The McGurk Effect

Which sense do you think is more dominant....

taste or smell?

seeing or hearing?

touch or taste?

Watch:

The McGurk Effect

The McGurk Effect

 

Watch video

 

1.     What do you think this video is mainly about?

2.     What surprised you the most while watching?

3.     What is one key idea you took away from it?

 

 

 

Watch again, fill the gaps:

At any ___ moment we are being ____________ by sensory information.

 

Our brains do a ____________ job of making sense of it ___.

 

It seems easy _________ to separate the sounds we hear from the ______ we see, but there is one illusion that reveals this ____ always the _____.

 

In the illusion, _____ we see ___________ what we hear.

 

If we close our eyes we actually hear the sound ___ it ___.

 

If we open our eyes, we actually see how the mouth movements can influence _____ we’re hearing.

 

What’s remarkable about this illusion ___ even knowing how it’s _______ doesn’t seem to ____ a difference.

 

The speech brain just takes in that information. It doesn't care what _______ knowledge you bring to _____.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Language Comprehension

1. What does “bombarded by sensory information” suggest about how much we see and hear?
A. We receive a large amount of sensory input all the time
B. We experience very little at once
C. Only one sense works at a time

2. What does it mean that the brain “makes sense of it all”?
A. The brain organises and interprets sensory input
B. The brain ignores most information
C. The brain only focuses on sound

3. In this illusion, what does “overrides” mean?
A. One sense dominates or replaces another
B. All senses work equally
C. One sense stops working

4. Why is the effect described as “bizarre”?
A. It is confusing and unexpected
B. It is normal and easy to understand
C. It only affects some people

5. What do “conflicting information” and “salient information” mean here?
A. Information that disagrees / the most noticeable sense
B. Information that matches / the weakest sense
C. Information that repeats / the quietest sense

 

Reflection

6.     Do you notice times in daily life when your senses compete? Give an example.

7.     Does this illusion make you trust your brain more or less? Why?

8.     How does “what we see overrides what we hear” change how you think about your senses?

9.     Why do you think the illusion still works even when you understand it?

10. Would you rather your brain be ‘truthful’ or ‘efficient’? Why?

_______________

Check

 

At any one moment we are being bombarded by sensory information.

Our brains do a remarkable job of making sense of it all.

It seems easy enough to separate the sounds we hear from the sights we see, but there is one illusion that reveals this isn't always the case.

In the illusion, what we see overrides what we hear.

If we close our eyes we actually hear the sound as it is.

If we open our eyes, we actually see how the mouth movements can influence what we’re hearing.

What’s remarkable about this illusion is even knowing how it’s done doesn’t seem to make a difference.

The speech brain just takes in that information. It doesn't care what outside knowledge you bring to bear.

Kahoot quiz

Seeing is Believing

Pitching a product

 

Product Ideas

Give them a mark out of 5 

Remember - the idea should be exciting, but also make sense as a business idea (i.e. it will make money and stay afloat)

 

1. Portable solar charger for phones and laptops   ___

2. Peer-to-peer tutoring platform for students ___

3. DIY bubble tea making kit ___

4. Screen-time lock box for phones during study ___

5. Edible spoons and forks made from grains ___

6. Smart study planner that creates schedules automatically ___

7. Posture-correcting backpack with alerts ___

8. Uniform recycling and resale service ___

9. Lost-item tracking tags for essential items ___

10. Customisable healthy lunchbox delivery service ___

11. Exam stress relief kit for students, (contains a mystery prize) ___

12. Pet “translator” app that interprets animal sounds ___

 

Match to their category

A) Tech & Innovation

B) Sustainability & Environment

C) Food & Lifestyle

D) Education & School Life

E) Health & Wellbeing

F) Fun & Creative

 

 

 

Now talk about one or two of the products you graded higher using these 5 points.

1. Problem – What’s the issue?

2. Solution – Their product/service

3. Target Market – Who will buy it?

4. Why It’s Better – What makes it unique?

5. Money – Price + how it makes profit

 

5 more ideas 

Air bnb for storage

A surpise a month

Virtual travel experiences

AI meal planner

Mobile EV charging service 

Talk about these in relation to these business ideas

Problem

Customer

Marketing strategy

Outlay

Risks

Further business opportunities that might arise from this basic business idea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Why / people / your / would / choose / product / over / others?

---

2. What / the / biggest / is / risk / your / to / business?

---

3. How / before / long / you / break / even?

---

4. What / your / makes / product / different / from / competitors?

---

5. How / you / would / make / or / deliver / this / product?

---

6. Who / your / exactly / is / target / customer?

---

7. If / you / I / gave / $10,000, / how / you / would / spend / it?

---

8. Why / you / are / the / right / people / to / run / this / business?

---

9. What / go / could / wrong / with / your / idea?

---

10. How / much / it / does / cost / to / make / one / unit?

---

11. How / you / will / reach / your / customers?

---

12. Could / a / company / bigger / easily / copy / your / idea?

---

13. How / this / could / business / grow / in / the / future?

---

14. What / does / role / each / team / member / play?

---

The Senses

Think of a taste. Any taste. What taste comes into your mind?

Think of a sound. Any sound. What sound is it?

Think of a sight. Any sight. What is it?

Think of a smell. Any smell. What is it?

Think of a texture or surface you are touching. What is it?

Now discuss with others.

 

 

I’m going to read out a list of things. For each thing decide which sense it most strongly connects to for you. Write the thing after each sense:

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Taste:

Smell:

Discuss your responses together. Are you similar or different? Explain your responses and try to understand the differences.

1. flowers

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Think of a taste. Any taste. What taste comes into your mind?

Think of a sound. Any sound. What sound is it?

Think of a sight. Any sight. What is it?

Think of a smell. Any smell. What is it?

Think of a texture or surface you are touching. What is it?

Now discuss with others.

 

1.      1. Associations

I’m going to read out a list of things. For each thing decide which sense it most strongly connects to for you. Write the thing after each sense:

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Taste:

Smell:

Discuss your responses together. Are you similar or different? Explain your responses and try to understand the differences.

2. Coins

1. What do coins taste like?

3. Garden

2. Do you have a garden back at home?
3. Does it have walls, a fountain, a pond, birds, tall trees, grapes, flowers, a barbeque, statues, bricks, a vine, bushes, grass, insects, a compost bin, or outdoor chairs?

4. Cheese

4. Is cheese popular in your country?
5. What do you eat cheese with?

5. Snakes

6. Have you ever seen a real snake in the wild (not at the zoo)?
7. Have you ever touched a living snake? What did it feel like?

6. Fire

8. Do you know how to light a campfire?
9. What can you cook in or on a fire?
10. What does hair smell like when it catches fire?

7. Rain

11. How often does it rain in your country?
12. Do you like rain?
13. Have you ever had to walk home in the rain with no raincoat or umbrella? Where? When?

8. Keys

14. How often do you lose your keys?
15. How many hours of your life have you wasted looking for keys?

9. Cigarette

16. Do you smoke?
17. Do or did your parents smoke?

10. Xmas Tree

18. Does your family ever have a real Xmas tree for Xmas?
19. Do you give gifts at Xmas in your family?
20. What did you get last Xmas?

11. Storm

21. Do you enjoy storms?

12. Sand

22. What does sand taste like?
23. Can sand be annoying?
24. What can sand be used for?

13. Bread

25. What is your favourite kind of bread?
26. Could you live without bread?

14. Shower

27. How long are your showers?
28. Is there a nice shower where you're currently living?

15. Dogs

29. What animal is most similar to a dog?
30. What’s a good name for a dog?
31. What kind of dog is your personality like?

16. Coffee

32. How do you like to have your coffee?
33. Is coffee bad for you?

 

What is the most beautiful flower?

2. coins

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

What do coins taste like?












3. garden

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Do you have a garden back at home?

does it have...

walls    a fountain   a pond    birds   tall trees     grapes    flowers    a barbeque   statues

bricks    a vine     bushes     grass     insects    a compost bin       outdoor chairs

 











4. cheese

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Is cheese popular in your country? What do you eat cheese with?












5. snakes

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Have you ever see a real snake in the wild? (not at the zoo)

Have you ever touched a living snake? What did it feel like?










6. fire

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Do you know how to light a campfire?

What can you cook in / on a fire?

What does hair smell like when it catches fire?













7. rain

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

How often does it rain in your country?

Do you like rain?

Have you ever had to walk home in the rain with no raincoat or umbrella? Where? When?









8. keys

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

How often do you lose your keys? 

How many hours of your life have you wasted looking for keys?








9. cigarette

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Do you smoke?

Do / did your parents smoke?








10. Xmas tree

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Does you family ever have a real Xmas tree for Xmas?
Do you give gifts at Xmas in your family?

What did you get last Xmas?










11. storm

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Do you enjoy storms?










12. sand

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

What does sand taste like?

Can sand can be annoying?

What can sand be used for?

13. bread

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

What is your favourite kind of bread?

Could you live without bread?

bagels, baguette, naan, roti, hamburger buns, dark bread, other?

14. shower

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

How long are your showers?

Is there a nice shower where you're currently living?

15. dogs

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

What animal is most similar to a dog?

What's a good name for a dog?

What kind of dog is your personality like?

16. coffee

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

How do you like to have your coffee?

Is coffee bad for you?

Do you have a good sense of smell?

What are some of your favourite smells?

Think of three natural smells and three artificial smells.

Outside exercise

Outside exercise

 

 

Go out for a walk outside and find 10 different smells. Write them down.

 

  Smell source       adjectives / description   comparison       mark out of 5

1.

2,

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Alternatively, divide into groups each concentrating on a different sense.

group1 

smells

group2

sights

group3

sounds

group4

touch

How many words are there for "sweet" in your first  language?

Can you think of any synonyms for "sweet" in English?

What is "umami"?

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

umami

noun

1. a category of taste in food (besides sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), corresponding to the flavour of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.

basic taste/smell vocab

sweet 

sour

fragrant

acidic

fumy

smoky

salty

spicy

musty

earthy

metalic

woody

grassy

off

rancid

soapy

In English we also might describe sweet smells and tastes with these words:

try putting appropriate nouns with these

E.g. Tangy + orange juice

Fruity
Caramel
Nutty
Gingery
Floral
Chocolate-y
syrupy
Buttery
Butterscotch
citrus-y
Banana-ry
Aniseed
Liquorish
Malty
Vanilla
Berry
Rich
Biscuity
Minty
Tangy
Tropical
Zingy
Sugary
Cinnamon-y
Honeyish
Milky

We use these adjectives to describe colours...

cool
warm
hot
bright
pale
florescent
dark
deep
light
fiery
mellow
pure
vivid

How do our adjectives for smell differ from our adjectives for colours in English?


We tend to describe tastes and smells by comparing them to similar tastes and smells, whereas with colour we can focus on their degree of intensity. 

But we also compare colours with other things

ocean

forest

lemon

royal

emerald

sapphire

sky

pitch

dirt

fire-engine

battleship

eggshell

snowy

200 Countries 200 Years

1 .What is this graph showing basically?

2. What do the two axes represent?

3. What does the size of the country bubble show?

4. What does the colour of the bubble show?

5. Which countries are doing better? Which a re doing worse?

6. True or false? - the graph shows that in general the higher the income of the population is, the better its health is.

Hans Rosling's famous lectures combine enormous quantities of public data with a sport's commentator's style to reveal the story of the world's past, present and future development. Now he explores stats in a way he has never done before - using augmented reality animation. In this spectacular section of 'The Joy of Stats' he tells the story of the world in 200 countries over 200 years using 120,000 numbers - in just four minutes. Plotting life expectancy against income for every country since 1810, Hans shows how the world we live in is radically different from the world most of us imagine.

Watch:

200 Countries 200 Years


Language Focus

True or false?

1. In 1810, the average life expectancy in the UK was below 40 years old.

2. The Industrial Revolution caused life expectancy to fall

3. The Great Depression caused life expectancy to drop dramatically

4. After World War One former colonies gained independence.

5. When former colonies gained independence their life expectancy rose.

6. Global life expectancy has been flat since World War Two.

7. In the future life expectancy is expected to fall. 

200 Countries 200 years                                                And     but     here     now 

Visualization is right at the heart of my own work too. I teach Global Health, and I know to have / having the data is not enough. I have to show / tell  it in ways people both enjoy and understand. ____ I'm going to try something I've never done again / before, animating the data in real space, with a bit of technical assistance from the crew.

So _____ we go, first an axis for health, life expectancy from / of 25 years to 75 years. And down here an axis for wealth, income per person 400, 4,000, and $40,000. So down here is poor and sick, and up _____ is rich and healthy.

_____ I'm going to show you the world 200 years ago / before, in 1810.

____ come all the countries Europe brown, Asia red, Middle East green, Africa South of the Sahara blue, and the Americas yellow. ____ the size of the country bubble means / shows the size of the population.

And in 1810 it was pretty crowded down there, wasn't / was  it? All countries were sick and poor, life expectancy was below 40 in all countries. ____ only the UK and the Netherlands were slightly better off, _____ not much / very.

____ ____, I start the world.

The Industrial Revolution makes countries in Europe and elsewhere / others  move away from the rest. _____ the colonized countries in Asia and Africa, they are stuck down there.

_____ eventually / later the Western countries get healthier and healthier.

____ ____ we slow down, to show the impact of the First World War, and the Spanish flu epidemic, what / that’s a catastrophe.

___  ____ I speed up through the 1920s and the 1930s, and in spite of / because of the Great Depression, western countries forge on towards greater wealth and health. Japan and some others try to follow, ____ most countries stay / keep down _____.

____, after the tragedies of the Second World War, we stop a bit to look at the world in 1948.

1948 was a great year, the war was over, Sweden topped the medal table at the Winter Olympics, and I was born. ____ the differences between / within the countries of the world were wider than ever. United States was in the front, Japan was catching up, Brazil was way backward / behind, Iran was getting a little richer from oil, but still / also had short lives. And the Asian giants, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, they were still poor and sick down _____.

_____ look what is about to happen, here / there we go again.

In my lifetime former colonies gained independence and then finally they started to get healthier and healthier and healthier. ____ in the 1970s then countries in Asia and Latin America started to catch up with the Western countries. They became the developing / emerging economies, some in Africa follows, some Africans were stuck in civil war, and others hit by HIV.

____ ____, we can see the world today in the most up-to-date statistics.

Most people today live in the middle, ____ there's a huge difference at the same time between the best-off countries and the worst-off countries. ____ there are huge inequalities within / between countries. These bubbles show country averages, ____ I can split them. Take / For example China, I can split it into provinces, there goes Shanghai. It has the same wealth and health as Italy today. And there is the poor inland province Guizhou, it is like Pakistan, ____ if I split it further / more, the rural parts are like Ghana in Africa.

____ yet despite / due to the enormous disparities today, we have seen 200 years of remarkable progress, that huge historical gap between the west and the rest is ____ closed / closing. We have become an entirely new converged / converging world, ____ I see a clear / small trend into the future with aid, trade, green technology, and peace. It's fully possible / probable that everyone can make it to the healthy wealthy corner.

Well what you've just seen in the last few minutes is a story of 200 countries showing / shown over 200 years and beyond / after. It involved plotting 120,000 numbers, pretty great / neat uh?

Answering personal questions

Write down 5 questions / prompts you could ask someone about their childhood.

E.g. Tell me about a classmate you used to play with.

How long did it take you to learn to read?

 

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

 

Write down 5 questions you would like someone to ask you about yourself. They can be about anything at all. Something you know about, or simply enjoy talking about…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skill - openers, reaction phrases

 

Before answering a question, try beginning with an opener or reaction phrase like these:

Great question.

This questions is quite a tricky one to answer.

I was wondering if you'd ask me that.

I like this question.

Oh well, I guess...

Well obviously,

Hmmm. Let me think a bit.

Wow! Good question.

Okay, let's see.

This my favourite topic.

Interesting question.

Thanks for asking.

In my case that's a bit complicated.

Oh dear - I was hoping you wouldn't ask that.

I'm glad you asked.

Sorry, but could you repeat that?

It's a long story, but the short answer is...

The simple answer is...

Well as you might already suspect...

 

How do these openers make the person asking the questions feel?

Now try answering some questions about family and try always beginning with an opener.

Repeat this idea using different personal topics:

Friendship

Childhood

Travel

Leisure time

Relationships

Feelings

School

Hobbies

Daniel Radcliffe Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions

Before listen, guess what some of the questions were:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Daniel Radcliffe Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions

Did Daniel use opener or reaction phrases?

Write down a question you would like someone to ask you (in front of everyone) today.

Example

Why do you look so happy today?

Pass the question to the person next to you. Have them ask you this question in front of the whole class.

Use an opener, and respond in detail to the question.

The Perfectionist Trap

Discuss

 

1. Are you a perfectionist? What kinds of things do you like to be perfect at? 

2. Are you an ambitious person? What are you ambitious about?

3. Are you sometimes hard on yourself? Give an example of how you might be hard on yourself.

4. "One of the greatest obstacles to a good life is the expectation of perfection."

Do you agree?

5. Have you thought a lot about what you really want to be?

In an ideal world, what would be be?

6. Do you feel limited by "reality"?

 

 

Language used:

 

prac______r

someone who practices a learned profession

intre___d

fearless

accl_____ed

publicly praised

be_____th

under

to s____k

cause, stimulate

med______y

the state of being average or unremarkable

p________x

a contradiction or dilemma

to ig______

to set on fire

cong______

existing at birth

ine____tude

incompetence

t____p

something that we can be caught or stuck in

to at_____n

to achieve

cur____ed

carefully selected

d___ft                                         

 a first attempt at a complex piece of work

s____e                                          

mentally healthy

to em____e

to copy, to imitate

a______y

agonizing physical or mental pain

to w____p

to cry

 

Vocabulary Quiz:

24 terms

For notes and later discussion:

We f________ate our ambitions by....
We form our career plans on the b____s of....
We end up the l_____t able to....
Our media ed___s out....
It starts to a_____r as though....
Our p_________n is imbalanced because.....
We should f_____s on....
We need to re______ise the legitimate and necessary....
Allow o_______s to do things quite....

 

 

Language focus: expressive adverbs

 

What do these words mean?  Try to define them in your own words?

 

markedly

imperfectly

absurdly

largely

typically

deeply

actually

primarily

closely

 

Listen for them in the clip and write them in the order you hear them.

Check

typically

deeply

markedly

absurdly

actually

primarily

largely

closely

imperfectly