I will show you pictures. You will be asked to describe the picture, being sure to use at least one adjective for each noun. For example: a rainy day, a white cat, a brilliant student (like you!)
This discussion is for people who have just begun to learn English, or have been away from English for a long time. Please sign up for this discussion if you have not studied English for more than a few months, or if you have been away from English for a long time and are just returning.
Each week, this will be a different topic. You will need to present some facts, examples, and other forms of proof to try to convince the other participants to accept your opinion as our own. The weekly topic will be in the schedule grid.
At what age is it legal to buy alcohol and cigarettes? At what age do most people begin to use these things? How are offenders punished? Is addiction a growing problem in your country? Are there rehab centers available?
There are many current topics regarding these areas. Please have questions, articles or opinions ready to share with the other people in this discussion.
Invite a friend to join you for a casual conversation. This petite (small) discussion is just the right size for two people (plus me!) to have a nice little talk in "Friendlish".
How do you remember what to buy when you do your shopping? Do you shop daily, weekly or monthly? In what do you carry your groceries home? Do you use coupons? Do you watch for sales and shop at different stores according to these sales?
There will be a list of topics to choose from. Each person will have 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to speak. Afterwards, I will offer corrections and suggestions.
Each week, I will choose a new category. As a group, you will say all the words you can think of which fit into that category. I may give you some hints to help you think of more words. After we have a long list, each person will choose 3-4 words from the list and type a sentence into the Skype chat window. I will read each sentence aloud and make any necessary corrections. The same category is repeated in each discussion until the following week, so please only sign up for one vocabulary discussion each week.
I will read a short story about a real-life situation. You will try to understand as much of the story as possible without seeing the text. After asking questions and discussing the story, I will show you the text and everyone will read part of the story.
Different cultures mix different foods together. For example, a classic sandwich is PB&J, or Peanut Butter and Jelly. Do you and your friends eat this, or ketchup on scrambled eggs? Let's talk about which food combinations are popular in your country.
The topic this week is: Do humans exploit animals when they keep them as pets and/or in zoos? Please prepare an argument for "yes" and for "no". You will find out which viewpoint you need to convince us of at the time of the discussion.
What questions do you have about vocabulary, idioms, grammar, learning English, or how to bake the perfect cake? Between all the members of this discussion, we should be able to answer any of your questions.
Each Photo Album discussion has a particular topic. Before this discussion, please email me pictures that match the topic. I will put them into a private webpage, and you will have the opportunity to explain them to the other participants as we look at them together.
I will ask a series of questions that require only very short answers. We will go quickly from one person to the next. They will all be questions about you and your preferences. For example: Do you live in a house or an apartment? Have you ever lived in another country? The purpose of this discussion will be to help you answer questions quickly.
About 24 hours before this discussion, a story will be emailed to you. Each person in the discussion will read a portion of the story aloud for the other learners. I will offer suggestions and answer questions after each person reads. At the end, I will read the entire story for everyone. Each of these discussions will use a different story, so feel free to sign up for more than one.
What do people in your country do for recreation? If you have a day off, or even just an afternoon off, how do you spend your time? What do people find relaxing? What kinds of recreation are popular?
Please search the Internet for something that happened in any year, on the date of this discussion. Try to have a picture to show or a short paragraph to read about the event.
Most people are concerned about the current financial situation. Let's talk on a more personal level. Do you have a budget? If not, why not? If so, is it written down? How closely do you follow it? What financial tips do you have for others?
What major events happened this past week? Let's talk about events in your country, your city, your family or your own life. The events we discuss don't have to be in the newspapers to be interesting!
Your Favorite Technology
What is your newest "Techno Toy"? I don't mean just toys, but to some people an iPod is a great toy! Have you just bought an iPod Nano? A Nintendo Wii? Or are you just getting your first cell phone? Let's "talk tech"!
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