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February 12, 2025February 15, 2025

Topical Reading Comprehension

Topical Reading Comprehension

12th February 2025

First Day at University (with answers)

I have found that another easy-to-teach topic is a student’s first day at university. This is a an experience that university students can identify with and works smoothly in the classroom.

The Weekend Market (with answers)

This is an English language reading comprehension worksheet about a visit to a weekend market. It is an experience that almost every student in the world can relate to and so it’s extremely suitable for an English language class.

Weekend Market (PDF)

Inventing a mRNA vaccine to save the world

Katalin Kariko and the story of mRNA

This is a reading comprehension exercise about the people who invented a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Inventing an mRNA vaccine (PDF)

Learning a New Language

Learning a new language has a lot of benefits for the learner.

The Intern

This is a reading/listening comprehension exercise about a day in the life of an intern and contrasts it with university life.

(download reading PDF)

Shein: the Best, and Worst, of Fast Fashion

The fast fashion industry has become quite topical recently. I think it’s really interesting on many levels. I hope the vocabulary in this exercise is not too difficult but it’s unavoidable with a topic like this.

The Experiment

This is a reading exercise about a scientist or researcher conducting an experiment in a lab. It’s great for any kind of medical/science students learning English, but I think it’s good for English language learners generally.

The History of the T-shirt

The t-shirt is one of those topics that just about everyone can relate to.

A Day in the Life of an Online Shopper

A fairly elementary reading comprehension exercise about an online shopper.

High School vs University

This reading exercise focuses on the differences between high school students and university students.

High School vs University (PDF)

Air Tags

This is a reading comprehension about Apple’s latest innovation, Air Tags.

Christiane Amanpour

This reading worksheet is about the journalist Christiane Amanpour.

Christiane Amanpour (PDF)

Autonomous Vehicles

The arrival of autonomous vehicles is a topical issue of our times. It’s a great way to to engage in a discussion about the impacts of new technologies.

Autonomous vehicles reading comprehension (PDF)

San Francisco – a Tale of a City

his is a reading/listening comprehension exercise about a bellwether city, San Francisco. It’s a more advanced reading exercise focusing on social issues related to the development of cities and technology in the 21st century.

See video on YouTube

February 10, 2025February 15, 2025

Customer Service Role-Plays and Dialogues

Customer Service Role-Plays and Dialogues

10th February 2025

Face-to-face customer service holds particular importance in 2025 for several reasons:

Complex customer service issues require empathy

Face-to-face service builds stronger trust, particularly crucial in financial services, healthcare and high-value retail

In-person interactions allow staff to read body language and handle complex problems more effectively

Personal service creates memorable experiences and brand loyalty in an automated world

Certain demographics and cultures strongly prefer face-to-face interactions

Best practices combine in-person and digital channels for a complete service experience

Direct interaction enables better relationship building and sales opportunities

The complete versions of the exercises below include: role play cues, audio files and multiple choice quizzes for each listening scenario. Of course, they also include the answers.

Multivitamins Price Error Role Play

In today’s world, the human touch (soft skills) in customer service remains irreplaceable. This role-play activity centers on a common retail scenario – price discrepancies – that bridges both digital and in-person shopping experiences. As stores increasingly use electronic price tags and scanning systems, mismatches between shelf prices and register charges have become more frequent.

(Download PDF extract)

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Air Conditioner Cleaning Appointment Role Play

Making appointments by phone remains an essential skill in today’s world. This role-play activity develops the precise language needed for successful scheduling conversations. Students practice key phrases for discussing time slots (“Are you available next Tuesday?”), providing contact details (“Let me confirm your phone number”), and exchanging service information (“The service takes about two hours”).

(Extract from PDF)

Smartphone Availability Enquiry Role Play (Out of Stock)

Product availability queries have become increasingly common in our supply chain-challenged world. This role-play puts you in both the customer’s and store clerk’s shoes when dealing with product availability issues. The conversation covers real situations we all face nowadays – like chip shortages affecting phone availability, comparing different models, and getting on notification lists for restocking. Whether you’re shopping or working in retail, these are some of the phrases you’ll need to handle these common situations smoothly.

Pharmacy Role Play – Blood Sugar Monitor (first time purchase)

Buying a new device for the first time involves more than just the purchase – it requires clear communication about how to use it. This role-play activity focuses on the interaction between a first-time buyer and a helpful staff member. Students practice essential vocabulary for asking about product features, requesting demonstrations, and confirming usage instructions.

Calling to Complain

Making a complaint effectively while maintaining professionalism is a valuable skill in any workplace.When something is delivered incorrectly, employees need to know how to handle the situation professionally. This role-play lets students practice both sides of the conversation – being the customer who needs to explain what went wrong, and being the customer service representative who needs to fix it.

Supermarket Enquiries Role Play

Lost in a supermarket? Not sure where to find things? This role-play helps you practice all those useful questions we need to ask when shopping – where things are, what time the store closes, whether they have certain products, and how much things cost.

Self Checkout Dialogue

Self-service checkouts have become an unavoidable part of modern shopping, yet they can be surprisingly challenging for many people. This activity explores the common scenario of navigating these digital interfaces through a realistic dialogue between a customer service bot and an elderly shopper. This exercise focuses on imperative commands and checkout vocabulary.

February 7, 2025February 15, 2025

Cybersecurity Language Lessons

Cybersecurity Language Lessons

13th February 2025

Brainstorming Cybersecurity Vocabulary

Every time we go online, we need to protect ourselves from cyber threats – it’s just part of modern life. This activity breaks down the basics of staying safe online into simple categories that everyone can understand. Since most students use computers and smartphones daily, they’ll recognize many of these security issues from their own experiences. The mind map format makes it easy to see how everything fits together, helping students talk about online safety using proper English terms.

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Cybersecurity Visual Vocabulary

In an era where cybersecurity impacts everything from personal banking to professional communication, visual learning becomes a powerful tool for understanding digital safety. This exercise uses imagery and audio to bring abstract security concepts to life.

Download PDF excerpt

Cybersecurity Dashboard Discussion

Our phones and devices constantly ping us with security alerts – from suspicious login warnings to two-factor authentication codes. This activity taps into these familiar experiences, transforming them into discussions about digital security. Through a real-world security dashboard, students explore common scenarios they encounter daily, like system alerts, blocked access attempts, and traffic monitoring. Discussion questions get everyone sharing their own experiences with cybersecurity, from setting up passwords to handling those pesky security notifications.

Thinking Critically about Cybersecurity

Modern cybersecurity isn’t just about technology – it’s about making smart decisions in our digital lives. These exercises challenge students to think critically about their own cybersecurity choices through three engaging exercises: identifying how they log in to their accounts, ranking which online threats they consider most dangerous, and sorting their daily security habits into good and bad.

Cybersecurity Language Exercises: Collocations

In today’s interconnected world, we all need the vocabulary and language skills to discuss cybersecurity, whether we’re reporting a suspicious email at work, helping a family member secure their accounts, or trying to understand the latest online threats. When it comes to talking about these topics in English, knowing the right word combinations, or collocations, is essential. These natural word partnerships (like “run antivirus software” or “detect suspicious activity”) help students sound more fluent and professional when discussing digital security.

(download PDF extract)

Cybersecurity: Advantages and Disadvantages

Basic Worksheet (Cybersecurity: Advantages and Disadvantages):
This worksheet introduces students to the fundamental building blocks of cybersecurity, focusing on everyday security tools and practices that most people encounter. From basic password protection to regular security updates, students explore the benefits and drawbacks of essential security measures.

Advanced Worksheet (Modern Cybersecurity):
This more challenging activity takes students into the world of cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. It examines sophisticated tools like AI-powered security systems, Zero Trust frameworks, and IoT protection – concepts that are reshaping digital security. Students analyze complex trade-offs in modern security solutions, such as how AI security tools can detect new threats but may require significant computing resources. The technical vocabulary and concepts make this worksheet ideal for advanced learners or those working in IT-related fields.

Cybersecurity Wrap

Understanding how to spot and respond to cyber threats has become an essential life skill. Relatable workplace conversations and situations – from forgotten passwords to suspicious emails – make this exercise relevant and engaging for learners who use technology in their personal and professional lives.