ESL Discussion Questions about Genius

Genius SPC

Genius and Eccentricities

What is it? (1. Exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.

2. A person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect: "musical genius".  )

Are you one?  Can everyone be a genius?

Is there a genius in everyone?

Is there a difference between talent and genius?

Do you want to be one?

Do you know any geniuses personally?

Who is the smartest person you know?  Is this person a genius?

Who are the famous geniuses of history?

Are these people geniuses?  Mozart, Chairman Mao, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Obama, Confucius, Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Lady Gaga,

Is a genius a very smart person or he is superbly creative?

Are geniuses born or developed?

Can anyone be a genius if he works hard enough?

Can testing measure genius?

Can eating special food make us smarter?

Geniuses are said to be eccentric?  Are you eccentric?

No great genius ever existed without some touch of madness.  Agree or Disagree?

He is a regular genius

He has a genius for this. (what do you have a genius for?)

Finish this sentence __________ has a genius for ____________.

He has a genius for failure.

He is a budding genius.

Your idea was a stroke of genius. (Had any strokes of genius lately?)

Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. (Are you like this?  Do you want to be? Have you spend all your hours trying to solve a problem?  Have you ever become so absorbed in your interest, you forgot everything else?)

What do you want to put all your genius into?

What do the Chinese, the Americans, the Europeans, the English, the Japanese have a genius for?

ESL Discussion Questions about Status

What is it?

Do you have high status?

Where is your status high?  Where is your status low?

Do you want high status?

How do you get high status?

Can you get high status via birth?

How do you get low status?

What jobs and positions confer high status?

What jobs and positions confer low status?

What does high status give one?  Money, privilege, immunity?

Is status more important than money?

Can high status always confer one more money?

Are the Chinese status seekers?  Are the Chinese equal in theory?  Are they equal in practice? Do the Chinese respect status?

Is it easy to acquire higher status in China?  Is a China a meritocracy?

Is it possible to create a status-free society?

Do animals have status among themselves?

How do people show off their status?  Status Symbols.

What are the current status symbols in China?

Do people buy things to show off their status?

Can you have high status merely on the Internet?

Do you like others to think you have high status?

Is high status worth the trouble?

What do you think of people who have many status symbols?  Do you feel envy, hatred, admiration, sadness, respect, or sympathy?

How should people with high status treat those with low status?  How should those with low status treat those with high status?

HyLite Language School is looking for part-time trainers for July and August 2011.

We are looking for native speaking English teachers, currently in Wuxi, to teach part-time and full-time from mid-July 2011 to the end of August.

Email me at akaulins@gmail.com for more details.

English Trainers needed at HyLite School in Wuxi starting July 2011, up to 10,000 rmb per month depending on experience.

Required

*Native speakers from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and USA. 

*Age: 25 – 60

*1-2 years experience.

*Bachelors degree or higher

*Teaching qualification(TESOL or TEFL).

*Sound understanding of SLA theory and modern language teaching methodology 

*Excellent communication and organizational skills 

*A high degree of professionalism

*A high degree of enthusiasm for quality education.

Benefits

*Two weeks paid vacation and national holidays.

* Minimum Monthly salary 7500RMB plus 1000RMB living allowance. For first year trainers, there is a 500RMB Holdback which is paid at the end of the contract.  As well, the first month for a new trainer is probationary. We can pay more depending on experience.

* Return airfare at the end of the contract. 

* All Visa costs will be reimbursed with receipts, at the end of the contract. Residency permits and working permits will be arranged by the school. 

*Airport pick up 

* Accommodation provided in an excellent hotel while you are assisted in finding a suitable living location. 

The job is 5 days per week comprising 25 fifty-five minute classes and 15 hours prep. time with optional overtime classes. The trainer has 2 consecutive days off each week. The teaching materials are all supplied to which trainers add their own ideas to enhance the learning experience of both students and themselves.

At Hylite, you will teach a wide variety of class sizes from 1 to 50.  The majority of classes you teach will be private classes (max. 4) and salon classes (max 8).  We are teaching more and more corporate classes so those teachers with business experience are especially needed. As well, you will have the opportunity to teach an occasional primary and middle school class.

HyLite School is located in downtown Wuxi close to McDonalds, KFC , Starbucks, many local restaurants and major shopping areas.  

The foreign trainers come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but they are qualified, experienced and dedicated to teaching.  You will never feel like you are alone in a foreign country.  Currently, we have  trainers from Australia, Canada, Ireland and England.  The Foreign Trainer department is managed by Westerners.

 

The students are motivated adults (the youngest students are 15) and they will surprise you with their tenacity and eagerness to learn. Trainers are also expected to join in the fun of such off-campus events like day trips to visit local sights Ma (Lake Taihu, The Ling Shan Bhudda-88 meters high!) and all kinds of parks and festivals that happen year round.

Most trainers now live less than a 5 minute walk from the school.

The city of Wuxi is s mall bustling city of 4.5 million people located in Jiangsu province about 70 minutes by train from Shanghai. There is excellent public transportation (with a subway currently under construction), the city is clean and on the whole, it is a friendly and well-off community with many things to see and do. There are several large Western-owned super markets so if you like to cook you will find all the "home cookin" foodstuffs you need. There are Western restaurants and all kinds of different styles of Chinese restaurants such as Cantonese, Sechuan, Peking etc. A plate full of noodles with vegetables, very tasty, is about 7rmb.There are local Gyms to keep fit and other sports centers to play basketball, volleyball, table tennis and even a summer softball league.

We are looking for teachers who want to begin their ESL career as well as those who are enjoying the beginning of a 2nd career. Age isn't a factor, however, attitude certainly is. If you work and play well with others, enjoy the team approach to work, enjoy laughing and learning then this may be the place for you. We are a diverse group by age and nationality and welcome your interest in joining our school.

We hope to hear from you soon.

All applications should be submitted in MS Word, and the must contain COPIES OF: 

1.a valid passport with photo 

2.a TESOL, CELTA ETC. diploma 

3.a minimum college diploma 

4.a MAXIMUM 2 page resume 

5.a letter of reference with e-mail contact 

6.a phone number where you can be reached 

Preference will be given to those who are already in China.

Mail all applications to akaulins@gmail.com   attention: Andis Kaulins

ESL Discussion Questions about Odour

Odour

What is it?

How do we sense it?

Other words for odour?  Smell, stink, stench, aroma, fume

What can you smell now?

What is your favorite odour?  What is your least favorite odour?  List five things you like the smell of?  List five things you don't like the smell of?  Also: places, food, animals,

What would it be like to have no sense of smell?  Why is having a sense of smell useful?

How does a good smell make you feel?

How does a bad smell make you feel?

Can one become used to a smell?

What do you do if you encounter a bad smell?

Do you worry that you smell bad?

What do we do to smell better?  Cologne. Perfume.  Shower.  Mouthwash. Toothpaste.

Do you wear cologne or perfume?  Do some people wear too much?

What animals have a keen sense of smell?

Can we smell fear?

What smells remind us of work, youth, old age, sickness, China, Wuxi, restaurants?

Do you like the smell of Wuxi, Tea, Beer, Taihu, a Bakery, a Chicken, Restaurant, school, a teenage boy's bedroom, perfume, flowers, dogs, cats?

Who smells better Men or Women?

Who has a keener sense of smell?  Men of Women?

What do the following expressions mean?

Plug your nose

He has got bad b.o.!

My dog has no nose.   How does he smell?  Awful.

He is smelling like a rose.

I smell a rat.

He smells blood.

He stinks to high heaven.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

The angry customer is raising a stink.

Discussion Questions about Secrets

What are they?

Why do we keep secrets?

Can you keep secrets?

Do you have many secrets?

Do you write secrets down? Do you keep a secret journal?

Do you have secret thoughts?

What are some secrets that you have learned?

What is the secret of success? Is this really a secret?

How do we tell people secrets?

What are some ways we can keep secrets? Silence, need to know basis, code.

What are some personal things we like to keep secret?

What are some things companies like to keep secret?

What are some things governments like to keep secret?

What secrets do students keep from teachers?

What secrets do teachers keep from students?

Can family members keep secrets from other family members?

What are some of the great secrets in the world? Of history?

Do you notice that secrets are interesting but the revealing of the secret is interesting for a short time?

What are some secrets we will never find out?

If you found a lot of money, would you tell your friends?

In the Internet age, it is harder than ever to keep secrets?

What can you keep secret from the government, your company? What is none of other people's business?

IDIOMS ABOUT SECRETS

Behind closed doors

Bite your tongue

Hold your tongue

Don't let the cat out of the bag.

Cover your tracks.

In the dark.

Turn a blind eye.

Fly on the wall.

Give the game away.

Loose lips sink ships.

Keep it under wraps.

Mum's the word.

Spill the beans

On the sly.

Sweet Talk and Persuasion ESL Discussion Questions

Sweet Talk

What is sweet?  Candy, sugar, nice girls, nice things, nice moments.

What is sweet talk?  (*Talking nicely to , using flattery on, someone to persuade them to do something for you*)

What is the goal of sweet talk?  (*Seduction, compliance, getting people to do things they normally wouldn't do!*)

What things do sweet talkers say?

Is there a secret to sweet talking?  What technique is important?  

Are sweet talkers good actors?  Do they have a nice voice?  The sweet talker's method:  what is important?  The words or the method?

Can sweet talkers sound poetic?  Do you memorize poems or songs to impress or sweet talk people?

Can sweet talkers sing to their victims?

Are you a sweet talker? (to you wife)

Do you like to talk sweet?

Can you sweet talk people who are angry at you?

Can you be sweet talked? (by your husband) (by your boss)

Can you be sweet talked if you are angry?  Have people tried to do this?

Why can some people be sweet talked?

Can you be sweet talked by someone you don't know?

Who is the best sweet talker you know?

What professions require sweet talking?

Can you sweet talk your boss?  Do Chinese bosses like their workers to flatter them?

Who is the most famous sweet talker of all-time?

Which sex does most of the sweet talking?

Are sweet talkers good people?  Can they be trusted?  Can they be thought of scam artists?

Do you like people who are blunt with you?  Can you take criticism?

Flattery will get you nowhere!  What does that mean?

How to sweet talk:

A policeman?

A shop keeper?

A bus driver?

A taxi driver?

A member of the opposite sex?

Your mother or father?

Your child?

A bank clerk?

A beggar?

A rich man?

A teacher?

Your subordinate?

Sweet talking is about persuasion.  How do you persuade people to do things you want them to do for you?  Can you persuade them without money?

Who have you persuaded to do something recently?

Museum Discussion Questions

Museums

What are they?

What comes to mind when you hear the word museum?

Do you go to them?  Why?  Why not?

Do you go to museums by yourself?

What is the first museum you ever went to?

What do you like about museums?  What do you hate?

Can museums teach you anything?  Are they useful?

What museums have you gone to?  What did you see?  What was the best museum you went to?

What are the most famous museums in China?  Wuxi?

What museums would you like to go?

What famous world museum would you like to see?

Do you prefer history or nature or art museums?  Why?

Have you been to a strange museum?

Have you ever been to an interactive museum?

Can you touch things at a museum?

If there was a museum about your life, what would you put in it?

What do you think would be a good museum to start?

What makes a museum good?  Bad?  Boring?

Discussion Questions about Enjoyment

What does it mean to enjoy?

–verb (used with object)

1.

to experience with joy; take pleasure in: He enjoys Chinese food.

2.

to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of: He enjoys an excellent income from his trust funds.

3.

to find or experience pleasure for (oneself): She seems to enjoy herself at everything she does.

What is "enjoyment"?  The state or activity of enjoying.

What is "enjoyable"?  An adjective.

What do you enjoy?  What do you want to enjoy?

Whose company do you enjoy?

Do you enjoy an excellent income?

Do you enjoy yourself?

When was the last time you really enjoyed yourself?

What is the most enjoyable part of your day?

Is it always easy to enjoy yourself?  Why? Why not?

What can stop us from enjoying ourselves?

Do we have to train ourselves to experience and appreciate enjoyment?

Can enjoyment turn to boredom?  What do we do when this happens?

Is enjoyment better if it is shared?

Where are some places you enjoy going?

What is some food you enjoy eating?

What are some games you enjoy playing?

Can I enjoy yourself?  Why?  Why not?

Can enjoyment be an art or a science?

When did you have the most enjoyable time in your life?

Do you enjoy yourself at work.?

What age of life do people enjoy the most?

Can enjoyment be found in work?

Can you enjoy yourself with technology?

Enjoy your meal!  What does this mean?  When would you say it?

Enjoy the fruits of your labours.  What does this mean?

Enjoy yourself.  You earned it.  What does this mean?

This is hardly enjoyable.  What does this mean?

Karaoke, KTV, Singing, and Performing ESL discussion questions

What is Karaoke?Is it a Japanese invention?  Is it popular in China?

How long has KTV been in China?

Do you like to go to KTV?  Why?  Why not?

How often do you go to the KTV?  Who do you go with?

Which KTV do you go to?  

Are there cheap and expensive KTVs?  How do they differ?

What is the best sized group for KTV?

What songs do you sing?  What is the most popular song for KTV in China?

Do you take your KTV seriously?  Do you practice?  Do you drink special fluids for your throat?

Can you dance at KTV?

Can you change the song lyrics?

Can you enter a KTV competition?

Do you sing English songs in KTV?

Are you a good singer?

Is there a trained singer in the class?

Have you ever performed in public?  Have you performed for a big audience?

Do you have pop star dreams?

Do you hum or sing songs as you go through your day?

Do you sing in the shower?

Do you have a song on your mind that you always want to sing?

Are there pop songs that you like but you don't know the lyrics to?  Songs you do know the lyrics to?  Which one?

Do pop songs lyrics become mistaken by the listener?

Do you like to break into song for no reason?

Do you wish life could be a musical?

What activities could be improved by singing?

Do you like dancing?

Do you like going to clubs to dance?

Do you dance when you listen to music?

Who are some famous dancers?

Did you learn to dance in schools?

Explain air guitar

Do you listen to music and play an "air instrument"?  

What "air instrument" do you like to play?

Do you listen to pop songs and play an "air instrument"?

Performing

Have you ever performed for an audience?

Have you ever acted in a play for an audience?

Have you ever made presentations for large audiences?

Do you feel comfortable performing?

Why are so many scared of performing in public?

Discussion Questions about Germany

What is it?

Where is it?

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Germany"?

Who are some famous Germans?

What do you know about Germany's history?

Do you like Germans or Germany?

Germans are ____________

Germany is ________

Is Germany beautiful?

Do Germany and China have good relations?

Are there many Germans in Wuxi?

What Country is Germany's historical rival?

What does the world feel about Germany?

Do you like German cars?

Do you want to visit or move to Germany?  Why?  Why not?

How is Germany different from other countries?

Is Germany an important nation?

What does a typical German person look like?

What clothes do they wear?

What would you ask a German about his country?

What Germany given the world?

What is bad about Germany?

Have you been to Germany?  Have you meet some Germans?

Do you know any German words?

Travel in Jiangsu discussion questions.

What is Jiangsu?  

What is its capital?  

What do you know about its history?  

Most important moment in Jiangsu history?

Who are some famous Jiangsuren?

How old is Jiangsu province?

What are the important cities in Jiangsu?

What is Jiangsu famous for?

Tell me about Jiangsu's economy?

Are all places in Jiangsu rich?

Have you travelled lots in Jiangsu?

What Jiangsu places do you recommend one go visit?

What is Jiangsu's top attraction?  

How does Wuxi rank in Jiangsu?

What is your favorite place in Jiangsu?

When is the best time to travel in Jiangsu?

Is there a difference between Northern Jiangsu and Southern Jiangsu?

Where to go in Jiangsu?  for:

Nature

Amusement Parks

Shopping

Adventure

Sports

Museums

Architecture

Food

Resort

Swimming

Cycling

Temples

History

Fishing

Zoos

Ancient Chinese history

What to see in:

Changzhou

Huai'an

Kunshan  

Lianyungang  

Nanjing

Nantong  

Suqian  

Suzhou  

Taizhou  

Wuxi

Xuzhou  

Yancheng  

Yangzhou  

Zhenjiang

What do you think of:

Yangtze River Bridge

Mausoleum of Doctor Sun Yat Sen

Suzhou's Gardens (which is the best)

Taihu Lake

Three Kingdoms City

Xuzhou

Huai an.

Changzhou Dinsaur Park

Color discussion questions.

What is color?

Is color important to you?

What would the world be like without color?

Do you prefer color or black&white movies?

What is your favorite color?

What color do you hate?  Do you think colors affect your mood?

Red,Green,Blue,Purple,Black,White,Yellow,Brown,Grey,Orange:

How do each of these colors make you feel?

What do these colors symbolize?

Do you like to wear each of these colors? Why?

What colors look good on you?

What colors look good with each of these colors?  What colors do not go together?

Which colors are good for shoes, cars, uniforms, mobile phones?

Would you like your home to have each of these colors?  Why?

What colors can't be used in certain situations?  (*don't wear ________ in/at ________________.*)

What do these colors make you think of?  (word association)

What is the color for old age, youth, love, hate, passion, birth, boys, girls, men, women, China, freshness, death, strangeness, sadness, 

happiness, cowards, good, evil?

What is the strangest colored thing you have ever seen?

I think white boots, pink cars, and orange hair are silly?  What about you?

Men!  Do you like to sleep in pink rooms with pink sheets?

Ladies!  Do you like to sleep in blue rooms with black sheets?

Do you know any color-blind people?

Do you like light, dark, bright colors?

I wouldn't be caught dead in _________________.  Finish this sentence.

Idioms

Someone's true colors

let's give it some color

with flying colors

off color jokes