There are only two things certain in life…

Title separator

Vocabulary - welfare state

upper-intermediate lesson plan

This is a standalone lesson but it can also be used as part of the set titled:

LESSON OVERVIEW

With this upper-intermediate lesson plan students discuss the welfare state, watch a video about taxes in Sweden, and learn some useful vocabulary

B2 / Upper Intermediate75 minStandard LessonUnlimited Plan

VIDEO & VOCABULARY

This upper-intermediate lesson plan starts with a discussion activity. Students read a short definition of the welfare state and answer some questions. Before watching the video, students get three statements from the video and try to guess what word is missing in each of them. Then, they watch the beginning of the video and check their answers. Next, students look at five pairs of sentences and decide which one in each pair might be true for Sweden. They watch the rest of the video to check their answers. After that, students match sentence halves to create six statements. The statements contain vocabulary from the video (e.g. standard of living, a safety net, a well-funded resource). Finally, students decide whether they describe their country, and if not, they say if they would like their country to be this way. 

DISCUSSION

The second part of this upper-intermediate lesson plan starts with a gap-filling activity. Students look at a list of things that could be funded by the state (e.g. unemployment allowance, university tuition fees) and need to complete gaps with missing letters. Students also need to categorise each of the things from the previous exercise. They have to decide whether they must, could or shouldn’t be paid using tax money. After the discussion, students look at the title of the lesson and try to finish the quotation. They also decide if they agree with it or not. The lesson plan ends with an optional activity in which students choose one of three topics, come up with arguments for or against, and hold a debate. In a one-on-one class, the teacher can have the discussion with the student. 

WORKSHEETS

 

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Inna

    Hi Ewa! Thank you for this great lesson plan! I used it with my student yesterday and he really enjoyed it 🙂
    I also loved working with such a variety of engaging activities and thought-provoking ideas!

    1. Ewa

      Thanks Inna! I’m glad the lesson was a success 🙂

  2. OlgaNestel

    I subscribed but I still can’t download the worksheet, which waits my time frankly speaking.

    1. Ewa

      Hi Olga! You have a Basic subscription and this lesson is only available for Unlimited subscribers. If you want to access the lesson, you need to upgrade to the Unlimited plan. See all the lessons you can access with the Basic plan here.

  3. Andrew Gill

    my students instantly took issue with the left wing bias

    1. Andrew Forster

      Why did you choose to do this with them then? Are you a socialist?

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
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.

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!

ESL lesson on business competition
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Have you got the edge?

Business

Dive into the realm of business competition! Students watch a video about competitive forces, review business analysis models and explore phrases for talking about competition. They also imagine advising business owners in different situations.

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

Let it go! Mastering the art of delegation

Business

Discuss management skills in this ESL lesson on delegating! Students talk about delegation at work, watch a video and listen to a conversation between coworkers and practise useful phrases for delegating.

start-up vocabulary
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Start-ups: from idea to funding

Business

Explore start-up vocabulary with this lesson. Students talk about businesses and their challenges, practise useful collocations and watch a video about start-up financing. They also imagine they have an idea for a start-up and discuss it.

ESL lesson on human organs
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

Inside the human body

General

In this ESL lesson on human organs, students practise vocabulary for body parts and systems. They explore their functions, talk about health and listen to an audio on how city life can affect wellbeing.

discussing time off and leave policies
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Absent or half present?

Business

In this lesson, students engage in discussing time off and leave policies! They share experiences, review expressions with ‘take’ and explore an infographic about absenteeism and presenteeism.

giving and responding to praise
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Good for you! (praising and congratulating)

General

In this lesson, students discuss giving and responding to praise! They practise functional language and vocabulary related to recognition, watch a video about the UK vs US attitude towards praise and talk about achievements.

ESL lesson on real estate
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

The real deal: renting, buying and owning

Business

Talk about property and housing in this ESL lesson on real estate! Students discuss real estate trends, practise words related to property deals and watch a trailer for a show about luxury real estate.

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