Communication Breakdowns

Think First
Everyone, even native language speakers, experience a communication breakdown. The consequences of a communication breakdown range from slight to very serious. As a language learner, you have no doubt experienced a time when you didn't understand someone or someone didn't understand you. What happened? What did you do? What were the consequences?

Then Write
Describe the event in your journal. Include this information in your description.
What happened?
How did you feel about this experience?
What did the other person (people) feel and/or do?
What can you do to avoid this experience next time? What class activities can help you?

Inventions and Innovations

This is a two part question.

1) What do you think the most important invention over the past 100 years has been, and why.

2) Choose one common everyday item and come up with 5 other ways it can be used.

Something Must be Done!

When you watch TV or read the newspaper about different issues in the world, do you ever think, “Something must be done about this!” There are many issues that concern people on a global scale such as poverty, AIDS, war, natural disasters, environmental destruction, and racism to name a few. The world is interdependent and what happens on one side of the world will in some way affect the people on the other side of the world.

Then Write
Imagine that there is a World Government Body (WGB). Write a letter to the WGB. State what you think the greatest problem facing the world today is. Explain why. In your letter, also try to offer a possible solution to help with this issue.

The Media and You

This weeks question is easy. Discuss the influence of the media on you and society.

Free Time and Stress

Various inventions have been heralded as ways to make our lives easier by giving us more free time and reducing daily stress. Microwaves cook food faster; dishwashers clean for us; the internet means we can search for information from the comfort of our home. But, have these and other inventions really made life easier? Are our lives more relaxed? If we have more free time why are so many people, including young children, suffering from stress related illnesses?

Some of us have a little or a lot of stress every day. Sometimes we “grin and bear it” and sometimes we get relief. What do you usually do to decrease or relieve your stress? What is some advice that other people have given to you about dealing with stress?

Write out a list of 15 things that people can do to help them deal with stress. If you don’t have 15 ideas, feel free to ask other people and find out what they do. Structure Hint: You can use the imperative (or command) form of the verb. For example, 1) Take a long hot bath.2) Go into a closet and scream for 10 minutes.

Then, describe one stress buster which has worked for you. Explain why.