English Conversation Class Sleep

English Conversation Class Sleep A conversation with a student last week and a recent article in the New York Times got us thinking about sleep, and convinced us to make it this weeks group English conversation class subject.Salvador Dalis Sleep.Ive always heard stories about so-called super sleepers, people like Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart and Napoleon that could function on around 4 hours of sleep per night. Ive imagined how many more things I could get done if I had a few more hours each. Or how much more I could get done if I wasnt so tired when I got less than six hours of sleep.Teauna is pretty much the opposite. She likes sleeping, and would rather get a good nights sleep than get in a few more hours of work at the computer.According to a recent article in the New York Times, Teauna probably has the right idea. The article talks about research showing that nearly all of us need 8 hours of sleep per night to function at our highest level. Even dropping down to 7 hours harms our performance.The study had volun teers who spent two weeks at a sleep lab, where their sleep was carefully controlled as the performed tasks to measure their performance. There were three groups of sleepers, those who got 8 hours, 6 hours and 4 hours per night consistently over the two weeks.Most interestingly, while many of the of the 4 and 6 hour sleepers said that they got used to it after a few days, tests they took showed that their actual performance had diminished substantially. So, even when people thought they were adapting to sleeplessness, it turned out they were unaware of its effects.Still according to the article, about 5 percent of people are able to function at normal levels on about 4 hours of sleep per night. But scientists think genetics are behind this, and that it is not possible to train your body for less sleep.Ready to talk about sleep in English? Below youll find some questions to prepare you for our next English conversation class. Click here to get registered if you have not already taken a class with us.How many hours of sleep do you normally get in a night?How many hours of sleep would you like to get?What is the longest you have ever gone without sleep?What are sleep patterns like in your country? Do you have a mid-day nap (siesta) or do you have just a single sleep cycle?Do you think people in your country get enough sleep?Do you like sleeping?If you could take a pill that prevented you from ever sleeping again, but also prevented you from getting tired, would you?See you in class!

Everything You Need to Know About Equal Pay Day

Everything You Need to Know About Equal Pay Day Image via: www.pexels.com Where did Equal Pay Day come from? The fight for equal rights between men and women has been a long and exhausting battle, dating all the way back to the 1800s. In 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention took place. Hundreds of activists gathered together at this convention to fight for a woman’s right to education and employment, as well as the right to vote. Years later, the first organized labor advocacy group worked toward fighting for equal pay between men and women. Later, the Women’s Trade Union League was created to help improve wages and working conditions for women in the workforce. Almost a decade later, The Equal Pay Act was put into action requiring employers to pay men and women the same wages for doing the same work. After advocacy groups and legislations continued to fight for the equal rights between men and women, a silver lining reared its head in 2015, when the Paycheck Fairness Act was written. This comprehensive bill boosts the Equal Pay Act of 1963, but the battle still is not over! This is why Equal Pay Day exists! How can you celebrate Equal Pay Day? There are many ways to be an active celebrator of Equal Pay Day. First, you can contact your elected officials of your state and urge them to take action by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. Be sure to spread the word among your friends and family and encourage them to do the same thing. Second, host an “unequal” sale of some sort, selling food or objects with a special price: 21 percent off for women and full price for men. Doing this will establish a dialogue between men and women, showing both sides why the pay gap is unfair. Lastly, do what every angry American does to spread the word about their problems and concerns: take it to the Internet! Ask journalistic publications to write about Equal Pay Day and its importance to society. The more coverage the day gets, the better. Image via: www.pixabay.com Why should you be a part of Equal Pay Day? If you are an advocate for equal rights among the sexes, this is a perfect way to show your support. Grab your friends and your anti-establishment rage and get started! Who can be a part of Equal Pay Day? While it does seem like a battle for women, anyone, and I do mean anyone, can join the battle for equal pay between men and women despite your gender. With 20 cents to make up for, we need as many people up for the battle as possible.