English Conversation Practice

Name: English Conversation Practice
Start: 2024-07-12T18:00:00+09:30
End: 2024-07-12T19:30:00+09:30
Location: The Box Factory

Schedule

Fri Jul 12 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/301108992/?slug=esl-english-practice-meet-up-group&eventId=301108992
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Topic 184 - Not That!~ Just the Opposite
Talking Points
1. I recently saw a neighbour with a new, small motor scooter. I said, "That's a dangerous looking machine." He smiled and replied, "Yeah, I'm expecting an invite from the Hells Angels" . What meaning would you get from that? In English we sometimes say one thing to mean the opposite. This can be IRONY, SARCASM or just friendly TEASING. Australians tease each other constantly as a friendly game. This is the opposite of many other cultures. Try to think of some other examples of friendly teasing.
2. Buying things online is a little risky. You cannot really see the product. For example, you might order some shoes, then find they don't actually fit. Can you think of examples where you did not actually get what you paid for?
3. Some people say things, or even ask you to do things, which they don't actually do themselves. This is called HYPOCRISY. For example, a politician might pretend to be honest, but actually be very corrupt. Try to think of some other examples of hypocrisy.
4. The weather in Adelaide is very unpredictable. One day last week the weather forecast said it would rain heavily. I went outside and it was just the opposite: sunny with a blue sky. Can you think of some times when you were tricked by the weather?
5. Job CVs (curriculum vitae) often lie. For example, they might say that the person is a "team player", when in fact they are not cooperative at all. What are some other fake CV claims? What is the danger of using an untrue CV?
6. Supermarkets never say they are increasing prices. Often they say the opposite, such as "Down down down", or they charge the same price for something in a smaller packet. From your experience, what are some actual examples of this kind of trickery?
7. Different cultures manage disagreements in different ways. For example, when North Europeans say "yes" or "no" they usually mean "yes" or "no". People in East Asian cultures often say "yes" when they really mean "no". They want to avoid confrontation. What problems can this difference in cultures cause? Can you think of examples? How can we avoid being offended by these different styles?
8. When countries are trying to attract tourists or visitors, officials often make claims about their country which are not true, or only partly true. From your experience, can you give examples of such misleading claims?
9. What are some of the fake claims and fake tactics that both men and women use in the dating game?
10. "Click bait" is an image or headline that makes you think a video or article is interesting. Maybe when you click the topic, it is not interesting at all. Examples? Why do media creators use click bait?
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