Super- Commuters? How long is your drive to work? English lesson

Many people live in the city, sort of close to their jobs, while others live far away, but rent a room or a studio apartment near their jobs, and on the weekends fly home.  This is a trend that is growing, and believe it or not can be cheaper than the daily commute!

Read this article and discuss it with your English teacher

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141118-the-worlds-longest-commutes

Key Terms
traffic fumes
 leisurely lunch 
faraway homes
 cost of living 
proliferation
 maintain residency 
over-work.
work-life balance
cliche 


Questions
According to the text, why do some people choose to "super commute?"
How do they organize their work week? 
How many "super commuters" are there in the world? 
What is the average number of kilometers that people commute? 
What happens to the income when you super-commute? 
What would make you want to super commute?
Would it be worth it for you? 
Is there a typical job that people super commute to? 



Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English Teacher 

European Space Agency - Probe lands on a comet! - English Lesson

The European Space Agency has succeeded to land an unmanned probe on a comet!  The comet is on its way toward the sun, so the probe will be able to document all the chemical and physical changes that will occur as the comet comes close to the sun. This is a historic landmark moment, or is it?


Read the article and discuss it with your English teacher
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/spacecraft-makes-historic-landing-on-comet/2518068.html

Key Terms
probe
comet
deployed
harpoons
ground controllers
thrusters
mission
joint effort
icy treasure chest
origins

Questions

What is the goal of this space flight?
Why is it important?
Which countries contributed to the mission?
How far away is the comet from Earth?
How close will the comet come to the sun?
How much money did the mission cost?
Is the cost worth the knowledge that will be gained?
Have you ever seen a comet?
Which scientific advances have been made because of space exploration?


Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English Teacher

Remembering the Berlin Wall - 25 years later

The only thing that I remember about the Berlin Wall coming down was the Pink Floyd Rock Concert and the song The Wall.  



http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/ruins-of-the-berlin-wall-what-they-whisper-25-years-later-28712/

Key Terms
discloses
“part of the folklore”
subtle
stark
catalyst 
canonization
"iron curtain" 
 “complete surprise” 
 “velocity”
 atrocities
 bear the consequences
 lead-up
 “for the overall setting” 
“won against all those 'isms'
consumerism
barrier


Questions
What was it like living in Germany for the author while the Berlin Wall stood? 
What was the feeling when the Wall came down? 
How did people view each other after the Wall came down?
Do you live in a country where there is a wall? 
How do you feel about the Wall in your country? 
Does it help the political situation? 
Does the wall have economic effects?
Does the Wall affect you personally? 
Should the Wall in your country come down?  
What would happen if it didn't? 
What would be the immediate effects? 
What would be the long term effects?

Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English Teacher

The Science of Wearing the same thing everyday- Business English

Wearing the same thing every day can sound boring. Or can it be a uniform?   There are a variety of reasons why people would choose to wear the same thing everyday. For me, it is useful that my daughter has to wear her school uniform.  All the girls have the same clothes, it takes away one item of competition that can be devastating to the image of a young girl in school if her family doesn't have the money to keep up with the Jones' with the latest fashion.

Read this article and discuss it with your English teacher: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141105164315-283620963-the-genius-of-wearing-the-same-outfit-every-day

Key Terms

 have in common

 outfit

coincidence

 pare down 

 business perspective

blew up the Internet

 famed writer 

 convincing science

 brain power

decision-making process 

tires you out
 a brand
 trademark look
 overall mystique

Questions
Why do Obama, Steve Jobs and Homer Price all wear the same thing?
What does it add to their lives? 
Does it detract anything?
What does the research say about wearing the same thing?
What do you wear to work everyday? 
Do you change into different clothes when you come home? 
Do you wear different clothes for different activities?
Does wearing a uniform make a person feel more in a "role?" 

Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English teacher

General Strike on the Way in Belgium? English lesson

It took the Belgians a while but they finally woke up and on Thursday Nov. 6th they staged a General Strike.  The strike turned out to be violent, a number of policemen are in the hospital, there were over 100,000 people in the center of Brussels.  They are protesting the right wing government, that there are not enough jobs, and unemployment is high.   I was told that there will be another strike in December.


Read this article and discuss it with your English teacher.
http://ek.fi/blogi/2014/10/27/a-general-strike-on-the-way-in-belgium/

Key Terms
little publicity
 coalition
ambitious reforms
programme- UK spelling , USA spelling program
paralyzed.
competences



Questions
What is the strike about?
Why did it take so long for a government to form?
What is the main aim of the government?
Why does the government want to raise the retirement age?
Which competences should be transferred to the regions?
Which ones should be kept for the Federal government?
What is significant about the fact that the new government does not include socialists?
Do you think that Charles Michel will be able to negotiate with the strikers?
What was his last job?
What experience does he have in government?



Lesson Plan  by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English teacher

How to enjoy your trip while stuck in the Airport - English Lesson

Have you ever been stuck in the Airport?  Some people are able to take the delay in stride, while others get very upset.  In fact, if you are stuck for more than eight hours going to or from Israel, or your flight was cancelled, you may be able to get compensation!  Go to this link and check it out! https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Asher+Rotbaum  For the rest of us, who are stuck only for a short period of time, read more here:


http://www.travelarticles.org/how-to-enjoy-your-trip-while-stuck-in-te-airport/

Key Terms
Stuck
departures
 arrivals
 scan down 
 serious torture and agony
 outcome
make the best of it
down time
required documents
 window shopping
deadly project
backburner
fiddling
front to back
packing strategically
cozy jumper

Questions
When was the last time you were stuck in an airport? 
What happened with the plane? 
How long were you waiting in the airport?
How did you pass the time? 
Which of the strategies given in the text, have you followed in the past? 
Which one would you want to take advantage of in the future? 
Which one is the least convenient for you? 
Which one is the most exciting for you? 
How often do you travel? 
Which do you do more, traveling for business or pleasure?
In your opinion, are planes delayed or cancelled more now or in the past? 
Do the airlines really pay compensation? 
If your flight were delayed more than eight hours would you try to get compensation from the airline? 



Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English Teacher 

What do successful people do at the end of the workday? Business English

When does your workday end? If you work in a company in a 9-5 job, what you do at the end of the day can have a big impact upon what the next day will look like.  Let's peak inside a successful person's end of the day and compare to how you end your own day.

Read this blog post and discuss it with your English Teacher:
 http://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-do-at-the-end-of-the-workday-2014-10?op=1

Key Terms
reassess
impact 
set the stage 
 mitigate tasks 
linger
deter 
nuances
down to the wire 
defer   deferral 
 core foundation
 upbeat vibe



Questions
How do you end your workday?
How many hours do you work? 
Do you take work home with you? 
Do make a to do list every day? 
When do you write your To Do List? 
How do you keep your office desk?  
Do you clean it up at the end of the day?
How do you measure if you had a successful day? 
What do you do if you get a last minute phone call and you don't have time to deal with it in a good manner? 
When you are off from work, do you still answer e-mails and phone calls? Why or why not? 
When do you usually have meetings, first thing in the morning or later in the day?  Are the meetings productive? 
What happens when the meeting goes too late and you need to go home?
What do you do when you go out the door? 
What time do you actually leave the office?  It is usually on time? 
How do you say goodbye to your co-workers?
Does everyone leave at the same time? 

Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach - Professional English Teacher