18-19 July
Success
What is success to you?
What is your biggest success?
Tell us one success story and how they achieved that.
Do you think success is the same for everyone? Why or why not?
What do you think are the key ingredients for success?
Who is the most successful person you know, and why?
Do you think hard work or luck is more important for success? Why?
Have you ever failed at something before achieving success? What did you learn?
What goals do you want to achieve to feel successful?
Have your ideas about success changed as you’ve grown older? How?
Related Words: success, achievement, accomplishment, goals, ambition, progress, growth, determination, motivation, effort, hard work, dedication, discipline, persistence, results, excellence, performance, recognition, reward, satisfaction, confidence, leadership, opportunity, development, focus, strategy, improvement, milestone, victory, fulfilment
Watch the video above and discuss what you learned from it during your Spoken Cafe session
Anna Bagenholm: The Woman Who Survived the Impossible
Anna Bagenholm’s skiing trip in the mountains near Narvik, Norway, turned into a fight for survival that would stun the medical world. In May 1999, Anna and two friends were skiing down a slope when she lost control of her skis. Hurtling downhill, she fell headfirst onto a sheet of ice just 20 centimetres thick, which covered a frozen stream. The impact created a hole, and Anna was dragged beneath the ice, trapped in the freezing water below.
Her friends quickly located her, finding only her skis and feet visible above the ice. Despite their desperate efforts to pull her out, the ice held her tightly. Unable to free her, they called for emergency help. Meanwhile, Anna was trapped beneath the ice, her body rapidly losing heat in the icy water.
Incredibly, she found a small air pocket under the ice and managed to breathe, keeping herself alive. For 40 minutes, she fought to remain conscious as the frigid water sapped her strength. Eventually, she stopped moving, and her heart ceased beating. When rescuers finally arrived, they extracted her lifeless body at 19:40—80 minutes after she had fallen into the freezing stream.
Anna was rushed to Tromsø University Hospital, arriving at 21:10. By this point, her core body temperature had dropped to an unprecedented 13.7°C, far below the level at which life is typically sustainable. However, her extreme hypothermia slowed her brain and organ activity to such an extent that it effectively preserved her body, giving her a slim chance of survival.
Doctors worked tirelessly to warm her body and restart her heart. After 24 hours of meticulous care, Anna’s heart began beating again—a medical miracle. She became the subject of extensive medical study, as her survival defied the odds and changed how extreme hypothermia cases were treated.
Today, Anna Bagenholm is fully alive, though she jokingly refers to herself as a “living dead.” Her remarkable story remains a testament to human resilience, the power of modern medicine, and the incredible determination to survive against all odds.
Watch the video above and discuss what you learned from it during your Spoken Cafe session
READ/SPEAK
Have you ever had any adventures like Anna’s? Have you ever been in danger in nature or traffic? How did you survive?
Have you ever been skiing or tried any winter sports? What was your experience like?
Do you know anyone who has survived a difficult or dangerous experience? What happened?
Have you ever had to call emergency services for help? What happened?
Something you must do or feel compelled to do
Example: Both of my grandfathers felt it was their call of duty to enlist immediately for active service when the war broke out
LEARN THE IDIOM AND SPEAK
What responsibilities do you have? If you had the choice, would you like to be younger and have no responsibilities or be a grown-up and have your current responsibilities? Why?