Uber: Good or Evil? (Week of February 15th)
Have you heard of Uber? It is an “on demand car service” which connects drivers and riders through an free smartphone app. Think of a taxi service without the middleman (intermediario). Here’s a promotional video of how Uber works: Easy, right? In cities like New York and San Francisco, Uber has created an urban transportation revolution, […]
Talking About Work (Week of February 8th)
The way people think about work from culture to culture varies greatly. Next week, we can compare these attitudes. Watch this video to stimulate your ideas and we will talk about it in class. Keep this vocabulary in mind:Fulfill – realizarCareer – profesión (not carrera!) 0:15 What do we expect from work?0:48 How many career […]
The Power of Expectations Part II
Now is your chance to start the February listening challenge early! As always, listen before you read the transcript. If you have an iPhone, you can download it here. If you have an Android, you can download it using Stitcher, a free podcast app, available here. 1:10 What was the problem with Daniel’s nonprofit?1:38 What did […]
World vs. Word
Here’s a video about the difference between world and word. This is especially for our student Raul, who wanted to practice, but will be helpful to anyone who wants to perfect their ɜ phonemes!
The Power of Expectations, Part I
How do expectations affect outcomes? This week we’re going to listen to an incredible story. It’s a long one, so break it up into pieces – listen to a little every day and answer the questions. We’re going to work on this for the week of January 25th – 29th so you have plenty of time […]
The Surprising Science of Happiness
Are you a happy person? What makes us happy? Everyone from poets to marketing directors have wondered about this question. Here’s Dan Gilbert with a TED Talk with some surprising findings. As always, watch the talk without subtitles first. 0:57 What does the prefrontal cortex do? Why is that important?3:20 What is impact bias?4:07 Why […]
The Most Dangerous Place on Earth
0:24 What are “freak occurrences”?0:30 What is the first criteria to judge a dangerous place? Why is this so important for humans?1:20 What is even more important than the first criteria? What is most surprising about what he says?1:57 Why is this place so deadly?2:40 What is the most spectacular way to die? Why? (Bonus: here is […]
Pronouncing -ed Endings
I’ve talked with some of you about pronouncing words that end with -ed. For another perspective, check out Rachel’s English. Here’s a video about -ed endings: And a transcript, if you need it. Practice and enjoy!
Interactive Phonemic Chart
Starting Conversations
Since September, we’ve been exploring fun, different ways to listen to English with a native accent. Now, it’s your turn to do some listening on your own (por tu cuenta). In class, you can share what you’ve learned. Do you like cooking? Check out Jamie Oliver’s Channel (I think I’m going to make this next week)Do you want to stay […]
