The Unbelievable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quOdF1CAPXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-10vg90ZIy8
_______________________________________________
Imagine the following situation: Students´Meeting at University
Individual Long Turn 4-5 min
You study at the Technical University in Graz and you are a students´ representative (Österreichische Hochschülerschaft). There you meet fellow students from all around the world. To get to know each other a little bit better, you organise weekly meetings to discuss several topics. Today you want to talk about paranormal phenomena and superstition. First you introduce the topic giving a short talk:
· Present some superstitious behaviour and famous theories about several phenomena
· Analyse why people tend to believe the unbelievable
· Give your personal opinion concerning the topic
Paired Activity 8-10 min.
With a colleague you discuss the topic. Consider the aspects below:
· discuss several weird theories and movies
· the function of new media and the internet, concerning the spreading of new unbelievable stories
· explain why there is often no 13th floor in hotels
· the credibility of the different kinds of media in general
· evaluate if some of the theories could be true and think if you are superstitious
__________________________________
1. Aliens
2. Pyramids
3. Voodoo
4. Flight 19/ Bermuda Triangle
5. Slenderman
6. UFO Austria
7. Ufo Sightings Belgium
8. Rosswell
9. Yeti
10. Ancient Aliens
11. Zombies
12. Vampires
13. Cannibalism
14. Dracula
15. Corn circles
16. Hauted Places
17. Reincarnation
18. Fortune telling
19. Ouija board
20. Earth holes (Erdlöcher) Austria
21. Stone circles Austria
22. Stonehenge
23. Tumulus St. Michel
24. Water witching
25. Machu Picchu
26. Nazca Lines
27. Sailing stones
28. Dragons
29. Angels
30. Magic
31. Terrestrial radiation
32. Goblins
33. Ball lightning
34. The men who stare at goats
35. Time travel
36. Sea monsters
37. Number 13
38. Superstition
39 Superstitious traditions in Austria
....
Samuel Backett: Waiting for Godot
This page will be of great help to you!!!
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/godot/
To check words use: (also available as mobile app on your smart phone)
http://www.dict.cc/
http://www.linguee.de/
Context:
Samuel Beckett was born in Dublin in 1906. He befriended the famous
Irish novelist James Joyce, and his first published work was an essay on
Joyce. In 1951 and 1953, Beckett wrote his most famous novels, the
trilogy Molloy, Malone Dies,and The Unnameable.
Waiting for Godot, Beckett's first play, was written originally
in French in 1948 (Beckett subsequently translated the play into English
himself). It premiered at a tiny theater in Paris in 1953. This play
began Beckett's association with theTheatre of the Absurd, which influenced later playwrights like Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard.
The most famous of Beckett's subsequent plays include Endgame (1958) andKrapp's Last Tape (1959). He also wrote several even more experimental plays, like Breath (1969), a thirty-second play. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1969 and died in 1989 in Paris.
Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meet near a tree. They converse on
various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for a man named
Godot. While they wait, two other men enter. Pozzo is on his way to the
market to sell his slave, Lucky. He pauses for a while to converse with
Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing and thinking,
and Pozzo and Lucky leave.
After Pozzo and Lucky
leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from
Godot. He tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that
he will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about
Godot and the boy departs. After his departure, Vladimir and Estragon
decide to leave, but they do not move as the curtain falls.
The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait
for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again, but this time Pozzo is blind and
Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night
before. They leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.
Shortly after, the boy enters and once again tells Vladimir that Godot
will not be coming. He insists that he did not speak to Vladimir
yesterday. After he leaves, Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but
again they do not move as the curtain falls, ending the play.
etc.
ORAL TASK:
Imagine the following situation: Movie Night at University
Monologue 4-5 min
You
study at the University of Natural
Resources and Life Science, Vienna (BOKU)
and you organise a movie night because you want to get to know other students.
For your international colleagues you introduce the play (film) before you show
it. (Due to the fact, the play is so deadly boring you just show some important
scenes.)
- Make a short introduction to lead in the play
- Give reasons why it is worth watching/ discussing it
- Try to give a short interpretation of this famous play
Dialogue 8-10 min.
After
the film you take some drinks with your colleagues. There you converse about:
- several aspects of the movie, like conformism vs. individualism; etc.
- analysing the time, the play was written, why is there no happy ending
- the concept of Carpe Diem/ to seize the day
- stress and pressure for young people nowadays
- stress management strategies and concepts of happiness
Happiness and Stress
STUDY TIPS!
Listening Comprehension:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHEPebGnahAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbOwy5M2wG0
Types of Stress - Some Good, Some Bad
Did you know that some types of stress can be good for you? That's
right! Some forms of stress can be good for you, but other types of
stress disorders can cause major health problems and even be life
threatening. Stress is a natural function of the body, but understanding
the different types of stress, such as distress and eustress, helps you
to better understand how to deal with the stress you find in your life.
Types of Stress
So, what are the major types of stress? While there are many
subcategories of stress that are being treated today, the major types of
stress can be broken down into those different categories: Eustress, Hyperstress, Hypostress, Distress and Acute Stress.
Eustress
Eustress is one of the helpful types of stress. What is the definition
for eustress? It is the type of stress you experience right before you
have the need to exert physical force. Eustress prepares the muscles,
heart, and mind for the strength needed for whatever is about to
occur.Eustress can also apply to creative endeavors. When a person needs
to have some extra energy or creativity, eustress kicks in to bring
them the inspiration they need. An athlete will experience the strength
that comes form eustress right before they play a big game or enter a
big competition. Because of the eustress, they immediately receive the
strength that they need to perform. When the body enters the fight or
flight response, it will experience eustress. The eustress prepares the
body to fight with or flee from an imposing danger. This type of stress
will cause the blood to pump to the major muscle groups, and will
increase the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. If the event or
danger passes, the body will eventually return to its normal state.
_____
Hyperstress
Hyperstress comes from being overwhelmed with workloads or something
similar. Individuals who have hyperstress may snap back at you for the
littlest reason.
_____
Hypostress
If you don´t feel challanged and you find several things boring, you are experiencing Hypostress.
_____
Distress
Distress is one of the negative types of stress. This is one of the types of stress that the mind and body undergoes when the normal routine is constantly adjusted and altered. The mind is not comfortable with this routine, and craves the familiarity of a common routine. There are actually two types of distress: acute stress and chronic stress.
Distress
Distress is one of the negative types of stress. This is one of the types of stress that the mind and body undergoes when the normal routine is constantly adjusted and altered. The mind is not comfortable with this routine, and craves the familiarity of a common routine. There are actually two types of distress: acute stress and chronic stress.
_____
Acute Stress
Acute stress is the type of stress that comes immediately with a change of routine. It is an intense type of stress, but it passes quickly. Acute stress is the body's way of getting a person to stand up and take inventory of what is going on, to make sure that everything is OK
Source:
http://www.psychologycampus.com/teens-children/stress.html
Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope.
Some sources of stress for teens might include:
* school demands and frustrations
* negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
* changes in their bodies
Acute Stress
Acute stress is the type of stress that comes immediately with a change of routine. It is an intense type of stress, but it passes quickly. Acute stress is the body's way of getting a person to stand up and take inventory of what is going on, to make sure that everything is OK
Source:
http://www.psychologycampus.com/teens-children/stress.html
Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope.
Some sources of stress for teens might include:
* school demands and frustrations
* negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
* changes in their bodies
* problems with friends and/or peers at school
* unsafe living environment/neighborhood
* separation or divorce of parents
* chronic illness or severe problems in the family
* death of a loved one
* moving or changing schools
* taking on too many activities or having too high expectations
* family financial problems
Some teens become overloaded with stress. When it happens, inadequately managed stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use.
When we perceive a situation as difficult or painful, changes occur in
our minds and bodies to prepare us to respond to danger. This "fight,
flight, or freeze" response includes faster heart and breathing rate,
increased blood to muscles of arms and legs, cold or clammy hands and
feet, upset stomach and/or a sense of dread.
The same mechanism that turns on the stress response can turn it off. As
soon as we decide that a situation is no longer dangerous, changes can
occur in our minds and bodies to help us relax and calm down. This
"relaxation response" includes decreased heart and breathing rate and a
sense of well being. Teens that develop a "relaxation response" and
other stress management skills feel less helpless and have more choices
when responding to stress.
* Avoid excess caffeine intake which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation
* Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco
* Learn relaxation exercises (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques)
* Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in polite firm and not overly aggressive or passive ways: ("I feel angry when you yell at me" "Please stop yelling.")
* Rehearse and practice situations which cause stress. One example is taking a speech class if talking in front of a class makes you anxious
* Learn practical coping skills. For example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks
* Decrease negative self talk: challenge
negative thoughts about yourself with alternative neutral or positive
thoughts. "My life will never get better" can be transformed into "I may
feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it
and get some help"
* Learn to feel good about doing a competent or "good enough" job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others
* Take a break from stressful situations.
Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing,
writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress
* Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way
Source:
http://www.stressfocus.com/stress_focus_article/types-of-stress.htm
ORAL TASK:
Imagine the following situation: English Course Landjugend
Monologue 4-5 min
You
are a member of your local “Landjugend” organisation. Some of your friends want
to improve their English. So, you organise a weekly evening to talk about
interesting topics. This week you want to talk about happiness and stress. Make
a short introduction to lead in the topic.
- Illustrate where people are happy and why
- Explain the term: Work-Life-Balance
- Point out why not enough or too much stress could be dangerous
- Recommend good stress management strategies
Dialogue 8-10 min.
Later
you take some drinks with your colleagues. There you converse about:
- the concept of Carpe Diem/ to seize the day
- stress and pressure for young people nowadays
- your personal stress management strategies and concepts of happiness
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