The fastest shoe in the world

Olia | Jun 05, 2024Jun 04, 2024

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this speaking lesson about technology in sports are to:

• discuss sports ethics and fairness;
• talk about the impact of technology on sports;
• watch a part of a video on footwear in running and discuss regulatory measures in athletics.

Within this lesson, students reflect upon competition in sports and talk about their experiences and thoughts on it. They brainstorm equipment people use in different activities (e.g. hiking in the mountains, running a marathon, riding a bike, etc.) and say whether it might give participants an advantage because of the technology. Students watch a part of the video (to 02:14) on Nike’s footwear in professional running, read texts and discuss concerns about fairness and regulatory measures on technology in sports. Students can also do a vocabulary activity.

WARM-UP

Students start this speaking lesson with a warm-up in which they finish the statement ‘Competition in sport is about…’ with their ideas. At this point, you can do a vocabulary activity to prepare them for the upcoming discussions on technology in sports. In the task, they unscramble verbs to complete phrases (e.g. gain an unfair advantage over someone) about sports ethics and fairness. After that, students discuss questions about sports participation, its impact on mental health, and differences in technology between professional and recreational sports. Next, they do tasks in which they brainstorm modern equipment for various activities and discuss whether it provides a significant advantage in certain sports. 

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

In this part of this speaking lesson, students watch a video about a controversy involving Nike’s footwear in professional running, say where on the scales of different opinions they are and explain their answers. Then, they read texts and discuss questions about cutting-edge technology in sports, including concerns about fairness, regulatory measures, and the future of technology in athletics. Following that, students read statements on how technology affects sports, including its influence on diversity, money issues, ethical worries and the balance between using technology and traditional ways of engaging with sports. They choose three of these statements and elaborate on them using examples. 

WORKSHEETS

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