English Conversation Practice

Name: English Conversation Practice
Start: 2024-06-28T18:00:00+09:30
End: 2024-06-28T19:30:00+09:30
Location: The Box Factory

Schedule

Fri Jun 28 2024 at 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC+09:30

Location

The Box Factory | Adelaide, SA

Register for this event at https://www.meetup.com/esl-english-practice-meet-up-group/events/300468552/
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Topic 183 - Absorbing, Fun, Pleasant, Blah, Miserable

1. When you have to make your own fun, what do you do? Or can you only have fun when it is pre-packaged commercial entertainment?
2. "Absorbing" means something is so interesting (or challenging) that it takes 100% of your attention. When was the last time that you were absorbed like this by an activity or person? Why was it so interesting?
3. "Pleasant" means that something or someone gives you pleasure. Usually it not a strong feeling, just mildly nice. How do you personally make yourself pleasant to somebody else?
4. "Blah" is a slang word. It means "forgettable" or "uninteresting" Maybe you listened to a speech by the Prime Minister, and agreed when someone said "that speech was all blah". Then you were agreeing that the speech was all words with no real meaning. What is a blah experience which you can think of ? What made it so uninteresting?
5. "Miserable" is used in three ways. a) If YOU are miserable, then you are very, very unhappy. b) You can also say that someone is miserable, meaning that they are a miser (= someone who is too selfish to spend money at all). c) You can say that an experience was miserable ( = an experience which was very unpleasant). Try to think of a real, living example of a), b) or c).
6. The entertainment industry is a huge, multi-billion dollar industry. The main aim of the entertainment industry is to absorb your brain 24/7 and have you willingly spend your money. How independent is your thinking really? How much have you been captured and brainwashed by the entertainment industry? Examples?
7. It is difficult to learn anything, especially a new language, if you can't make the learning fun. How do you try to make language learning fun and interesting?
8. Your 'attention span' is how long you can remain absorbed in some activity. For example, casual conversation needs very little attention span. Playing chess or writing a computer program needs a long attention span. You can't do complicated jobs with a short attention span. Suggest how you can improve your attention span. Think of real life examples.
9. a) "Mass entertainment" is designed to be fun for large numbers of people. b) Some people prefer small group entertainment. c) Some people find their fun alone. => What mix of a), b) and c) do you prefer? Can you be compatible with somebody who has different feelings about this mix?
10. How much of your experience in Australia has been absorbing, fun, pleasant, blah, or miserable?
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