The Trick to Regaining Your Childlike Wonder by Zach King

The Trick to Regaining Your Childlike Wonder by Zach King

by | Sep 17, 2022 | Uncategorised

Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

back to HOME > General Interest > Surprise me >

The Trick to Regaining Your Childlike Wonder by Zach King
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Surprise Me

CEF B1

CEFR A2

Pre-Intermediate

Practise speaking by describing this image

warm up

Answer the questions below.

In what ways are children different from adults?
TRANSCRIPT

Children are usually more curious and open-minded than adults. They ask many questions and are not afraid of making mistakes. For them, the world feels new and full of possibilities. Adults, on the other hand, often focus on routines, responsibilities, and problems. We think more about consequences and what others might say, which can make us more cautious and less adventurous.

What helps children be so imaginative and creative?
TRANSCRIPT

I’d say it mostly comes down to curiosity and play. Kids don’t overthink things — they just jump in and see what happens. A cardboard box isn’t just a box; in no time it becomes a spaceship, a castle, or a secret hideout. Because children aren’t afraid of looking silly or making mistakes, they experiment freely. Their imagination is allowed to run wild, without rules or limits getting in the way.

How could adults benefit from being more creative?
TRANSCRIPT

Honestly, creativity can be a real game changer for adults. It helps you think outside the box instead of feeling stuck or hitting a brick wall. Creative thinking also adds some colour to everyday life, which often feels repetitive. When you approach problems with curiosity rather than stress, things don’t seem so heavy. In a way, creativity helps adults slow down, see things differently, and reconnect with the sense of wonder they once had.

part one

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the first part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 00:28 Why was Zach late for his talk?
  • ⌚ 00:42 How did Zach eventually get on the stage?
  • ⌚ 00:49 Who is Zach King?
  • ⌚ 01:01 How did you answer Zach’s question at the beginning?
  • ⌚ 01:26 Who doesn’t see it as a box?
  • ⌚ 01:47 How are adults different from children?

part two

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the second part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 01:52 What has Zach been trying to find out over the past decade?
  • ⌚ 2:20 Which example of imaginative thinking did you like the most?
  • ⌚ 2:23 Does Zach believe adults can regain this childlike wonder?
  • ⌚ 3:56 How did Zach play with the box when he was a small boy?
  • ⌚ 4:19 What happened when Zach found winter jackets in his box?
  • ⌚ 4:39 What happened to the box over the years?

part three

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the third part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 05:02 What happened when he heard some noise coming from the garage?
  • ⌚ 05:37 Who did they meet in space and what did they show them?
  • ⌚ 5:52 What is the key to regaining childlike wonder?
  • ⌚ 06:03 What does it mean not to hold any assumptions about things?
  • ⌚ 06:13 How could this ability help us in life?

part four

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the fourth part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 06:35 What did Zach show us and what was your first thought when you saw it?
  • ⌚ 7:32 How did Zach return on stage?
  • ⌚ 7:52 When can new ideas enter the world?

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

When you see an ordinary object (like a box or an old item), what do you usually notice first?
How would you describe your attitude toward imagination in adult life?
What do you think limits adult creativity the most?

CAST YOUR VOTE
×

lesson glossary

UPS! Ta sekcja jest dostępna tylko dla moich uczniów. Zapraszam na wyjątkowe lekcje angielskiego online lub na Mokotowie w Warszawie. Napisz do mnie na hi@thebluetree i umów się na darmową lekcję próbną.

COMMENTS

How important is creativity and imagination? What are the benefits of keeping childlike wonder? Do you agree with Zach that we need to get rid our assumptions to regain childlike wonder?

Share your thoughts and ideas below.

Break your procrastination habit

Break your procrastination habit

by | Sep 16, 2022 | Uncategorised

Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

back to HOME > Personal Development > Personal Productivity >

Break your procrastination habit
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Personal
Productivity

CEF B1

CEFR B2

Upper
Intermediate

Practise speaking by describing this image

warm up

Answer the questions below.

Do you have a problem with procrastination?
TRANSCRIPT

Yeah, I do struggle with procrastination sometimes, especially when the task feels overwhelming or boring. I’ve learned that I tend to avoid things that make me anxious, so I’ve been trying to break tasks down into smaller, easier steps. That helps me get started and build momentum.

Why is it hard to complete some tasks on time sometimes?
TRANSCRIPT

I think it can be hard to complete tasks on time because of our own emotions or mindset. Sometimes a task feels more difficult or stressful than it really is, which leads to putting it off. Also, if the work seems boring, we naturally avoid it. I try to manage this by focusing on the positive outcome of finishing the task, or by rewarding myself after I complete it.

Do you organize your work tasks according to priority or difficulty?
TRANSCRIPT

I organize my work tasks based on priority. I like to start with the most important tasks first, even if they’re difficult. I’ve found that once I tackle the high-priority tasks, it feels like a weight is lifted, and the rest of my day goes more smoothly. I also try to keep my systems simple, so I don’t feel overwhelmed by everything on my plate.

LISTENING

Listen to the audio. What is the main message of this HBR Management Tip?

reading

Break Your 1. Procrastination Habit

Do you keep 2. postponing work you need to do? Most of us procrastinate from time to time. Rather than feeling guilty about it, or 3. beating yourself up, try these strategies to break the habit.

Schedule your deep work. It’s easier to put off work that requires concentration. So build time in your daily calendar to focus on your most important long-term project. Having a regular pattern each day will make it less challenging and help make progress feel automatic, rather than 4. cumbersome.

Learn to accept demanding work. Don’t make the mistake of 5. equating easy work with productivity. The more tolerant you become of demanding tasks, the less you’ll procrastinate. This takes practice; commit to 6.tackling 90 minutes of at least one demanding task each day — not just busy work.

Create a system for starting new tasks. You’ll be less likely to delay 7. novel tasks if you have a system for approaching them. Have consistent steps you take when you 8. encounter something new to reduce decision 9. fatigue about how to start.

Use self-compassion. We tend to avoid tasks that stir up negative emotions. Try to identify what you’re feeling exactly, so you can address the emotion 10.head on. Sometimes the negative feelings about a task are driven by a prior experience. You can heal these wounds with compassionate self-talk. Tell yourself, “It’s normal to be disappointed in my past performance. I’m learning through experience.”

This tip is adapted from “How to Stop Procrastinating,” by Alice Boyes

odkładać zadania na ostatnią chwilę

zwlekać, odkładać, przekładać (na później)

obwiniać się

nieporęczny (np. styl), nieudolny (np. o przeprosinach)

stawiać znak równości pomiędzy

uporać się (z czymś), stawiać czoło (problemom)

nowy, nieznany 

napotkać, natknąć się (na coś)

zmęczenie

bezpośrednio, z determinacją

COMPREHENSION

Answer the questions below. Throw some newly learned words and phrases into your answers.

  • How common is the habit of procrastinating?
  • What do some people do when they procrastinate?
  • Why should we schedule time for deep work?
  • How does it help to have a regular pattern for deep work?
  • What mistake do some people make as regards productivity?
  • What do we have to learn to tolerate?
  • What can we do to approach difficult tasks easier?
  • What tasks do we tend to avoid more often?
  • How can compassionate self-talk help us?

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

Which piece of advice about breaking the procrastination habit do you find most practical?

CAST YOUR VOTE
×

COMMENTS

What is your method of dealing with procrastination? How do you make yourself do difficult tasks?

Share your views and experience here.

Let’s touch base. 15 English idioms to use at work

Let’s touch base. 15 English idioms to use at work

by | Sep 14, 2022 | Uncategorised

Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Everyday English

CEF B1

CEFR B1

Intermediate

Practise speaking by describing this image

warm up

Answer the questions below.

Do you prefer to act by the book, or rather bend some rules from time to time?
TRANSCRIPT

“Honestly, I try to stick to the rules most of the time—like going ‘by the book’—but sometimes, you just have to bend a few rules to get things done. For example, when there’s a tight deadline and cutting a few corners doesn’t hurt anyone, I think it’s okay. Of course, I’m not talking about skipping something essential, just being a bit flexible. It’s like finding shortcuts on a steep learning curve—makes things a lot smoother! So yeah, I guess I’m a mix of both. What about you?”

When you need to communicate something important, do you prefer to cut to the chase or rather beat around the bush for a while before?
TRANSCRIPT

“Oh, I’m all about cutting to the chase. I mean, why waste time beating around the bush when you can just say what needs to be said, right? Especially at work, where everyone’s busy putting out fires and juggling tasks, it’s better to get straight to the point. That said, I do try to lighten the mood first—maybe a quick chit-chat—so it doesn’t feel too abrupt. But yeah, clear and direct is my go-to. How about you—do you ease into it or go straight for the big stuff?”

What’s your favourite way of lightening your mood? What can you or others do to help me feel better?
TRANSCRIPT

“For me, the best way to lighten my mood is to take a break and have a good laugh. Honestly, nothing beats a quick chit-chat with someone who knows how to crack a joke or share a funny story. Music works wonders too—something upbeat can totally change the vibe. And if someone else wants to help, even a small gesture like bringing me a coffee or saying something kind can really make a difference. It’s the little things, you know? 

part one

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the first part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 0:11 Where does Emma believe are English idioms used most often?
  • ⌚ 0:21 How important is it to be able to use idiom when we communicate in English?
  • ⌚ 0:33 What are some of the benefits of knowing and using idioms?

part two

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the second part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 1:24 What does it mean to ‘get your foot in the door‘?
  • ⌚ 1:54 What are some of the ways we can get our foot in the door of a company we really want to work for?
  • ⌚ 2:26 What does it mean to ‘show someone the ropes‘?
  • ⌚ 2:47 What does the idiom ‘thrown in the deep end‘ mean?
  • ⌚ 3:03 How was Emma thrown in the deep end on her first teaching job?
  • ⌚ 3:49 When do we use the expressions ‘a steep learning curve‘?

part three

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the third part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 5:23 What does it mean to do something ‘by the book‘?
  • ⌚ 5:50 How is ‘to cut corners‘ different from ‘by the book‘?
  • ⌚ 6:15 What situation does the idiom ‘have one’s work cut out‘ describe?
  • ⌚ 6:43 What does it mean to ‘make light/short work (of something)’?
  • ⌚ 7:10 Can we use this idiom outside of the work context? How?

part four

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the fourth part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 8:00 What happens when we ‘touch base‘ with someone?
  • ⌚ 8:28 What does it mean to ‘cut to the chase‘?
  • ⌚ 9:02 Why do we need to be careful when we are using this idiom?
  • ⌚ 9:54 What does it mean ‘to bite your tongue‘?

part five

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the fifth part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • ⌚ 10:21 What does it mean to ‘rock the boat‘?
  • ⌚ 11:26 When can we use the idiom ‘to put out fires‘?
  • ⌚ 12:10 What happens when someone ‘is in hot water‘?
  • ⌚ 12:28 When is the right time to use the idiom ‘let’s call it a day‘?

PRACTICE

Multidecker Fiszki

15 idioms for work

Play this Multidecker game. How many idioms from this lesson do you already remember?

CUT TO THE CHASE

Choose the correct answer in each of these 15 items of the multiple choice quiz below.

15 IDIOMS FOR WORK

Let's learn 15 practical idioms for work.
Choose the correct answer for each of the 15 items in this multiple choice quiz.

1. OK, Guys, I think we covered everything in the meeting, let's call it a [gap].
2. He was struggling on his first day, so I stayed back to show him the [gap].
3. Starting a new job without any training felt like being thrown in at the [gap].
4. Learning to use this new software has been a steep learning [gap].
5. The manager insists on doing everything by the [gap].
6. To save time, they decided to cut [gap] on the project, which caused issues later.
7. With so many tasks ahead of me, I definitely have my work cut [gap].
8. She managed to make light [gap] of the task and finished it in record time.
9. I’ll touch [gap] with you next week to see how you’re doing.
10. Let’s cut to the [gap] and talk about the real issue here.
11. I wanted to argue with my boss, but I decided to bite my [gap] instead.
12. He refused to sign the contract because he didn’t want to rock the [gap].
13. I spent the entire morning putting out [gap] at work—it was exhausting!


Well done! You're almost there!

14. After missing the deadline, he knew he was in hot [gap].
15. She finally got her foot in the [gap] by landing an internship at the company.

MEETING ABOUT DECLINING SALES

Complete three contributions on a meeting about declining sales. All the missing words are idioms we were learning in this lesson. 

It appears that this quiz is not set up correctly.

LESSON GLOSSARY

UPS! Ta sekcja jest dostępna tylko dla moich uczniów. Zapraszam na wyjątkowe lekcje angielskiego online lub na Mokotowie w Warszawie. Napisz do mnie na hi@thebluetree i umów się na darmową lekcję próbną.

COMMENTS

Write your own examples with the idioms you learnt in this lesson. 

Seven Phrasal Verbs

Seven Phrasal Verbs

by | Sep 12, 2022 | Uncategorised

Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

back to HOME > Learning English > Learn more words >

Seven Phrasal Verbs
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Learn Words

CEF B1

CEFR B1

Intermediate

THE THEORY OF SEVEN

It has been proven that for people to remember new information they need to interact with it at least seven times.

This lesson puts this theory to the test. You will learn seven new vocabulary items using seven different types of activities.

If the theory is true, you should be able to understand and comfortably use seven practical, everyday English phrasal verbs.

step ONE

1. Go through the flashcard game below to see all the phrasal verbs you will learn in this lesson.

STEP TWO

2. Play this Wordwall matching game. Match the phrasal verb with its definition.

STEP THREE

3. Now complete these sentences with the right phrasal verbs.

STEP FOUR

4. Listen to these sentences. Which phrasal verb do you hear? Choose it from the drop down list. 

UPS! Ta sekcja jest dostępna tylko dla moich uczniów. Zapraszam na wyjątkowe lekcje angielskiego online lub na Mokotowie w Warszawie. Napisz do mnie na hi@thebluetree i umów się na darmową lekcję próbną.

STEP FIVE

5. In this activity you have to write down the correct phrasal verb. Make sure you put it in the correct grammatical form.

UPS! Ta sekcja jest dostępna tylko dla moich uczniów. Zapraszam na wyjątkowe lekcje angielskiego online lub na Mokotowie w Warszawie. Napisz do mnie na hi@thebluetree i umów się na darmową lekcję próbną.

STEP SIX

6. This activity will check if you remember how to spell these seven phrasal verbs. 

UPS! Ta sekcja jest dostępna tylko dla moich uczniów. Zapraszam na wyjątkowe lekcje angielskiego online lub na Mokotowie w Warszawie. Napisz do mnie na hi@thebluetree i umów się na darmową lekcję próbną.

STEP SEVEN

7. Finally, write your own sentences with these phrasal verbs and post them below. 

The Art of Balancing Stones

The Art of Balancing Stones

by | Sep 9, 2022 | Uncategorised

Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

back to HOME > General Interest > The Arts >

The Art of Balancing Stones
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

The Arts

CEF B1

CEFR B1

Intermediate

warm up

Answer the questions below.

  • What do you like doing to relax and unwind?
  • Do you have a special or excentric hobby or passion?
  • Do you think it is possible to put stones like on the image above?

key language

Go through the flashcards below. Memorize as many words and their translations as you can.

watch the video

Watch the video below.

COMPREHENSION

Answer the questions below. Try to throw a couple of newly learned words into your answers.

  • How does Jonna feel when she is balancing stones?
  • How long does it take her to arrange stones in this way?
  • Why do some people say it is fake?
  • How does Jonna feel about such claims?
  • What advice does she give to those who would like to learn to balance stones?

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

Coming Soon
Would you like to try this activity yourself?
Total Votes : 2

COMMENTS

What do you think of this activity? Is this something for you? Have you ever tried it?