ESL: Very Well Protocol | Week 8 - Day 47

5 April 2024

New here? Or just checking us out? Here’s a How-to guide for our approach.

Today’s Themes and Tasks

Sports

Medicine

Music

How do sports help young people grow and learn to work with others?

How can doctors help patients learn more about their health so they can make better choices?

How is the experience of listening to music live different from a recording? Which do you prefer and why?

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

How do sports help young people grow and learn to work with others?

Playing sports as a kid is a huge opportunity to learn and grow.

One major lesson is teamwork. I played soccer, and it was all about passing the ball, setting up plays, and helping each other out on the field. I remember this one game where we were down by a goal, and instead of trying to be the hero, I passed to a teammate in a better position to score. And it worked! It wasn’t just about the goal; it was about realizing how pooling our efforts made us stronger. This idea of collaboration followed me everywhere, making group projects and even family tasks more about team effort.

Then there’s dealing with setbacks. Missing a crucial basketball shot was tough, but the way my team rallied around me afterwards taught me heaps about resilience. They showed me it's not about the mistake but what you do next that counts. This lesson has been a game-changer, teaching me to embrace failures as steps towards success.

And let’s talk about healthy competition. Running track, it was me against the clock. Every race was an opportunity to beat my personal best, and the thrill of seeing my times improve was unmatched. It wasn’t just about medals; it was about self-improvement and pushing my limits.

So, yeah, youth sports are about so much more than just playing. They're lessons in teamwork, bouncing back, and competing with yourself, shaping you into a well-rounded person.

60 Second Task

How can doctors help patients learn more about their health so they can make better choices?

Doctors really help when they break down health stuff into simple language. Medical terms can be like a puzzle, but when a doctor explained my "high cholesterol" instead of using a fancy term, it clicked. I suddenly knew what I needed to fix in my diet.

Using pictures or diagrams is super helpful too. We remember what we see better than what we hear. My doctor drew my knee and showed where the issue was. That drawing made more sense than any medical term, showing me exactly how to improve with exercises.

And, asking us, "Any questions?" is crucial. It feels like doctors are often in a hurry, but when they invite questions, it opens up a real conversation. I had a doctor who always did that, making me feel comfortable to ask anything, which really upped my health game.

In short, doctors can make a huge difference by simplifying info, using visuals, and encouraging questions. It's about making health knowledge accessible, turning us from just patients into informed health decision-makers.

How is the experience of listening to music live different from a recording? Which do you prefer and why?

Live music is something else entirely, unmatched by recordings. The collective energy at concerts, feeling the music with a crowd of fellow fans, creates an electrifying atmosphere. My first concert experience, where the crowd moved and sang in harmony, was simply magical, proving the unique bond live music fosters.

Moreover, live performances offer unparalleled spontaneity; artists improvising make each event one-of-a-kind. I remember a band surprising us with an unreleased song — the excitement was through the roof.

Personally, live music wins for me. Beyond the music, it's about the live interaction, the shared moments that recordings can't capture. There's a magic in live performances

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. Missing a crucial basketball shot was tough.

2. My first concert experience was simply magical.

3. This idea of collaboration followed me everywhere.

4. Youth sports are about so much more than just playing.

5. Every race was an opportunity to beat my personal best.

6. What life skills do you learn from playing team sports?

7. That drawing showed me exactly how to improve with exercises.

8. This lesson taught me to embrace failures as steps towards success.

9. The collective energy at concerts creates an electrifying atmosphere.

10. Doctors really help when they break down health stuff into simple language.

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.

How can doctors help patients learn more about their health so they can make better choices?


Doctors really help when they break down health stuff into simple language. Medical terms can be like a p______, but when a doctor explained my "h___ cholesterol" instead of using a fancy t____, it clicked. I suddenly knew what I needed to fix in my diet. Using pictures or diagrams is super h______ too.

We remember what we see b_____ than what we hear. My doctor d___ my knee and showed where the i____ was. That drawing made more sense t___ any medical term, showing me exactly h__ to improve with exercises.

And, asking us, "Any questions?" is c______. It feels like doctors are often in a hurry, but when they invite q_________, it opens up a real conversation. I had a doctor who always did t____, making me feel comfortable to ask a________, which really upped my health game. In short, doctors can make a h___ difference by simplifying info, using visuals, a__ encouraging questions.

It's about making health k________ accessible, turning us from just patients i___ informed health decision-makers.

Help ESL: Very Well Grow

This newsletter has all of the resources that you need for the protocol. If you’re on Facebook follow ESL: Very Well to participate in our growing community and access other news and events.

Some people are shocked to hear that we produce ESL: Very Well 100% coffee-free. However, I do eat a lot of broccoli and we use AI tools that are not free. If you’d like to fuel our efforts, we’d very much appreciate that.

If you’d like to donate money to get out the word about ESL: Very Well to a targeted group that is close to your heart. Say people interested in soccer in Sao Paulo Brazil venmo us any amount of money with that description and we’ll see that it happens.