In this fashion debate worksheet, you are going to find ESL conversation exercises that will help students to discuss and debate on the topic of fast fashion, ethical fashion, and sustainability practices in the fashion industry.

The worksheet includes a “For and Against” exercise to help students create constructive arguments that would support their stands in the debate. The exercises are tailored to intermediate-advanced (B2-C1) students.

Preparation Notes for the Teacher

Required time: 45 min

To prepare: 

Discuss the topic of fast fashion and sustainability with your students.

At the beginning of the class, ask your students if they have heard about the concepts of fast fashion and ethical fashion and if they know the difference between these two. Then, ask students if they have any idea where the clothes they usually buy are produced and how much their clothes really cost to produce?

Give them a brief introduction on the topic (exploitation of labor, pollution, child labor, consumerism, low quality, non-durable materials). 

Play the video (embedded below): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfNUD0-8ts

Next, make a “For and Against” list together with your students on the topic.

Instruct students to do Exercise B and C. 

Finally, divide students into 2 teams and have a “For and Against” debate on the topic “Alternatives to Fast Fashion: A Green Dream of the Near Future?”

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Fast Fashion – The True Cost of Clothes 

In this worksheet, you will find exercises that will help you learn useful phrases, questions, and conversation tips that you can use when discussing/ debating on topics like fast fashion, ethical fashion, sustainability, etc.

Think about where do you and most people typically buy clothes, discuss this briefly with your class and your teacher, then answer questions in Exercise A and Exercise B.

Read the questions before answering to make sure you understand them.

EXERCISE A. Fast Fashion (For and Against)

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of fast fashion with your class and teacher, then write them into the table below. Write minimum 5 arguments per column.

FOR	AGAINST

EXERCISE B. True or False?

2. Watch the video “The true cost of fast fashion | The Economist”, then mark the statements below as True or False.

1) To tackle throwaway culture, consumers, and brands must change their behaviors.

2) Only low-class people buy fast fashion clothes.

3) Rent the Runway tackles the problem with throwaway culture.

4) Mohammed dislikes the idea of fast fashion.

5) Rent the Runway rents 20% fast fashion clothes.

6) Patagonia used to be a fast-fashion brand that turned to sustainability. 

7) One of Patagonia’s mottos is “Don’t throw it, fix it.”

8) Savana Rags is a recycling clothes factory.

9) New York fashionista Ijeoma is mostly interested in high-end fashion.

10) Most of the 80 billion clothing products go to waste.

EXERCISE C. Vocabulary

3. Match the words/ phrases (a-h) to their meanings (1-8).

a) castoffs
b) to tackle
c) unprecedented rate
d) garments
e) swanky
f) to follow suit
f) hefty
h) flagship store

1) Items of clothing
2) To deal with something in a determined and efficient way
3) Impressively large or expensive
4) Something that is no longer wanted (especially a garment)
5) The lead store in a retail chain as a showcase for the brand.
6) Stylishly luxurious and expensive
7) To conform to another’s actions.
8) Something that is very great in quality, amount or scale.

EXERCISE D.  Debate/Discussion

4. Make 2 teams and have a “For and Against” debate on the topic “Alternatives to Fast Fashion: A Green Dream of the Near Future?” Make sure to support each idea with at least one argument.

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In this worksheet about Harmful Social Media Content, you are going to find ESL listening comprehension exercises that will help students to expand their vocabulary on the topic and revise reported speech and its use when reporting news. The exercises are tailored to upper intermediate-advanced (B2-C1) students.

Preparation Notes for the Teacher

Required time: 45 min

To prepare: Discuss social media safety with your students: How much they think of the safety of content they post on social media, do they read the rules and regulations of social media companies when creating an account, do they know how to protect themselves from cyber crime, can they share examples of risks of using social media and unpleasant stories of users?

Revise the grammar basics of reported speech, then instruct students to answer the vocabulary and grammar questions in warm-up Exercise A.

Play the video/ audio and instruct students to answer the questions in Exercise B, C and D. 

Give Exercise E as homework.

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Social Media Companies & Harmful Illegal Content 

In this listening comprehension technology worksheet, you are going to listen to a 3-minute audio of BBC news on the topic – Social Media Companies and Harmful Illegal Content. 

The news report on the new laws proposed by the UK government regarding social media companies that will face huge fines if they fail to remove and limit the spread of illegal content.

Do the warm-up Exercise A first, then answer the questions in Exercise B, C and D.

Read the questions before answering to make sure you understand them.

Link to the audio/video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI8LVHXOSu4

A. Warm-up (Vocabulary)

1. Match the words and the expressions to their definitions/meanings.

to abide online grooming to face up to something to outline Lobbying criminal prosecution Legislation a consensus to campaign urging on

to confront and deal with a difficult situation to trick or force a young person into doing something sexual ​​comply with the institution and conducting of legal proceedings against someone a general agreement laws, considered collectively work in an organized and active way towards a particular goal to seek to influence on an issue pleading to give a summary of

B. Warm-up (Reported Speech)

2. Match the reporting verbs (1-12) to the correct structures; write the numbers in the gaps accordingly. There may be more than one correct structure for each reporting verb. 

Verbs:

1) warn	2) advice	3) notify	4) threaten
5) argue	6) admit	7) forbid	8) urge
9) wonder	10) demand	11) refuse	12) remind

Structures:

somebody that – Verbs: _____________

somebody to – Verbs: _____________

that – Verbs: _____________

who, where, whether, etc. – Verbs: _____________

to – Verbs: _____________

+ing – Verbs: _____________

3. Write the correct words and time expressions (a – l) according to the change by rule in reported speech.

a) now →

b) immediately today →

c) yesterday →

d) tomorrow →

e) this week →

f) last week →

g) next week →

h) ago →

i) here →

j) come →

k) come →

l) bring →

C. True or False?

Listen to the audio, then answer the questions.

Are the statements True or False?

1. Social media companies received fines for spreading illegal content. _____

2. Big-tech firms will legally have to provide safety of social media. _____

3. Frida wonders how long will the legal process take.  _____

4. Frida urges that she is the only one who is dealing with her case. _____

5. According to the secretary, YouTube will ban terrorist ideologies. _____

6. The UK government proposes prosecution of all managers of social media companies. _____

7. Free speech will be protected by news websites. _____

8. Ian Russel argues that UK government should have imposed stricter sanctions. _____

D. Direct to Reported Speech 

Listen to the audio, then rewrite the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Do not use “tell” or “say” as reporting verbs.

1. “These proposals are largely untried and still face huge practical challenges.”

___________________

2. “Social media companies will face very significant fines if they fail to remove spread of illegal content.”

___________________

3. ”Big-tech firms will have to abide by a legal duty of care to protect children.”

___________________

4. “I added him, because you are 13 and just trying to be seen on Facebook, that you’ve got loads of friends and stuff.”

___________________

5. “Who is taking responsibility for this?”

___________________

6. “I’m the only one facing up to what’s happened.”

___________________

7. ”Anti-Semitic hate crime will need to be removed without delay.“

___________________

8. “They could have included sanctions to senior managers upfront and that would have imposed to bring about change.”

___________________

 E. Writing 

Find more news on cybercrime, cyberbullying, or social media safety, then report it to the class.

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In this listening comprehension worksheet about technology, your students are going to listen to 12 minutes of a podcast titled: “Science Human Connection: Can Technology Help Us Build Authentic and Meaningful Relationships?“. The worksheet contains a warm-up activity and other exercises. It’s tailored to Intermediate-Advanced students (B2).

Preparation Notes for the Teacher

Required time: 30 min

How to use the worksheet: 

• Play the podcast, pause at minute 3:00.
• Instruct the students to do warm-up Exercise A. 
• Play again and pause at minute 12:00. 
• Instruct the students to answer the questions in Exercise B and Exercise C.

Link to the podcast:

https://www.unboxyourworld.com/podcast/episode/2b616e85/science-human-connection-can-technology-build-better-relationships

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Can Technology Build Better Relationships?

To complete this worksheet, you are going to listen to the first 12 minutes of a podcast titled: “Science Human Connection: Can Technology Help Us Build Authentic and Meaningful Relationships?“

Link to the podcast: https://www.unboxyourworld.com/podcast/episode/2b616e85/science-human-connection-can-technology-build-better-relationships

Do the warm-up Exercise A first, then answer the questions in Exercise A and Exercise B.

Read the questions before answering to make sure you understand them.

A. Warm-up (Vocabulary) 

Draw lines to match the words and the expressions on the left to their definitions/meanings on the right.  

a) a start-up b) an algorithm c) an insight d) to build bridges e) a matchmaker f) swiping (in an app) g) to resonate h) meaningful i) to pivot j) to lag behind

to relate to a statement or event to decline or reject someone to move more slowly than others to connect for better understanding a newly established business worthwhile to fundamentally change the direction a process or set of rules in calculations for problem-solving someone who arranges romantic relationships between people an accurate and deep understanding

B. Multiple-Choice Questions 

Listen and choose the correct letter. (Do not fill in the blanks.)

1. Before Nina and Niloo met, Nina wanted to start a new business with …

a) her old colleagues
b) a dating app founder
c) a co-founder

2. Technology has _______ in improving human relationships.

a) built a community
b) created dating apps
c) lagged behind

3. The matchmaker of Nina and Niloo was …

a) the HelloIris app
b) Niloo’s former boss
c) Nina’s friend

4. According to Niloo, the blockchain industry can be compared to …

a) a community
b) a romantic relationship
c) human society

5. Before working together, both Nina and Niloo were tired of apps …

a) that didn’t match personalities
b) that were focused on endless swiping
c) that used complicated algorithms 

C. True or False?

Are the statements True or False?

1. According to Nina, human connection is based on humans’ world-view and communication.  _____

2. Niloo’s colleague created personality tools that she later used in the HelloIris app. _____

3. The algorithm for the dating app is based on humans’ reactions and life values, like “I am a vegan”. _____

4. Swiping apps were an antidote to the HelloIris app. _____

5. Nina and Niloo started working together after they had met on Facebook. _____

D. Discussion

Answer these questions in class and explain your answers with arguments. 

How effective are dating apps for meeting romantic partners? 

Do you trust the matchmaking of dating apps? 

Do you think that technology will progress enough to help humans build quality relationships?

In this job interview vocabulary worksheet, you are going to find ESL job interview vocabulary exercises that will help students to learn useful phrases and help them answer questions when attending a job interview. The worksheet also includes a conversation exercise for practical use of the vocabulary. The exercises are tailored to intermediate-advanced (B2-C1) students.

Preparation Notes for the Teacher

Required time: 45 min

Create and print out job cards and interview cards for Exercise C. The job cards contain a job and requirements, while the interview cards contain questions for the jobseeker. Make sure you use the questions from Exercise B, and you are welcome to add more.

The role-play should be performed in pairs, so make sure you have 3 job cards with 3 matching interview cards per pair.

Student 1 is the jobseeker who draws a job card, while Student 2 is the employer who asks questions at the interviews. Roles can be swapped for a second round of the role-play activity.

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Job Interview

In this job interview vocabulary worksheet, you will find job interview vocabulary exercises that will help you learn useful phrases, questions, and conversation tips (what you should and shouldn’t say) that you can use when attending a job interview.

Think about your dream job and what kind of skills and personality traits you need to have for that job. Discuss this briefly with your class and your teacher, then answer the questions in Exercise A and Exercise B.

Read the questions before answering to make sure you understand them.

A. Vocabulary (Skills and Personality Traits)

1. Imagine that you are a jobseeker. Think about how you would describe yourself. Look at the personality traits table, then check the statements below. Can you recognize the personality traits of every description? Fill in the blanks 1-14 with the correct word from the personality traits table.

Personality traits:

direct	assertive	determined	observant
motivated	reliable	problem-solver	upfront
people-oriented	goal-oriented	persistent	communicator

	You…	Say this to your employer: (fill in one personality trait)
1	always notice when someone needs something at a meeting	I am ________________________.
2	don’t quit until you complete your task.	I am ________________________.
3	love being around people, working together and helping them.	I am ________________________.
4	always carefully plan your tasks for the next week to achieve everything that you want.	I am ________________________.
5	know that you have to stay focused and keep on working to be successful.	I am ________________________.
6	will never talk about work outside work.	I am ________________________.
7	believe that you have to say it out loud when something is wrong.	I am ________________________.
8	can talk to anyone.	I am ________________________.
9	like finding solutions.	I am ________________________.
10	believe that self-confidence is 50% of job success.	I am ________________________.
11	see problems at work as challenges.	I am ________________________.
12	express your intentions and beliefs clearly.	I am ________________________.

2. Describe yourself briefly as a jobseeker using the words from Exercise A. Give explanations to your statements.

For example: “I am positive and reliable. When I have problems at work I try to look for a solution and I never share ideas from work outside work.“

 ________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________

4. Here are some examples on what you should and shouldn’t say at a job interview. Mark each sentence 1-10 as “Right” or “Wrong”.

1) I really need this job! ___                               

2) No, I don’t have any questions for you. ___

3) I can work under pressure because I see challenges in problems. ___

4) How much will my salary be? ___

5) With this job, I would like to develop my skills and get more experience in marketing. ___

6) I feel really anxious. ___

7) I like to change jobs because I need changes in my life. ___

8) I really like that you organize after work parties every Friday! ___

9) My current job is convenient, but I want to upgrade my skills. ___

10) My goal is to strengthen my skills and learn more about sustainability in architecture. ___

Exercise C. Speaking (Role-Play)

5. Do this role-play activity together with your partner, then swap roles:

Student 1 draws a job card. Student 2 uses a matching interview card for Student 1 for the job on the card.

Student 2 ask the interview questions from the and Student 1 has to give creative answers to get the job. Act out the interview in front of your class.

Download this worksheet in Word and PDF doc format (zipped)

In this grammar worksheet, you are going to find ESL future tense exercises for revising the future tenses and a conversation exercise for practical use of the future tenses when talking about travel.

Read the questions before answering to make sure you understand them. 

A. Revision 

Look at the definitions and rules of each future tense, then write your own examples in the blank spaces.

FUTURE SIMPLE

We use Future Simple for promises, offers, and predictions. 

• Promises: I won’t forget to send you the vacation photos.
• Offers: I will call them when I arrive.
• Predictions: Electric vehicles will become more affordable in the next few years.

1.

---

2.

---

3.

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GOING TO

We use the ‘going to’ form for predictions when there are signs that something will happen in the near future and for future plans or intentions that were made in advance.

• Predictions: Your bank account is blocked. You are going to have to call the bank officials.
• Future plans or intentions: I am going to hitchhike in Hong Kong next year.

          1.

---

          2.

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FUTURE CONTINUOUS

We use the Future Continuous when we are in the middle of doing something at a certain point in the future.

• Text me at noon, because I’ll be flying in the morning.
• They won’t be serving food this evening at the hotel.
• At 9:00 tomorrow morning, he’ll be on the train to Amalfi Coast.

1.

---

2.

---

3.

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FUTURE PERFECT

We use Future Perfect when a certain action will happen between now and a point in the future.

• My son will have traveled all the 7 continents before I turn 50.
• By the time we arrive in Venice, their dinner in the hotel will have finished already.
• His parents will have visited 500 museums by 2030.

1.       

---

2.

---

3.

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FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We use Future Perfect Continuous for actions that will continue to happen up to a certain point in the future.

• By 5 AM, I will have been preparing meals for the passengers for 3 hours already.
• By the time she finishes her journey, she will have been traveling for 3 years.
• By this time next year, her mother will have been climbing in the Himalayas for a month.

1.       

---

2.

---

3.       

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR EXPRESSING FUTURE

We use the Present Continous to talk about future arrangements, i.e. plans that one has decided and organized with another person.

• I’m spending my summer holiday with my aunt at her lake house.
• I’m flying to Rome at 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

1.       

---

2.

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PRESENT SIMPLE FOR EXPRESSING FUTURE

We use the Present Simple to indicate that an event is scheduled in the future (transport, entertainment, meeting).

• The cocktail bar in the lobby opens at 6 pm.
• The train to Stockholm leaves at 10 pm.

1.       

---

2.

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B. Future forms (grammar)

Choose the correct future form to complete the sentences ( 1-10)

1. The boarding queue is very long. We _________________ (wait).
2. Ah, I spilled the coffee. I _________________ (call) the flight attendant and ask for paper towels.
3. Axel _________________(go) Anna’s new mountain cottage in the Alps for the first time tomorrow evening.
4. ‘I didn’t bring my bathing suit.’‘Relax, I _________________(borrow) you! I brought two pairs and one of them is brand new. You can have it!”
5. By the end of the year, she _________________(sail) the Atlantic for 3 years.
6. I _________________ (fly) at 8 am tomorrow because my hotel booking is on the sam day.
7. When you arrive at the airport, we _________________ (take) a PCR test in the airport clinic.
8. ‘I _________________(write) to you every day.’
9. Air traveling _________________ (be) continue to be one of the greatest issues in the climate catastrophe.
10.  When Emma retires next week, she _________________ (work) in the tourist agency for over 30 years.
11. Please tell the hotel reception to wake you up in the morning, because I _________________ (sleep).
12. _________________(go) to the beach party tonight? 
13. Who do you think _________________ (win) the free tickets to Mallorca?
14. Look at the waves! We _________________ (crash)!
15. I’m sure that before we turn 50, the tourism industry _________________ (invent) revolutionary holographic sightseeing.
16. The city tours _________________ (schedule) at 8 in the morning.
17. Breakfast_________________ (start) at 7 am.
18. You look like you’re having jet lag. Shall I _________________ (get) you a cup of coffee?
19. The bus _________________ (leave) at 3 pm. Don’t be late!
20. When she goes to Amsterdam next month, she _________________ (stay) at the friends of her mother’s.

C. Let’s Talk About the Future (Conversation Game)

Draw a slip of paper. Talk for 30 seconds and try to say as many sentences that express future tense. The winner is the person who will have the highest number of sentences by the end of all rounds. 

Free worksheet to practice writing with newsletter articles for ESL teachers and students. (Free download available.)

Introduction: Writing Newspaper Articles

Students often read newspapers for a wide variety of reasons, not least of which is to keep informed in English. As you know, newspaper writing style tends to have three levels:

• Headlines
• leading phrases (intro, teaser)
• article content

Each of these has its own style. This lesson focuses on calling students’ attention to this type of writing style on a deeper, grammatical level. It ends with students writing up their own short articles, with a follow-up listening comprehension opportunity.

Aim: Improved writing skills and understanding newspaper writing style
Activity: Writing short newspaper articles
Level: Intermediate to upper intermediate

Exercise 1: Analyze the Article

Use the provided example newspaper article, or take a newspaper into the class.

Ask students to read the newspaper article and summarize the contents.

Have students analyze the difference between the headline, leading sentence and article content in terms of tense usage and vocabulary in small groups (3-4 students).

As a class, check that the differences between headline, leading sentence and article content are clear. Here is a short guideline to the main differences:

• Headline: Simple tenses, idiomatic, flashy vocabulary, no use of function words
• Leading sentence: Present perfect tense, often used to give general overview.
• Article content: Proper tense usage, including a change from present perfect to past tenses to give detailed, specific information about what, where and when something happened.

Exercise 2: Write Your Own Newspaper Article

Have students split up into pairs or small groups (3-4 students).

Small groups should write their own newspaper articles using the headlines provided or come up with their own stories. They should write the leading sentence and an at least three paragraphs long article.

Headline 1: TRUCK CRASHES INTO LIVING ROOM

Headline 2: LOCAL COUNCIL: ACTION NOT PROMISES

Headline 3: LOCAL FOOTBALL PLAYER WINS BIG

Have students read their newspaper articles aloud, allowing you to incorporate some listening comprehension into the lesson.

Free worksheet to practice writing for ESL teachers and students. (Free download available.)

Descriptive Paragraphs

Example: New York City

New York City is in the United States.
New York City is located in New York State.
It borders on the Atlantic Ocean.
It was founded in 1625 as “New Amsterdam”.
It was first settled by the Dutch.
It is important for commerce.
Wall Street is located in New York City.
It has many national and international banks.
It has many important skyscrapers.
The World Trade Center is located in New York City.
The Empire State Building is in New York City.
New York City is an important city for immigration.
Ellis Island used to be the entry point for many immigrants at the turn of the century.
There is an interesting immigration museum on Ellis Island. 

New York, New York is located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States of America. It was first settled as “New Amsterdam” in 1625 by the Dutch. Today, New York City is an important commercial and banking center which includes Wall Street. Among its many important skyscrapers are the World Trade Center and The Empire State Building. One of the most interesting museums is on Ellis Island which served as the entry point for many immigrants who passed through New York City.

Exercise 1: Elvis Presley

Arrange the sentences about Elvis Presley into idea groups. 

Write a paragraph about Elvis Presley using the idea groups to create concise sentences. 

Elvis Presley was an American.
He was a singer and actor.
He was famous for rock-and-roll.
He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
He was born on January 8, 1935
He started singing in church.
He taught himself to play the guitar.
He first became popular on the local touring circuit for country-and-western music.
He sang romantic songs.
He danced erotically.
Teens loved him for his new style.
He had many hits.
He sang “Love Me Tender”, “All Shook Up”, and “Don’t Be Cruel”.
He died on August 16, 1977.
He died in Memphis, Tennessee.
He might have died of drug and alcohol abuse.

Exercise 2: Creative Writing

Choose a famous place or person. 

Write several important facts about that place or person. 

Arrange the sentences into idea groups. 

Write a paragraph using the idea groups to create concise sentences. 

Exercise to practice writing for ESL teachers and students. (Free download available here.)

Writing Practice

Change the simple sentences to one complex sentence. Then create one paragraph. Use conjunctions, adjective clauses, noun clauses, etc. when appropriate. Do not repeat words. Use gerunds when possible, or change the words in order to use gerunds.

1. Las Vegas is in Nevada. It is in the western part of the United States.
2. It is a popular city. It is visited by millions of people every year. These people are eager to gamble their hard-earned money.
3. The population of the Las Vegas Metropolitan area is around 2.5 million people. The population continues to grow. People usually think Las Vegas is a smaller city.
4. Most people are not born in Las Vegas. Most Las Vegas residents come from other states.
5. Las Vegas residents enjoy many activities. They like to go to bars, clubs and shopping malls. Some people also like to hike in the surrounding desert.
6. People from Las Vegas are crazy. They should be avoided at all times.

Exercises to learn useful everyday idioms in the English language, for ESL lessons.

Exercise A: Find the Meaning

Dialogue 1

Read the following dialogue:

Kevin: I can make it. I’m out to win!

Ella: You’ll make it Kevin. Just put your best foot forward in all you do.

Kevin: I certainly try. I know life has its ups and downs and hard times to get through, but it’s important to make best of every situation.

Ella: That’s right. And if a plan falls through, we have to try and try again.

Kevin: I don’t give up, Ella, you know that. I’m determined to make out well.

Ella: Why not? Just be on your toes and keep your eyes open. There are opportunities everywhere. You only have to search out and take advantage of them whenever possible.

Kevin: Well, Ella, like you, I’m go-getter, so I’m sure to make it!

Ella: With your confidence and optimism, you will. You’ve already come a long way.

Figure out and write the meaning of the idioms provided below:

1. Out to win:

________________________________________________________________

2. To put one’s best foot forward:

________________________________________________________________

3. Ups and downs:

________________________________________________________________

4. To make the best of:

________________________________________________________________

5. To fall through:

________________________________________________________________

6. To give up:

________________________________________________________________

7. On one’s toes

________________________________________________________________

8. To keep one’s eyes open:

________________________________________________________________

9. To search out:

________________________________________________________________

10. To take advantage:

________________________________________________________________

11. Go-getter:

________________________________________________________________

12. To come a long way:

________________________________________________________________

Dialogue 2

Read the following dialogue:

Aldi: I can’t wait to get going with my new classes at Stanford.

Njel: Neither can I. Which classes did you sign up for? I signed up for Biochemical.

Aldi: I signed up for that, too, and also for a computer technology course.

Njel: Do you think you can handle two courses at the same time?

Aldi: I hope so. I want to make out well in spite of language barrier.

Njel: Then, you’ll just have to put your best foot forward, and give it all you’ve got.

Aldi: That’s right. I want to keep up with the class. I certainly don’t want to fall behind the others.

Njel: Oh, you’ll keep up if you pay attention to the instructors, take notes, and burn the midnight oil.

Aldi: I guess so, but we’ll both have to get used to studying.

Njel: Well, with perseverance and determination, I’m sure we’ll have it made.

Aldi: I think so. I have set my sights on a bright future. We both will definitely out to win.

Njel: Yeah … a bright future for us. Education is the key. 

Figure out and write the meaning of the idioms provided below:

1. To get going:

________________________________________________________________

2. At the same time:

________________________________________________________________

3. In spite of:

________________________________________________________________

4. To give something all one’s got:

________________________________________________________________

5. To keep up:

________________________________________________________________

6. To fall behind:

________________________________________________________________

7. To take notes:

________________________________________________________________

8. To burn the midnight oil:

________________________________________________________________

9. To have it made:

________________________________________________________________

10. To set one’s sights on:

________________________________________________________________

Exercise B: Select the Correct Answer

Read the sentences and choose the answer that has the closest meaning to the bold-marked phrase.

That movie was nothing to write home about. The ending left a lot to be desired.

a. amazing
b. terrible
c. nothing special
d. nothing I could understand

a. was interesting
b. was unsatisfying
c. was stupid
d. was what I wanted

Why are you talking about politics? We’re discussing our relationship. What you are saying has no bearing on this conversation.

a. is similar to
b. isn’t interesting to us in
c. has information useful for
d. is completely unrelated to

I saw her cheating on the test, but I didn’t say anything to the teacher, and she got away with it. She got an A and I got a C. I should have said something!

a. did very well on
b. did something bad and wasn’t punished for
c. did badly on
d. was happy about

Jennifer says that Lou quit his job and moved to Italy, but as far as I know, he’s still working for General Motors in Detroit.

a. I don’t think
b. I’m sure
c. the information I have is
d. it’s possible

Many people didn’t like Inception because they didn’t understand it. As far as I’m concerned, however, it was a fascinating movie.

a. for everybody
b. for me
c. because of that
d. I’m worried that

When our kids lose a tooth, they put it under their pillow and during the night we take it and put money in its place. As far as the kids are concerned, it’s the Tooth Fairy.

a. the kids believe is
b. what we say to the kids is
c. we think
d. the kids don’t think that

From my standpoint, Obama is a much better president than Romney would be, but from your point of view, Romney would do better with the economy. This is a bone of contention between us. How can I get through to you that you should vote for Obama? All of Romney’s plans and explanations don’t hold water.

a. What I think is
b. It’s a fact that
c. I don’t believe
d. When I stand up

a. in your opinion
b. you don’t think
c. it’s crazy to say
d. the point of this conversation is

a. a problem for the country
b. nothing to argue about
c. something we can agree on
d. something we disagree about

a. surprise you
b. convince you
c. fight you
d. tell you

a. are great
b. are terrible
c. don’t make sense
d. don’t work in the rain

Look, I was only fifteen minutes late. We can still see the movie. We’re only going to miss the previews, so we’ll still get our money’s worth. Don’t blow this out of proportion. It’s not the end of the world. When you get upset about something small, you really drive me up the wall.

a. get our money back
b. get a good value for our money
c. spend a lot of money
d. work hard

a. make a mistake
b. explode
c. exaggerate
d. make an excuse

a. make me crazy
b. make me happy
c. take me home
d. drive your car

Free Food Idioms & Vocabulary Worksheet for ESL teachers and students, to learn idioms or prepare ESL lesson plans.

Idioms & Vocabulary List

to grab a bite to eat (i)
to go out to eat
Do you want to grab a bite to eat before we see the movie?

it’s on someone (i)
paying for a meal/movie etc. for someone else
Don’t worry about paying for dinner. It’s on me.

to treat someone (i)
to pay for a meal/movie etc. for someone else
You don’t need to bring any money with you tonight. I’ll treat you.

to go Dutch (i)
to split the cost of a meal
We’ve been dating for a long time, so we usually go Dutch.

to cover someone’s half (i)
to pay for someone
I still owe you 20 dollars, so I’ll cover your half and we’ll be even.

whatever one’s heart desires (i)
anything you want
His parents are so rich that he can have whatever his heart desires.

to be starving / famished (i)
to be really hungry
I need to eat something. I’m starving.

to be so hungry one could eat a horse (i)
to be really hungry
I haven’t had time to eat yet. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

to pig out (i)
to eat too much
If you keep pigging out all the time, you are going to get really fat.

an appetizer (n)
food before the main course
Do you want to share the calamari for an appetizer?

an entree (n)
main course
Pasta is my favorite entree.

the house specialty (n)
the dish a restaurant specializes in
Their chef is from Japan, so the house specialty is Ahi Tuna.

to be out of this world (i)
to be really amazing.
This chocolate cake is out of this world.

to be mouth watering (i)
to be really delicious
Wow! Whatever you are cooking smells mouth watering.

to start (v)
as an appetizer
Do you want to share the nachos to start?

to wash something down (i)
to drink something to help you swallow food; to drink a lot while eating
I need another beer to wash down all the hamburgers I ate.

to be tasty (adj)
to be delicious
The soup that you made for dinner was really tasty.

one’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach (i)
an expression used when somebody wants more food than they can eat
You can’t eat all that. I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

to skip a meal (i)
to miss a meal
I skipped breakfast today, so I’m really hungry.

a doggie bag (i)
the bag that leftovers from a restaurant meal are put in, so you can take the food home with you
I couldn’t finish my meal, so I took it home in a doggie bag.

leftovers (n)
food from a previous meal that you eat later
We are having leftovers for dinner tonight.

Dialogue Exercise

Mike: Thanks for inviting me out today. I was feeling kind of sad. There’s nothing better than grabbing a bite to eat with a good friend to make you feel better.

Shaun: No problem. It’s for your birthday, so it’s on me.

Mike: Oh, I thought no one remembered, but you don’t have to treat me. We can go Dutch. Don’t feel you have to cover my half just because it’s my birthday.

Shaun: Forget about it. I’ve got it covered. Order whatever your heart desires.

Mike: Great, because I’m starving. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. It’s time to pig out. Do you know what you’re going to have?

Shaun: I’m going to have the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, and a medium-rare steak for my entree. It’s the house specialty, and I hear it’s out of this world.

Mike: Wow! There are a lot of mouth watering choices on this menu. Let’s see. I think I’ll go with the caviar to start and the seafood platter for two as my main course. Like I said, I’m famished.

Shaun: Man, it’s going to be pretty hard to eat all that.

Mike: You’re right. It would be pretty hard to eat all that without something to drink. I think I’ll order a bottle of their finest wine to wash down all that tasty food.

Shaun: I think your eyes might be bigger than your stomach.

Mike: Yeah, I might have to skip breakfast tomorrow. But I can always take a doggie bag, so I can have leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

Shaun: Well, I might have to skip a few meals after paying this bill.

Match the Words Exercise

What comes next:  Match the first person’s comment (1-9) to the right response (a-i)

1. Where do you want to go for lunch?

2. I’m totally starving. 

3. Do you want to go for drinks after work? It’s on me.

4. I have never been so full in my life. 

5. What are you going to have for your entree?

6. Are you going to get anything to start?

7. Do you think we should get a doggie bag? 

8. Would you like something to wash down your meal with?

9. How are things going with your new boyfriend?

A) I’m not surprised. You totally pigged out. I think your eyes were bigger than your stomach, although your stomach looks pretty big right now.

B) I think I’m going to give the house specialty a try.

C) I don’t think so. If I have an appetizer, I probably won’t be able to finish my main course.

D) No. I don’t like leftovers.

E) Sounds like a good idea, but you are always treating me. This time I’m going to treat you and cover your half.

F) I’m not so sure about him. You know last night we went out for dinner for our one-month anniversary. He told me to order whatever my heart desired, but when the bill came he wanted to go Dutch.

G) Yes. I’ll have a large orange juice.

H) How about we grab a bite to eat at that new cafe around the corner. I hear their sandwiches are out of this world.

I) Me too. I’m famished. I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.

Discussion

1. When do you usually pig out?
2. What is a dish that you think is out of this world?
3. Do you ever skip meals? Which ones?
4. Do people in your country take home doggie bags? Why or why not?
5. Have your eyes ever been bigger than your stomach?
6. What is the house specialty at your favorite restaurant?

Free worksheet for ESL teachers and students, to learn idioms and slangs or prepare ESL lesson plans.

Idioms and Slang: What does that mean?

Idioms and slang are special words and language used within a culture or group of people.

An idiom is an expression which has a meaning different from the meaning of its individual words.  We call this type of language figurative.  The opposite of this word is literal language.  Look at these examples:

Break a leg! Figurative meaning: good luck on your performance (for an actor)

I’m feeling under the weather. Figurative meaning: I’m feeling tired and sick

If you think about the literal meaning of these expressions, they might sound funny.  English speakers use many idioms (idiomatic expressions) in their everyday speech. 

Slang is like an idiom, but it is usually used by a group of people, for example: text message slang or California slang.  Slang words are more often used by teenagers and young people.  Here are two examples.

Example 1:            I have five bucks. (Dollars)

Example 2:            I aced my test! (Got a good grade, did well)

These sentences use idioms and slang.  What do these words mean?  Rewrite the sentences without slang. 

1. I flunked my test and got Grade F. 

________________________________________________________________

2. Do you know that dude’s name ? 

________________________________________________________________

3. The stores are open 24/7 so you can buy stuff whenever you want. 

________________________________________________________________

4. Do I know Jim? Of course, I do. We’ve been pals for years. 

________________________________________________________________

5. I need some bread to pay for my house. 

________________________________________________________________

6. My neighbor is a pain in the neck. 

________________________________________________________________

7. Don’t forget to bring two bottles of booze to the party. 

________________________________________________________________

8. Would you like your scotch on the rocks? 

________________________________________________________________

9. It takes a lot of guts to jump out of an airplane, even with a parachute. 

________________________________________________________________

10. I know zilch about computers. I never use them. 

________________________________________________________________

Idioms and Slang Discussion

In pairs, ask and answer these questions:

• Do people in your home country use idioms or slang? Do the young people use a lot of slang? What is one of the common idioms or slang words used in your native language? What does it mean literally? 
• In your home country do some groups of people use slang more than others? (An age group? An economic group? A social group?) Do you know something about people just by listening to the way they talk?
• In America where do you hear the most slang and idioms used? When is it most difficult for you to understand English? (Conversations, TV shows, news, telephone, business, etc.)
• Have you heard any strange slang words or idioms lately? Do you know what they mean? Talk with a partner.
• In English, we have animal and/or food words in many of our idioms and slang. Is it the same in your native language? If not, what is a common topic in your idioms and slang?

American Expressions

Here are some common American expressions. What do they mean? 

It costs an arm and a leg.

I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

She let the cat out of the bag.

He is a couch potato.

I am going to catch some z’s.

She spilled the beans.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

His bark is worse than his bite.

She wears her heart on her sleeve.

He is really cool.

She is a backseat driver

I bent over backwards to help them.

Cross your fingers!

Those children drive me up the wall.

That was the icing on the cake.

I’m on the fence about it.

She made the cake from scratch.

With your partner(s) write a dialogue using 5 of these idioms or slang words.

A worksheet about raising children to practice reading for advanced ESL students. (Free download available.)

Bribing children to behave

Some call it a treat, as when a child is promised dessert if she finishes her Brussels sprouts. Others call it a reward, such as purchasing a video game for doing well on a test. Whatever innocuous terminology the action may be dressed in, though, promises of desserts, toys, or favors are actually bribes. What’s worse, many parents readily admit to caving in to their kids, buying what previous generations simply demanded as appropriate behavior.

Parenting experts agree that rewards have a time and a place. But some parents have gone overboard. They pay their children to brush their teeth, go to sleep at an appropriate time, or even score a few goals at a soccer tournament! Although it may achieve results in the short term, it can lead children to become adults with unrealistic expectations of how the world works. There grows a sense of “What are you going to give me?”

In part, bribing our children to behave stems from the modern world, because past generations didn’t have as many material goods to offer their kids. Parents are now busier than ever before, too, with both mom and dad juggling careers and parenting duties. Frazzled, overworked, and overtired, many admit that they don’t want another power struggle. With each bribe, children up the ante. They demand more and more.

Of course, it’s completely unrealistic to assume parents will never reward their children from time to time. The action should strike a balance and equal the reward, though. It should also be used sparingly. Parents instead should emphasize that it’s rewarding enough to do the thing. For example, going to bed early will ensure that you feel well rested tomorrow. If that doesn’t work, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “Because I said so!”

I. Exercise one – Fill in the blanks

1. Some call it a __________________________________.

            a. punishment

            b. reward

            c. trick

            d. treat

2. Parents are now __________________________________ than ever before

            a. happier

            b. busier

            c. angrier

            d. content

3 . __________________________________ instead should emphasize that it’s rewarding enough to do the thing

            a. Children

            b. Parents

            c. Adults

            d. Siblings

II. Exercise two – Answer the questions

1. What does innocuous mean?

________________________________________________________________

2. What is a bribe?

________________________________________________________________

3. Why do parents bribe their children?

________________________________________________________________

4. What does frazzled mean?

________________________________________________________________

5. What are some of the ways that parents bribe their children to behave?

________________________________________________________________

III. Exercise three – Talk about yourself

1. Do you think parents should bribe their children to behave?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Were you ever bribed to behave well as a child?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think a good bribe should be for children?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

A worksheet about the science of dreams to practice reading for advanced ESL students. (Free download available here.)

Dreams

People have been trying to discover the truth about dreams for centuries, and the simplest answer is this: dreams are basically stories and pictures our brains create when we’re asleep.

Most dreams happen during the times of night when we are most deeply asleep, and our eyes begin to move around quickly under our eyelids. This may sound creepy, but it’s totally normal, and it’s called Rapid Eye Movement, or REM. Dream researchers used to think that REM was the only time people dream, but now most experts agree that we can dream at just about any time of the night. Maybe REM dreams are just our most memorable and realistic dreams.

The experts disagree on just why we dream. Here are some of their theories:

• Some say dreams don’t really have a purpose; they’re just one of those things that seem to happen for no reason.
• Some say dreams are our brains “twitching.” Because our brains are basically huge collections of information, pictures, and feelings, when they “twitch” in the night, all kinds of strange things come out and get thrown into dreams.
• Some say dreams are a way to process all the events and emotions of the day, and are important to our mental and physical health. It’s sort of like when you leave a computer on, it sometimes runs programs to clean up its hard drive. Our brains are always “on” even when we’re asleep, so dreaming could be a time for them to do their own version of cleaning up the “hard drive.”
• Other experts say that dreams exist to solve specific problems in our lives. Let’s say you give a computer an incredibly complex math problem, and it has to take a few seconds before it comes up with the answer. This could be what dreaming is about, except instead of solving a big math problem, our sleeping brains are trying to solve emotional issues. The stories and images we experience as dreams are like way-out versions of our emotions, and our brains are working through those emotions.

1. Blind People Dream

People who become blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion. It is hard for a seeing person to imagine, but the body’s need for sleep is so strong that it is able to handle virtually all physical situations to make it happen.

2. You Forget 90% of your Dreams

Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dreams are forgotten. Within 10, 90% is gone. The famous poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, woke one morning having had a fantastic dream (likely opium induced) – he put pen to paper and began to describe his “vision in a dream” in what has become one of English’s most famous poems: Kubla Khan.Curiously, Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the story of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde while he was dreaming. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was also created during a dream.

3. Everybody Dreams 

Every human being dreams (except in cases of extreme psychological disorder) but men and women have different dreams and different physical reactions. Men tend to dream more about other men, while women tend to dream equally about men and women. In addition, both men and women experience sexually related physical reactions to their dreams regardless of whether the dream is sexual in nature; males experience erections and females experience increased vaginal blood flow.

4. Dreams Prevent Psychosis 

In a recent sleep study, students who were awakened at the beginning of each dream, but still allowed their 8 hours of sleep, all experienced difficulty in concentration, irritability, hallucinations, and signs of psychosis after only 3 days. When finally allowed their REM sleep the student’s brains made up for lost time by greatly increasing the percentage of sleep spent in the REM stage. [Source]

5. We Only Dream of What We Know

Our dreams are frequently full of strangers who play out certain parts – did you know that your mind is not inventing those faces – they are real faces of real people that you have seen during your life but may not know or remember? The evil killer in your latest dream may be the guy who pumped petrol into your Dad’s car when you were just a little kid. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces throughout our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.

6. Not Everyone Dreams in Color

A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. People also tend to have common themes in dreams, which are situations relating to school, being chased, running slowly/in place, sexual experiences, falling, arriving too late, a person now alive being dead, teeth falling out, flying, failing an examination, or a car accident. It is unknown whether the impact of a dream relating to violence or death is more emotionally charged for a person who dreams in color than one who dreams in black and white. [Source]

7. Dreams are not about what they are about

If you dream about some particular subject it is not often that the dream is about that. Dreams speak in a deeply symbolic language. The unconscious mind tries to compare your dream to something else, which is similar. It’s like writing a poem and saying that a group of ants were like machines that never stop. But you would never compare something to itself, for example: “That beautiful sunset was like a beautiful sunset”. So whatever symbol your dream picks on it is most unlikely to be a symbol for itself.

8. Quitters have more vivid dreams 

People who have smoked cigarettes for a long time who stop, have reported much more vivid dreams than they would normally experience. Additionally, according to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology: “Among 293 smokers abstinent for between 1 and 4 weeks, 33% reported having at least 1 dream about smoking. In most dreams, subjects caught themselves smoking and felt strong negative emotions, such as panic and guilt. Dreams about smoking were the result of tobacco withdrawal, as 97% of subjects did not have them while smoking. They were rated as more vivid than the usual dreams and were as common as most major tobacco withdrawal symptoms.” [Source]

9. External Stimuli Invade our Dreams 

This is called Dream Incorporation and it is the experience that most of us have had where a sound from reality is heard in our dream and incorporated in some way. A similar (though less external) example would be when you are physically thirsty and your mind incorporates that feeling into your dream. My own experience of this includes repeatedly drinking a large glass of water in the dream which satisfies me, only to find the thirst returning shortly after – this thirst… drink… thirst… loop often recurs until I wake up and have a real drink.

10. You are paralyzed while you sleep

Believe it or not, your body is virtually paralyzed during your sleep – most likely to prevent your body from acting out aspects of your dreams.

Bonus: Extra Facts

1. When you are snoring, you are not dreaming.

2. Toddlers do not dream about themselves until around the age of 3. From the same age, children typically have many more nightmares than adults do until age 7 or 8.

3. If you are awakened out of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, you are more likely to remember your dream in a more vivid way than you would if you woke from a full night sleep.

I. Exercise one – Fill in the blanks

1. People have been trying to discover the truth about dreams for __________________________________

            a. months

            b. years

            c. decades

            d. centuries

2. People who become __________________________________ after birth can see images in their dreams.

            a. confused

            b. mute

            c. blind

            d. deaf

3  When you are __________________________________, you are not dreaming.

            a. snoring

            b. laughing

            c. breathing

            d. crying

II. Exercise two – Answer the questions

1. Do blind people dream?

________________________________________________________________

2. What is special about the dreams of “quitters”?

________________________________________________________________

3. Are you dreaming when you snore?

________________________________________________________________

4. What do toddlers dream about?

________________________________________________________________

5. How many of our dreams do we forget?

________________________________________________________________

III. Exercise three – Talk about yourself

1. What do you usually dream about?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you sleep well?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you know anybody who snores?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

An education-related worksheet to practice reading for advanced ESL students. (Free download available here.)

Why I am studying botanic

Hi, I’m Dave, and I’d like to talk about the time when I decided to become a physicist. It seemed to be a strong possibility but as I hadn’t prepared for my required exams, there was a slim chance of passing them. In the end, I decided to try my luck at botany instead. This, as it turned out, was a fantastic decision! 

I adored every second of my studies, made some lifelong friends and discovered more about myself in the process. I’m currently working through my degree and by the end of next year, I will be fully qualified and ready to make my way in the world. Just think, all of this came from me “failing” my original exams. Talk about a successful mistake!

I. Exercise one – Fill in the blanks

1. I decided to try my luck at __________________________________ instead.

            a. law

            b. chemistry

            c. botany

            d. engineering

2. I __________________________________ every second of my studies

            a. loved

            b. hated

            c. adored

            d. abhorred

3 .Talk about a __________________________________ mistake!

            a. successful

            b. bad

            c. great

            d. poor

II. Exercise two – Answer the questions

1. What does Dave want to do?

________________________________________________________________

2. What does “a slim chance” mean?

________________________________________________________________

3. What did Dave study in the end?

________________________________________________________________

4. What will happen at the end of next year?

________________________________________________________________

5. What does Dave mean by a “successful mistake”?

________________________________________________________________

III. Exercise three – Talk about yourself

1. Are you happy with what you studied / are studying?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Is it important to go to university to have a successful career?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you know anybody successful who didn’t go to university?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________