[Speaking]: How to kick bad habits?

1. UNIT 2 - SPEAKING

After studying this lesson, you will make a video to talk about one of your bad habits and suggest ways to kick it!

We'll start our lesson with 4 parts
(1): Brainstorming activity via Padlet 
(2): Learn useful phrases
(3): Watch a video lecture
(4): Speaking Paragraph Sample

Let's get started!

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How to start the lesson?

Look to your right-hand side. There is a table of contents. 
Click and choose what you want to learn

1.1. Brainstorming!

Access the Padlet below and complete the charts!

Padlet instruction

Here's the Padlet:

1.2. Useful Phrases

We learned that "kick a habit" is an idiom. It means to get rid of a bad habit!

Do you know that there are other idioms to talk about habits?

Check them out!

Creature Of Habit
This is often used to define all of us. Everyone has habits. Some good and some bad but we all have them and therefore we can all be described as being creatures of habit, meaning we do the same things in the same way.

Example: I am such a creature of habit when it comes to my morning routine.

Break The Habit
Good habits are accepted but bad habits are not and people are encouraged to stop them.

Example: 

Try and get him to stop whistling in the house, it is bad luck. Try to get him to break the habit.

Just do it! Try to break the habit of excessive thinking.

By Force Of Habit
When we do something frequently and often (like all habits) and when we do something without really thinking then we can say it was done by the force of habit.

Example:

Michael retired from work 2 weeks ago. He used to get up every day at 6 am to get ready for work. Now he does not have to but he finds that he still does get up at 6 am by force of habit. It will take a while to stop.

Why Break The Habit Of A Lifetime?
This is a rhetorical question. (Something we ask ourselves not expecting an answer of course).

Example:

John enjoyed a glass of wine every evening when he came home from the office. His doctor told him he should only drink 2/3 times each week. However, he still poured his glass of wine each evening because he enjoyed it. Why break the habit of a lifetime he thought!

Kick The Habit
Give up something (usually bad) that you have done for a long time.

We are always encouraged to stop bad habits particularly smoking and habits that impact on our health. Advertising against smoking is usually very forceful and strong.

Example:

Kick the habit (stop smoking) today!

Old Habits Die Hard
It is hard to stop doing something that someone has been doing for ages.

Example:

It was hard for Mary to give up sweets and biscuits after eating them every day for twenty years. Old habits die hard!

NIP IN THE BUD

When you want to stop a habit from forming before it gets too serious we use the expression “nip it in the bud”. It means to stop it as soon as you notice it becoming a habit otherwise it will be difficult to stop.

Example:

His mother noticed that he was beginning to get up later and later for school every day. She decided to nip it in the bud as soon as possible and bought him an extra alarm clock so his lateness would not become a habit.

We decided to nip it in the bud before it became unmanageable.

1.3. Watch a video lecture

Watch a video lecture teaching you how to talk about a bad habit & suggest ways to break it!

1.4. Speaking Paragraph Sample

Read the speaking paragraph sample.

You can use it as a reference, but do not copy entirely and use it for your own Speaking Homework.

Any act of plagiarism will receive a 0 score in my course!

A bad habit that I would like to kick is “staying up late”. I think staying up late is bad since it makes me feel tired the next morning. Besides, I get less productive at work and I have little energy left. To break this bad habit, I suggest that we should set multiple alarms to get up early. Another thing to do is to finish the homework early. Doing regular exercise is also a good way. Regarding things we shouldn’t do, I think that we shouldn’t watch movies late at night; or drink too much coffee or tea. Taking a nap during the day also helps us to wake up early. Overall, if I can break this bad habit, I will definitely feel proud. I’ll try harder to change and become a better version of myself.

USEFUL PHRASES

- Kick/break/get rid of a bad habit
- Get productive = ability to finish tasks efficiently
- Firstly/ To begin with
- Besides/ Furthermore
- Overall