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Lower Intermediate English Class –

Global Food and Fertiliser

Presentation Lesson (30–40 minutes)

🎯 Objective

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Understand the main idea of a short news story.

Talk about food production and global problems.

Give a short presentation using simple English.

Practice cause and effect with because, so, if.

📚 Vocabulary

fertiliser – a substance that helps plants grow

farmer – a person who grows crops or raises animals

field – a large area where crops grow

food production – the process of growing food

supply – the amount of something available

price – the cost of something

conflict – a serious disagreement or war

trade – buying and selling goods between countries

hunger – not having enough food

grow – to produce plants

📰 Reading

Global Food at Risk

Food production around the world is facing problems because there is less fertiliser available. Farmers use fertiliser to help plants grow.

A conflict in the Middle East affected the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for international trade. Around one-third of the world’s fertiliser passes through this area.

If farmers have less fertiliser, they grow less food. When there is less food, prices usually increase.

The United Nations says that millions more people could experience severe hunger in 2026 if the situation continues.

✅ Comprehension

1. What do farmers use fertiliser for?

2. Why is there less fertiliser available?

3. What happens if farmers grow less food?

4. What does the United Nations predict?

5. Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?

🗣️ Useful Language

I think…

In my opinion…

The main problem is…

This affects…

Because…

If…, then…

As a result…

🎤 Presentation Task (1–2 minutes)

Topic: Why is fertiliser important?

Talk about:

What is fertiliser?

Why do farmers need it?

What happened in the Middle East?

How does this affect food prices?

What do you think governments should do?

💬 Model Presentation

Today I want to talk about fertiliser. Farmers use fertiliser to help plants grow. There is a conflict in the Middle East, and this has affected the transport of fertiliser. If farmers have less fertiliser, they produce less food. As a result, food prices become more expensive. I think countries should work together to protect food supplies because everyone needs enough food.

📰 Discussion

1. Are food prices increasing in your country?

2. Do you think farmers have an easy or difficult job?

3. Why is international trade important?

4. What foods have become more expensive recently?

5. How can countries help people who don’t have enough food?

⭐ Headlines Practice

Read the headlines and explain them in your own words.

A perfect storm rippling across the world’s food supply chains.

Fears of global food catastrophe grow.

Food price inflation is still rising.

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(Photo via Getty Images)
The story
Global food production is being threatened by an interruption to the supply of fertiliser, according to the boss of one of the world's biggest fertiliser producers. Fertiliser is something that farmers put on fields to help plants grow.

When the United States and Israel struck Iran on 28 February, the Strait of Hormuz, which is a narrow waterway between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, effectively shut down. About one-third of the world's fertiliser trade normally passes through the strait.

Less fertiliser means less food is grown, and if there is less food available, then prices rise.

The UN World Food Programme estimates that the Middle East conflict could cause 45 million additional people to experience severe hunger in 2026.

News headlines

Trade Zone: A perfect storm rippling across the world's food supply chains
RBC

As Iran crisis drags on, fears of global food catastrophe grow
Al Jazeera

Food price inflation still rising, as lower income households feel the squeeze, study says

Key words and phrases

ripple
spread and affect many places

Rising fuel prices are rippling through the economy.

drag on
last a long time, perhaps longer than was expected

Teacher strikes dragged on for years because neither side could agree.

feel the squeeze
experience financial pressure

They're feeling the squeeze since their rent went up last month.
Next
Want to learn more English related to to the topic of money? Explore our special page with lots of programmes about money.

Try The Listening Room - BBC news reports about a range of topics

Try Our World in English - the best documentaries from the BBC in language you can understand.

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BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Iran war puts global food production at risk, says fertiliser boss

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Learn about the impacts of the Iran war on global food production

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personality traits/caratheristics

vocabulary>

pondering/ twins/ heritability/ foster/ jigsaw puzzle.

1. Choose the best summary for the article.

a. Personality is mostly influenced by genes.
b. Personality is mostly influenced by the environment.
c. Personality is influenced by a combination of both genes and the environment.

2. Choose the correct option based on the content of the article.

1. Why are twin studies helpful for understanding what influences personality?
a. We can study whether identical twins have more similar personalities than non-identical twins.
b. We can study how twin pairs interact with each other.
c. We can compare the physical differences between identical and non-identical twins.

2. The twin study meta-analysis found that genetics were exclusively responsible for the personality differences between people.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. One of the 'Big Five' personality traits is flexibility.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. People in the Scottish Highlands and Northern England are more likely to be friendly and trustworthy than other parts of Great Britain.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

5. What does 'it' refer to in the following sentence? While our DNA provides a starting point, it is only part of the jigsaw puzzle that makes our personality.

a. DNA
b. a starting point
c. the jigsaw puzzle

homework>

3. Use the words from the list to complete the summary of the article.

The 1) ________ has intrigued scientists and philosophers for many years. Genes explain about half of the differences between people, but your environment is just as important. A 2015 study found that certain personality 2) ________ were more 3) ________ in certain areas of Great Britain. So, if you have ever 4) ________ how much your personality is influenced by your 5) ________versus your environment, it turns out, it's a bit of both.

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BBC Learning English - The Reading Room / Does where you grow up shape your personality?

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Are certain regions more likely to have higher levels of a certain personality trait?

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☕ Intermediate English Lesson:

Getting More from Coffee

Level: Intermediate (B1–B2)
Focus: Get (review and expansion) + Reading + Speaking + Vocabulary

🎯 Warm-up (5 minutes)

Ask your student:

1. Do you drink coffee every day?

2. How many cups do you usually get through in a day?

3. What do you usually get from drinking coffee? (More energy? Better focus?)

4. Have you ever gotten a headache because you didn’t drink coffee?

word banks

dizzy/ wake me up/ take a bath/ shower. mood/humor/ bad temper/ grumpy/ scrambled eggs/ fried eggs/ boiled eggs/ fruits by the side/ beverage/ water/ kind of a juice/ a smoothie/ tea/ sweet treats/ savoury/ I have a diet/ I follow a diet/ morning shifts/ night shifts/ smell/

🔄 Review: The Verb

GET

Tell your student:

Last class, we explored how flexible the verb get is. Today, let’s continue using it naturally while talking about coffee and brain health.

Match the meaning of

get

with the sentence.

A. receive
B. become/ I got a new person after I met Bruno
C. obtain
D. understand
E. arrive

i deserve a coffee machine / the brand is Phillips/

1. I usually get tired without coffee.

2. Where do you get/comprar your coffee?

3. Did you get my message?

4. I didn’t get what the article meant.

5. We got home at midnight.

what do you mean?

I mean that ......

I meant

I brush my teeth/ tooth/ fuss my teeth

he doesn't have manners to eat.

grumpy/

☕ Before Reading

Discuss:

What health benefits do people usually associate with coffee?

Possible answers:

More energy

Better concentration

Better mood

Staying awake

Better productivity

Then ask:

Do you think coffee can actually protect the brain?

well the effect that I have when I drink coffee after some time is that it boosts me to do things like speaking or even doing more things concentrated. so I think it may accelerate a lot of impulses to my brain.

📖 Reading

Coffee May Help Protect Your Brain

It’s common knowledge that coffee helps wake us up because it contains caffeine. However, researchers now believe that coffee may offer several additional health benefits.

Recent studies suggest that drinking coffee regularly may help preserve brain function and reduce the risk of diseases related to memory loss, including dementia.

Interestingly, tea appears to provide similar benefits. According to researchers, drinking between two and three cups of caffeinated beverages each day may be associated with better cognitive performance.

Although more research is still needed, these findings suggest that moderate coffee and tea consumption could play an important role in maintaining brain health.

✅ Reading Comprehension

1. Why do people usually drink coffee?

I think is because is a nice beverage for the benefits for the whole day.

2. Besides energy, what other benefit is mentioned?

it protects the brain and the muscle strength.

3. Which disease is mentioned in the article?

dementia/

4. Does tea have similar benefits?

yes it does, because it has caffeine, too.

5. How many cups are recommended?

6. probably 2 or 3 cups.

7. Is the research considered final?

the research still to be needed.

📚 Vocabulary

Key

= very important

Example:

Communication is the key to a healthy relationship.

drinking coffee is the key to get to work.

Associated with

= connected or linked to

Example:

Stress is often associated with poor sleep.

drugs is associated with violence.

Preserve

= keep something in good condition

Example:

Exercise helps preserve muscle strength.

Cognitive

= related to thinking, learning and remembering

Example:

Reading improves cognitive skills.

Moderate/ moderation

= not too much; reasonable

Example:

Moderate exercise is good for your health.

coffee must be drunk with moderation.

💬 Speaking Practice

Part 1

1. Do you think coffee is healthy?

2. How much coffee is too much?

3. Have you ever tried to stop drinking coffee?

4. Do you prefer coffee or tea?

5. What’s your favorite time to drink coffee?

Part 2

Imagine your doctor tells you to stop drinking coffee for one month.

Discuss:

How would you feel?

What would you replace it with?

Would your routine change?

Would you get used to it quickly?

🔥 Grammar Connection:

GET + Adjective

Complete the sentences.

1. I usually get ______ after my first cup of coffee.

2. Without caffeine, I get ______ during the afternoon.

3. Some people get ______ if they drink too much coffee.

4. I get ______ when I smell fresh coffee.

5. If I drink coffee late, I get ______ at night.

(Possible answers: energetic, sleepy, anxious, excited, restless)

🗣️ Useful Expressions with

GET

Discuss the meanings:

get energized

get enough sleep

get into a routine

get distracted

get addicted to

get through the day

get better

get used to

get over (an addiction)

get back to work

Ask the student to create one sentence with each expression.

🎭 Role-play

Situation:

One person believes coffee is one of the healthiest drinks in the world.

The other believes coffee is addictive and unhealthy.

Use as many GET expressions as possible.

Example prompts:

“I get so much done after coffee.”

“People get addicted to caffeine.”

“I can’t get through the morning without it.”

“You’ll get used to drinking less.”

💭 Critical Thinking

Discuss:

Should schools allow teenagers to drink coffee?

Is caffeine becoming a social addiction?

Would society be less productive without coffee?

Can people get too dependent on caffeine?

Why do you think coffee is such an important part of many cultures?

✍️ Homework

Write 150–180 words answering:

Has coffee improved or worsened modern life?

Use at least 8 different uses of the verb get, such as:

get better

get used to

get through

get distracted

get enough

get tired

get addicted

get back

get healthier

get motivated

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BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Coffee is good for you

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Coffee is good for us, research suggests

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Is AI the New Fall Guy for Layoffs?

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

improve pronunciation through guided reading;

understand the concept of "AI washing";

express and justify opinions about AI and employment;

speculate about the future of work;

use persuasive language and real-life examples during discussion.

1. Warm-up (5–10 minutes)

Ask your student:

What comes to your mind when you hear the term artificial intelligence?

nowadays comes to my mind a big algorithm but in the past when I was a child I remember a movie called AI.

Which professions do you think are the safest from AI?

I think one profession that can be the safest is a doctor/medicine because you need to have a human touch still with people and AI cannot.

Have you ever used AI to make your work easier?

yes, I usually use it for medicine we use open evidence for medicine and it is very helpful. and I usually to read or make articles for medicine faster.

Do you think AI is helping people more than it is harming them?

honestly I think AI is helping very few of people but not massively.

Encourage the student to expand every answer by asking:

Why?

Can you give an example?

What makes you think that?

2. Pronunciation Practice

Before reading, practice these words together.

layoffs/ reductions of job positions

workforce/ job labor

productivity/ productive/ productively.

efficient/effective/ effectively.

technology/ devices/ platforms/networks

replace/substitute/ remove/ to hire/ to fire/ to dismiss/ I was dismissed early from work./ call it a day/

opportunities/ benefits/

economist

artificial intelligence/ chat got/claude

reduce costs/ reduce expenses/

As the student pronounces each word, correct stress placement, connected speech, and any difficult sounds.

3. Reading

Is AI Really Taking People's Jobs?

Over the last year, many large companies have announced layoffs and explained that artificial intelligence has made their employees more productive. They claim that AI allows fewer people to do the same amount of work, making some jobs unnecessary.

However, not everyone accepts this explanation. Some economists argue that many businesses were already planning to reduce costs because of economic uncertainty. According to them, AI has simply become a convenient reason to justify decisions that companies had already made. This practice is sometimes called AI washing.

Others believe that AI is transforming the workplace rather than destroying it. While some jobs may disappear, new careers are also emerging. Workers who learn new skills may find opportunities in fields that did not even exist a few years ago.

The debate continues: Is AI really replacing workers, or is it simply becoming the latest excuse for business decisions?

highlights>

example> a patient came yesterday claiming he didn't receive a nice service at the hospital, he said we are under the curve.

to be allowed/ to have permission/ to allow/ allowed.

4. Reading Comprehension

Ask the student to answer in complete sentences.

1. Why do companies say they are laying off employees?

Because AI allows fewer people to do the same amount of work, making some jobs unnecessary.

2. Why do some economists disagree with these companies?

Because they say that many businesses were already planning to reduce costs because of economic uncertainty and they are using AI to justify.

3. What does the term "AI washing" mean?

It's a way companies laying off employess using AI reason to justify their decisions.

4. According to the article, how could AI also benefit workers?

AI can open others opportunities in the work market.

5. Which opinion in the article do you find more convincing? Why?

Companies are using AI to make a decision they were did to laying off employees and reduce costs.

5. Listening

Listen to the podcast with Katty Kay and Kathryn Anne Edwards.

While listening, ask the student to pay attention to the following questions:

What is the main topic of the conversation?

What does Kathryn Anne Edwards believe about layoffs?

Why might companies mention AI when announcing layoffs?

Does she think AI is always responsible?

What examples are mentioned during the discussion?

After listening:

"Was there anything that surprised you?"

6. Discussion

Encourage long answers.

Do you agree or disagree?

AI is replacing workers faster than expected.

Companies sometimes use AI as an excuse to reduce staff.

Governments should regulate how companies use AI.

Everyone should continue learning throughout their careers.

Some jobs will disappear completely within the next twenty years.

AI will improve people's quality of life.

Always ask the student to support every opinion with at least one example.

7. Useful Language for Discussion

Giving an opinion

In my opinion...

I strongly believe...

From my perspective...

As far as I'm concerned...

Agreeing

I completely agree because...

That's a good point.

I hadn't thought about that before.

Disagreeing

I see it differently.

I'm not sure I agree.

I understand your point, but...

Giving examples

For example...

For instance...

A good example would be...

One situation that illustrates this is...

8. Speaking Challenge

Imagine you are the CEO of a large company.

An AI system can now perform the work of fifty employees.

What would you do?

Would you:

keep everyone employed?

reduce the workforce?

train employees to work with AI?

create new positions?

Explain your decision using at least three reasons and two examples.

9. Debate

Choose one side.

Student A

"Artificial intelligence is creating more problems than benefits."

Student B

"Artificial intelligence will improve the future of work."

Spend five minutes defending your position.

Try to respond to your partner's arguments instead of simply repeating your own ideas.

10. Follow-up Questions

Use these if the conversation is going well.

Which profession do you think will change the most because of AI?

Would you trust an AI doctor? Why or why not?

Can AI be creative?

Is it ethical for companies to replace humans with machines?

What new careers do you think will exist in ten years?

How should schools prepare students for an AI-driven world?

What skills will become more valuable in the future?

If AI could do your current job perfectly, what would you do next?

Homework

Prepare a 2–3 minute presentation answering the following question:

"Should people be worried about losing their jobs because of artificial intelligence?"

Support your opinion with:

at least three arguments;

two real-life examples;

one possible solution for workers and one for governments.

This format should keep your student speaking for most of the lesson while giving you many opportunities to correct pronunciation, intonation, and sentence stress naturally during the reading and discussion activities.

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Katty Kay and economist Kathryn Anne Edwards on why some companies might use AI as an excuse for normal firings.

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📝 Writing & Speaking Lesson

Topic:

Making Difficult Decisions

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

use the expressions naturally in speech and writing;

organize and defend an opinion;

respond to counterarguments;

write a formal opinion article.

🔥 Warm-up (Speaking)

Ask:

1. Have you ever been part of a group that couldn’t agree on something?

yes, of course generally, if we talk about politics.

1. Is it important for everyone to agree before making a decision?

it depends but it is important. it is not really necessary to make a decision and make people suffer.

2. Do companies change too slowly nowadays?

I think I am a different person, but I think companies are always rushing.

3. Can you think of a situation where nothing should be off the table?

yes, I think a situation that can be linked to violence , so in this situation this can harm people, sometimes.

Encourage long answers.

Vocabulary Review

Without showing the definitions first, ask the student to explain them.

overwhelming consensus

behind the curve

nothing’s off the table

Then ask them to create one sentence about:

work

technology

education

Reading

A Company at a Crossroads

GreenTech Industries has enjoyed years of success, but recently sales have started to fall. Customers are demanding more environmentally friendly products, while competitors are introducing new technologies much faster.

During a meeting, there was an overwhelming consensus among employees that the company needed to change its strategy immediately. However, executives disagreed about how those changes should happen.

Some believed the company was already behind the curve because it had ignored market trends for too long. Others argued that moving too quickly could create new problems and damage the company’s reputation.

In the end, the CEO announced that nothing was off the table. The company would consider investing in artificial intelligence, redesigning its products, hiring new specialists, and even entering completely different markets.

The next few months would determine whether GreenTech could reinvent itself—or continue falling behind.

Discussion

1. Why was there an overwhelming consensus?

because customers are demanding more environmentally friendly products.

2. Why did some people think the company was behind the curve?

because competitors are introducing new technologies much faster

3. What does “nothing’s off the table” suggest about the CEO?

mainly, they need to introduce another tech but they cannot make it quickly because they might cause other problems in the company.

homework>

1. Which option would you choose?

I think redesigning products and make a rebrainding would increase and recuperate customers, mainly if they are environmentally friendly products.

2. Have you ever worked somewhere that was behind the curve?

Yes. I work until today. I work at Brazilian Navy Hospital. In the Hospital, people managent is behind the curve.

Debate

Situation

Imagine you are the CEO.

Sales have fallen by 40%.

Choose THREE actions:

launch cheaper products

work remotely

enter a new market

replace managers

invest in AI

reduce staff

launch cheaper products

enter a new market

work remotely

hire international talent

increase salaries

reduce working hours

Defend your choices.

Then challenge the student:

Why not choose another option?

handle it/

Writing Task

Opinion Essay

Prompt

Many companies struggle because they fail to adapt to change.

Do you agree or disagree?

I agree. Many companies has difficulty to adapt to change because management is behind the curve. Most managers think old knowledge how to conduce a company is the best and will continue a eternity. But, world changes every day and they need update. For example, there is a overwhelming consensus technologies and software are able to improve products, services and reduce company cost. It´s necessary to analyse which is the best way to beginning: improving technologies, changing people's management, organising costs...nothing's off the table to prevent harm.

Use all three expressions naturally:

overwhelming consensus

behind the curve

nothing’s off the table

Suggested Structure

Introduction

Present your opinion.

Body Paragraph 1

Explain why businesses must adapt.

Body Paragraph 2

Give examples from technology, education, healthcare, or everyday life.

Conclusion

Summarize your opinion and suggest what companies should do in the future.

Speaking Challenge

After writing, ask the student to speak for 2–3 minutes without reading.

Prompt:

Imagine you are giving advice to the CEO of a company that has become behind the curve. Explain what they should do and why. Convince the board that nothing should be off the table until the company becomes competitive again.

Bonus Vocabulary

Encourage the student to incorporate these expressions:

adapt quickly

stay competitive

long-term strategy

short-term solution

innovation

resistance to change

take calculated risks

future-proof

rethink priorities

embrace change

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Upper-Intermediate English Lesson (B2+/C1)

Topic: Should Social Media Be Banned for Children?

Duration: 60–75 minutes

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

discuss the effects of social media on children using advanced vocabulary.

express opinions with different degrees of certainty.

use key news expressions naturally.

debate a controversial topic using persuasive language.

1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Conversation

1. How often do you use social media?

everyday, a lot of hours in my day. I am trying to reduce my screen time, because every time that I dont do something I scroll down or spend time on the screen, specially when I am taking an uber. it is a way to kill time.

2. Which platform do you use the most? Why?

nowadays twitter is faster, I read news, the first acknowledgment comes on twitter rather than instagram.

twiter is stricter and has more morality to expose real acknowledgments from the world.

3. Do you think children spend too much time online?

I think is a bad time and bad decision. parents needs to monitor/control on/over their children and their childhood. Childhood needs more time with people interacting with each other, sharing things outdoor like in the past...

4. At what age should children be allowed to have social media accounts?

I think that the age should be 16 I think because the person/ the teen has more mental construction and identity and can be more cautious/aware about real things.

5. What positive effects can social media have?

yes, because is another way to know or be aware to feel included or team up with others and the acknowledgments. this is a good example, chatting with friends and be present in situations and it can be used for entertainment.

6. What negative effects have you noticed?

i noticed a lot of negative effects, I think the social media today is a way to make you an addicted to the system and convince you and persuade you to buy things and do things. social media is a market and they profit from this, and another one is the political events and parties mainly when we talk about red pills or teens when they share their experiences and expose their ups and downs, besides that, fake news.

Follow-up Questions

Do you think social media is addictive?

Are adults better at using social media responsibly than teenagers?

Would your life be different without social media?

2. Pre-Reading Vocabulary

Before reading, discuss the meaning of these words.

harm

wellbeing

anxiety/

campaigner

ban/prohibit

linked to/ related to

public health issue

regulation

Check Understanding

Answer using complete sentences.

Can something be linked to a problem without causing it?

What activities improve your wellbeing?

What things are banned in schools?

Have you ever supported a campaign or a cause?

3. Reading

Read the article.

A group of senior doctors in the UK say that time spent on screens and social media harms children. They compared social media to smoking—not because it has the same physical health effects, but because they believe it is an important public health issue that deserves serious attention.

Although researchers have found links between social media use and problems such as anxiety and poor wellbeing, it is still difficult to prove that social media directly causes these issues.

Not everyone agrees that banning social media for children is the best solution. Some campaigners believe education, parental guidance, and digital literacy are more effective than banning apps altogether. At the same time, many young people argue that social media helps them stay connected with friends, learn new skills, and express themselves.

The debate continues as governments consider different ways to protect children online.

4. Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

1. Why did doctors compare social media to smoking?

2. What problems have studies linked to social media?

3. Why is it difficult to prove that social media causes harm?

4. Why do some people disagree with a ban?

5. According to many teenagers, what are the benefits of social media?

5. News Vocabulary

Overwhelming consensus

Meaning:
Almost everyone in a group agrees.

Example:

"There is an overwhelming consensus that students need more practical experience."

Discussion

Can you think of a topic where there is an overwhelming consensus?

Behind the curve

Meaning:
Slower than others to adapt or react.

Example:

"Some schools are behind the curve when it comes to teaching AI."

Speaking

Who is usually behind the curve: governments, schools, or businesses? Why?

Nothing's off the table

Meaning:
Every possibility is still being considered.

Example:

"Nothing's off the table as the government discusses new internet regulations."

Practice

Finish the sentence:

"If I decided to change careers, nothing would be off the table because..."

6. Useful Expressions for Giving Opinions

Strong Opinions

I'm convinced that...

There's no doubt that...

I'm certain that...

It's obvious that...

Balanced Opinions

I tend to think...

It seems that...

It appears that...

From what I've read...

There isn't enough evidence to say that...

It's possible that...

Agreeing

I completely agree.

That's a good point.

I couldn't agree more.

Disagreeing Politely

I'm not so sure about that.

I see your point, but...

That's one way of looking at it.

I partly agree, however...

7. Speaking Practice

Give detailed answers.

1. Should children under 16 be allowed to use Instagram or TikTok?

2. Who is more responsible for children's online safety: parents or governments?

3. Should schools teach students how to use social media responsibly?

4. Are screen time limits realistic?

5. Would banning social media actually solve the problem?

Encourage the student to support every opinion with examples.

8. Grammar Focus – Hedging

Sometimes English speakers soften their opinions to sound more objective.

Compare:

Social media causes anxiety.

Social media appears to be linked to anxiety.

Which sounds more scientific? Why?

Rewrite these statements using softer language.

1. Smartphones ruin childhood.

2. Teenagers waste too much time online.

3. Governments should ban social media.

4. Parents are always responsible.

5. Technology is making children less intelligent.

9. Debate

Motion

Children under 16 should not be allowed to use social media.

Round 1

The student argues in favor of the ban.

Round 2

The student argues against the ban.

Round 3

The teacher challenges both positions by asking follow-up questions.

Useful expressions:

On the one hand...

On the other hand...

That's a fair point, but...

I understand your argument; however...

The evidence isn't conclusive.

We should also consider...

10. Critical Thinking

Discuss.

1. Is banning something usually the best solution?

2. Could education be more effective than prohibition?

3. Should technology companies be legally responsible for protecting children?

4. Are adults also affected by excessive screen time?

5. Do you think social media will become safer in the future?

11. Vocabulary Review

Use each expression in your own sentence.

overwhelming consensus

behind the curve

nothing's off the table

wellbeing

campaigner

linked to

anxiety

public health issue

12. Wrap-Up

Complete the sentences.

The most interesting idea today was...

I changed my opinion about...

One new expression I'll definitely use is...

The strongest argument for a ban is...

The strongest argument against a ban is...

Homework

Write 220–250 words answering the question:

Should governments ban social media for children under the age of 16?

Include:

at least five new vocabulary words from today's lesson,

the expressions overwhelming consensus, behind the curve, and nothing's off the table,

arguments for and against the ban,

and your own conclusion with reasons.

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BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Is social media ‘the new smoking’?

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Why are senior UK doctors comparing the harms of social media with smoking?