General English Discussion Topics Series – 1 Pet Peeves

ELICOS teachers are always looking for supplementary materials. It is important to note that these exercises are more than gap-fillers; they also increases the motivation of the students, which in-turn improves their learning possibilities and increases the possibility of reaching learning potential.

PET PEEVES

What is a pet peeve? It is something that really annoys or irritates you personally, but may not bother other people.

Here are some examples:

  • Cracking knuckles
  • Nose picking
  • People who are late
  • Staring
  • Being bumped
  • Burping
  • Spitting
  • Loud people
  • Arrogance
  • Noisy gum chewing
  • People smoking in restaurants
  • Parents who allow their children to misbehave in public

Small Group Activities:

  1. Discuss your personal pet peeves. Talk about your experiences in dealing with people who bothered you because their behavior was so irritating.
  2. Why do you think certain kinds of behavior really bother some people and not others?
  3. Some people don’t seem to care when they bother other people. A few people even seem to enjoy bothering others deliberately. What factors do you think cause people to be like this?
  4. As a group, make a list of three or four strategies that you feel would be effective in dealing with irritating people. Explain why you think they would be effective.