How lazy are you? Question 8
8. You have to prepare a document/essay that requires at least five thousand words and is needed in two weeks. When are you likely to start work? (Honest answer, please!)
a) Immediately
b) This evening
c) Tomorrow
d) The next day
e) Or the next
f) Next week
g) At the last minute
TEACHER'S NOTES: This is a good opportunity to introduce the word procrastination (Verb: procrastinate; Activity: procrastinating), meaning to delay doing something when it can be done now, often used in a negative context.
You can ask students about their school and university studies, and talk about what they do when it comes to preparing and writing essays. Ask: Are you good at meeting deadlines? Are you prone to procrastination? Have you been in a situation where you wished you had completed something earlier? Have you ever been disappointed by someone who was procrastinating over something? What ways can this be prevented? (e.g. writing things-to-do lists, writing a big message in marker pen next to your bed saying WORK YOU *****!, give yourself some kind of incentive [something to encourage you, to motivate you, to do something], getting someone to give you some kind of incentive!)
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