Are you looking for a new and fun way to learn American English? Come hang out with Lindsay and Michelle from Boston and New York City and have fun while you improve your English listening skills! All Ears English is an English as a Second Language (ESL) podcast for intermediate to advanced learners around the world. We will show you how to use everyday vocabulary and natural idioms, expressions, and phrasal verbs and how to make small talk in American English. We will also give you special tips on American culture, customs, etiquette, and how to speak with Americans as well as conversation and commentary on study tips, life in America and Boston, how to apply to university in the US, dating, travel, food and more. You'll get TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC help also from our IELTS and test expert Jessica Beck. This podcast is for adult students who are professionals and university students as well as ESL teachers. Join our community to learn to speak American English like a native! Connection NOT Perfection!
AEE 290: Get Off the Hamster Wheel! The Epidemic of "Busy" in the United States
Are you busy?
In your home culture, is it considered “cool” to be busy?
In American culture everyone is busy and it’s almost in style to be busy.
We think that’s crazy! Today we are going to give our opinion on this article from the Washington Post called Exhaustion Is Not a Status Symbol.
In American culture, especially in large cities like New York and Boston, things move fast and we often define ourselves based on the things that we do.
We also measure our worth based on what we achieve.
We end up valuing perfectionism and accomplishing things over just living.
Americans don’t take much time off for vacation while in other cultures people take much more vacation time.
How do we know that this is a problem? People in the US always say:
- “I’ve been crazy busy.”
- “I have so much going on.”
What can we do about this?
- Avoid checking emails every three minutes
- When you complete a task, sit back and reflect, get feedback (this was a suggestion from the article)
- Take more vacation time
What do you think?
Is being busy considered cool in your culture?
Let us know in the comments.
Come back to http://www.allearsenglish.com/290 to have a conversation with Lindsay and Michelle