FUNCTIONS:

Agreeing

Disagreeing

Hesitating

Introducing your opinion

Asking for opinions

Expressing preferences

Asking for clarification

Expressing likelihood

Speculating, guessing

Advice and recommendations

Describing a picture

Agreeing

I think you’re right

I would go along with the idea

I completely agree with you

That makes perfect sense

You have a point there

Absolutely, that’s spot on!

I couldn’t agree more

Disagreeing

That’s not how I see it

I couldn’t agree less

You must be kidding

That’s a ridiculous idea, don’t you think?

With all due respect, I must disagree

I’m afraid I can’t see it that way

No way, that’s nonsense!

Hesitating

I’m in two minds about it

I have some reservations regarding that

I’m not entirely convinced

There’s something that gives me pause

While I’m not entirely opposed, I do have some doubts

Introducing your opinion

To my mind

I reckon

In my opinion

As I see it

It seems to me

I would argue

From my point of view

Asking for opinions

Don’t you think …?

What’s your attitude to …?

What’s your opinion of …?

Are you in favour of …?

What’s your position as regards …?

You don’t support …, do you?

Expressing preferences

I prefer…

I would rather…

My preference would be…

I tend to favour…

If I had to choose, I would…

I lean towards…

I am inclined to…

Giving reasons

Asking for clarification

Could you please elaborate on that?

Would you mind explaining that further?

I’m not quite sure I understand. Could you clarify?

Could you provide more details?

Can you expand on that point?

Expressing likelihood

“It’s a foregone conclusion that…”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that…”

“I am almost certain that…”

“It’s highly likely that…”

“Chances are that…”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if…”

“It’s possible that…”

“There’s a chance that…”

“It’s unlikely that…”

“I doubt that…”

Speculating, guessing

“It seems to me that…”

“My gut feeling is that…”

“From what I gather…”

“If I were to guess…”

“It would appear that…”

“I reckon that…”

“I suspect that…”

“In all likelihood…”

“There’s a distinct possibility that…”

“It’s plausible that…”

Advice and recommendations

“You might want to consider…”

“Perhaps you could try…”

“If I were you, I would…”

“One thing you could do is…”

“Have you thought of…”

“May I suggest…”

“It might be beneficial to…”

“Consider this approach…”

“Why not give this a go…”

“If it were up to me, I’d…”

Describing a picture

“In the foreground…”

“In the background…”

“In the center of the image…”

“On the left side of the picture…”

“On the right side of the picture…”

“At the top of the picture…”

“At the bottom of the picture…”

“The picture depicts…”

“The image illustrates…”

“The photograph shows…”

“One can see…”

“Notice how…”

“This scene captures…”

“This photograph highlights…”

DICTIONARY

Add new and interesting words from this lesson to your English dictionary.

Store your words and expressions in this handy dictionary. You can create groups and play games based on your entries. There is also a practical importing feature.

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back to HOME > Personal Development  > How to learn > Do schools kill creativity

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THE BLUE TREE

How to Learn

CEF B1

CEFR B2

Upper
Intermediate

warm up

Answer the questions below. Listen to the answers below.

TRANSCRIPT

I had a mixed experience with school. I liked learning new things, especially when it came to subjects I was passionate about, like literature and art. But sometimes, the structure felt too rigid, and I didn’t always feel like there was enough room for creativity. There were parts of school that I enjoyed, but other times, it felt more like going through the motions rather than being truly engaged.

TRANSCRIPT

I think schools are meant to teach kids the basics of knowledge, like reading, math, and critical thinking, but they should also be places that help students figure out who they are and what they want to do. It’s not just about academic subjects; schools should help young people develop life skills, creativity, and confidence. That way, they can find their passions and use them to contribute to society.

Do schools do a good job preparing young people for adult life?
TRANSCRIPT

I think schools could do a better job of preparing young people for adult life. They teach academic subjects, but they often don’t focus enough on practical life skills—things like managing finances, critical thinking, or emotional intelligence. Preparing students for adult life should go beyond textbooks and exams, helping them develop the adaptability and resilience they’ll need in the real world.

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.

  • What are schools for according to Sir Ken Robinson?
  • What don’t we know and why is it a problem for education?
  • What does Sir Robinson think about creativity?

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.

  • What does the story of a little girl drawing God illustrate?
  • Who does the educational system favour?
  • Should schools put as much importance on dance as on languages?

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.

  • What does it mean intelligence is:
    • diverse
    • dynamic
    • distinct?
  • Retell the story of Gillian Lynne.
  • What does her story illustrate?
  • Why is it critical that school do a better job of preparing children for the future?

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

Coming Soon
Do schools succeed in preparing children for the future?
Total Votes : 3

lesson glossary

Do schools kill creativity - Sir Ken Robinson

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