Useful Vocabulary
Instructions: Go through the vocabulary below with your students. Next, ask them to use this vocabulary in the conversation section below.
Useful Phrasal Verbs
- To opt out of – choose not to participate in something.
Example Sentence: “I decided to opt out of the company’s retirement plan because I preferred to manage my own investments.”
- To scale back – to reduce something in size, amount, or production
Example Sentence: “The company decided to scale back its operations in response to the economic downturn.”
- To hash out – to talk about something with someone else in order to reach an agreement about it.
Example Sentence: “The team had to hash out their differences and find a compromise during the meeting.”
- To iron out something – to solve or to deal with a problem.
Example Sentence: “The negotiations took several rounds to iron out all the details of the contract.”
- to rule something out – to exclude something or someone as a possibility
Example Sentence: “After conducting thorough investigations, the detective was able to rule out the suspect as a potential culprit.”
Useful Vocabulary Words
- Criteria
- Analysis paralysis
- Impulsive
- To meet halfway
- Win-win
- To yield
- Implement
- Commitment
- Compromise
- Gut feeling
Planning ESL Conversation Questions
1 Have you ever opted out of a social event or gathering? Why did you make that decision?
2. Do you believe it’s important for employees to have the option to opt out of working overtime? Why or why not?
3. In some countries, military service is mandatory, but there are provisions for individuals to opt out for various reasons. What is your opinion on mandatory military service and the right to opt out?
4. Are there any social or cultural expectations that you feel pressured to conform to but would prefer to opt out of? Why?
5. Have you ever experienced a situation where you needed to scale back your plans or expectations? What was the reason behind it?
6. In what situations do you think it’s necessary for companies to scale back their operations? Can you think of any examples?
7. When faced with a project that seems overwhelming, what steps do you take to scale back and make it more manageable?
8. Have you ever had to scale back on your workload or commitments? How did you manage it?
9. Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to hash out a disagreement with someone? How did you resolve it?
10. Can you think of a time when you had to hash out the details of a project or plan with your colleagues or classmates? How did you reach a consensus?
11. In a team setting, do you think it’s better to hash out conflicts immediately or let them simmer and address them later? Why?
12. What strategies do you find effective for ironing out differences in opinion during group discussions or meetings?
13. Have you ever been in a situation where it was difficult to iron out conflicts or reach a resolution? How did you handle it?
14. When making decisions, do you tend to rule out certain possibilities quickly or do you prefer to explore all options? Why?
15. Can you think of a situation where ruling out certain ideas or approaches led to a more successful outcome?
16. Can you think of an example where ruling out something initially turned out to be a mistake? What did you learn from it?
17. Have you ever experienced analysis paralysis when making a decision? Can you describe the situation?
18. What are some common causes or factors that contribute to analysis paralysis?
19. How do you personally deal with analysis paralysis? What strategies do you use to overcome it?
20. Can you think of a time when analysis paralysis led to missed opportunities or negative consequences?
21. Do you think it’s better to make a quick decision, even if it’s not perfect, or to delay the decision until you have more information? Why?
22. Have you ever received helpful guidance from someone during a decision-making process?
23. How do cultural differences impact the willingness to yield in different parts of the world?
24. When making decisions in a group, how do you ensure that everyone has a chance to voice their opinion without feeling the need to yield to others?
25. Can you think of a project or idea that you successfully implemented? What steps did you take to make it happen?
26. Have you ever been part of a team or organization where an implementation failed? What were the reasons for the failure, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?
27. In what situations do you find it most helpful to trust your gut feeling?
28. Can you share a story or experience where following your gut feeling led to a positive outcome?
