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Today’s Themes and Tasks

Workout of the Day

Complete the Workout of the day. Click on the images to be linked to the videos hosted on YouTube.

1. Fluency Waterfall

2. Waterfall Model

3. Vocabulary Connections

4. EI. 10

Waterfall Model Transcripts

Review these transcripts to see other ways of responding to the Waterfall tasks and to look for grammar patterns and vocabulary that may be useful for you in your response. The example responses are C1+ in their level. How do your responses compare? What can you do to improve your responses during the next Fluency Waterfall?

90 Second Task

Learning about the customs and culture of the places you visit is really important. It's not just about good manners; it's about fully enjoying and respecting where you are and the people you meet.

First off, getting to know local customs helps you fit in and not accidentally offend anyone. For example, in lots of Asian countries, taking off your shoes before entering someone's house is a sign of respect. I had a trip to Japan and almost walked into my friend's house with my shoes on. Thankfully, I remembered just in time! That small act showed I respected their way of life.

Then, there's how understanding the culture makes your trip way better. When you learn about why people celebrate certain festivals or have certain traditions, you feel more connected. I was in Mexico for the Day of the Dead once, and knowing the meaning behind it beforehand made it so special. I didn't just see it as something cool for tourists; I saw it as a beautiful way to remember loved ones.

So, really getting into the customs and culture of where you're going makes your trip not just fun, but meaningful. It's about appreciating being able to see another part of the world and making positive connections with locals. And, you'll have amazing stories and memories that stick with you forever.

60 Second Task

Social media's great for keeping us connected, but it's also a hotspot for fake news. The ease of sharing stuff with just a click means false stories can fly around the globe in seconds. I saw a friend share a "news" piece that was totally made up. It was a real eye-opener about how quick we are to hit 'share.'

Echo chambers are another big problem. Social media tends to feed us what we like, making it easier to swallow false info if it matches our beliefs. I've fallen for stories that fit my views, only to find out later they were bogus.

So, what do we do? Fact-checking is crucial. Now, I pause and check the facts before sharing. It's surprising how many stories don't check out. Also, listening to different sides can help us spot fakes and understand the whole story better.

Bottom line: While social media can spread misinformation like wildfire, we can fight back by double-checking facts and being open to other viewpoints. It's up to us to keep our feeds honest.

Being immersed in a new culture fast-tracks language learning; you're constantly using it, like when I had to navigate daily life in Spain, quickly picking up Spanish out of sheer necessity. It's immersive, forcing you to learn on the fly—think buying groceries or chatting with locals, it's a full-on language plunge.

Online learning, though, offers unique benefits too. It's like a personal language toolkit—access to instant help, from grammar to pronunciation, and connecting with native speakers globally. My chats with a Parisian on a language app not only polished my French but deepened my cultural understanding, all from my sofa.

In short, while living in a new culture provides a natural, fast-paced language immersion, online platforms enrich this with tailored learning and global connections. Both have their place in language learning, complementing each other for a comprehensive approach.

EI - 10

Compare your recording to the transcript below. What did you miss? What did you mess up? Don’t be afraid to do the task again. 

1. Online learning offers unique benefits too.

2. I've felt this when hanging out with friends.

3. I saw it as a beautiful way to remember loved ones.

4. Learning about local customs and culture is essential.

5. You'll have amazing memories that stick with you forever.

6. I almost entered a friend's house in Japan with shoes on.

7. Also, too much social media can shorten our attention spans.

8. How is all this screen time affecting our real-world conversations?

9. Taking off your shoes before entering someone's house is a sign of respect.

10. It's more than manners; it's about respecting your surroundings and the people.

Vocabulary Connections

Here’s the vocabulary for today. This vocabulary is connected to the new topic and task introduced in the Waterfall today (90 second task). What words would help you better express your thoughts tomorrow? Which words could you substitute for more precise expression.

Cloze Exercise

Read the response out loud trying to remain fluent while filling in the gaps.

Social media's great for keeping us connected, but it's also a hotspot for fake news. The ease of sharing stuff with ju__ a click means false stories can fl_ around the globe in seconds. I sa_ a friend share a "news" piece th__ was totally made up. It was a_ real eye-opener about how quick we ar_ to hit 'share.'

Echo chambers are an_____ big problem. Social media tends to fe__ us what we like, making it ea____ to swallow false info if it ma_____ our beliefs. I've fallen for stories th__ fit my views, only to find ou_ later they were bogus.

So, what do we do? Fact-checking is crucial. Now, I pause an_ check the facts before sharing. It's su________ how many stories don't check out. Al___ listening to different sides can help u_ spot fakes and understand the whole st___ better.

Bottom line: While social media can sp____ misinformation like wildfire, we can fight ba__ by double-checking facts and being open t_ other viewpoints. It's up to us t_ keep our feeds honest.

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