Listening Plus

Week 4 - The Slow Movement

2009-10-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Watch the video below by Kevin Marshie and learn a little bit more about the Slow Food Movement:

Now that we've explored the concept of slowness, share with the group your own perspective on the topic. Choose some of the questions below and answer them in your comment:

Do you and your family eat your meals together?
How often do you cook together?
Did your parents teach you how to cook?
How would you consider the pace of your life nowadays?
Do you agree with Carl Honoré and Kevin Marshie that we should invest in slowing down? Why/Why not?
Have you ever had a turning point in your life that you had to reconsider your priorities and slow down?
What kind of changes could you make in your life to have more quality of life and profit more from it?

Week 3 - Googleplex

2009-10-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

After watching the video about Google workplace, answer the following questions.

What are some perks given to Google employees?
What is Google getting in return for their employee benefits program?
What kind of drawback could this kind of Human Resources management have?
Do you think what Google has done for their employees could be implemented in your workplace? Would it be a viable solution? Why/why not?

Choose three questions to answer. Then, add comments to your colleagues' answers.

Week 3 - My dream job

2009-10-04T04:29:00.001-07:00

Working for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is a dream of many people. When I was a teenager, my dream could not be any different. I wanted to pursue a career at NASA. I wanted to be an astronaut or a rocket engineer.

When I was eleven years old, my dad took me to Florida to visit DisneyWorld, and I begged him to take me to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Center, which is one of the various NASA Centers in the US opened to the general public.

I was delighted, and my dad was too! I took many pictures and paid close attention to everything the guides said; even tough I did not understand any English at that age. Staring at those huge rockets and complex computers, I wondered what I would have to do to get a job there. I would have to study a lot of Math, Engineering, Computer Science and English. At that time, I thought it would be a piece of cake! My dad was a Math teacher and also a computer programmer, so he could help me!

Many years went by and the only subject I managed to learn was English (well, at least one)! I quit dreaming about that job a long time ago. In fact, as time went by, I forgot about that dream... A pity, isn’t it? Well, not really! If I had become an astronaut, I wouldn’t be your English teacher right now and that would be really said, right?

Kennedy Space Center

Now, tell me about your dream job.
Did you have any dream jobs when you were a kid?
Also, tell as bit about your present job.
If you are a High School or College student, tell us about your plans for the future.

Week 1 - Video Discussion

2009-09-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

After having watched the two videos related to language learning, choose, at least 2 of the questions below to add your opinion, questions or suggestions. Write them in the comment box:

How did you start learning English?
Did you find it easy or difficult?
Do you agree with Fernando's opinion or not?