Combined Issues 72 & 73: Connections: Mindset & Peace, Elections & Idioms (Passing the Baton)
In this issue, we have three related articles on an experiment in the importance of mindset in working toward peace. There is also a crossword and other practice to reinforce their vocabulary, and a link to a partly related TED talk for listening practice.
(This Back Issue also includes the very short newsletter on the 'Passing the Baton'-- an election and sports idiom-- both below the vocabulary practice for issue 72.)
The first article, from the Christian Science Monitor, is on a Stanford experiment with Israeli and Palestinian teenagers. The researchers wanted to see if fostering a “growth mindset” (the idea that people are not stuck forever in their old ways but can change) would improve the way the two
groups of teens worked together. (They found it made even more difference than they had hoped.)
”How to build peace, one teenager at a time” shares the experience of a woman who works for Seeds of Peace, encouraging similar interaction between groups of teens from both sides of conflict situations.
For many classes or individual English learners, those articles would be enough, and they do reinforce the key vocabulary. For those who want a little more, here is a link to the Stanford report on the research.
Carol Dweck’s Stanford research on the Growth Mindset, and how it affects students’ expectations of academic success or failure, was part of the original inspiration for the research in
Israel. You can listen to her explain her research in this TED talk.
There’s a crossword to practice the main vocabulary here. The answers are here.
In addition, the Teamwork and Cooperation page on EnglishHints explains and practices many of the words, if you'd like more.
In mid November and early December I plan to do similar reading or listeniing practice with related vocabulary, but I’m not sure of the subjects yet. We’ll probably skip the mid-December issue, as many people and classes will be busy with holiday preparations.
Enjoy the fall and your English studies!
#73 The Election, Batons, & Sports Idioms
I have wanted to write about sports idioms, and the
U.S. election aftermath has provided a great opportunity. President Obama’s post-election speech used relay races as a metaphor for the way he intended to deal with President-elect Trump. I feel he made an impressive plea for leaving the bitterness of the election behind and coming together as one team.
If you want to use this in class, or just to understand how relay races work, see this explanation of relay races.
For more sports idioms, see this EnglishHints sports idioms page. It also has a link to a short YouTube video showing the American relay team at the Rio Olympic qualifications being bumped and dropping the baton.
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