it–hunting silver linings) can truly brighten a day that much more. I also believe in the “practice” of gratefulness much like one practices meditation or yoga. I think we have to make a conscious effort to see the little things that make us feel safe, happy and comforted. Otherwise is it all too easy to see the glass-half-empty version of our lives.

But mostly it is a fairly easy topic to generate thoughts–and discussion.

The lesson that follows features a simple yet insightful article by Positive Psychology. com. I chose it not because I want to turn this blog into a therapeutic resource (except for me), but because I hope you will find the language relatively accessible.

Warm Up

The article features the Iceberg of Gratitude. I would use this as a pre-reading exercise and perhaps do a quick word association.

Read the article: What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important? by Tiffany Sauber Millacci, Ph.D.

Click to read full article

You can download the Teachers Pay Teachers handout for comprehension questions, or simply use these discussion questions.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think some people feel disappointed instead of grateful?
  • How can gratitude make life better for you?
  • What is one thing you have that you consider a blessing?
  • Why is practicing gratitude difficult for some people?
  • Why do you think some people feel disappointed instead of grateful?
  • What are different ways you can express gratitude?

Why do new years resolutions fail?

  • Level: B1, B2, C1
  • Exercise: Comprehension questions included int he post
  • Language focus: past tense, future tense, behaviours, habits, modals
  • Media: Video
From PBS BrainCraft

I know, I know…it’s a cliché to talk about New Year’s resolutions in January, but I think it still makes for a good introspective discussion. And if you angle it right, you are creating a great natural context to use the past and future tense.

Did you know that January comes from the Roman God Janus. He had two faces: one facing back to reflect on the past and one facing forward to think about the future. Watch this PBS video snippet about why New years resolutions fail (3.22 min.).

Warm up

  • Get the brain juices going with this question: what was the wackiest resolution you have ever taken? e.g. exercise twice a day, quit drinking red wine forever, get a pet, etc. If you need some inspiration, check out this list. 63 Funny New Year’s Resolution
  • Then make some predictions: What are some of the features of new years goals that make them difficult to achieve?

The Video: PBS Learning Media Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

 

It is a relatively short video so depending on the level of your students you could watch the whole thing or cut it up.

Video Comprehension Questions

  • First, do a Tell Back of the video and write down all the key vocabulary and concepts.
  • Why do resolutions fail?
  • What are the “psychological traps” that make resolutions difficult?
  • Why can making resolutions be bad for us?
  • How can we make “smart” resolutions? In other words, what are the features of good resolutions?
  • What do you think about the presenters’ t-shirt (I threw that in just for fun)

General Discussion

  • What are some of the things you did last year that surprised you?
  • What obstacles did you overcome?
  • What were some changes that happened in your life?
  • What were some good books you read?
  • What were some good deeds you did?
  • What are some things you would like to do this year?
  • Are there any changes you would like to make?
  • Anything you would like to learn?
  • What are your personal or professional goals?

If you want to do something a little different, you could also have students create a quick mind map of the year and talk about it after they get a few ideas down.

Have a great lesson!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for supporting eslconversationlessons.com and wish you a great year full of fruitful discussions. Discussion is the tie that bind us together and breaks isolation, depression and puts our ideas in the collective. Mélanie

How would you describe yourself? Here are 16 Personalities full of juicy descriptor words

  • Level: B2, C1
  • Questions embeded in the activity
  • Language focus: adjectives, descriptors, personal traits
  • Media: interactive quiz (reading)

How would you describe yourself? Tell us about you? Why hire you rather than someone else? Could you tell the class a few things about yourself? From job interviews to cocktail parties, this question can crop up in so many places. Yet whether I ask it or answer it, it always seems to create a moment dead air that can be a little awkward.

Being in the Spotlight

Even if it’s a pretty basic question, it does require that you expose yourself. And if you don’t want to expose yourself, well that kind of exposes you anyway. In other words, if you answer you have to say stuff, and if you don’t, well that says something too. That challenge basically boils down to the whole introvert, extrovert, ambivert dimension (see the lesson for more on that).

I Need More Word-Thingies

The second challenge in answering is of course vocabulary–which is what makes it a great ESL conversation lesson. This question will inevitably trigger the need for adjectives and descriptors. Once you have used up the garden variety, “I’m a hard-working person”, “I am perseverant” (because most language learners are), “I am sensitive”, even a native speaker may be at a loss for something to say. Or the opposite might happen, so many things start tumbling out of your mouth, you don’t know what to choose and when to stop.

A Little Preparation and Practice Never Hurt

I’m not saying we should prepare a one-size-fits-all speech that we learn by heart and recite anytime we are asked…that would be weird. But full disclosure, I myself have put some thought into this question and I do sometimes practice in my head…yep. I even have a first day of class version, a job interview version and a small talk version.

Hungry for Words

If you are hungry for words, one of my students recommended this great psycho-quiz called 16 Personalities. I use it in a job searching workshop to train students to answer the famed “tell me about yourself” interview question. The site is super well done, full of varied adjectives and descriptors and the questions are succinct, thought-provoking and fairly simple.

Warm-up

  • Read through the personalities with your students
  • Clear up any vocabulary issues
  • Have them predict which personality correcponds to them

Le quiz: 16 Personalities

Discussion

  • What personality are you?
  • Say 5 to 6 descriptor words you don’t usually use, but that you really identify with
  • Are there any aspects of the description that you disagree with?
  • Can you give examples/anecdotes from your life that demonstrate this personality type?

Can I learn English by watching TV?

In my experience as a second language teacher, I can’t tell you how many times I have come across people who tell me “I learnt Spanish with Pedro Almodovar movies”, or “I learnt English watching Friends“. Some people have this uncanny superpower of learning a complex interactive communication system such as language, by passively observing people on screen speaking what I can only imagine is gibberish (at first).

Bastarda!

I have personally tried this approach with Italian. I was told to put the subtitles to the spoken language, no translations as a crutch. I was told to start with small repetitive words and observe the body language. After a while, I was supposed to notice repetitive expressions and word chunks (in the second language vernacular). But, and I think you can see where I’m going with this, I got frustrated after the first hour. Clearly, this was not a good approach for me. But as the Whole Language Approach would advocate, you have to dive in and use authenticity as a motivational leverage. Right?

I must admit I was indeed motivated to resemble the main character’s searing ability to placate her cheating lover in Italian (adultery being a common theme in Italian movies), but aside from cursing “bastarda” I couldn’t string together a convincing burn in Italian from watching movies. So how as adult learners, can we re-acquaint ourselves acquiring language in this immersive almost invasive method? The short answer is we can’t (except for the admirable outliers), but the mid answer is ‘scaffolding’.

Scaffolding is Key

In education, scaffolding is known as the support we put in place to make a difficult task manageable. In other words, you don’t modify the task per se, but you modify the introduction to the task, how to interact with the task and what you want to get out of the task. For example, with my Italian movie, I could view a list of key vocabulary beforehand and see that vocabulary in context. While watching the movie, I could ask simple comprehension questions that also leverage body language, and after the task, I could review the questions and vocabulary and set up simple conversation tasks that put that vocabulary into action.

Mauril: an application that has it all

Too much work you say. I hear you. So the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) has done it for you in its Mauril application. This amazing application (and website) uses original clips from TV programs, news broadcasts, and series and adds the scaffolds. You can search your material by vocabulary point, or functional use (e.g. introductions, job interviews, etc.). Each lesson comes with a vocabulary list, clip, and comprehension questions. Or you can simply suggest it to your students as a self-directed learning tool. It is truly the whole package. FYI it is also available in French.

Which “Friends” character are you?

I know, I know, pretty cheesy. But if there is one thing I learnt from teaching overseas, the television series Friends is everywhere. So if you need a relaxing frivolous lesson, here it is.

Pre discussion

  • Which Friends character do you relate to most?
  • Which is your least favourite and why?
  • What personal characteristics can you associate with each character?
  • Which ones describe you best?
  • Why do you think this series was so popular?

The Quiz: Which Friends character are you?

If you have multiple students I suggest you do this quiz in pairs. Of course, you will need a computer, tablet or smartphone…

https://heywise.com/quiz/which-friends-character-are-you

Do you have a job or a mission?

  • Level: B2-C1
  • Discussion questions included in the post
  • Media: Video
  • Language focus: jobs, hypotheticals, modals

Do you have a job or a mission?

Celeste Headlee, a trained opera singer turned radio show host, has some rather interesting insight to share about the difference between a job and a mission. She also has a lot to say about how we get stuck focusing on our education and job expectations. But if you think she gives the same old spiel about finding your passion, being brave and embracing your true calling, you would be wrong. She knows we all have mortgages, rent, food, and stuff to pay for. Moreover, she also knows that finding your passion is complicated, changing, and doesn’t always match the needs of the market. Thankfully, she is not going to tell you to quit your job or sit at the top of a mountain to meditate.

Practical vs. Ideal

This is the third post on this series on jobs and careers. So far we have gone through some basic vocabulary and explored what jobs are out there and then saw some fun ways to go about choosing. In this post, we will take a more analytical approach and explore the skills connected to jobs. We are going to exercise our mental flexibility and examine the components of various jobs or fields and see how they can apply to other jobs and fields.

Warm up

  • What do you think is the difference between a job and a mission?
  • How many job-related skills can you name? e.g. if you are a teacher, that means you have skills in public speaking, pedagogical design, presentation design, audience analysis, planning, leadership etc.

The Video: TED Don’t find a job, find a mission

Discussion questions

  • Do a Mind Map or recap of all the main points of the talk (see our list)
  • What do you do? What are the skills involved in your job?
  • Do you like your job? What do you like and don’t like?
  • What things do you look for when looking for work?
  • If you were to do something completely different, what would it be?
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Profession: super hero

Would you rather text than talk?

Would you rather text or email than talk?

It’s just so easy. I don’t have to interrupt anyone, I can write while I’m in the moment, I don’t have to hold anything in my memory, I don’t even have to wait my turn to talk. When the thought appears, I can just shoot a message off and my counterpart can react when it is convenient for them. In some cases, with my more talkative friends (and family members) a digital message is the only way I can get a word in edgewise.

Plus, I can re-read, check my tone or make sure I didn’t word anything in an insensitive way. I can edit. Digital communication allows me to put forth my best self. Great stuff…right?

Sherry Turkle is not so sure. Her TED talk Connected but Alone? takes a good hard look at what digital communication may be doing to us. We have all heard that technology may be making us more isolated, so beyond this statement, just how it is doing that? Turkle gets right under the hood of our communication habits and puts forth some thought-provoking concepts that definitely gave me pause.

This lesson is definitely for more advanced students. I did this with a mixed class of high-level and lower-level students and the lower level were a bit lost. However, I still recommend using first language material as much as you can to get their ears and minds used to native speaking. Once they get over focusing on what they don’t understand and focus on what they do, they will increase their ability to get into the English-speaking community.

Pre discussion

  • Let’s hypothesize…Why do you think Turkle thinks texting and emailing are making us more isolated?
  • Make a pros and cons list for digital communication
  • What is the difference between isolation and solitude?
  • What is the difference between friendship and companionship?

The Video: TED Sherry Turkle: Connected but Alone?

There is a ton of stuff to talk about here. And rather than try to Tell Back everything Turkle says (although you are free to do that), I would jump right into the discussion with some of the following key ideas:

  • “We want to customize our lives and control where we put our attention”
  • “We are getting used to being alone…together”
  • “We are compromising companionship for friendship”
  • “We have an illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship”
  • “We can’t get enough of each other, at a distance, in amounts we can control”
  • “We use technology to manage our relationships in ways we can comfortably control”
  • Technology is satisfying 3 basic fantasies:
    • We can put our attention where we want it to be
    • We will always be hear
    • We will never be alone
  • “Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved”
  • “I share therefore I am”
  • “Connection is creating isolation”
  • “We need to cultivate the capacity for solitude”
  • “We need to build a self-aware relationship with technology”

And I could go on and on pulling quotes from this video. Turkle is articulate, astute and a fantastic social analyst.

I am ready to admit that I am getting caught in the fray of convenience, but short of stopping (which is not going to happen) Turkle has helped me see where I might be more self-aware.

I hope you enjoy talking about this as much as me and my students.

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