Week 2 Individual Session: The Subjects

Session Goals

❖ Discuss and share opinions on school subjects and college majors

Pre-Session Instructions for Learner

❖ Watch the video at this link. Take notes on difficult vocabulary that you do not understand or parts that are confusing. The video has captions.

❖ Review this list of unique school subjects.

❖ Think of one favorite topic you studied in class. You will “teach” this topic to your buddy in the session.

Pre-Session Instructions for Volunteer

❖ Watch the video at this link.

❖ Review this list of unique school subjects.

During the Session:

❖ [20 min] Introductory discussion of subjects (discussion questions are ordered from basic to more advanced).

What does an average student in your country study when they are young (elementary school)? When they are teens (high school)?
Have the learner share a few examples of subjects they are studying in school or college. Which ones do you enjoy? Which ones do you not enjoy?
How many classes do Ukrainian students typically take per year? Do you get to choose which subjects you study in school?
Tell me about your favorite subject. Why is it your favorite? Do you like your teacher in this subject?
Does a good teacher make a student like a subject? Does a bad teacher make a student dislike a subject?
Do you study subjects in English outside of English class (e.g. chemistry in English, history in English)? Is that an option at your school? If it is not an option, would you like it to be? Why?
How many people study English in your country? Is it required? Do you think it should be required? Why or why not?
How many years have you studied English? Did you like English at first? Why or why not?
What is the most challenging aspect of studying English for you?
What subjects do you think Americans study in school? More subjects or fewer subjects?
What is a subject that you have never studied before? Why have you never studied it? (e.g. agriculture, theology, etc.)

❖ [15 min] Discussion of college majors

Discuss the video on college majors. Ask a few comprehension questions and answer any questions the learner has.
What are liberal arts? What is STEM? (Help the learner understand these concepts if they are unfamiliar.)
What is the most common major in your country? Why do you think it is the most common major?
Does this major help you get a good job? Why? Are you interested in this major?
Is it more important to study what you love or study what will make more money?
Do you know what you want to study in college (or did you)? Do a lot of people struggle to choose a major?

❖ [10 min] Presentation of the learner’s favorite topic!

Before the session, the learner should have created a short 1-2 minute presentation about their favorite topic.
If they did do this, have the learner give their presentation. Take notes on an interesting fact that you learned, grammar or pronunciation errors, and things the learner did well. Give feedback to the learner and ask follow up questions (e.g. Why do you like this topic? When did you learn about this in school?)
If they did not make the presentation, give them a couple of minutes to think of an interesting topic they’ve learned about in school this year - a particular unit in history or science class, a book they read in literature class, etc. Ask them to teach you a bit about this topic.

❖ [15 min] Unique school subjects and wrap-up

➢ Screenshare the list of unique subjects. Ask if your learner had any questions about it and clarify as needed.

➢ Ask which of these subjects the learner would most like to study and why and which they would least like to study. Share your opinions as well.

➢ What are some subjects that are not taught in primary/secondary school that should be? (e.g. politics, government, home economics, cooking, photography, etc.)

➢ If you could design a new class for you and your classmates to take next year, what would it be? What topics would you teach and how (lectures, guest speakers, group projects, etc.)?

Week 2 Individual Session: The Subjects

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