Building connection through conversation
Books have been written about it, alcohol-based dinners never go without it, and more recently, we are digging into what defines it. Put simply, what are the differences between men and women? This TED talk by biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu really got my attention. First of all because she presents some…
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…
Is failure always a bad thing? I think we all know the answer to that. However, whether consciously or unconsciously, the fear of failure might be telling us a lot about who we are and how we can turn that fear into a constructive element in our lives. If you…
Level: A1, A2, B1, B2 Handout: on TPT Media: Video Language focus: action verbs, causal linking words Do you like independent films? I think it’s a good habit to break away from mainstream films and explore some of the messages in indie films. Often I find myself conditioned by an…
What did you want to be when you were growing up? Personally, I wanted to be a teacher, a veterinarian, a filmmaker, a programmer, a social worker and then a teacher again. The prospect of choosing one single thing was super hard for me. But choose I did, and I…
Even though I know how to stand up for myself, it is not my favorite thing to do. It will inevitably cause awkwardness perhaps even anger. I might be perceived and agressive or unreasonable. Yet, we all have to deal with conflicting view points at some time or another. Perhaps…
I don’t know anyone who gets up in the morning and says, “I hope I fail today.” Whether we like it or not, our need for success subtly–and not so subtly–influences how we move through our lives. Success can drive us, but also plague us. What’s more, it can be…
TED features Joachim de Posada’s presentation of the famous “marshmallow” test done children. It is a test that claims to predict the success of those children through their ability to delay gratification. I won’t go into great detail about the test because the video only last about 5 min. I…
