In news we trust?

Title separator

Speaking
Class

speaking about news

LESSON OVERVIEW

This worksheet focuses on speaking about news and news sources. Students also talk about changes and problems related to the media and news and watch and discuss a video. 

C1 / Advanced
C2 / Proficiency
45 min
60 min
Speaking ClassUnlimited Plan

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP & DISCUSSION

The lesson starts with a quick warm-up activity. Students have to read some comments in which people express how they prefer getting their news (traditional newspaper, online and the social media, TV). Students then choose one of the options that is true for them and explain why. After that, they look at different areas connected to the media (e.g. news quality, journalist’s job, the role of the media, information gathering). They continue speaking about news by discussing the changes they’ve noticed. 

VIDEO

In this part of the lesson, students watch the video about a journalism crisis (inc. a lack of trust in the news, the changes in the content). After watching, their task is to summarise it by finishing sentences with what they remember as well as their own ideas. Next, they participate in a discussion on whether they agree with everything mentioned in the video. Also, students talk about a wide range of other issues (e.g. news credibility, future of the media, political bias, paying for news with personal data). The lesson finishes with an activity on speaking about news and its problems. Students look at the graph with different problems (e.g. clickbait, misinformation, propaganda, cherrypicking, ad clutter, partisan news stories), define them and brainstorm possible solutions. Teachers can also find a link to a chart with more information about these problems that can be discussed with students.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. deborah

    LOVE IT!!! Thanks

    1. Justa

      Great to hear that! Thanks 🤗

  2. Kev

    super lesson plan, works very well in Germany 🙂

    1. Justa

      Thanks for the comment 🙂

  3. Julia Avanzi

    Amazing lesson plan! Perfect for discussion in Brazil’s current situation!

    1. Justa

      I’m happy you find it useful!

  4. Michał Altawil

    Please stop making presentations that are 11 slides only! I teach a lot of one to ones and I need more material. , maybe for large group slides it wouldn’t be a problem.

    1. Stan

      Michal, this is a Speaking Class lesson which is a slide-lighter format. We created this format for conversation-only classes that many ESL Brains members have. The aim of this lesson is to provide enough varied talking points to have your student(s) talk for 45-60 mins – no extra vocab or grammar. Of course, it always depends on the people you teach and some topics might be more or less stimulating than others and can result in longer or shorter discussions. We publish Speaking Classes around 3-4 times a month, so you will continue getting standard ESL Brains lessons.

  5. Maulwurf

    I like it

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
talking about critical thinking
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Is critical thinking still a thing?

General Technology

Engage students in talking about critical thinking! In this lesson, they practise key vocabulary for the discussion, watch a video about why we sound more like AI and read texts about real-life cases of deception.

homophones and homographs
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Dad jokes (homophones and homographs)

General

Let students tell jokes while practising homophones and homographs! They talk about humour, watch part of a video featuring dad jokes and analyse how wordplay makes things funny.

expressing quantity
C2 / Proficiency
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

A touch of this, a plethora of that (expressing quantity)

General

Get students talking about multiple subjects with this lesson! They practise advanced phrases for expressing quantity, work with syllable stress and debate opposing sides of different ideas. 

ESL lesson on driving
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

Behind the wheel

General

Get students sharing experiences and thoughts with this ESL lesson on driving! They practise key driving vocabulary, create a collaborative story and play the vocabulary game ‘Taboo’.

ESL lesson on difficult conversations
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

That’s a tough question

General

Practise phrases for navigating uncomfortable topics with this ESL lesson on difficult conversations! Students share thoughts, watch an athlete handle questions at the Olympics and role-play asking and answering tough questions.

talking about the hotel industry
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

The changing hotel industry

Business General

Practise vocabulary for talking about the hotel industry! In this lesson, students discuss trends in hotel rooms, watch part of a video on US hotels and review useful collocations.

ESL lesson on nostalgia
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Feeling nostalgic

General Lifestyle

Talk about the pros and cons of feeling nostalgic! In this ESL lesson on nostalgia, students practise useful phrases, watch a video excerpt on the topic and share their opinions on modern trends and nostalgic influences.

discussing English grammar
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

How important is grammar for you?

General Grammar

Get students discussing English grammar from a critical perspective! They practise verbs for debating language norms, talk about non-standard grammar and watch a video on grammar rules and natural speech.

ESL lesson on Gen Z slang
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Ate and left no crumbs (Gen Z slang)

General

Teach modern English words with this ESL lesson on Gen Z slang! Students discuss slang, share their perspectives and practise contemporary and useful expressions. They also watch a video of a senator using slang in parliament.

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