PREVIEW ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.

How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

Brainstorm what’s important for people when they decide on each thing below. What
PART 1
does each decision depend on? How much energy should you put into each decision?

1 2 3

WHICH CAREER PATH WHAT TO WEAR WHERE TO TRAVEL

TO CHOOSE EACH DAY FOR A VACATION

PART 2 Paraphrase and discuss the quote below. What does it mean? Do you think it’s true?

“
Every decision you make determines the life you have.”

PART 3 Discuss the questions below about decision-making.

1 How do you make a big decision? What should / shouldn’t you do?
2 What are some of the most difficult decisions you’ve ever made?
3 What are some life decisions you’ve made that you’re happy about or proud of?
4 What kinds of hard decisions are you facing right now? Why are they hard?

PART 4 Can you think of and write a verb that might fit the definitions of each phrase below?

1 If you over a fear, it means you conquer or overcome a fear.

2 If you out advice, it means you search for or ask for advice.
TR
U
TH 3 If you a “truth bomb” on someone, it means you tell them your
direct or honest opinion, even if it is hard for the other person to hear.
HOW TO MAKE BETTER Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
DECISIONS | 3 QUICK TIPS How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

PREVIEW DISCUSSION: Read the discussion topic

below and discuss it with your partner or teacher.

How do you think the food you eat affects your

ability to make decisions? What do you think
are some examples of good “brain foods”?

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART 1 Write short answers below according to the information from the video.

0:16 1 Summarize the three tips suggested in the video on how to make better decisions.

0:36 2 Why is Barack Obama mentioned?

1:41 3 What’s the relation between decision-making and food? What are some examples
of some good “brain foods” to eat?

2:31 4 What did Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman find in his research about making big
decisions?

Choose true (T), false (F), or not given (N) according to the information in the video.
PART 2
Explain / correct any false statements.

1 T F N The decision to wear blue or grey can have a positive impact

because these colors convey confidence and professionalism.

2 T F N If we eliminate the small decisions in life, our minds are more

open to focus on the big decisions.

3 T F N A big decision requires more mental energy than a small one.

4 T F N When facing a big decision, we tend to pick the option that

will have the most positive impact on our lives.
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

Read the following quotes from the video out loud. Then write the words / phrases
PART 1
in bold from each quote that match each definition below.

1 “ When you need to make really important decisions, be vigilant about not
wasting energy on decisions that aren’t going to make a massive difference to
your life.”

2 “ Ask the advice of a friend who’s not afraid to drop some truth bombs, even
if it means your feelings get a bit roughed up.”

3 “ An objective friend can help you identify the best decision because
they’re not weighed down by the fear of what could be lost.”

1 ...be direct and honest drop some truth bombs

2 ...uninfluenced by personal feelings or opinions

3 ...careful, watchful, or alert
4 ...strongly influenced or overwhelmed
5 ...hurt, attacked, or judged

PART 2 Discuss the questions below each quote from the video with your teacher or partner.

1 “ Barack Obama removed one decision from his daily life — what to wear. This
helped him save bandwidth for the really important choices.”

• What do you think it means to save bandwidth?

• What else could you do to help save bandwidth for big life decisions?

2 “ If you’re very hungry, neurotransmitters can’t be produced, compromising

your ability to think and make good decisions.”

• What do you think neurotransmitters are?

• What else might affect the production of neurotransmitters in your body?

3 “ Research shows that drinking plenty of water and having a slow-release

carbohydrate breakfast like porridge will help you think clearly. Omega-3 is
also a brilliant brain food.”

• What do you think it means if a carbohydrate is slow-release?

• What do you think are other examples of slow-release carbohydrates?
 POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 2
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

PART 1 Study the examples and usage of adjective + preposition + gerund combinations.

In the video, the narrator suggests the following tip when it comes to making decisions...

“ Be vigilant about not wasting energy on decisions that aren’t going

to make a massive difference to your life.”

Some adjectives in English are used with specific prepositions (vigilant + about), and then are
followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). If the gerund needs negation, then simply add “not” before
the gerund. See more examples below:

EXAMPLES With my new diet, I am committed to eating healthily and exercising regularly.
I am worried about not having enough discipline to follow my new diet properly.

Rewrite each sentence below using an adjective + preposition + gerund combina-

PART 2
tion. Use negation where necessary.

EX. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone sometimes.

Don’t be afraid of stepping outside your comfort zone sometimes.

1 After experiencing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, I am keen to keep it up.

2 My friend is interested to hear my opinion on the difficult decision she is facing.

3 Don’t be discouraged that you didn’t get accepted to the university.

4 With my new job, I am concerned that I won’t have as much time for my hobbies.

5 Kate is proud that she eliminated all of her bad habits from her life.

Ask your teacher / classmate a question using one of the adjective + preposition +
PART 3
gerund combinations above. You can use a different gerund than the ones used in
Part 2 above (E.g., “When was the last time you were afraid of doing something?”).
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 3
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

SPEAKING TASK:

Your teacher will choose a few of the speaking topics below to discuss. Discuss the topics
with your teacher or partner. In your discussion, explain your ideas in detail.

1 How can pressure from others affect decision-making?

How much do you let others influence your decisions?

2 Why do you think it might sometimes be hard for a friend

to be objective when giving you advice on your decisions?

3 In the video, there were examples of both small decisions

we make, such as what to wear, and big decisions, such
as choosing a career. What are some other examples of
small and big decisions we make in life?

4 Sometimes we regret the decisions we make, or wish that

we would have decided differently. What causes us to
regret our decisions sometimes?

5 Do you think that you should make big decisions more

based on logic or emotion?

ROLE PLAY TASK:

• Take a few minutes. Think of a difficult or big decision you are facing (real or fake).
• Journal your thoughts and feelings about the decision.
• Then work with a partner. Share your difficult decision that you’re facing with your
partner. Have a conversation about each of your decisions, give advice, and try to help
each other make a decision on what to do.
• When giving your partner advice, use one of the vocabulary terms / phrases below:

save bandwidth | get over your fear | neurotransmitters | vigilant

slow-release carbohydrates | drop a truth bomb | roughed up

QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
How To Make Better Decisions | 3 Quick Tips (B2)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART 1 Questions. Answer the questions below about the video.

1 What were the three tips from the video on how to make better decisions?
2 What was mentioned about Barack Obama?
3 How can the food we eat affect our decision-making?
4 When facing a big decision, what do we tend to do?

PART 2 Vocabulary: Write or say a sentence out loud using each term / phrase below.

1. save bandwidth

2. neurotransmitters
3. vigilant

PART 3 Vocabulary: Write the verbs that fit the sentences from the video below.

1 Ask the advice of a friend who’s not afraid to some truth bombs,
even if it means your feelings get a bit roughed up.

2 One of the tips in the video to help you make better decisions is to
out an objective friend for advice.

3 Asking the advice of a friend can help you your fear of loss when
it comes to decision-making.

Grammar: Write the missing parts of the sentences below using and adjective +
PART 4
preposition + gerund combination.

1 Be energy on decisions that aren’t going to make

a massive difference to your life.

2 With my new diet, I am healthily and exercising

regularly.

3 Don’t be outside your comfort zone sometimes.

4 With my new job, I am as much time for my

hobbies.

5 Don’t be accepted to the university.