Talking point: Learning English

This week's talking point is learning English. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

• In how many languages can you have a basic conversation in (to order a meal or to greet people)?
• What languages do you have a good grasp of?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning a language using these methods?

being immersed in the language/culture

studying grammar and vocabulary

attending a language school

keeping in touch with people who speak the language through social media and new technology

• Do you know any other ways of learning a foreign language?
• Which ones have you personally tried?
• Which one has really worked for you?
• How often do you hear foreign languages where you live?
• How important do you think memory is to learn a foreign language?
• What do you want to be able to do with English?
• How far away from that objective are you at the moment?
• Do you ever review what you have learnt?
• How often do you watch or read things in English?
• How often do you communicate with native speakers?
• Do you keep a small notebook to note down and revise new expressions?
• Are you subscribed to any podcasts that you listen to while you are doing housework or travelling or waiting?
• What are you doing to learn English at the moment?
• Are you having any problems with English at the moment?
• Do you enjoy learning English?

To illustrate the topic you can watch this video about Memrise, a new system to learn a foreign language.

I like being afraid

For some kids, the playground isn’t enough – extreme sports like snowboarding or motocross are the best ways to have fun. But are they safe?



Who ...?
A - enjoys being around people
B - enjoys the feeling of being scared
C - has been doing the sport just in the last year
D - is fully aware of the danger the sport poses
E - started doing the sport when he/she was a toddler
F - thinks the sport has an influence on personality
G – would be wasting his/her time is they weren’t doing this sport

My name is Luke Ruben Acuna, I'm 12 years old. I've been chair skating for about a year now. For all those that think that chair skating is really dangerous, it, it is. That is true, but there are certain things that us chair skaters do to not let ourselves get hurt. It's only dangerous if we let it to be dangerous.

My name John Givoni Connolly. I'm nine years old, and I, I started snowboarding when I was two. To overcome fear trying something new, I just do it.

I am Tessa Milan. I am 11 years old, and I am from Carlsbad, California. I like being scared, and sometimes when I'm like, airing on a half pipe, it makes me feel scared, so I like that feeling.

I am Charlie Gray. I am 11 years old, and I'm from Mammoth Lakes, California. Snowboarding is awesome because you're outdoors, get to be around people that you like. It's, like, the best sport ever.

My name is Verastess, and I live in Petaluma, California. Started skateboarding when I was about, like, almost one in diapers. If I didn't have skateboarding, I'll probably just lay around on the couch all day and watch TV. When I'm really scared to try something, I just think to myself, if you wanna do it really bad, you can do it.

I'm Brian Cullen. My kids are Michael. He's 8 years old. And Kylie, she's 10. Climbing for us has really brought the family together, and I love to see that. It's just really exciting to see what it's, you know, what it's done for them physically and mentally. I mean climbing is, is problem solving.

My name is Eric Ferdell. I am 11 years old. I'm from Courts Hill, and started riding about three years ago. Definitely, this sport is very dangerous. Every time you go out there, you keep it in the back of your head saying, oh, yeah well, I coud break an arm, or I could die doing this. But really, it's how much will you put into it? What I enjoy most is just the feeling you have when you're going, you know, 70 miles an hour, up to a jump, and then launch about 60 feet in the air. And, anything you can think of on a dirt bike, you can do it.

Key:
A Charlie Gray (snowboarding)
B Tessa Milan (snowboarding)
C Luke Ruben Acuna (chair skating)
D Eric Ferdell (motocross)
E John Givoni Connolly (snowboarding)
F Brian Cullen (climbing)
G Verastess (skateboarding)

Listening test: Sugar tax

Listen to a report on the British government's plans to set a tax on sugary drinks and complete the blanks in the sentences below with up to THREE WORDS. 0 is an example.

source: Gerry's News Digest

0 Example:
UK citizens are expected to pay a tax on sugary drinks in two years' time.

1 The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the government's plans in the latest government _______________________ .

2 The tax will be imposed on what is UK's biggest single source of excess sugar: _______________________ .

3 The tax will be imposed on the volume of sugary drinks that a company _______________________ .

4 Both milk-based drinks as well as _______________________ will not be taxed.

5 The money collected will be used to _______________________ in schools.

6 The effect the tax has had in some other countries has been positive, at least in the _______________________ .

In two years the UK is going to have a new tax on sugary drinks. I’ve talked before about the latest thinking on the links between sugar consumption and medical problems such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and so on. In the latest government budget statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that he’s responding to demands from the health sector to do something about reducing our sugar consumption by imposing a tax on what is our biggest single source of excess sugar: high sugar drinks, which are particularly popular with children and teenagers. The drinks that’ll be affected are things like classic Coke and Pepsi, energy drinks, Fanta and tonic water. The tax will not be on the product as such but on the company. The tax will be on the volume of sugary drinks that a company produces or imports. The tax will be in two bands: one for drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100 millilitres, and the second band for drinks with more than 8g. The price of a can of Coca-Cola will rise by about 10%. Milk-based drinks as well as pure fruit juices will not be taxed. The drinks industry has two years to get ready, and I’m sure they’ll be lobbying until the last moment against the tax. A feature of the tax will be that the money raised will be kept separate from general taxation and it’ll be used specifically to promote sport in primary schools.
So will the tax have its intended effect of reducing national sugar consumption? Other countries that have already tried something similar include Mexico and Hungary where the short-term result at least has been positive. The debate goes on, however, about the morality of the government trying to control what we consume. 

KEY:
1 budget statement
2 high sugar drinks
3 produces or imports
4 pure fruit juices
5 promote sport
6 short term

Extensive listening: Let's teach for mastery, not test scores

Would you choose to build a house on top of an unfinished foundation? Of course not. Why, then, do we rush students through education when they haven't always grasped the basics?

Yes, it's complicated, but educator Sal Khan shares his plan to turn struggling students into scholars by helping them master concepts at their own pace.

In 2004, Sal Khan, a hedge fund analyst, began posting math tutorials on YouTube. Twelve years later, Khan Academy has more than 42 million registered users from 190 countries, with tutorials on subjects from basic math through economics, art history, computer science, health, medicine and more.

You can read the full transcript here.

The Current

The Current is Canada's most listened-to radio programme.  

The Current is a current affairs daily radio programme that mainly deals with news stories in Canada. However, very many of the issues the programme touches on have a universal appeal and are of interest to listeners from all over the world.

The Current can be a more than interesting listening resource for both English teachers and advanced English students, as they can find attractive and up-to-date topics to listen to. In addition, the programmes  can be downloaded either totally or on a segment-basis, and a transcript is also available. There is also an archive that stores the programmes broadcast in the previous three months.

Designer brings 'Modern Slavery Garden' to Chelsea Flower Show

Designer Juliet Sargeant brings 'Modern Slavery Garden' to Chelsea Flower Show to highlight ongoing problem in the UK.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1 How many modern-day slaves are there in the UK?
2 What colour are the insides of the garden doors painted in?
3 Why are there a couple of doors open in the garden?
4 Which two businesses does Juliet mention at the end?

You may think that slavery is something of the past and something that wouldn't exist in the UK.
But this advert released by the Home Office aims to raise awareness of the 13,000 people in the UK who are thought to be held or forced to work against their will.
From the depravity of humanity… to the beauty of nature. The Chelsea Gardens. But this year modern slavery will have light shed on it at the Chelsea Flower Show, thanks to the work of Juliet Sargeant.
It’s been… well, quite a shock, really, and a real learning curve for me to realise that slavery still exists today and in the UK, in London and in every major city. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true.
The artist’s garden seeks to highlight the hidden nature of the crime to those who visit.
I wanted that to be the first thing that people sees, so they’ll see the colourful doors and bright flowers but then if they stop at the garden and look into the center, they’ll see that it’s dark and the doors on the insides are painted black, and that represents the dark heart of slavery, modern slavery. Handles and letterboxes are just on the outside so the idea being that if you’re a slave, you can’t communicate, you can’t free yourself. There are a couple of doors on the garden that are open because I wanted to reflect the idea that there is hope.
Despite the fact it's hidden by nature Sargeant wants to bring modern slavery to the forefront.
It would be really nice if people started talking more about modern slavery. It’s just really a matter of having our eyes open as we walk down our own street or go shopping, just to be aware that that person in the nail bar or in the restaurant might be there against their will.
Whilst nature is permitted to exist freely… the hope is that all people too can live freely.

Key:
1 13,000
2 black
3 to represent hope
4 a nail bar and a restaurant

Road trip across Bolivian Salt Flats

Phill Jupitus and Marcus Brigstocke attempt to cross the stunning salt lake Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1 How much salt does the lake contain?
2 What is the one feature of Salar de Uyuni that is outstanding on planet Earth?
3 How fast should they drive when crossing the lake?
4 Where can Salar de Uyuni be seen from?

It's estimated the lake contains 10 billion tonnes of salt. Below the crust lie pools of brine thought to contain over half the world's lithium reserves. As the surface edge is flooded, entering the lake is a dicey proposition.
I'm nervous about that, actually.
That's quite a way, isn't it?
That's a way in water, and there's now way of seeing how deep that gets.
Look at it, look at this! Look at the sodium chloride!
I really want to taste some.
I have, it's salty.
You just tasted?
Yeah.
Bold.
This is unbelievable. It's so crunchy.
I'd come across, but I'm wearing suede shoes.
It's dreamlike, it's so weird. For a kick-off, the brightness. It's the brightest place on the planet I've ever been, and it's just...there's a beauty to it. Over my shoulder there, there's a line of horizon you can't quite make out. It's just absurd and beautiful and wonderful and I can't wait to get on it.
That's deeper than it looks.
It's loose as well.
Right, OK, so that's how it's going to be for the wheels as well.
Yeah, yeah.
We're just going to need to take it very steady because also, if you flick this water up into the engine and stuff, not that I know what happens, but something bad happens.
I've seen some things in my life but, my God, this is just... and the volcano.
How deep do you think that gets?
Well, we'll find out. We've got to go real slow, but we've got to keep moving.
It's been an honour, sir.
Likewise!
Right, keep it under 10 miles an hour, we were told.
Yep, nice and steady.
How do you feel about just driving into a lake, Phill?
I feel very weird.
Yeah, that's pretty deep, man.
Yeah.
Ha!
This is mad.
Oh, my God!
Careful, man. What are you doing?
Water ballet, my friend!
Easy, don't spray it up into the engine.
I won't, I won't.
What way are we headed?
We're going in exactly the right direction.
Yeah, so this line here. You see the end of that headland there? I'm going to keep pointing at that. Very occasionally I get a surge of fear that it's going to crack,
and we're going to disappear into many metres of water beneath.
A lake of brine.
Yeah.
It's kind of scary, I've got to say.
They say you can see the curvature of the earth once you get out here to the middle. Isn't that crazy? Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong could see this from the moon.
Just keep a steady speed, yeah?
Shall do.
Oh, my God!
Phill, it's incredible.
I'm so glad I'm dressed like this. Dude, you're going to have to try this when I drive. It's awesome.
Marcus?
Yeah?
I'm 50 this year.
Also, it's quite a small window.
You'll be fine.

Key:
1 10 billion tonnes
2 its brightness
3 10 miles an hour
4 from space / from the moon