On March 3^rd, there was the first online conference for FCE class and it was about  “ Sexism”. I can not remember much about the discussion but what I can remember is that the discussion started at 22:30 during which 6 people participated. At first the discussion handler, Mr. Goodarzi, asked for a definition about sexism. Each person said their definition and after that Mr. Goodarzi himself said one. Everyone had different ideas but 60% of them agreed that such a thing is good and necessary in every society.  The discussion handler asked that why some people believe that some jobs like being a judge is not for women? 60% of the participants believed that because women are sensitive, emotional and such things are not good for some particular jobs , like being a judge.  But the 40% believed that gender is not important. They said that every job needs some special skills and if a PERSON (HE/SHE) has those skills and likes the job so he/she is capable of doing that.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

In His sublime name

On Esfand 22nd there was another discussion by the topic of "cultural duality". A topic whichstarted from a class discussion that we had, "what are Iranian families' problems?". The onlineconference began at 22:30 as usual during which 6 people participated. At the very beginning, the discussion handler who was Mr. Goodarzi asked the participants to share a definition theymight think of, regarding the topic. First Mr. Ghadiri started and said the difference we seeinside and outside of Iranian families makes such a duality. Then it was time for Mr. Salimiwho had no idea of defining the topic whereas Mr. Darvishi explained it in more detail byspeaking about TV and Iranian national Channels and the impacts they impose on Iranian people.There was another participant who was typing his ideas because of the technical problem he had, Mr. Gholamhosseini. When all the participants left their definitions, the above mentioned discussion handler invited Mr. Barkhordar who was a major in the field of translation studies. His first opinion was about the origin of cultural duality which, as he said, was allocated to the relationship a country may have with other countries. Then Mr. Ghadiri had an example of such a relationship that triggered the idea of media influence brought by Mr. Barkhordar. The example Mr. Ghadiri put forward was Turkish films and their effect on Iranian people. After such an example, although Mr. Salimi had no idea for the second time, Mr. Darvishi left a seemingly challengeable idea which made a brainstorm among the participant. The idea was the effort Iran's ENEMIES make to cause cultural duality to be broken out all over the society. No one agreed upon such an idea and when Mr. Salimi answered the question about middle-eastern versions of Hollywood films, Mr. Darvishi found an opportunity for defence when he talked about Hollywood capitalists' goal for such a decision. Then for another origin of such a phenomenon Mr. Barkhordar talked about pieces of technology such as cellphones and the culture that must be transferred to a country like Iran before the time the people use them. The last origin mentioned was government which was Mr. Ghadiri's viewpoint. There was also a talk among the participants about the target of cultural duality ongoing when the discussion handler encountered a technical problem and lost his internet connection. Thus, the conference finished at 23:10 while it was supposed to last till 23:30. Although there was no wrap up phase, one may have his/her own conclusion. For me the topic shows the importance of next generation's culture. On the one hand, I prefer to make myself ready facing such a phenomenon, before it happens dangerously; and on the other hand I try to warn others to avoid the negative consequences.

Why spoken English is difficult to understand

A lot of English learners have trouble understanding what native English speakers say.

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Essential idioms in English

by :  Robert J. Dixson

This widely-used classic book helps people learn and understand 500 of the most common English-language idioms. 500 English-language idioms are presented and defined, along with numerous exercises to review and build upon new language learned. Also includes a glossary with English equivalents in French, Spanish, and German. ESL learners at all levels.

From "catching a cold" to "landing on your feet," idiomatic expressions add color and style to the English language. The latest edition of "Essential Idioms in English" remains the resource of choice for mastering more than 500 common English idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocations. "Essential Idioms in English "thoroughly defines and illustrates each idiom, then reinforces its meaning and usage with multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, and matching exercises.

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A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain issues. Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking. Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint.
One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident.

Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. You should mantain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a particular person for he may benefit from that. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own
viewpoint..

Lectures play a vital role in teaching. There will always be a place for lectures in the curriculum -- to give technical material or factual information, to provide structure to material or an argument, to display a method or example of how one thinks in a given field, or even to inspire and motivate students to explore further. At the same time, it often enhances both your presentation of the material and students’ learning when students are able to participate in some way. When students engage actively with material, they generally understand it better and remember it longer.