Category: Listening

School is a back-up plan!

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For millions of young people around the world, living with autism is challenging enough without also having to deal with the prejudices of others.

Australian Hamish Finlayson is using his own experience of the condition to change perceptions of autism and increase awareness among his peers. The 13-year-old builds apps and games that help players better understand what it’s like to live with autism.

Many of this youngest generation, having grown up with technology, are building their own software to help spread awareness for many issues, from anxiety and mental health to cyberbullying. Finlayson is one of these bright sparks using his coding gift for the greater good.

Improve your English listening comprehension, and your general knowledge by listening to his story.

The Finnish Government is giving money away!

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Could handouts be the solution to getting the long-term unemployed back in to work? Well,  in 2017 Finland began a radical experiment: the government started paying 2000 unemployed Finns basic income. They each get a guaranteed 560 euros a month, for two years. It’s free money – it comes with no strings attached.

If you are curious, why not take a look at the full video report?

 

In Kazakhstan 4 people go missing every day.

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The Kazakh teen keeping people safe

Seventeen-year-old Aruzhan Koshkarova is trying to prevent people from going missing with an innovative new idea.

In Kazakhstan, walking home from school or work isn’t always safe. But Aruzhan Koshkarova, a high school student in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is trying to change that. She has developed QamCare, a GPS app that gives directions, but also warns loved ones if the user is in danger.

Improve your English listening comprehension, and your general knowledge by listening to her story.

Clothes affect your mood, your health and your self-esteem

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Do you have a favourite T-shirt or pair of jeans that transforms you and makes you feel confident; makes you feel like you? That’s because what you wear can affect your mood, your health and your self-esteem, says fashion designer Mindy Scheier. Inspired by her son, who was born with a degenerative disorder that makes it hard for him to dress himself or wear clothing with buttons or zippers, Scheier set out to make clothing that works for everyone, including the differently abled.

Learn more about how she’s made fashion history by producing the world’s first mainstream adaptive clothing line. Listen and be inspired.

Fashion Waste: How big is the problem?

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What happens to the clothes we don’t buy? You might think that last season’s coats, trousers and turtlenecks end up being put to use, but most of it (nearly 13 million tons each year in the United States alone) ends up in landfills. Fashion has a waste problem, and Amit Kalra wants to fix it. He shares some creative ways the industry can evolve to be more conscientious about the environment — and gain a competitive advantage at the same time. Listen to his Ted Talks presentation to get informed.

The Fashion Industry: An industry based on nonconformity and defiance

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Kaustav Deyat leads marketing for Tommy Hilfiger in India.
Deyat, in this Ted Talks, explains how fashion helps us to express who we are, and what we stand for.

”No one thinks twice about a woman wearing blue jeans in New York City — but when Nobel laureate Malala wears them, it’s a political act. Around the globe, individuality can be a crime, and clothing can be a form of protest. In a talk about the power of what we wear, Kaustav Dey examines how fashion gives us a nonverbal language of dissent and encourages us to embrace our authentic selves.”

Fruity friday stand up comedy: What does ‘ass’ mean?

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Finnish comedian Isso,  explains some of the challenges that we face when we are learning a new language.  Isso explains the difficulty of getting his around the word: ass.

So, what did I learn from watching this video? Well, I learnt: If you don´t get this video, then you are a dumbass.  And, on the reverse, if you do get this video, then you are a badass.  Perfect, I get this video, so I am a badass.

The plastic bank

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A good job stimulates the brain, challenges preconceptions, nurtures curiosity and encourages ambition and excellence.  Luckily for me, I have this.  Clients at Inglés Málaga are a talent bank; they come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and represent a broad variety of professions, trades and sectors.  However, they have two things in common, the first is that they are improving their English level; the second is that they teach me something every day.

Last week Paco, a high school maths teacher, (and an amazing illustrator) taught me the idea of monetising plastic waste.  He explained this complex idea really well, and I was over the moon with his use of advanced level English to persuade me of the merits to this idea. But after his class I thought: ‘’OK, but how would it work practically?’’ So, I started checking it out on the Internet and came across an organisation called The Plastic Bank which does this already. So, why not improve your English and stimulate your brain by listening to the CEO and founder of The Plastic Bank on his Ted Talks presentation: What if you could change plastic trash into cash?

The presentation is in English, and you can use the English transcript to improve word recognition and listening comprehension.   In addition, if you are a teacher, you could easily use this organisation in your classes to teach children mathematical concepts and economic theory.

You could also be inspired by two teenage girls who set up a campaign to ban plastic bags from the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali if you listen to their Ted Talks presentation: ”Our campaign to ban plastic bags from Bali”

So Paco, thank you; you have successfully challenged my preconceptions about recycling and plastic waste, and, demonstrated a level of English that many native English speakers would be envious of, well done! I´m also going to change the way I recycle, and ban plastic bags from my personal shopping.  You are a change maker!

And now my mind is on The Regional Government of Andalusia: I wonder, how can we encourage them to buy the cities´ plastic waste and convert it into credit for education, training and professional development? Come on La Junta, it´s time to put your tick box lists down the toilet, sack all the sycophantic bureaucrats, and start to really listen to the talent bank that you have walking on the streets of Málaga every day.  Furthermore, which one of you ego-centric government officials doesn´t want a legacy; go on, stand out from the crowd and do something inspirational.

Why journalists have an obligation to challenge power

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”You can kick Jorge Ramos out of your press conference (as Donald Trump infamously did in 2015), but you can never silence him.

A reporter for more than 30 years, Ramos believes that a journalist’s responsibility is to question and challenge those in power. In this compelling talk — which earned him a standing ovation midway through — Ramos explains why, in certain circumstances, he believes journalists must take sides.” (In Spanish with English subtitles)

To understand autism, don´t look the other way.

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”Carina Morillo knew almost nothing about autism when her son Ivan was diagnosed — only that he didn’t speak or respond to words, and that she had to find other ways to connect with him. She shares how she learned to help her son thrive by being curious along with him.”(In Spanish with English subtitles)