Step one

“Oh, come on! Come with us―it’ll be fun,” Lena prodded. She looked in the mirror and smacked her crimson lips together, then pushed them into a pout. I looked away, scanning the room for any distraction. At last I caught sight of my binder, full of lesson plans.

“I’m sorry, but I really shouldn’t,” I replied waveringly. “I have…too many lesson plans to prepare. For my lessons. That aren’t…done yet.” I trailed off, and began to flip through my binder. I could feel Lana watching me, but she didn’t say a word. Then, she stood up and as she left the room, called back,

“Suit yourself―though it really would have been fun!”

Sadly, this was not the only occasion that I turned down an opportunity to socialize in Prague. The reason, simply enough: fear. The thought of going to dinner with an entire crowd of Czechs, whose words would dart around my head like hummingbirds, sent chills down my spine. Even going to the store was foreboding, as I was still traumatized by the cashier’s scolding for not having correct change. I hardly ever used change in America! Who ever counted pennies to pay? Soon, my fear of making a mistake felt like paralysis. Until I began to embrace the fear I felt at new experiences, I could not take one step forward.

In retrospect, I realize that I could have overcome this fear. I would have continued to encounter nerve-wracking situations in my new home, but at least I could have reacted to them differently. If you find yourself in a similar situation, try these steps, to start:

Write down three situations that are intimidating or frightening to you (perhaps building off of my own examples)
Pick one of these situations and try it again. Go back to the coffee shop and speak to the barista, or return to class and talk to the student sitting next to you. Force yourself to follow through!
Worried about making that famous American small-talk? Remember these conversation openers:
- “What great/awful weather today, huh?”
- “Did you do/like/dislike the reading we had to do?” (for students)
- “Did you hear about…?” (refer to a recent event most will have knowledge about)
- “Do you know____________?” (make a connection with a mutual acquaintance)
- “Do you always get the same drink?” (coffee shop introduction)
- “I like your t-shirt/sweater/shoes, etc. Where did you get them?” (generally for women)

Of course, you can always begin with:

“Hi, how are you doing?”

Any more ideas on how to get the conversation started? Share them here!

The Fountain of Youth

Before you read…

In your opinion, what helps us stay healthy as we grow older? For example, are there any special foods to eat, or exercises to do?

Useful vocabulary

take up (phrasal verb): start to do, become interested in
onset (noun): the start of something
cognitive (adjective)/cognition (noun): the process of getting knowledge
baseline (noun): a starting point for making comparisons
aging/ageing (adjective): growing old

Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing’

Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if it is taken up in adulthood, a University of Edinburgh study suggests. A previous study suggested that being bilingual could delay the onset of dementia by several years. The study is published in Annals of Neurology.

The big question in this study was whether learning a new language improved cognitive functions or whether individuals with better cognitive abilities were more likely to become bilingual. Dr Thomas Bak, from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed he had found the answer.

The findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities compared to what would have been expected from their baseline test. The strongest effects were seen in general intelligence and reading. The effects were present in those who learned their second language early, as well as later in life.

Dr Bak said the pattern they found was “meaningful”. “Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later in life. Our study shows that bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the aging brain.”

In your own words…

How has learning a second language changed you?

“Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing”. Health. BBC News. 2 Jun 2014. Web. 5 Aug 2014.

Back to the basics

The “Paleo-diet” is a popular new way of eating that follows a more natural diet – how cavemen ate. Biochemist, author and supporter of the diet Robb Wolf says:

“The Paleo diet is the healthiest way you can eat because it is the ONLY nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic! Research in biology, biochemistry, Ophthalmology, Dermatology and many other disciplines indicate it is our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and sugar, that is at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression and infertility.”

However, not everyone agrees with this way of eating. Read this argument against the Paleo-diet:

“The Paleo Diet Craze: What’s Right and Wrong About Eating Like a Caveman

Call it Paleo Chic. The eating habits of cavemen have never been more popular. But should we be taking menu cues from our ancient ancestors? The theory behind the diet is simple: our hunter-gatherer forebears, who survived on meat and fish that was not saturated with growth-stimulating antibiotics or hormones, as well as on fresh fruits and vegetables, were on the right track until the Agricultural Revolution introduced toxins into the food chain some 10,000 years ago. So the goal is for citizens of the 21st Century to lean back—way back—and eat the way primitive people did in the Paleolithic Era, circa two million years ago. But dieticians find its restrictive, even finicky, requirements such as sticking with very lean, pure meats and plants, unrealistic. Any diet that restricts certain food groups and emphasizes others isn’t balanced, experts say, and there isn’t strong science to prove that Paleo-eaters live longer, or are healthier than those who don’t follow the diet.”

In your own words…

Which article do you find more convincing?

Vocabulary to note:

genetics: the study of inherited characteristics (given from parent to child)
discipline: a specific topic studied in higher education
degenerative: slowly breaking down or losing function
chic: trendy, fashionable or stylish
cue: a signal to prompt action
forebear: ancestor
saturated: holding as much of something as can be absorbed
primitive: relating to the earliest stages of human history
finicky: showing excessive, anxious concern about specific, detailed requirements
sticking with: continuing to use

Sachs, Andrea. “The Paleo Diet Craze: What’s Right & Wrong About Eating Like a Caveman.” Diet. Time Magazine. 7 Jan 2014. Web. 1 Jul 2014.

“What is the Paleo Diet?” What is the Paleo Diet? Robb Wolf: Revolutionary Solutions to Modern Life. n.d. Web. 1 Jul 2014.