Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. mindfulness
    • ex. Mindfulness helps me stay calm and relaxed during stressful situations.
  2. proactive
    • ex. Jack is a proactive leader who expects challenges and plans ahead to avoid problems.
  3. overwhelmed
    • ex. I feel overwhelmed because of all the homework I have to complete.
  4. well-being
    • ex. Ben takes care of his well-being by getting enough rest and eating healthy meals.
  5. resilient
    • ex. Emma experienced many challenges, but she remained resilient and never gave up.

Article

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

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A high school in Queensland, Australia is following a growing trend in offering mindfulness classes. In these classes, students practice mindfulness to calm their minds in busy situations. Teachers say they’re being proactive in supporting students’ emotional health. Students learn how to deal with different feelings like being overwhelmed and anxious. Jasmine Healy-Pagan of Youth RESET says that these negative feelings affect young people’s well-being.

A lot of schools are now considering this issue in their daily practices. But experts say more should be done. The Youth RESET program helps students become more resilient by teaching techniques like meditation, gentle movements, and deep breaths. According to Healy-Pagan, it’s important to be proactive about the mental and emotional well-being of young people today.

Teachers have seen students improve their behavior and interact more positively with classmates. This creates a peaceful atmosphere for learning. And for students, the effects are clearly positive. “It’s made me relaxed, calm, and not stressed a lot,” says one male student. “I feel less anxious in the bones, in the body, in the mind,” adds one female student.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Stress in School

  • Do you believe that school can be stressful for students? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Healy-Pagan says it's important to be proactive about the mental and emotional well-being of young people today. Why do you think this is so? Discuss.
  • Australian schools teach mindfulness and techniques like meditation, gentle movements, and deep breaths. Do you think these are effective in supporting students’ mental health? Why or why not? Discuss.

Mental Health Trends

  • Why do you think there is a growing trend in offering mindfulness classes in schools? Discuss.
  • Aside from students, who could benefit from mindfulness classes and techniques (ex. employees, parents)? Discuss.
  • Do you think it is safe to follow trends in health? Why or why not? Discuss.