Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. an aroma
    • ex. The aroma of the freshly baked bread smelled delicious.
  2. communal
    • ex. The community center is a good place for communal events.
  3. a staple
    • ex. Rice is a staple in many Asian countries.
  4. promote
    • ex. The company released an advertisement to promote its new product.
  5. prioritize
    • ex. You have to prioritize your studies rather than video games.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Yared Markos grew up in Ethiopia, and he would often start his days with coffee. In fact, it is common for Ethiopians to drink coffee at the end of each meal. The strong aroma of freshly roasted beans from Markos’ home attracted everyone in the community. Drinking coffee was a communal experience for him. So, when he moved to London, he was surprised that tea was a staple instead of coffee.

When Markos moved in 2000, he didn’t see any Ethiopian coffee shops in London. “They sell our coffee in Starbucks and other places, but they don’t follow our traditions,” said Markos. In 2004, Markos started Kaffa Coffee, an Ethiopian coffee shop. Now, there are more than a dozen Ethiopian coffee shops in London.

Since 2011, the London Coffee Festival has been an occasion for coffee lovers to come together. It has also helped promote Ethiopian coffee traditions to other people. “Tourists will walk by and smell the coffee and come in asking questions,” he said. “It makes people want to learn more about the culture.” He hopes that the festival will encourage people to prioritize social connections over simply drinking coffee.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Food and Tradition

  • What foreign foods are popular in your country? Can you describe it? Discuss.
  • Is food an important part of your country’s culture? Why do you think so? Discuss.
  • Imagine you are joining a cultural food festival in another country. What food from your country would you promote? Why? Discuss.

Social Connections

  • In your opinion, are social connections necessary? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what is a good way to make social connections (ex. joining a club, attending a party)? Discuss.
  • In Ethiopia, drinking coffee is a communal activity people enjoy. What do you think are the benefits of communal activities like this? Discuss.