Uploaded March 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
OK – give your imagination free rein: if you could ‘reinvent’ things, how would you change them? Take for instance the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) – a boring place where you have to queue for hours for some bureaucratic nonsense and where employees just give you surly looks before the inevitable “Computer says ‘No’ ” response. Wouldn’t it be great if you got a smile and an ice-cream instead?
This amazing ad can serve as yet another springboard for classroom interaction.
Task 1: Talk to the person next to you. If you could ‘reinvent’ things (change them in any way you can [or even find hard to] imagine) how would you do it? Here is a list of things you might want to change: couches / police officers / babies / blenders / flats / curtains / rain
Task 2: Now watch the clip and make a note of how the TOYOTA people have ‘reinvented’ these things.
Task 3: Over to you now. What 4 things would you like to ‘reinvent’? In what ways would you change them? Here are some things you might consider: teachers / tests / workplace / fridges / pets / beds / books / bicycles etc. Feel free to make your suggestions as weird as you wish. Enjoy!
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
OK – give your imagination free rein: if you could ‘reinvent’ things, how would you change them? Take for instance the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) – a boring place where you have to queue for hours for some bureaucratic nonsense and where employees just give you surly looks before the inevitable “Computer says ‘No’ ” response. Wouldn’t it be great if you got a smile and an ice-cream instead?
This amazing ad can serve as yet another springboard for classroom interaction.
Task 1: Talk to the person next to you. If you could ‘reinvent’ things (change them in any way you can [or even find hard to] imagine) how would you do it? Here is a list of things you might want to change: couches / police officers / babies / blenders / flats / curtains / rain
Task 2: Now watch the clip and make a note of how the TOYOTA people have ‘reinvented’ these things.
Task 3: Over to you now. What 4 things would you like to ‘reinvent’? In what ways would you change them? Here are some things you might consider: teachers / tests / workplace / fridges / pets / beds / books / bicycles etc. Feel free to make your suggestions as weird as you wish. Enjoy!
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
![Comedy for ELT - Homo Devis 2 [The Race]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ux876msHnXg/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Homo Devis 2 [The Race]
Scientists have recently discovered a new human (sub-)species. It’s called ‘Homo Devis’. Most of us plebs refer to them as ‘the super posh’ and ‘the filthy rich’, though people have been known to use other names as well… These people live differently, they think differently, they speak differently.
A brilliant comment on class stratification by the very talented Catherine Tate. Taken from the BBC TV Series ‘The Catherine Tate Show’. Level: C1 – C2 Topics: Rich – Poor / Class / Discrimination / Values.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this audio clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
M: Now – remember what daddy told you about sports day?
S&D: That ‘The taking part is everything; to win with dignity and to lose with pride in the knowledge that you did your absolute best’. *
M: Remember, whatever happens here today, mummy and daddy are immensely proud of you.
S&D: Thank you mummy…
M: OK darlings, now… it’s nearly time… in perpetua vincere.
S&D: In perpetua vincere… *
A: In lane 1, Cloe Taylor Thomas; in lane 2, Thomas Taylor Thomas; * in lane 3, Imogen Fitzroy Ferguson; in lane 4, Fergus Fitzroy Ferguson; * in lane 5, Emilia Harvey Henry; and in lane 6, Henry Harvey Henry. *
R: On your marks; get – set - * go!
M: Nooooo!!! It’s the eggs!! They’re not organic!!! (the children scream and everybody rushes off to the cars…) ***")
