Discussion topics

A strategy for early retirement

By Katya on Diciembre 16 2021
Topical

For many people retiring means hitting a certain age, usually above 65. It is associated with stopping one’s career and having grandchildren. Recently there has been a movement that changes the perspective on retirement. Retirement is not about how old you are, it is about a financial number you have.

This is what the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement is about. The goal of this movement is to save and invest most of your income - about 50-75% - so that you can retire very early - in your 40s or even 30s. 

Empathy and business transformation

By The English Farm on Diciembre 14 2021
Evergreen

According to The Harvard Business Review, studies on organizational change show that if you want to lead a successful transformation, communicating empathetically is critical. However, most leaders do not actually know how to do it. In fact, a survey of over 200 leading company executives found that 69% of respondents said that they were planning to launch or are currently conducting a change effort. Unfortunately, 50% of these same executives said they had not fully considered their team’s sentiment about the change.

Roof gardens on taxis in Thailand

By Di on Diciembre 7 2021
Topical

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed down tourism in Thailand, thousands of taxis were abandoned by their drivers. No tourists equals no taxis. Drivers lost their income and couldn't afford to pay the rental fees for their cars. Companies struggled to stay afloat. The Ratchapruk and Bovorn Taxi co-ops together ended up with 2500 (out of 3000) cars sitting idle in parking lots. The Thai government offered no financial support.

The idea of Universal Basic Income

By The English Farm on Noviembre 30 2021
Topical

According to Vox Media, the idea of a basic income was, for decades, something of a policy fantasy. However, the last few years have seen it become less fringe and more mainstream. In fact, we now have many limited basic income programs running around the world.

The general idea—that the government should give every citizen a regular infusion of money with no strings attached—has been around since the 16th century. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has given the idea fresh momentum, with the crisis generating significant financial loss and uncertainty.

Diversity of research sources

By The English Farm on Noviembre 12 2021
Evergreen

According to PhysOrg, a scientific publication, scientific knowledge used in international studies is predominantly sourced from English-language documents, as it is assumed that all scientific knowledge is available in English. However, according to research scrutinizing over 400,000 peer-reviewed papers in 326 journals, published in 16 languages, scientific papers written in languages other than English may hold untapped information crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity.

Pinterest: safety over free speech

By The English Farm on Noviembre 9 2021
Topical

How much should tech companies regulate information? While Facebook and Twitter have up to now chosen to err on the side of free speech, an unlikely platform has taken an important step. Pinterest found that users were searching for information on vaccines, so CEO Ben Silbermann pulled all medical information from the platform.

Women artists: Tamara de Lempicka

By Di on Noviembre 1 2021
Evergreen

Tamara de Limpicka (1898–1980) was a key artist in the Art Deco period of the 1920s and '30s. Born in Poland, she also spent a lot of time in France and the U.S. Her real fame came when high-fashion magazines began to use her art for their covers. Soon she was painting portraits of the aristocracy, and even royalty. Although her name is not well-known today outside of Art Deco fans, de Lempicka was one of the most important and popular artists of the Art Deco movement.

Paralympics: marriage proposal

By Katya on Octubre 28 2021
Topical

Tokyo Paralympics were amazing not only because of sports results. There were also a few truly heartwarming moments. 

One of them happened after a Paralympic runner Keula Nidreia Pereir came fourth in a 200-meter race. Even though she didn’t get a medal, something happy was waiting for her at the finish line. Her running guide and a partner got down on his knee and proposed to her. She said yes. 

Farm-to-closet fashion

By Di on Octubre 25 2021
Evergreen

For $200, you can now invest in the eco-fashion label Christy Dawn. The label is selling "plots" in the organic, sustainable cotton farm in India that provides the raw materials for their clothing. At the end of the season, you're paid back with store credit. If the harvest is good, you might get back more than the initial $200 you invested. On the other hand, if it's a bad year for cotton, you could lose most or all of your money. 

Exam stress: adults and children

By Katya on Octubre 14 2021
Evergreen

Many children feel stressed when they need to take exams. But exam anxiety can affect everyone, from children to adults. It can even damage the mental health of students who receive very high marks. It can also negatively affect students who are less successful, for example, children with special needs and children who are anxious in general. Sometimes children are worried because their parents set goals that are too high for them.

Greg Lemond's quote on effort

By The English Farm on Octubre 7 2021
Evergreen

Professional cyclist Greg Lemond said, "It doesn't get any easier; you just get faster."

Lemond is a 3-time winner of the Tour Dr France. He also won a great many other cycling races. He is considered by many to be the all-time greatest American cyclist. While other cyclists have been caught cheating via blood doping, Lemond was so strongly opposed to cheating that he quit his team when his teammates were found breaking the rules.

Lost cat found after 10 years

By Katya on Octubre 5 2021
Topical

A cat named Forbes disappeared in 2011. Its owners were trying to find the cat for months. They made posters and went door-to-door asking about the cat. The cat’s owner said, “We'd had him from when he was a kitten and we had such a special bond. He was such a unique and friendly character, we absolutely adored him.” After almost eight or nine months of constant searching, they lost hope to find Forbes. 

Advice for effective parenting

By Katya on Septiembre 30 2021
Topical

Raising children can be challenging. Here are some helpful tips. If you don't have kids, then think about when you were a kid.  

First, praising a child’s accomplishments boosts their self-esteem.

Children develop their understanding of themselves through their parents’ attitudes. Everything counts: parents’ words, body language, voice. 

How to paint 50,000+ miles of lines

By Di on Septiembre 22 2021
Topical

Without white and yellow lines on streets and roads, we wouldn't know where the lanes are, or where to turn or stop or walk, etc. Car accidents would be much more frequent, many with fatalities.

A specialized sector of the construction industry paints lane markings on roads. One company in Michigan, PK Contracting, estimates that one worker paints about 400,000 ft (122,000 m) of lines every day. Over the 6-month construction season, the company stripes and re-stripes about 50,000 mi (80,500 km) of roads. Put those markings end-to-end and you could cross America 16 times.

Visuals: forming musical tastes

By Katya on Septiembre 17 2021
Topical

Music can connect people everywhere. It can cross languages, countries and cultures. It can raise your mood, calm you down or give inspiration. But have you ever wondered when your music taste was formed?

A recent New York Times analysis of Spotify found out that the music we listen to when we are teenagers sets our musical preferences for the rest of our lives. 

Tips on asking for a promotion

By The English Farm on Septiembre 12 2021
Evergreen

According to the Harvard Business Review, asking for a promotion can be nerve-wracking. How do you prepare for that conversation with your boss? What information should you have at the ready? And how exactly do you make your case?

The first step is to think through what you want. Do you want more power? More money? More managerial responsibility? Also, consider getting feedback from a personal "board of directors" on your strengths and weaknesses. Speak to peers to try to measure your reputation. Find out how others successfully pressed their cases for promotion. 

Visuals: Vaccination inequality

By Katya on Septiembre 5 2021
Topical

Our world is unequal. The distribution of the vaccines shows that. Rich countries have more doses than they need, while poor countries can’t buy enough. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says that this situation is slowing global economic recovery. Economists predict that low-income countries will lose at least $38 billion of their GDP in 2021 because of low vaccination rates. 

Low vaccination rates also put a lot of pressure on the healthcare systems of poor countries. Hospitals can’t treat other illnesses because of Covid.

Sell something: Mobile phone

By Di on Agosto 26 2021
Evergreen

New smartphones come on the market at least every year. Each model has its own pros and cons, giving that company the opportunity to beat out its nearest competitors for a share of the market. But it's a tough market! If you were going to introduce a new phone, you'd need to make it pretty special.

That's exactly the task required here: you and your teacher are going to come up with a new phone and create an ad that will persuade consumers to buy it.

Try to include two or more of the following power words: