Most of our students come to Fluentify because they need to improve their speaking, as our motto goes “Speaking, everything changes.” But we know that it can sometimes be hard to get our students to talk session after session, especially when they don’t have a clear goal in mind or need to use English for a specific reason. But, sending our students the right kind of pre-session activity can make all the difference.
Looking for good articles, videos, podcasts, and exercises can be difficult and time consuming. For today’s post, we wanted to share some articles that are guaranteed to spark conversation with your student and set the tone for a great speaking-filled session.
1. For your student that loves reading…
What Your Favorite Book Genre Says About You
This article has a colloquial-style description (and funny GIF) of each book genre and characteristics of the people who prefer that genre. It’s great to start a conversation about personality traits, tendencies, and likes and dislikes.
Length: Short
Level: Intermediate
2. For your student that talks about never having enough time…
The Four Burners Theory: The Downside of Work Life Balance
This article discusses the impossible theory of work-life balance and how sacrifices must be made, but how these sacrifices change over time depending on one’s current life situation. Great to talk about how your student balances all of their commitments as well as hopes, desires, and fears.
Length: Medium
Level: Intermediate
3. For your student that likes to talk about the differences between Italian culture and your culture….
Why Some Cultures Frown on Smiling
This article discusses why some cultures tend to be more ‘straight-faced’ than others. Sparks an interesting conversation about other cultural habits and why people develop them (and, of course, the differences between Italians and your culture).
Length: Short
Level: Intermediate
4. For your student who works 12 hour days…
The Science Behind Sweden’s Six-Hour Workday
This article looks at the benefits of a six-hour workday and how it is already being implemented in some parts of the world. This is a good article for your students who work long days to talk about if/how they could manage their work in fewer hours and the limitations it may present, but also of the benefits.
Length: Medium
Level: Intermediate
5. For your student that loves doing physical activity…
How Exercise Shapes You, Far Beyond the Gym
This article looks at the benefits of physical activity outside of the purely physical ones. This is great for your student who is always active and talking about his/her activities. Conversation can go from why the student started their activities to how it has changed his/her life.
Length: Long
Level: Advanced
These are just a few articles that we have found worked well with students. If you have any other go-to articles, please share below!
Katie
Katie is a native New Yorker living in Italy and a former Head of Tutors at Fluentify. As a tutor at Fluentify, she specialized in the job search process, interview preparation, and business English.