Building connection through conversation
The art of asking the perfect question is my own personal Mona Lisa. It is the element in my practice that I am always improving and perfecting. In fact, I even made a little video about some of the cognitive elements involved in questions. Let go of perfection Crafting a…
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…
Need a good question to break the ice? I got you covered. I’m sure you have experienced it. First day of ESL class, you plan an icebreaker activity, launch the question and you get the dreaded silent stares. What do you do, let them stew with the question and stand…
3 great sites to role-play shopping for clothes I don’t know about you, but I love getting dressed in the morning. I know, not everyone does, but I do. In fact, there is a whole other version of me in a multiverse somewhere who is a fashion stylist. I love…
Level: A2, B1, B2 Discussion questions: in the post Media: Video Language focus: environment, action verbs, household items Can you live a zero-waste life? I know I can’t…not yet anyway. But every year I try to incorporate a new environmentally friendly practice. For example, I switched my paper napkins for…
Are you an introvert, extrovert or ambivert? You probably already know the answer, but wouldn’t you like to check? Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant shares his psycho-quiz on the TED site, which for us ESL practitioners can be transformed into a fantastic interactive reading exercise. I would suggest you pair up…
Are you ready for a vacation, but don’t know where to go? Have I got a fantastic tool for you. The Washington Post offers this wild vacation planner tool. All you have to do is answer their questions and the computer will generate the top vacation spots based on your…
Have other pet related discussion questions. Or an anecdote you would like to share? I love to hear from you.
Describe your dream house. What country is it in? Do you live in the city or the country? What does the kitchen look like? What colours would you use and where? What are some items you can’t live without?
Wait what? Yes, you heard me…there is so much out there to remind us to calm down, it can be positively stressful. From meditation to prioritizing, exercising, sleeping, making lists, it can be time-consuming and yes stressful to reduce stress. Why? Thrive Global devotes an interesting article on the “Calmnivore.”…
