Toxic – social media

Toxic is a One2one Academy conversation-based podcast about the impact of social media on society. Learn how to express yourself in English.

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Podcast

The world has experienced a dramatic change over the years in terms of the impact of social media. Some say that the younger generation is slowly losing their social skills and that we have passed the point of no return.

This aptly named podcast refers to social media’s impact on our society. So, if you are studying English as a second language, then the first thing you should do is research this topic. Finding new phrases and words that can be used to express an opinion is critical to improving your conversation skills. 

Statements

There are plenty of resources online; perhaps that’s a great place to start. Let me introduce some statements to think about at this stage.

1. Children’s communication skills have evolved and are now more efficient and effective.
2. There is a divide between how the younger and older generations use social media.
3. Social media has created a wealth of new types of jobs that have contributed to stronger global economies.
4. The education sector has benefited from how social media is used. 
5. Social media platforms are contributing towards stronger relationships between friends and family members. 

Expressing an opinion on topics with more than one point of view will help you improve your conversation skills. I have mentioned a few alternative forms you can use in other podcasts. 

Interaction

I wanted to focus on how people interact when they speak to each other. Firstly it would be strange not to give a signal that we are listening to someone. By a signal, I mean some form of sound or, indeed, a sentence to at least acknowledge that you are in a conversation.

This can vary in response, but for now, here are a few different ways that we use when conversing:

1. That’s interesting
2. I see
3. Hmm 

You can use many more, but they are considered indicators that you are listening and participating in a conversation. Unfortunately, many students wait to be asked a question rather than ask questions. This can be a fatal mistake since asking questions will help to promote or extend a conversation with someone. Therefore, introducing some questions is good practice to prompt a response.

Voice Tones 

The impact of voice tones can indicate emotional content. For example, a louder voice could mean aggression or how strongly you feel about something, whereas a softer voice could be considered more empathic.

On the one hand, learning how to apply voice tones to influence meaning in English is a skill. On the other hand, it will take some time to perfect, so don’t get frustrated and keep practising. 

English exams

If you are taking an exam in English, then you should consider some of these styles of questions:

1. How has the use of social media changed in the last five years?
2. Which platforms do you use and why?
3. How often do you post something on a platform?
4. In your opinion, what types of new jobs have been created directly from social media?
5. Do you think that how we buy products and services is impacted by social media? Why?
6. How have you personally benefited from social media? Why?
7. Is social media considered a babysitter for the younger generation? Why?
8. Do you believe that social media is now a key influencer in the business sector? Why?

Guide – Road Map

This post is a guide to explain how we work, the rules we have and how to access all our learning tools.

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A GUIDE TO BOOKING A CLASS OR COURSE

You can book individual classes or a course. Our calendar is online and works in your time zone. Select the time that is convenient for you.

TO BOOK A COURSE

1. Go to our BOOK NOW page
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4. Complete ALL your details
5. Read and confirm that you have read the Terms and Conditions
6. PAY NOW to complete your order

If you are booking a course through an affiliate, please ask them to send you a unique link instead

BOOK YOUR CLASSES

1. Go to our BOOK NOW page
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7. IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED A COURSE, ENTER YOUR COURSE CODE* OR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE “Enter code” box and COMPLETE.
8. IF YOU HAVE NOT PURCHASED A COURSE, Click on “pay with Credit/Debit card” to complete your booking.

*Your course code can be found on your email confirmation which is received as soon as you purchase a course with us.

LIVE HELP GUIDE

There is a live help feature. You can leave a message if there are no language instructors available to chat.

THE RULES

If you have booked a class, you must appreciate that your tutor has prepared materials and organised their classes. However, you must show up to avoid being charged. If you are late for class, we only wait a maximum of 15 minutes, after which you will be charged.
You can manage your classes by creating a password and signing into the calendar. Class times can be changed, but you can only cancel a class 24 hours in advance. Therefore, we suggest you book all your class times and manage them in the calendar app.

Our full terms and conditions can be found by clicking here.

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. We also have a closed Facebook group if you are taking an English exam; however, you need to be a one2one student to join.

PODCASTS

We use three platforms to promote our podcasts. Below you will find all the players. We publish our homework on these platforms, so make sure you join us. They are a free resource for you to use.

SPOTIFY

SOUNDCLOUD

APPLE

Property ownership – shades of red

A podcast based on the concept of property ownership. This is a conversation class lesson plan aimed at an intermediate level.

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The world seems to be a smaller place. Yet, an overwhelming school of thought believes property ownership is still high on the wish list for most.

Property

The world seems to be a smaller place. Yet, an overwhelming school of thought believes home ownership is still on a high list of priorities. The best investment is buying a property.

Buying a property is more of an investment, a safe and calculative place to store money. However, others believe it’s risky to place all your money in one place. What do you think and why?

Before you answer this question, consider that there are different forms of expressing yourself in English. The form “I think” is undoubtedly the most common, but there are other forms that you should consider, such as “In my opinion” and “I strongly believe”. Each carries a different degree of how strongly you feel about a topic. Try various forms so that you can practice.

Topping up a pension fund

The next question is based on a pension. Research over many decades has shown that investing in a property is a great way to top up a pension fund. This can often provide enhanced security in preparation for retirement. Do you agree or disagree, and why?

It’s an intriguing concept since some of us live for now, and some want to think about the future. Try and use examples from your personal experience with this topic. Often using examples can help you to express an opinion.

Renting a property

Renting a property is more flexible. This could be true post-Pandemic, as working from home can mean travelling expenses to and from work are no longer significant considerations.

Is flexibility in terms of settling in an area or scaling up to a larger property when you have more money or scaling down when you don’t important?

Property status in society

Our place in society is measured by the location of a property and its size. Status is a consideration. It displays wealth and success. But is this not the point of owning a property, and why?

Try and expand your answers. It will help you to show the depth of your grammar and demonstrate how strongly you feel about a topic.

Property equity release

Turning some of the property into a cash fund can seem attractive to some, although there is a risk that it can block the sale of a house. Nevertheless, it can make all the difference the older you get. So what do you think and why?

Equity release is only available in some countries, and various forms of this banking product exist. I have placed a link in the text that may help you research this topic if you are unfamiliar with it.

Asking questions

Students often become accustomed to answering questions, but there is cause to encourage a flow of questions both ways. Asking questions help with interaction and is good practice to ask questions.

Getting used to question formats will increase your confidence, listening and comprehension skills, and grammar depth.

Well, that’s all the time we have for today. I hope that you enjoyed this class. Please remember to like and share, and look out for more one2one podcasts on Spotify, Apple and Google. 

Thanks for listening and till next time, bye for now.

This Podcast is called Shades Of Red. Ideal for students learning English as a second language, I will talk about the concept of home ownership. Aimed at an intermediate level, some thought proking questions will require you to express yourself in English as a second language.

For more information about one2one online courses, please visit our website- www.one2oneacademy.com

Podcast production – One2one podcasts

Presenter – Sanj Saigal

Instagram – @one2one_academy

Facebook – learnenglishonline001

Established in 2011

All rights reserved.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY-IELTS

Alternative energy is a highly controversial topic. Given its significance to a global society, it is popular with English exam boards.

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Alternative energy should be on your radar when preparing for an exam. It’s very popular because it requires a stronger opinion in the English language rather than softer topics like friendship.

Podcast

Alternative energy transcript

Thanks for joining me for this IELTS writing task based on alternative energy.

There are many resources online. The internet will provide you with a wealth of information. However, there can often be too much information, so you should research and find things you can easily digest, write and speak about.

You may have noticed that I just mentioned speaking. This type of content applies to every area of an English exam. So be prepared to practice the topic of alternative energy in all formats.

Knowing how to turn your weaknesses into strengths can become more challenging if you are home studying. However you can achieve it, but you need to keep at it, and it will be a much longer route to take, so make sure you allow for that in your study plan.

WRITING TASK

Now to the task at hand, I will give you an essay assignment to do for your homework this week. It is set at a general level and Written in an IELTS-styled format, you will have forty minutes to complete it, and you must write a minimum of 250 words.

Here is your task:

Some people believe that investment into alternative energy infrastructure is necessary to future-proof our planet. Others believe that as a global society, we should modify our energy consumption to achieve the same result.

Write an essay to express how you feel about this topic and where possible, try and include examples from your own experience. The depth of your grammar impacts your score, so try to avoid getting repetitive with your vocabulary.

CHECKING

Checking your work can help you to avoid unnecessary mistakes, such as misspellings or full stops. There is always a temptation to use very long sentences or more complex words to try and demonstrate fluency. You need to be aware that this isn’t the case.

Planning is critical and takes little time to do if you develop a system. Normally, block planning can help and can adapt to most essay structures.

SPEAKING

Earlier on, I mentioned that this topic is content used in reading, writing, speaking and writing. Therefore, I wanted to help you identify with the speaking element.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY QUESTIONS

Here are some questions that could appear:

Is the key to reducing a carbon footprint related to education?
What do you personally do to manage energy consumption?
What type of rule is in place for plastic bag usage?
Should governments invest more in solar energy? Why?
Are wind turbines are an excellent alternative source of energy? Why?
If you had the power to manage your country’s energy laws, what action would you take to protect the environment? Why?

Of course, there are many more thought-provoking questions. However, your job is to find vocabulary and phrases that can adapt to different questions.

That’s all the time we have today. I hope that you found this podcast on alternative energy useful. Our website has a text version to help you; a link is in the description box.

Please remember to like and share until next time; bye for now.

CREDITS

Podcast production – One2one podcasts
Presenter – Sanj Saigal
Instagram – @one2one_academy
Facebook – learnenglishonline001
Established in 2011

All rights reserved.