Audio: Beating stress

(B1), B2, (C1)

The demands of modern-day life create a lot of stress, which has a very negative impact on our physical and mental health. In this activity from the British Council Learn English website, you will hear Emily, a native of Hong Kong, explain how she combats stress. Her advice to us centres around the acronym S-T-R-E-S-S!  Activity time: 25 to 45 minutes.

Task:  Go to the activity page and

1  Do the Preparation task to learn some key vocabulary used in the audio
2  Listen to the audio and check your comprehension in Task 1
3  Develop your vocabulary in Task 2. Listen again to the audio if necessary.

The activity is here.

Vocabulary: Phrasal verbs for travel

B1, B2, (C1)

English is full of phrasal verbs like check in, pick up etc. The best way to remember these verbs is to learn how to use them in specific situations. In this activity you will learn ten common phrasal verbs used in a travel context and then practise using them in an example conversation. Thanks to Blair English for the definitions and examples of the different verbs . Activity time: 15 to 30 minutes.

 

Task:

1  Go to this page and learn the meaning of the ten phrasal verbs. Note them down on a piece of paper.

2  Now practise the verbs in context. The exercise is here.

3  Can you use these verbs to describe your own travel plans or experiences? Write down some example sentences of your own.

Video: Why books are here to stay

(B1), B2, C1

When digital books, or e-books, first appeared on the market, it was predicted that the physical book would suffer from the competition and maybe disappear completely. And yet today many people still prefer to read real paperbacks or hardcover books. In this short video from TED, graphic designer Chip Kidd explains why physical books will continue to remain popular. After comparing your own ideas on the subject with the video, you will do some exercises to understand and practise different linking words and sentence structures. Video time: 3 minutes 10 seconds Activity time: 30 to 45 minutes. 
 

Task:

(The exercises that follow are also available on a pdf here.)

1 Make a list of reasons why physical books remain popular despite the competition from e-books. Then watch the video and compare your answers. (NB On the video screen you can activate or disable the subtitles as necessary)

2  Match 1-7 to a-h to make eight complete sentences from the video. Then watch again to check.

1  Don't do that unless

2  Actually, it can sort of
3  It wasn't until then
4  So people would take them off
5  It delivered a user interface that was unlike
6  I believe that the core purpose of a physical book is
7  You don't really get that
8  A shelf of books, frankly, is made to outlast you,

a  to record our existence and to leave it behind on a shelf…
b  and throw them away.
c  you never intend to see that book again.
d  from anything else.
e  no matter who you are.
f  anything that people had before.
g  that there was any kind of consumption of books by a large audience.
h  be your friend.

3  Look at the underlined words in phrases 1-8 in Exercise 2. What do the words refer to? e.g. Don’t do that unless… What is “that”?

4  Look how these words are used in Exercise 2. Then complete the following sentences with the same words.

unless   actually    sort of     until     unlike      frankly     no matter     anything

1  I don’t know if the book is available as an e-reader. And _______________ , I don’t care!
2  The book got very bad reviews, but I thought it was  _______________ very good. 
3  How would I describe the book?  Quite dark, _______________ scary, really.  
4  We won’t know what happens to the hero _______________ the last book of the trilogy comes out.
5  I wouldn’t recommend this paperback _______________ you enjoy cheap airport novels!
6  _______________ the critics, most of whom loved it, I thought the book was really badly written.
7  A friend said it made her cry, but there wasn’t _______________ in the book that moved me.
8  I always find half an hour to read every day, _______________ how busy I am.   

The answers are at the end of this activity.

Grammar: used to

B1, B2, (C1)

A lot of learners have difficulty distinguishing between the different forms and uses of the words used to. In this activity from the British Council Learn English website, you will learn about the differences. You will read a grammar summary and do two exercises to test your understanding. Activity time: 10 to 30 minutes.

Task:   

The activity is here.

1  Do the first exercise to test your knowledge.

2  Understand your mistakes (if you have any!) by reading the grammar explanation that follows.

3  Do the second exercise to test your understanding.

Pronunciation: spoken short forms

(A2), B1, B2

"I dunno." "Whatcha doing?  "Lemme see". These are all examples of short forms we use in informalconversational English. In this activity from the BBC Learning English site, you will practise identifying and then pronouncing phrases like these in example sentences or dialogues. Activity time: 20 to 40 minutes.

I dunno

Task

There are three audio activities to do. Note that for each one, you can click on "Show transcript" to see the text if necessary. Go to the activity here.

1 Listen to the audio for Activity 1 and read the vocabulary notes on the page.
2 Click on "Next Activity" to go to Activity 2.  Listen to the audio and note the short expressions you hear. Then do the quiz that follows: "Spot the short forms"
3 Click on "Next Activity" again  to go to Activity 3.  Just listen and repeat when the speaker asks you.

Video: How to be a good conversationalist

(B1), B2, C1

Radio host Celeste Headlee believes that many of us need lessons in how to engage in real conversation. In this talk from the TED website, she describes ten ways in which we can become better conversationalists. NB there are subtitles available for this talk - just click on  the video screen below to see the menu.  Video time:  11 minutes 40 seconds  Activity time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Task:

1  Make a list of ways in which you think many people are NOT good conversationalists.

2  Read the advice below. Then watch the video that follows and put the different recommendations in the order Celeste Headlee mentions them. Which two ideas does she not recommend?

__ Listen with the intention of understanding, not of replying
__ Believe you have something to learn from each conversation
__ Don't bore people with unimportant details like dates and names
__ Don't talk about how your own experience is similar to the other person's
__ Ask a lot of questions with who, why, what, where etc

__ Don't dominate the conversation - keep your own contributions short
__ Don't be distracted by other thoughts or questions coming into your head
__ Don't try to be an expert on everything
 1  Look the person in the eye and smile
__ Don't repeat the same things again and again
__ Summarize what the other person has said

__ Don't try and do something else at the same time e.g. look at your phone

3  The answers to Exercise 2 are at the end of this activity. You can also see the complete transcript of the talk here. (also available in other languages including French)

Vocabulary: Word-building with prefixes and suffixes

(B1), B2, C1

A good way to develop your vocabulary is to learn different forms of the same word. In this activity, you will think of ways to change a root word by adding prefixes before or suffixes after the word. You will then practise using some of these words in sentences. Activity time: 20 to 45 minutes.

Task:   

1  Complete this table with other forms of the root word. Note that sometimes the meaning of the word changes completely e.g. close = shut  but disclose = reveal.

You can choose from these prefixes and suffixes:

Prefixes:    dis-     mis-    re-         non-     un-       irr-

Suffixes:   -able    -or      -ment    -less     -y         -ible     -ity       -ful      -ness      -iour    -ive

ROOT WORD	PREFIX	SUFFIX
close	disclose	closure
taste
like
sense
visit
understand
play
appoint
behave
agree
rational
friendly
comfort
treat
do

2  Now complete these sentences with prefixed and suffixed words from 1.

1   I don't want you to ______________ me. Let me clarify what I mean. (prefix)
2   Sorry, you can't see the doctor if you don't have an ______________. (suffix)

3   Our neighbour is very ______________. He never says hello when he sees you. (prefix)

4   I don't agree with you at all. What you're saying is total ______________! (prefix)
5   This sofa is very ______________ - I could easily fall asleep on it! (suffix)
6   She's a very ______________ person - she never takes decisions without thinking.(suffix)

7   You'll need to write that report. Do you think that's ______________ before Friday?  (suffix)

8   Mmm, this pasta is very ______________. What did you put in the sauce? (suffix)

9   The children always ______________ at my parents' house because they're too strict with them. (prefix)
10  We need the boss' ______________ before we can proceed with this project  (suffix)
11  I want to ______________ some of the towns I stayed in when I was a student. (prefix)

12  My cat loves to run after a piece of string. She's very ______________.  (suffix)

The answers are at the end of this activity.

Video: A scene from "Friends"

(B1), B2, C1

The American series Friends ran for ten seasons and is still shown regularly on TV and streaming sites all round the world. In this activity from ESL Video, you are going to watch a scene from the very first season of the series and do two different comprehension activities. Video time: 3 minutes 21 seconds. Activity time:  15 to 45 minutes.

Task:   

1  Click on "Quiz". Then start the video and answer the questions as you watch.

2  Click on "Gapfill" and complete the sentences. Watch the video again to check your answers.

3  (optional) Click on "Transcript". Read the text and watch the video at the same time.

The video and activities are here.

Grammar: "As" and "like"

(A2), B1, (B2)

A lot of learners have difficulty distinguishing between the words as and like. In this activity from the British Council Learn English website, you will learn about the differences. You will read a grammar summary and do two exercises to test your understanding. Activity time: 10 to 30 minutes.

Task:   

1  Do the first exercise to test your knowledge.

2  Understand your mistakes (if you have any!) by reading the grammar explanation that follows.

3  Do the second exercise to test your understanding

The activity is here.

 

Vocabulary: Colour idioms

B1, B2, (C1)

As in all languages, English is rich with idiomatic expressions using the words for different colours. You are going to complete some sentences that illustrate the use of some of these idioms. You will then match these idioms to their meaning . Activity time: 10-20 minutes

Task:

1  Complete the sentences with the words in the list. The activity is here.

2  Which idioms in 1 correspond to these definitions?

a   it was totally unexpected
b   a little ill
c   a great chance

d   (be) seen doing something you shouldn't
e    sometimes it's better not to change
f    excluded from an activity that others can do
g   things that are not clear or uncertain

h   approve

i    a special welcome

The answers are at the end of this activity.

Video: The Science of Persuasion

B1, B2, C1

How can we be persuaded to buy a product or service? What makes us decide to give our money or support to a cause? In this animated video from Youtube, you will learn about the six universal principles of persuasion, as defined by social psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence". Video time: 11 minutes 50 seconds. Activity time: 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Task:

1 Watch the video below and note 
 - the meaning of each of the six "shortcuts"
 - an example of each one

                       
2 Now match each of these sentences with one of the six shortcuts. (NB. There are two sentences for each one.) Watch the video again to check if necessary.

__  Look for areas of similarity you share with others, and...compliments you can give

__  It doesn’t...matter if the person is likely to prosper from the introduction themselves

__  If your colleague does you a favour, you owe that colleague a favour

__  You ideally get those commitments in writing

__  Speak to Peter - he has over 20 years experience  selling properties

__  I hope they’re not the same towels

__  You need to point out what people stand to lose

__  It has an influence on how much tip you leave

__  Very few people would be willing to erect an unsightly wooden board on their front lawn

__  People want more of those things there are less of

__  You may have noticed that hotels often place a small card in bathrooms

__  Some groups were told: “Time is money: Get straight down to business”

3 Do you use any of  these techniques yourself? Do they work when somebody uses them on you?

The answers to Exercises 1 and 2 are at the bottom of this page.

Pronunciation: how pauses change meaning

(A2), B1, B2, (C1)

This activity from the Pronunciation Studio website takes a humorous look at how different pauses (and punctuation) in a sentence can change the meaning completely. You will see ten sentences and then hear each one spoken in two different ways. You can then read an explanation of the different meanings. Activity time: 10 to 25 minutes.


Task: First look at these sentences. Can you see how each one could be punctuated in two different ways?

1   let's eat grandma
2   a woman without her man is nothing
3   oh no vodka
4   why don't you run over kate
5   don't eat that honey
6   call me gorgeous if you like
7   most of the time travellers have jet lag
8   we love cooking children and watching films 
9   how do you write clearly
10 what is this thing called love 

Now go to the activity and check your answers. Listen to the sentences spoken and repeat what you hear. Then come back to this page and try saying the sentences again without the audio and the punctuation to help you.

The activity page is here 

Vocabulary: talking about movies

(A2), B1, B2, (C1)

Do you enjoy talking about films you've seen and what you thought of them? Here is an opportunity to learn some useful adjectives for describing movies. This activity is from the Englishpage site. Activity time: 20 to 35 minutes


Task:  
1 Go to the activity page and study the vocabulary list.

2 Go to the bottom of the page and click on the first exercise ("Vocabulary in conversation"). Complete the missing words, and press "Check" at the bottom to see if your answers are correct. 

3 At the bottom of the page, click on the words "Continue to vocabulary follow-up" to go to the second exercise.

Go to the activity here.

Grammar: This and that, these and those

A2, B1 (B2)

Do you know the difference between this and that?  Or between these and those? It's a simple grammatical point, but it's not always easy to choose the right word in conversation. In this activity from the My English Pages site you will read a summary of the main differences and then do two exercises. You will then complete an example dialogue to check your understanding. Activity time: 10 to 30 minutes.

Task:
1 Read the grammar explanation here.

2 Do the two exercises here and here. Click on "Check answers" at the end of each exercise to know your score.

3 Now complete this phone conversation, with this, that, these or those. The answers are below. 

A: Hi. _____ is Anna. Is _____ Brian?
B: Yes, it is. Hi Anna. Sorry, hold on a second. I'm in the kitchen. Ouch! _____ coffee cups are really hot!
A: Is _____ a good moment to call?
B: Yes, no problem. Sorry about that. I'm ready. Did you get _____ brochures I sent you?
A: Yes, I have them here on my desk.  _____ look very interesting. That's why I'm calling, in fact. When can we meet up to plan the trip?
B:  Are you free _____ week at all?
A: Well, I'm a little busy for _____ next few days. But how about next week? Are you there next Monday?
B: No, I'm away _____ day. But we can meet up for lunch on Tuesday, if you're free.
A: Yes, _____'s fine for me. I'll come to your office at about 12.30.
B:  Great. When you come, can you bring _____ progress reports I left in your office last week?
A:  _____ ones here in the yellow folder?
B: Yes, _____ are the ones.
A: And the HDMI cable in the meeting room - is _____ yours too?
B: Let me check. Er, no. _____ is mine here in my briefcase. _____ one must be somebody else's.
 

Video: How not to be ignorant

B1, B2, C1, C2

Hans Rosling, who died in 2017, was the founder of the Gapminder Foundation. This is a Swedish organisation that wants to improve our knowledge of the world in areas where we are the most ignorant, so that we can make more informed decisions in the future. His son Ola is the Director of the Foundation. In this talk from the TED website, Hans gives the audience a quiz to demonstrate the gaps in our knowledge. Ola then explains the reasons for this ignorance and suggests what we can do about it. NB there are subtitles available for this talk - just click on the bottom right of the video screen below.  Video time:  19 minutes  Activity time: 20 to 30 minutes (Task 1) , 30 minutes to 1 hour (Task 2)

Task 1:  (Video 0.00 - 8.40)

1 Choose what you think is the correct information to complete these sentences - (a), (b) or (c)

- In the 20th century, deaths from natural disasters - earthquakes, floods etc - 
  (a) more than doubled  (b) remained about the same (c) decreased to less than half

- Women in the world who are aged 30 today spent on average
  (a) 7  (b) 5  (c) 3 years in school

- In the last 20 years, the percentage of people living in poverty has
  (a) almost doubled  (b) remained about the same  (c) almost halved

- The proportion of the world's 1-year old children who are vaccinated against measles is
  (a) 20%  (b) 50%  (c) 80%

2  Now watch the first part of the video (until 8.40, when Ola arrives) and check your answers. What reasons does Hans suggest for our ignorance?

Task 2:  (Video 8.40 - end)

Now open this document  and watch the rest of the video. Can you answer the questions and explain the illustrations in your own words?

To check your answers, go to the transcript of the talk on this page.
(You can change the transcript to your own language if you prefer).

Video: Cradle to cradle

(A2,) B1, B2, C1

As the number of consumers in the world continues to grows we hear more and more about the need to preserve natural resources through recycling and reuse . This video provides a short introduction to the concept of "Cradle to cradle" (or C2C), which encourages us to take a new look at the way we design and manufacture products.  Video time: 5 mins 49 secs  Activity time: 20-30 minutes.

 


Task: Watch the video and answer the questions.

1  What is the current problem?
2  What is the current strategy to resolve this problem and what are its limitations?
3  What new strategy is needed?
4  What are the advantages for companies who adopt this strategy?

The answers are at the bottom of the page.

If you'd like to read more about C2C, also known as the "Circular Economy", go here.

Pronunciation: Different nationalities, different accents

(A2,) B1, B2, C1

Each nationality has its own particular problems with English pronunciation. These include individual sounds, word stress and intonation.  In this activity from the Pronunciation Studio website, you will discover  the difficulties encountered by French speakers of English. You will hear typical incorrect pronunciations of words and sentences, then practise the correct version. 

There are also links to similar exercises for Spanish and Russian speakers of English, and another to compare British and American speakers .  Activity time: 10-15 minutes per link.

Task:   
1 Read the description of each pronunciation problem. Don't worry if you don't understand all the technical terms used - it's not important for doing the exercise.

2  Listen to the corresponding audio file for each point. You will hear the incorrect pronunciation first, then the correct one. Repeat the correct version.

Go to the activity on French pronunciation problems here.
For Spanish, go here.
For Russian, go here.
For a comparison of British and American pronunciation, go here.
(For more on British and American pronunciation, you may also like this other post from our site.)