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

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THE BLUE TREE

Business English

CEF B1

CEFR B2

Upper
Intermediate

Practise speaking by describing this image

warm up

Answer the questions below. Listen to sample answers. Report back what you heard.

How has the quality of life changed in your neighborhood in the recent decade?
TRANSCRIPT

In my neighborhood, the quality of life has improved in some ways, like better infrastructure and more green spaces, but at the cost of increased commercialization. The rising cost of living and over-development are worrying, making it harder for families to afford homes or enjoy the slower pace we used to have.

Do you think it is fair for our generation to use up Earth resources without considering future generations?
TRANSCRIPT

No, it’s not fair for our generation to deplete resources without considering future generations. We benefit from what previous generations preserved for us, so we have a responsibility to do the same. Sustainable practices and long-term thinking should guide our choices to leave the planet in better shape.

“Our happiness does not depend on how much stuff we accumulate” – agree or disagree.
TRANSCRIPT

I completely agree. True happiness comes from relationships, experiences, and purpose, not the amount of material things we own. Accumulating possessions often leads to short-term satisfaction, but lasting happiness is found in meaningful connections and a balanced, fulfilling life.

part one

key language

watch the video

Comprehension

  • ⌚ 0:15 How much stuff do you have?
  • ⌚ 022 What are the benefits of having a lot of possessions?
  • ⌚ 0:29 What is the actual price of having so much stuff?
  • ⌚ 0:34 What is the effect of consumerism on the planet?
  • ⌚ 0:43 What is the big question the film tries to answer?
  • ⌚ 0:51 What do many people believe we should do to prevent a catastrophe?
  • ⌚ 1:01 What is ‘degrowth’ in a nutshell?

part two

key language

watch the video

Comprehension

  • ⌚ 1:11 How are countries judged?
  • ⌚ 1:27 What are some things GDP counts?
  • ⌚ 1:42 What are some things it does not account for?
  • ⌚ 2:07 What does Kai Heron think about countries focusing on increasing their GDP?
  • ⌚ 2:37 Who coined the term ‘degrowth’? When?
  • ⌚ 2:52 What did the report on ‘degrowth’ predict?
  • ⌚ 3:01 How was the report initially perceived?
  • ⌚ 3:17 How did Nature change its view on ‘degrowth’? 

part three

key language

key language

Comprehension

  • ⌚ 3:34 What is ‘decoupling’?
  • ⌚ 4:18 What are some of the countries which succeeded in decoupling?
  • ⌚ 4:22 Why is decoupling not enough to solve the problem?
  • ⌚ 4:38 What other crises should we also try to solve?
  • ⌚ 4:58 Why doesn’t Julia Schor like the term ‘degrowth’?
  • ⌚ 5:15 Why does ‘degrowth’ sound scary?
  • ⌚ 5:35 What are the main points of ‘degrowth’?
  • ⌚ 5:54 What are some examples of industries that benefit the entire society?
  • ⌚ 6:01 How may implementing ‘degrowth’ affect our working week?

part four

key language

key language

Comprehension

  • ⌚ 6:28 What is a milder form of ‘degrowth’ called?
  • ⌚ 6:44 How does Doughnut Economy model work?
  • ⌚ 7:28 Why do people worry that slowing GDP may be bad for us?
  • ⌚ 7:32 Has ‘degrowth’ been implemented anywhere in the world?
  • ⌚ 7:58 What does Zeke Hausefather think about the likelihood of politicians embracing ‘degrowth’? 

part five

key language

key language

Comprehension

  • ⌚8:19 How could we help even the playing field for other countries to catch up?
  • ⌚ 8:46 What do the Global South urgently need?
  • ⌚ 9:09 How could ‘degrowth’ benefit people worldwide?
  • ⌚ 9:22 How many Earths would we need if everybody consumed as much as a person in the USA?
  • ⌚ 9:42 How do many view increasing GDP?
  • ⌚ 10:12 What is the Human Development Index and how is it different from the GDP?
  • ⌚ 11:02 What policies did Jacinda Ardern implement when she was the Prime Minister of New Zealand?
  • ⌚ 11:29 What do the advocates of ‘degrowth’ want us to imagine?
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DISCUSSION

Alita has attended a conference on ‘degrowth’. Listen to the talk. Read Alita’s notes and then discuss the questions below.

Keynote Speech

Listen to Professor Marcus delivering a key note speech on the topic of Doughnut Economics and the degrowth movement.

Alita’s notes

Go through Alita’s notes from this talk.

Doughnut Economics: A groundbreaking model by Kate Raworth. Defines a “safe and just” space for humanity.
Inner Circle: Represents essential human needs such as health, education, and clean water.
Outer Circle: Denotes the planet’s ecological boundaries like climate stability and biodiversity.
Goal: Operate within the doughnut’s space where basic needs are met without surpassing the planet’s boundaries.

Current Reality:
– Pursuit of continuous GDP growth has often led to overshooting ecological limits and neglecting essential human needs.

Degrowth Movement:
– Not about regression but *conscious evolution*.
– Prioritizes well-being, equity, and sustainability over mere economic growth.
– Focus on *better*, not necessarily *more*.

Redefining Success:
– Success can be more than financial growth—consider well-being, community health, and environmental sustainability.
– Young professionals have the power and responsibility to reshape industries and redefine professional success metrics.

Global Shifts:
– Notable changes worldwide: Cities emphasizing green spaces, businesses focusing on sustainability, and communities practicing shared economies.

Action Points:
1. Educate and Engage : Immerse in these ideas and promote meaningful discussions.
2. Embed in Practice : Integrate sustainability and equity principles into your profession.
3. Empower Others : Influence and inspire change within your professional and personal networks.

Closing Thought:
– In our pursuit of growth, we must remain clear on the direction and purpose of our growth—aim for a balanced, thriving world.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discuss the questions below. Use the information from the lesson and your own experience.

  • Defining Success: What does “success” mean to you, and does it always have to involve making more money or having more things?

  • Nature and Us: Can you think of a time when you felt that taking care of nature was important? Why?

  • Quality over Quantity: Do you believe it’s better to have fewer, high-quality things rather than many things that might not last as long? Why or why not?

  • Local Changes: Have you noticed any changes in your town or city that seem to be good for the environment or the community?

  • Imagining the Future: How do you imagine a perfect city or country? What would be different from the way we live now?

LESSON GLOSSARY

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