Is the glass half-full or half-empty in your opinion?

Dear fellow English teachers,

Is the glass half-full or half-empty in your opinion?

I always tend to see the glass half-full no matter the situation. I guess I´m indeed an optimist at heart and that does reflect on the ELT content that I write.

Take this new dialogue for example: LIVING AMID THE PANDEMIC, featured in LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book.

LESSONS FROM THE PANDEMIC

Pre-listening/reading questions:

1. How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your everyday life?
2. Did you expect the pandemic to last so long when it first started?
3. What have you missed the most throughout the pandemic restrictions?

Click the link below to listen to the dialogue “Living amid the Pandemic”

Dialogue Comprehension – “Living amid the pandemic”

1. Brian didn´t expect the pandemic to last so long. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
2. Most countries around the world have dealt with the pandemic in similar ways. True ___ False ___ I don´t know _
3. Justin believes there´s a bright side to the pandemic. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
4. According to the dialogue most people who get infected with the virus get over it easily and bounce back in no time. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
5. It´s unlikely that we will ever have to cope with another pandemic in the future. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___

Focus on Words & Expressions – Find words or expressions in the dialogue with the following similar meanings:

Something unpleasant, disappointing or annoying: ______________________
Trying hard to do or deal with something difficult: _______________________
Intensive Care Unit: ______________________________________________
Not serious; moderate: ___________________________________________
Interrupted the normal course of: ___________________________________
A person or organization that provides health care: _____________________
Overloaded; inundated; swamped: __________________________________
Made something happen or occur: __________________________________
Gradual implementation of a new product or service: ____________________
The way things used to be: _________________________________________
Disappear gradually without serious consequences: _____________________
Coronavirus Disease: _____________________________________________

Fill in the blanks below with a word or expression highlighted in the dialogue:

COVID-19 has ____________ many aspects of our personal and professional lives.
Nurses, doctors and other _____________________ working in intensive care are required to wear both a mask and a face shield.
“The pandemic has ________________ so many changes that I wonder if we will ever go back to the _______________.” said Darcy to a friend.
“Hopefully this crisis will ______________ soon and things will go back to how they used to be.” Stephany told a friend.
Field hospitals were set up to support ________________ hospitals in many regions as the number of _____________ patients continued to soar.

Discussion & Conversation 1

1. Did you take the coronavirus seriously when you first heard of it? How has it affected your personal and professional life?
2. Has your home town been under lockdown? If so, how long for?
3. What adjustments have you had to make in your life because of the pandemic?
4. Have people become more compassionate as a result of COVID-19 in your opinion?
5. Have you or anyone close to you had the coronavirus? If so, describe what happened.

Additional Vocabulary & Expressions

Outbreak: the sudden start of disease, war or something else dangerous or unpleasant. Ex. Classes have moved online since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hand sanitizer: a liquid or gel used to disinfect the hands Ex. Using hand sanitizer regularly is an effective way of preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Gathering: a group of people together in one place Ex. Public gatherings have been forbidden in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

Quarantine: a period of isolation in order to prevent the spread of an infectious disease

(noun) Ex. Many countries have imposed a quarantine of fourteen days for all people arriving from abroad.
(verb) Ex. The foreign visitor was asked to quarantine after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Social distancing: a measure taken to prevent the spread of a pandemic disease by maintaining a physical distance between people Ex. The practice of social distancing is crucial to curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Death toll: the number of deaths resulting from a disease, war, accident, natural disaster, etc.

Ex. Thanks to the lockdown imposed by the government to contain the surge in coronavirus cases, the death toll has been decreasing.

New normal: an unfamiliar situation that has now become standard or usual Ex. Remote teaching has become the new normal for teachers across the country.

Fill in the sentences or short dialogues below with words or expressions presented in Additional Vocabulary & Expressions:

A fourteen-day _________________ is required for anyone who has had close contact with an infected person.
Mask wearing and ______________________ are required in all public spaces according to official guidelines.
We have all had to adjust to the _________________, a new way of living and interacting with other people.
The ______________ of coronavirus has impacted our lives in many different ways.
“My hands are dry and cracked from using _________________ all the time.” said Jeff to a friend.

Discussion & Conversation 2

1. How have the local authorities in your country handled the pandemic? Have they done a good job?
2. How well has the WHO (World Health Organization) handled the COVID-19 pandemic in your opinion?
3. Which business segments have been more affected by the pandemic in your opinion?
4. Do you enjoy working from home? Why/Why not?
5. Have people become more resilient as a result of the pandemic in your opinion?

Choose the alternative that best explains the meaning of the words in bold in the sentences below.

1. Many hospitals have struggled to deal with the huge number of COVID patients.

a. underestimated the critical situation – Coronavirus Disease
b. praised their health care providers – Coronavirus Disease
c. received financial help from the WHO – Coronavirus Disease
d. tried hard to deal with a difficult situation – Coronavirus Disease

2. “Most of the infected patients admitted this morning have only shown mild symptoms.” Dr. Green told a fellow doctor.

a. harsh; severe
b. not serious; moderate
c. bleak; desolate
d. wicked; ferocious

3. Unfortunately the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been sluggish in some countries.

a. intubation procedure
b. final outcome
c. gradual implementation
d. completion

4. Gatherings have been banned since the outbreak of the pandemic.

a. a group of people together in one place – beginning; onset.
b. celebrations – end; conclusion
c. a group of people under lockdown – beginning; onset
d. hospitalizations – end; conclusion

5. The death toll will only continue to rise if people don´t follow the measures put in place such as the wearing of face masks, social distancing and lockdowns.

a. number of people saved from death – the practice of keeping a safe or appropriate physical distance from other people
b. number of overwhelmed hospitals – detailed protocol
c. number of deaths from a disease, war, etc. – the practice of keeping a safe or appropriate physical distance from other people
d. number of lives saved by measures of social isolation – social interaction

Complete the sentences below with your own words.

…………………………………………………………………………… during lockdown.
Mask wearing and social distancing ….………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………….. is the new normal.
Health care providers ……………………….………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… after he tested negative for COVID.

Discussion & Conversation 3

1. Is there a bright side to the pandemic in your opinion? If so, what is it?
2. Has the pandemic made you a better or worse person? Explain your answer.
3. Do you have any family or friends who are health care providers? If so, what have they told you about their experience with COVID patients?
4. Has the vaccine rollout in your country been steady? Have most people in your country been fully vaccinated yet?
5. Do you think life will ever go back to the old normal? Explain your answer.

José Roberto A. Igreja is the author and co-author of several ELT books, including:

LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book, now available on the Amazon stores of the following countries:

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If you´re based in Brazil the paperback is available at a discount price on UICLAP!
240 pages – 31 QR-CODES for the audio tracks (dialogues) “even the paperback comes with built-in technology”

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