In this week’s club, we are talking about “The Need to Belong”- This is a great moment to get to know the other Conversation Club members, and to practice speaking a wide variety of arguments, which will also help you increase your vocabulary and improve your comprehension skills.
All mpec courses are based on Conversation, Communication and Interaction and our main goal is to give our students the confidence to approach any topic or idea in English. In this week’s Club, other than practicing speaking English, our goal is to find and learn new vocabulary and put it to use immediately…
The Verb itself!
“To Belong” – this verb indicates ownership. A sentence with this verb will typically have a ‘Sub + belong + to + someone‘. For example, “This bag belongs to me“, or “Who does this bag belong to?“. However, it can also be used to show that someone has (or doesn’t have ) a special relationship or affinity with a particular place or situation – that someone feels like a part of somethng, for example, “Maria is unhappy in Paris, she doesn’t belong there.” When we use “To Belong” in this sense, it is similar to the phrasal verb “To Fit in”. We also use “To Belong” when we want to say we are part of a club or group. If on the other hand, someone doesn’t belong anywhere, or doesn’t fit in anywhere, we often refer to them as ‘misfits’.
Do you, or have you ever belonged to any clubs or groups?
- When you were a child, what clubs or groups did you belong to? What was it like?
- As a teenager, did you belong to any particular ‘trends’ in fashion or music?
- Why do you think teenagers need to belong to these types of ‘trend/fashion’ groups?
- And what about now? Do you belong to any clubs, groups or organisations? Tell us about them..
The Need to Belong
- Why do you think that people, in general, feel the need to belong?
- When you get that sense of belonging, that you have been accepted and are part of something, how do you feel?
- How do you feel if you don’t belong somewhere, if you don’t fit in?
- Do you think that being alone, or feeling alone, is a dangerous thing? Why?
- Do you think our need to belong is a new or ancient need? Why?
When things get out of hand
- Do you know of any Cult clubs? Tell us about them
- Why do you think certain people feel the need to join Cults?
- Why do you think certain people join extreme groups?
- Considering everything, do you think our need to belong should be ‘controlled’? Why / Why not?
All mpec students are welcome to join our Conversation Club Zoom Sessions which take place every Tuesday, 6pm to 6.30 pm and Thursday from 1 to 1.30 pm from October to June. If you are not a part of the mpec community yet, please get in touch with us and we will partner with you to create the right course for your needs and goals. Live English Courses via Streaming
Self Study Suggestion:
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong somewhere, like you just didn’t fit in; like a misfit?
