ESL: Very Well’s

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

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

Buildings have a powerful way of bringing people together and boosting happiness, especially when we focus on the indoor spaces where communities can gather and interact. Community centers and libraries stand out as prime examples. These indoor spaces serve as hubs for a variety of activities.

Another key aspect is the design of these buildings to encourage interaction and inclusivity. Consider modern libraries that have evolved far beyond just places to borrow books. They now feature open spaces with comfortable seating, cafes, and even play areas for children, designed to be welcoming to all members of the community. My local library, for instance, has become a favorite spot for parents and kids, students, and retirees alike, providing a cozy corner for everyone to enjoy their books or just chat.

Buildings can also reflect and celebrate the cultural diversity of a community, making people feel represented and included. Schools and community halls that display artwork or host events celebrating different cultures foster a sense of pride and connection. At my school, we have an annual multicultural fair in the gym, where families share food, music, and traditions from their cultures. It transforms the gym into a vibrant, inclusive space that highlights our diversity and brings joy to everyone involved.

Indoor spaces like these not only bring us together but also play a crucial role in enhancing our happiness by creating a sense of belonging, celebrating diversity, and facilitating meaningful connections within the community.

60 Second Task

Getting young folks into traditions in this fast-paced world means making those traditions feel relevant and exciting. Like, my cousin mixes traditional dance with today’s hits, and now her classes are overflowing. It’s proof that blending the old with the new can really draw in the youth.

Tech is also a game-changer. Everyone's on their phones or online, right? So, bringing traditions to social media, like sharing festival stories or cooking old-school recipes on YouTube, makes traditions cool and accessible. I follow this YouTuber who does traditional crafts with a modern twist, and it's super popular.

Also, getting young people to help plan traditional events can boost their interest. My school’s "cultural day" let us dive into our heritage, making me see the value in keeping traditions alive.

By making traditions relevant, we can keep our heritage vibrant. It's about showing traditions aren’t just things of the past.

Clothing significantly influences our self-perception and how others perceive us. Wearing something that makes us feel good can instantly boost our confidence. I've experienced this firsthand; donning a suit for an interview not only upped my confidence but also altered how I viewed my capabilities.

Moreover, clothes act as a non-verbal cue to our interests and identity. A simple band T-shirt can forge connections with like-minded individuals, as it has for me, sparking conversations and friendships. Additionally, wearing traditional attire at cultural events proudly showcases our heritage, inviting interest and dialogue from others. In essence, our attire is a potent form of self-expression and social interaction.

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. Everyone's on their phones or online, right?

2. Our attire is a potent form of self-expression.

3. Families share food and music from their cultures.

4. The design of these buildings encourages inclusivity.

5. This fast-paced world makes those traditions feel exciting.

6. Clothes act as a non-verbal cue to our interests and identity.

7. Buildings can celebrate the cultural diversity of a community.

8. My local library has become a favorite spot for parents and kids.

9. A simple T-shirt can forge connections with like-minded individuals.

10. Getting young people to help plan traditional events can boost their interest.

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.

Getting young folks into traditions in this fast-paced world means making those traditions feel relevant and exciting. Like, my cousin mixes traditional dance wi__ today’s hits, and now her classes ar_ overflowing. It’s proof that blending the ol_ with the new can really draw i_ the youth.

Tech is also a game-changer. Everyone's o_ their phones or online, right? So, bringing traditions to social media, li__ sharing festival stories or cooking old-school re_____ on YouTube, makes traditions cool and ac________. I follow this YouTuber who does tr_________ crafts with a modern twist, and it's super popular.

Also, getting young people to help pl__ traditional events can boost their interest. M_ school’s "cultural day" let us dive in__ our heritage, making me see the va___ in keeping traditions alive.

By making traditions relevant, we can ke__ our heritage vibrant. It's about showing tr________ aren’t just things of the past.

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.