This is a recording of the first part of a lecture delivered to prep students at Boğaziçi University. It includes information about the best practices while learning a second language, self study skills and the reasons for the suggestions.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
WHERE TO LIVE: HOMES FOR THE FUTURE
Below you will find basic information about some of the
homes of the future. Discover what sort of dwellings they are and when you are
finished, write an essay comparing and contrasting them. Your purpose when
comparing these houses is to make a selection; you may select more than one if
either of two houses would work for you. So decide what works for you and write
using the comparison and contrast structures you have learnt.
1. Shipping containers
2. The floating house
3. Microliving
4. Seasteading
5. Underground houses
·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4H1cZjIyDQ
Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com/
Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 23, 2018
HOW IT BECAME NORMAL TO IGNORE TEXTS AND EMAILS
“Digital messages mimic the speed of real
conversation, but often what people like best is the ability to put them off.”
By: Julie Beck
Published: The
Atlantic, Jan 11, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/01/ignoring-each-other-in-the-age-of-instant-communication/550325/
Level of Difficulty: ***
BEFORE YOU READ
·
When
in-person conversation is better than texting https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/01/ignoring-each-other-in-the-age-of-instant-communication/550325/ (Scroll down to the bottom of the page)
QUESTIONS
1.
Why exactly do people take no longer than 200
milliseconds on average to answer someone?
2.
We understand from the information concerning
written communication that …
3.
Look at these messages: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/sorry-for-the-delayed-response
. What do they prove? (Refer to the text )
4.
Read the paragraph beginning “People don’t…” and
the following paragraph. What change in our attitude to written communication
causes distress? The fact that we regard…
5.
Where in the paragraph beginning “While you may
know…” would you place the following:
·
In fact, people usually feel they are being
snubbed
·
This is supported by the fact that’s that
6.
Logically, written communication should not be
linked to anxiety but it is because…
7. Read
the account of the short story Cat Person. The fact that the couple
communicated via texts created problems because…
8. Turkle
says “Text messages become marks on rocks to be analyzed and sweated over”. Why
is this the case? Because they are …
9. Watch
the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZARdRcbh_E
. Why was such a discussion necessary?
10. The
writer states that people shouldn’t become paranoid because someone doesn’t
respond to his message promptly because in fact…
11. Read
Turkle’s personal account of how she tries to cope with her messages. What is
ironical about people’s attitude to such a situation?
12.
Read the account of Baron’s findings. Which
sentence in the section best expresses the main idea?
13.
What is the main advantage of written
communication over regular, direct communication according to the modern
generation?
14.
Read the last two paragraphs of the text. What
conclusion can be drawn from this section?
WRITING TASK
Use the text and the videos to write about how the way we
communicate is changing and how this change is impacting our relationships.
HOW IT BECAME NORMAL
TO IGNORE TEXTS AND EMAILS
This text is all
about an issue which my generation finds hard to get to grips with. However, it
should be very familiar to your students. Have they considered the underlying
reasons for their texting behavior or online written communication though? Have
they analyzed the issue? The answer is ‘probably not’. This text and the
accompanying reading task will get them to do so.
1.
It is the defining feature of conversation.
2.
It has caught up with the speed of regular conversation.
3.
‘Sorry for the delayed response’ has gone from
earnest apology to punchline.
4.
Media as synchronous
5.
The first sentence goes just before the sentence
beginning “ A Pew survey…”; the phrase precedes “A Pew survey…”
6.
Written communication is designed to mimic
conversation
7.
Digital communication is weak as a scaffolding
to build an understanding of another person.
8.
Contextless forms of communication
9.
Two possible answers:
The first: The metamessages that accompany
the literal messages can easily be misinterpreted
The second: Metamessages are implied rather
than stated, they can be misinterpreted or missed entirely
10.
People are just trying to manage the quantity of
messages and notifications they receive
11.
Even though instant written communication can be
overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, people prefer it.
12.
We have become a version of power freaks, not
just control freaks.
13.
Written instant messages create a smokescreen of
plausible deniability.
14.
What the age of instant communication has
enabled is the ability to deal with conversation on our own terms.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS TO OUR LIFE SPANS IS LONELINESS
By: Laura
Alcock-Ferguson
Published: City Lab,
September 23rd 2017, https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/10/our-greatest-public-health-problem-is-loneliness/543693/
Level of Difficulty:
* (This is a tough level one, so don't make it the first one you do)
LISTEN CAREFULLY
Professor Murthy and Professor
Lampard’s views on loneliness are the focus of the text you are about to read.
Take 20 minutes to listen to her first:
·
Professor Helen
Stokes-Lampard - Full speech, RCGP annual conference 2017
Now take a further
5min to listen to Prof Murthy:
·
Former
surgeon general on how loneliness could reduce lifespan
QUESTIONS
Read the subtitle and
the first three paragraphs of the text (from the beginning down to “During…”):
1. What
major policy change would Professor Lambard and Professor Murthy be likely to
support?
Read on as far as “So
what do we do about it?”:
2. How
does Prof Murthy reach the conclusion that “Loneliness is akin to an epidemic”?
He observed that…
3. The
negative impact of loneliness on health is well documented. What is the
underlying reason for this negative impact?
4. We
understand from the text that we cannot really help being negatively impacted
by loneliness because…
Read on to as far as “Thirdly…”:
5. Read
the example of the square near the friend’s flat described in the text and the
threat it is facing. This story is an example proving that…. There are two
possible answers; find both.
Read on to the end of
the text:
6. We
are somewhat prejudiced against older people T/F
7. Watch
the short video prepared The Campaign to
End Loneliness: Loneliness Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYc85A8f2CM . What immediate conclusion can be drawn
from this video? What is the take home point? (Be careful, this is a tough
question)
WRITING TASK
Refer to all the information
you have gathered to write about the effects of loneliness. In the videos below
you will also find some solutions, which you can include in your conclusion.
Loneliness is literally killing us | Will Wright | TEDxBirmingham
Loneliness is literally killing us | Will Wright | TEDxBirmingham
The Simple Cure for Loneliness | Baya Voce |
TEDxSaltLakeCity
ONE OF THE GREATEST
THREATS TO OUR LIFE SPANS IS LONELINESS; KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES
This insightful text
highlights a growing problem many are not aware of or take for granted. The
text and the videos are easy to follow and are closely linked; the contents
overlap. This helps with the reading task. The writing task should be done
immediately upon the completion of the task to consolidate learning.
1. Health
insurers and public bodies’ investing as much in encouraging social encounters
as exercise and good diet
2. The
most common pathology he saw was loneliness (You must not copy paste answers;
you must make them fit the question)
3. Lonely
people have lower levels of oxytocin, the love hormone that is important to
health and wellbeing.
4. Our
physiology evolved to be connected to others (to be lonely goes against human
nature)
5. Community
spaces are being slowly eroded / Policy makers are not weaving the prevention
of loneliness into their strategies
6. True
7. The
need for friendship and support and meaningful relationships does not fizzle
out with age Loneliness should never be
normalized or accepted as inevitable
Monday, February 19, 2018
WE ARE MULTITUDES; MICROCHIMERISM: HOW PREGNANCY CHANGES THE MOTHER’S VERY DNA
“Women are chimeras
with gender material from both their parents and children. Where does that
leave individual identity?”
By: Katherine Rowland
Level of Difficulty:
***
BEFORE YOU READ
·
Microchimerism and Diseases | Lee Nelson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuZRnuBaoI
QUESTIONS
1. The
fact that arthritis and lupus are not more prevalent in young women may
indicate that there may be a connection / there may be no connection between…
2. What
precisely led Nelson to try and discover the long term effects of pregnancy?
3. Read
the paragraphs beginning “Evidence”, “Within weeks of conception” and that
beginning “Far from drifting at random”. Which sentence would best summarize
this section:
·
Children leave lasting traces of their time in
the womb
·
Women unavoidably become microchimeras
·
Most women carry cells from more than one source
·
The give and take of cells during pregnancy
needs to be considered
·
All of the above
·
Some of the above: please specify:
4.
Which sentence or phrase in the same section
best summarizes the same three paragraphs?
5.
Microchimerism due to organ transplant is
different from microchierism due to pregnancy in that………..
6.
The lack of rejection of cells exchanged during
pregnancy probably has a social / evolutionary / familial / collective/
psychological basis.
7.
Where in the paragraph beginning “The
phenomenon” would you place the following sentence: Cells exchanged during
pregnancy, therefore, do not disappear; in fact they can remain intact
throughout the lifetime of the host.
8.
The paragraph beginning “One of the most…” depicts
a realistic/ romanticized/ literal/fundamental view of pregnancy and
motherhood.
9.
Which sentence in the paragraph beginning “On
one side…” best expresses the point the writer is trying to make?
10.
Women may in general be living longer than men
because thanks to having kids, they have…………………
11.
We understand from Johnson’s research that if
foetal cells caused disease they would / wouldn’t be ……………
12.
Both the cases of women who underwent thyroid
surgery and the case of the woman with hepatitis C prove that ….
13.
What hypothesis was proved wrong by Amy Brody?
14.
Microchimeric cells act like an invading force
from the beginning because…
15.
What conclusion can be drawn from the paragraph
beginning “In other Words…”?
16.
What is the reason for the above?
17.
What is the underlying reason for the battle in
the womb?
18.
The fact that microchimeric cells can extend
birth intervals beyond the mother’s optimum time frame and the related 2010
study are proof that …
19.
According to Harvey Climan, the placenta acts deviously
/ deviantly / purposefully/ inherently because…
20.
What warning does the writer make in the
conclusion? Why?
21.
Exchange of microchimeric cells between close relatives
turns an individual into … (This question was contributed by my assistant Sinan
Çakmak)
·
An isolated self with a dynamic inner world
·
A dynamic and ever-changing self
·
A collective self with shared motivations and affiliations
WRITING TASK
Use all the information you have acquired to describe how
people become chimeras.
WE ARE MULTITUDES
MICROCHIMERISM: HOW
PREGNANCY CHANGES THE MOTHER’S VERY DNA
This completely
fascinating text details the cell based exchanges between mothers and offspring
and details the emergence of chimeras. It goes so far as to suggest that we are
all chimeras to varying degrees and thus brings a whole new understanding to
the concept of the self.
1. There
may be no connection between female sex hormones and arthritis and lupus
2. The
fact that a female technician in a lab was found to contain male DNA a full
year after the birth of her son
3.
Two and three
4.
With each successive conception, the mother’s
reservoir of foreign material grows deeper and more complex, with…
5.
The genetic match between donor and recipient
determines whether the body accepts or rejects the grafted tissue, or if it
triggers disease
6.
Evolutionary
7.
At the end of the paragraph
8.
Romanticized
9.
But another body of research has found that
foetal cells can protect the mother
10.
Greater immune surveillance and improved repair
of damaged tissue
11.
Wouldn’t be everywhere
12.
There is definitely an association between the
presence of foetal cells and improved disease status
13.
That microchimerism might preserve the health of
mother and child, helping her survive childbirth and beyond as her offspring
make their slow way to independence
14.
Because they act like a placenta beyond the
womb, directing resources to the baby throughout gestation and after birth
15.
The womb might not be an enclave of rosy
communion
16.
Conflict between the biology of the parent and
the biology of the child
17.
For most genes, the foetus inherits two working
copies one from the mother and one from the father. However, with imprinted
genes, one of the copies is silenced…
18.
The foetus is a manipulative entity, conniving
to direct the mother to its own advantage
19.
Deviously, because mothers marshal their best
defensive tactics against offspring’s strategies to steal resources
20.
These analogies remain purely speculative,
because there is no definitive proof that the microchimeric activity, commonly
described as conflict, combat or colonization, reveals one entity pitted
against the other
21.
The third
Thursday, February 8, 2018
TEEN RISK TAKING
Why do teenagers take risks? Why do they engage in reckless
behavior? We now have some scientific reasons so do your research and find out
what they are. When you are ready, write an essay where you analyze the
reasons.
Familiarize yourself
with the issue
·
Teens brains are wired for risky behavior https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teens-brains-are-wired-for-risky-behavior-study/
·
Why
teenage boys do stupid things https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-wrong-with-the-teen-brain/
Reading material to
make notes on
·
The science of adolescent risk taking https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/sites/default/files/casey-report-slides.pdf
·
New insights into teen risk-taking – their
“hot” inhibitory control is poorer than children’s
·
Why are teen brains designed for risk taking? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-wide-wide-world-psychology/201506/why-are-teen-brains-designed-risk-taking
·
Risky behavior in teenagers: how to handle it http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/risktaking_teenagers.html
Videos to take notes
from
·
The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain
·
Decision Making and Risk Taking Behaviors in
Adolescence https://study.com/academy/lesson/decision-making-and-risk-taking-behaviors-in-adolescence.html
Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com/
Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 5, 2018
WHY WE SHOULD ALL GIVE UP ON GOALS ALREADY
“Amanda Ruggeri investigates why a focus on
outcome alone can create a hamster wheel mentality”
By: Amanda Ruggeri
Published: 20 November 2017, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20171117-why-we-should-all-give-up-on-goals-already
Level of Difficulty:** This is a difficult level 2
BEFORE YOU READ
· If you want to achieve your goals, don't focus on them: Reggie Rivers at TEDxCrestmoorParkED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
· If you want to achieve your goals, don't focus on them: Reggie Rivers at TEDxCrestmoorParkED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
QUESTIONS
1. Read down as far as the first
subtitle “Chasing Outcomes” and answer the questions:
·
The
trouble with single mindedly trying to achieve goals is that…
·
The
desire to achieve your goals at all costs can have a negative impact on the way
you try to achieve your goals in that it…
·
Most
people’s goal is to get a well paying job, a car, a house, a family, a summer
house and the like. What is the problem with these goals?
·
What
does “the latter” refer to in the phrase “our ambitions often focus on the
latter”?
2. Read the section titled “Chasing
Outcomes and answer the questions:
·
Why
does Robbins believe it is a mistake to trust your life to a 20 year old?
Because he doesn’t have the wisdom to decide if….
·
What
exactly is being criticized in The Bhagavat Gito? The fact that….
·
The
example of the weight loss diet and that of the participants who missed a
savings goal prove that…
3. Read the section titled “Blinders On”
and answer the questions:
·
What
conception concerning the nature of goals has been proved wrong by Freund and
other researchers? Establishing………targets is the right thing to do because you
can…..
·
Read
the example of the 5% increase in market share. What is strange about the
outcome? People ……..instead of ……….This happens because strange as it may sound….
·
Read
the example of the call center. What exactly does it prove? Be brief.
·
My
current goal is to get my teaching assistants to publish lesson plans they
themselves prepared in the form of an article. When do I tell them this is
their goal?
-
After
they have learnt how to make lesson plans
-
After
they have successfully completed their lesson plans
-
Right
at the beginning before they start
·
In
a film involving a sales team, the sales reps were told the most successful
person would get a bonus. The sales target is an almost impossible one. One
sales rep however, slips Ipeca, a drug that induces vomiting, into another rep’s
coffee preventing him from working. What conclusion can be drawn from this
example?
4. Read the section titled Creativity
Crush and answer the question:
·
Why
can rewards prevent creativity and problem solving?
5. Read the section titled “One
Direction” and answer the questions:
·
Consider
the following examples and decide who has the right approach to their goal of
seeing the country?
-
Traveler
A is on a cycling holiday in Austria. The tour and destinations are mapped out.
Hotels are booked at each stop along the route and luggage travels ahead and is
ready for you at each hotel.
-
Traveler
B sets of driving around Scotland. He stops whenever he likes, spends as much
time as he likes wherever he stops and stays wherever he likes.
-
Traveler
C goes on a tour to Spain. The tour is seven nights and eight days. There is an
itinerary and a tour guide.
·
Picture
two Buddhist monks who, after a long journey, wind up on top a hill overlooking
a valley. The young monk asks the older one “What now? What was the point of
the journey?” The older monk replies “There is no point. This is it”. What is
the reason for his answer?
·
The
fact that “The people who had had the least extraordinary lives were the ones
who had managed to adhere closest to their plans indicates that:
-
Setting
a goal and working towards it keeps people out of trouble
-
Setting
a goal and sticking to it is what society expects of people
-
Setting
a goal and sticking to it may not always be a good idea
-
Setting
a goal and working towards it guarantees people stay focused
·
What
does “it” refer to in the sentence “But it can be more freeing and fulfilling”?
WRITING TASK
Use all you
have read to write an essay discussing the effects of setting goals.
WHY WE SHOULD ALL GIVE UP ON GOALS ALREADY; KEY
AND TEACHERS’ NOTES
In a world where everyone is obsessed with
achieving their ‘goals’ it should be interesting to study a text which outlines
the pitfalls of a life which completely overtaken by trying to achieve goals.
The arguments presented in the text should give students a lot of food for
thought. Make sure to leave time for discussion. The essay task should ideally
be done in class but could be assigned as homework if there are time
constraints.
1. The answers to the questions on the
first section:
·
We
get so emotionally attached to a goal we are setting ourselves up for failure and
disappointment.
·
Kills
your creativity, makes you more likely to cheat and less likely to thrive
·
These
goals are not necessarily their own ambitions but what they think they should
do.
·
Buying
a bigger house and focusing on career
2. The answers to the questions on the section
titled “Chasing Outcomes”:
·
The
goals he sets will improve his life or not
·
We
are in a spiral of trying to find out the next thing to keep us in action.
·
Focusing
on the outcome may make you even less likely to meet it.
3. The answers to the questions on the section
titled “Blinders On”:
·
Nice,
easily attainable / shield yourself against the negative effects of slipping up
·
Slack
off / trying to go further / easy goals can also limit us
·
Corporate
incentives boost performance but employees also become more likely to cheat.
·
After
they have successfully completed their lesson plans. After all, they have done
the most difficult part but they still have to prepare it for publication by
writing the article.
·
People
can end up taking shortcuts when it comes to ethics
4. The answers to the question on the
section titled Creativity Crush
·
Because
they can transform an interesting task into a drudge / Because they can turn
play into work
5. The answers to the questions on the
section titled One Direction:
·
Traveler
B
·
He
was prioritizing the journey
·
The
third
·
Living
with fewer goals and purpose
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