ESL Discusdion Questions about Climate Alarmism

 How low is the IQ of people who think Climate Alarmism is a thing?

ESL Discusion Questions about Joe Biden

 Is it common in your culture to throw men as old as Brandon off the cliff?

What are the slang words you use to describe idiots in your culture?

Why does Biden have the nickname ‘Joe Stolen’?

Why is Biden also called ‘Tapioca Joe’ and ‘Rutabaga Joe’ 

ESL Discussion Questions about Justin Trudeau

 What is the female version of the name ‘Justin’?

What farm animal does Justin Trudeau most resemble!

What zoo animal does Justin Trudeau resemble?

Are there leaders in your country who are as dumb as Justin Trudeau!

What gender is Justin Trudeau most likely to be?

Who is Justin Trudeau’s father?

What is the most famous dumb thing Justin Trudeau has said?

What is the most famous dumb action Justin Trudeau has performed?

Is Justin Trudeau an argument against democracy?

What does the ‘F’ in ‘F Trudeau’ stand for?

ESL Video about Car Driving in China

 

ESL Discussion Questions about Blindness

Blindness: What is it?

Word forms related to the word blindness: blind, blindly, to blind, to be blinded,

What is the opposite of blindness? Sightedness.

What is the opposite of being blind? Being sighted.

Physical Blindness

What would it be like to be blind?

If you became blind, what would you miss most about being sighted?

What are the advantages of being blind? (Do blind people have special powers.)

Do you know anyone who is blind? Has limited sight? Has a bad eye?

Are we all blind in our own way? 

Willful Blindness

What does this mean? That we choose to be blind.

How can we say that we chose to be blind?

• We choose to be blind to certain things.

What do people choose to be blind to?

• Their faults, their bad habits, the faults of people they love or have to deal with, omens of disaster, the suffering of others.

Why do people choose to be blind to these things?

Blind Spots

What does this mean?

Sometimes we are unthinkingly or unknowingly blind to things. We never notice them perhaps.

Example: We don't notice that we talk too much. We don't notice how our actions annoy other people. We have a flaw in our appearance that we never notice except when we see them in a mirror either in a public place or after we have been in public.

Everyday Blind Spots

Are there some things you may be blind to?

Are there some things that you have noticed that other people are blind to?

What is a common blind spot people have?

What would it mean to have a store in a blind spot?

Driving Blind Spots

Where are the blind spots on a moving vehicle?

Without mirrors?

With Mirrors?

Why shouldn't you pass cars on the right?

Why shouldn't you be on the right hand side of a truck?

Blind Idioms and Expressions

A case of the blind leading the blind

blind as a bat

to blind someone to something

Love is blind.

A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse

• You cannot get people to take a hint if they are determined not to.

There's none so blind as those who will not see.

• You cannot make someone pay attention to something that he or she does not want to notice. 

• (Used often to upbraid someone for being unwilling to notice what you are trying call attention to.) 

turn a blind eye (to someone or something)

• to ignore something and pretend you do not see it. 

Blind date

Blind Alley

Blinded by the light

Blindfolded

Drink oneself blind

Bonus Chinese Idiom

瞎子摸象 (xiāzi mō xiàng)

 

The blind men feel an elephant ─ To take a part for the whole.

ESL Discussion Questions about Mothers (Mother's Day Questions)

What will you do on Mother's Day?

Slang names for mothers? Mom, Mommy, Ma. Mamma,

How do you address your mother?

Are you a mother? Do you like being a mother?

Do you want to be a mother? (even ask the men this question.)

What are the pleasures of being a mother?

What do you hate about being a mother?

What duties does a mother have?

What roles do mothers have in our lives?

What are some things that mothers shouldn't do? That is, it is best that the father does them.

Is it good for a child to not have his mother in his or her life? (Are mothers necessary for raising children?)

How to be a good mother? How to be a bad mother?

Should there be a school to teach women how to be a good mother?

How can one learn to be a good mother?

Tell me about your mother.

How much are you like your mother? How are you and your mother different?

Do you admire your mother? Why? Why not?

What do you like best about your mother?

Finish this sentence: My mother is the best because____________.

Do the Chinese like to compare their mothers?

What did you learn from your mother?

What is your mother's favourite expression or saying?

What does your Dad like to do?

What is your favourite memory of your mother?

How do you show your mother you appreciate him?

Famous mothers?

Famous mother characters? e.g. Marge Simpson, Mary,

How are mothers portrayed in Chinese television and movies?

Idioms and Expressions using the word "mother"

A face that only a mother can love.

Like mother, like daughter

He is a momma's boy

the mother of something (e.g. the mother of all parties)

Necessity if the mother of invention

Discussion Questions about Gratitude (Updated with some idioms and expressions added)

What is Gratitude?

It is said that the secret to happiness is to have gratitude?  Agree?  Disagree? Why?

What are you thankful for?

What should we most be thankful for?

Who are you thankful to?

Who is a person everyone should be thankful to?

Make a list of ten things you are grateful for?

Why are you thankful for these things?

Make a list of ten people you are grateful to?

Why are you grateful to these people?

How to show your gratitude?

How do other people show their gratitude for things?

How to thank people?

Is there someone you forgot to thank?

Is the Spring Festival a time to have gratitude?

Do you expect to be thanked when you do something nice?

To have no gratitude — ingratitude; to be ungrateful

Do you know some ungrateful people?

What people are usually more ungrateful?

Can you remember some times when you were ungrateful?  

Are children usually grateful for what they have?

Is it okay to do thankless tasks?  What are some examples of thankless tasks?

Do you think the youngest generation is ungrateful for what they have?

Were the older generations more grateful?

Expressions

You better thank you lucky stars.

To owe someone a debt of gratitude

Thanks a lot

Thanks for nothing

No thanks to you

Thanks a million

Thanks but no thanks

Thanks for the lift

Thanks for the info

bite the hand that feeds you

don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Views of China from Casa Kaulins #40

Views of China from Casa Kaulins #37

HyLite English School Mid-Autumn Festival Commercial

ESL Discussion Questions about Korea

What is it?

What images come to mind when you think of Korea?

I see beautiful woman dancing Gangnam Style.

I see men passing women and saying "Hey! Sexy Lady!"

Where is it?

What do you know about it?

What do you know about its history?

Is Korea located on an island?

What countries does Korea border on? China and Russia

What is the DMZ?

What are its capitals?

What is its population? 74 million. 24 million in the North. 50 million in the South.

Famous Koreans?

What are Koreans famous for?

Why do many Chinese like Korean dramas?

What is so appealing about K-POP?

Have you meet any Koreans?

Do you want to meet a Korean? Do you want to meet a North Korean? Is there a famous Korean you want to meet?

Who is your favourite Korean?

If you meet someone from North Korea what would you ask them?

Do you think the North Koreans really love their leaders?

What stereotypes do you have of the Korean people?

What are the differences between Koreans and Chinese?

What are the similarities between Koreans and Chinese?

What are Koreans good at?

Have you eaten Korean food?

Can you understand the Korean language?

Can you recognize the Korean language?

Do you prefer North or South Korea? Why?

What is the future of Korea? Will it be good? Will there be a war? Will there ever be a reunification?

Is there a solution to the problem of Korean unification? Will it happen? If it does happen, can it happen peaceably?

What isn't Korea united?

Have you been to Korea?

Can you spot Koreans in Wuxi?

Are there many Koreans in Wuxi?

What are the differences between Koreans and Japanese?

Are the Koreans and Chinese rivals or allies?

English Names That The Students Have Given Themselves

My list of English names the students have given themselves has become an annual feature here at Teaching English in Wuxi, China.

Below is my 2013 list. It comprises 188 names.

Agnes

Alice

Alicia

Alvin

Amanda

Angel

Anita

Anna

Annabella

Anne

Anthony

Antia

Apple

April

Ares

Arthur

Axel

Bear

Betty

Billy

Black

Bob

Bonny

Brandon

Bruce [There is a Lee Glover below.]

Bunny

Cam

Camille

Candies

Candy

Carina

Chanley

Charles

Cheney

Cherry

Cheryl

Cici

Circle

Claire

CoCo

Cool

Corina

Cristal

Crystal

Cynthia [I put on a upper class accent for Sinntheeeeaaaaaa!]

Daisy

David

Davin

Della

Diana

Dick

Donald

Doreen

Dream

Dwight

Edda [Edda is a girl.]

Elaine [I never fail to remind this girl of the closing scene from the movie the Graduate.]

Elena

Elisha

Elly

Emidem [perhaps named after a famous video game character]

Emily

Ethan

Eudora

Ezio

Ezreal

Fancy

Fay

Felix

Frank

Franklin

Gianni [pronounced like Johnny]

Giles

Gillian

Grace

Happy

Harry

Heffy

Hellen

Heney

Henry

Hetty

Hope

Howard

HTO

Ice

Iris

Ivan

Jacy

Jams

Jane

Jason

Jeffrey

Jenny

Jerant

Jeremy

Jess

Jessie

Jewel

Jill

Jim

Jimmy

Johnson

Jolin

Joyce

Judy

Kevin

Kimiko

Kina

Kirk

Kitty

Kobe

Larry

Lee Glover

Leo

Levi

Lindy

Lokson

Lorna

Lotus

Louise

Lucy

Luma

Lywic

Madee

Maggie

Mars

Mercy

Meter

Miko

Miky

Mindy [I am Mork from Ork I tell her. She doesn't get it.]

Molly

Momsen

Moon

Nancy

Neil

Neil Trump

Nervo

Nick

Nina

Noria

Ondine

Paul

Penny

Qneenie

Queena

Rachel

Ray

Rebecca

Richard

Richelle

Ritz

Robin

Roy

Rudolf

Sam

Selina

Senior

Serena

Shay

Sherry

Shirley

Sky

Stanley

Stella [This Stella was not impressed by my Streetcar Named Desire routine.]

Stephanie

Sun

Sunny

Teemo

Terry

Thea

Tiffany

Tina

Tiny

Tommy

Tony

Tracy

Trillian

Trista

Vicky

Victor

View

Vivian

Wendy

Yolanda

You

Yuki

Zoe

A Teaching Opportunity in Shanghai

Wonderful English in the West of Shanghai is looking for teachers!

Wonderful English requires two English teachers at their schools in the Song Jiang and Qing Pu Districts of Shanghai.

You must have a degree, a TEFL certificate or equivalent, and a passport from a native English speaking country.

Your students will be aged from five years old to adult.

Your workweek with comprise three weekday shifts (14:00 to 21:00) and two weekend shifts (10:00 to 18:00). You will have 25 teaching hours per week.

Your salary will be 12k to 13k depending on experience with a 4000 rmb bonus at the end of the contract.

Wonderful English will supply you your Visa and Foreign Expert Certificate.

If you are interested and would like more details, email me at andiskaulins@qq.com.

ESL Discussion Questions about Energy

What is Energy? The capacity for vigorous activity; available power. Having the power to do something.

Do you have a lot of it? Do you have a lot of it now? Why? Why not?

Kinds of energy? Mental, physical, solar, food, fossil fuel, electric, nuclear, solar, wind.....

Is energy important?

What human needs does energy satisfy?

What does it mean to run out of energy?

For people? For cars?

What is man's biggest source of energy?

What did primitive man do for energy?

Have you ever gone a long time without energy?

What are other sources of energy?

How do bodies get energy?

Do you drink energy drinks?

What foods give us energy?

What do you do when you need energy right away?

We say a person is energetic. What do we mean by this?

Are you energetic? What do you do when you are energetic? How are your emotions?

What are signs that a person is energetic or isn't energetic?

Do you like energetic people? Or perhaps you resent them?

Who are the most energetic people you know?

When do you feel the most energetic? During the week? During the day? In the Heat? In the Cold?

How do cars get energy?

How does a phone get energy?

Your energy usage:

Do you use too much energy?

How do you use your electricity?

What saps you of energy? What tires you out? What activities are very tiring? What activities require no energy?

Efficient energy usage. What do you think this term means?

How can we save energy?

Expressions involving energy:

I don't have the energy.

This gives me all the energy I need.

Where do you get the energy?

I am full of energy. (How do you feel? How are you functioning?)

He is a bundle of energy.

He is suddenly re-energized. (Do you notice how boredom saps you of energy, but then....)

I don't feel up to it.

He has a lot of get up and go.

He's jacked up.

I'm out of gas.

I am running on empty.

Green energy.

I am feeling lethargic and sluggish.

It is a waste of energy.

ESL Discussion Questions about Family

How important is family to you?

Very important?

Couldn't care less?

Finish these sentences:

______________ is more important than family.

Family is more important than ______________.

Who is the richest person in your family?

Who is the scariest person in your family?

Who is the oldest person in your family?

Who is the craziest person in your family?

Who is the most interesting person in your family?

Who is the head of your family?

Do you like your family?

Is your family better than all other families you know?

How big is your family?

How big were your parents families?

Do you wish you could have had more siblings than you do now?

What do you think is the ideal size for a family?

What do you think of people who have lots of children? (my cousin has nine!)

What famous person do you wish was your brother?

What famous person do you wish was your sister?

What would you think of David Beckham being your father? Angela Jolie being your mother?

Students! Do you think you will make a good parent in the future? Why? Why not?

Do you have what it takes to be a good parent?

Who has the best family in the world?

What are some interesting television or fictional families that you know of?

What is the best thing about your family? Your parents? Your uncles and aunts?

How often do all you relatives get together?

I have relatives in Canada, America, China, and Germany? What about you?

Can you tell me some interesting stories about your relatives?

Who has the most unusual job in your family? For example, my sister is a jail guard.

Which side of the family do you prefer? The mother's or the father's side? My father's side lived in America. They were boring. They didn't have a television. My mother's side seen to have more interesting people in it. They lived in Canada.

What activities can families do together? Can they be a basketball team? Can they play Mah Jong? Shopping? Eating? Watch television?

Does your family do much together or do you just live under the same roof?

Idioms and expressions

black sheep of the family (Who?)

like one of the family

runs in the family (What runs in the student's family?)

a family man (Do you want to be? Are you?)

the company is like a family (Is you class like a family?)

the family that bathes together, stays together.