LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this Critical Reading Club lesson are to:

  • read an article about Skype shutting down;
  • discuss opinions and experiences related to videoconferences;
  • review vocabulary for video call problems and actions.

Students talk about their experiences with video calls, share opinions about online communication and explore vocabulary related to problems and actions during video calls. They compare different forms of communication (video calls, phone calls, in-person meetings), examine various situations and discuss what they would do in each of them.

B1 / Intermediate45 minCritical Reading ClubUnlimited Plan

This is a Critical Reading Club worksheet. With this format, students need to read an online article at home and do the exercises in the classroom. Learn more about how to use such worksheets and their benefits in our post.

ACTIVITIES

This lesson starts with a warm-up. Students say what the article they read at home was about using some clues (May 2025, Skype and Microsoft Teams). After that, they discuss questions about video call experiences and preferences. Moving on, students complete the gaps with verbs related to problems and actions in video calls (e.g. hung up, break up, mute). They then choose three of the situations from the previous task (e.g. a meeting in which you muted yourself and didn’t speak for the entire call) and provide some details. Following that, students read opinions on video calls (e.g. I make more video calls now than I did during the pandemic) and say whether the statements are true for them. They also add details. Finally, students say which form of communication (video call, phone call or meeting in person) they would choose in different situations and explain why.

ARTICLE

https://eslbrains.com/crc090

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. AlexF

    The wording for 3B1 (context) and 5(1) (wording, collocations) needs changing. It doesn’t sound like natural English

    1. Ewa

      Hi Alex! Thanks for the comment. We’ve made some minor changes as per your suggestion.

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
speaking lesson on posting online
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Think before you post

Global Issues Technology

Discuss the impact of posting videos online! Students talk about online content, privacy and consent. They watch a video segment about rules on filming in public and do a vocabulary task to practise useful phrases.

ESL lesson on ghost kitchens
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Why own a restaurant if you can rent a kitchen?

Business

Talk about food ordering services! Students explore statistics about food delivery, review phrases for discussing food-service topics and watch a video about a delivery-only restaurant model.

talking about translation
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Translation and tech

Technology

Engage in talking about translation with this lesson! Students practise phrases for discussing translation tools, watch a video about real-time translation on ChatGPT and read a text about a modern type of translation.

talking about brands
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

The power of brands

Business Lifestyle

Get students talking about brands with this lesson! They share their views, learn the brand and the common name for products and watch a video on this topic. Students can also do an extra vocabulary task.

ESL lesson on farming
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Smart farming

Global Issues Technology

Discuss modern agriculture with this ESL lesson on farming! Students share their perspectives, watch a video excerpt on farming technology and review farming vocabulary.

ESL lesson on business models
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

How businesses make money

Business

Talk about what makes a business successful in this ESL lesson on business models! Students practise business vocabulary, watch a video on all-you-can-eat restaurants and create their own business ideas.

ESL lesson on UI and UX
B1 / Intermediate
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

How user-friendly is this app?

Technology

Learn UI/UX elements with this worksheet. Students practise vocabulary for website and app elements, follow instructions to perform actions on a website or app and discuss annoying UI/UX situations.

giving suggestions politely
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Giving feedback on creative work

Business

Practise giving suggestions politely! Students discuss creative jobs, explore useful phrases for giving and responding to suggestions and watch a funny video in which famous painters work with clients. Students also do a role-play!

phrases for complaints
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Sorry to bother you, but… (making complaints)

Business General

Practise useful phrases for complaints! Students watch a video about complaining in restaurants and explore polite ways to make and respond to complaints. They also role-play complaint situations.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Title separator
Title separator
Close icon
Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of ESL Brains access!
Gift of ESL Brains access