Talking Point Lesson Plans

An interesting lesson topic which provides students with the opportunity to explore the various meanings of the word “mine”. Students meet words and phrases such as “a goldmine”, “a mine of information”, “miner” and “landmine” in a gap-fill exercise before (more…)

A lesson based on the topic of the army. Students discuss questions such as “What qualities does a good soldier need?” and “Is it a good idea to use soldiers in a peace-keeping role?” A gap-fill activity introduces students to related phrases like “to soldier on” and (more…)

A lesson on the recurrent global theme of floods. First the students deal with the pronunciation of ‘oo’ in words such as ‘look’, ‘food, and ‘flood’. Students then build their vocabulary through a gap-fill exercise including words and phrases like ‘to burst into floods of tears’ and ‘waterlogged’. Students then have (more…)

A lesson on the little-covered global topic of “Jabs” and associated words and phrases (e.g vaccination). Students discuss questions such as “Do you know anyone who is scared of needles?” in a fluency activity before moving on to discover expressions and idioms connected with the topic. For example, “to inoculate” and “booster shot”. (more…)

A lesson on Oil and associated words and phrases (e.g oil spill). Students discuss questions such as “What can be done to discourage people from relying so much on fossil fuels like petroleum?” in a fluency activity before moving on to discover expressions and idioms connected with the words “oil” and “grease”. For example, “to burn the midnight oil” and (more…)

A lesson on the unusual, but universal, subject of balance. Students discuss questions such as “Do you think children have a better sense of balance than adults?” in a fluency activity before moving on to discover expressions and idioms connected with the word “balance”. For example, “bank balance”. Practice of these phrases is (more…)

A lesson on the little-covered topic of “Flags” and associated words and phrases (e.g banner). Students discuss questions such as “What do the colours in your national flag represent?” in a fluency activity before moving on to discover expressions and idioms connected with the word “flag”. (more…)

A lesson on Blindness which is “blinding”! Students discuss questions such as “Can you think of any famous people who are/were blind?” in a fluency activity before moving on to discover expressions and idioms connected with the word “blind”. For example, “as blind as a bat” and “to be blind drunk”. (more…)

Get your students talking about eyesight in general and their own eyes in particular with discussion questions such as, “Whose eyes have you got – your mother’s or your father’s?” and “Which eye do you wink best with?” before moving to complete a gap-fill exercise. (more…)

An up-to-date lesson about relief efforts in disaster zones. Students are introduced to useful topic-related phrases such as “trapped under rubble”. They discuss questions such as “What difficulties are there in organising an international relief effort in a (more…)

A topical lesson on the subject of packaging. Students discuss questions such as “How could people be encouraged to recycle more packaging?” before moving on to a gap-fill exercise which enables them to practise using related words and phrases. (more…)

This lesson discusses various aspects of food and the lack of it. Students discuss questions such as “What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying food in street markets instead of supermarkets?” They then discuss some traditional sayings such as “You can’t have your cake and (more…)

A lesson dealing with the subject of controversial discussion topics in the classroom. Students discuss questions such as ‘How acceptable is it in your culture to express your opinion in public?’ before moving on to decide which topics might be considered controversial in English language classes around the world. (more…)

A truly global topic for discussion – students will have a lot to say about this. Fluency is practised in Activity 1 with stimulating questions. Vocabulary is expanded in a gap-fill exercise and students’ general knowledge is tested in a true or false quiz. Fluency is further generated through questions such as (more…)

A topic close to everyone’s heart! Students practise their fluency in Activity 1 with personalized questions about being rich before exploring the different meanings of the word “rich” in a variety of contexts. (more…)

A lesson to get everyone talking! Students practise their past tenses in Activity 1, reminiscing about their school-days, before moving on to a gap-fill exercise based on words built from “education”. The last activity stimulates further discussion, this time of a more general nature, including (more…)

A stimulating conversation lesson on a controversial topic. Words built from the base word “adopt” are practised in a gap-fill exercise and fluency is encouraged through demanding discussion questions such as: “Should same-sex couples be allowed to adopt children? What is the right age to tell a child (more…)

A lesson that will definitely get your students talking! First, the difference between “economic” and “economical” is clarified and practised. Then your students meet new vocabulary (such as “quantitative easing”). Finally, fluency is encouraged through (more…)

A stimulating lesson on a serious subject. Explore the vocabulary of words beginning with “bull” (from bullseye to bulldozer) before practising them in a question and answer activity. (more…)

Fire up your students with this red-hot lesson! Explore the various meanings of the verb “to fire” before moving on to complete a gap-fill exercise with topic-related words and expressions. (more…)

A surprisingly topical lesson on an undeniably global issue. Topic-related phrases and idiomatic expressions are introduced in a gap-fill exercise and practised in a question and answer activity. (more…)

An unusual topic for a lesson, but nevertheless, a global issue. Topic-related phrases and idiomatic expressions are introduced in a gap-fill exercise and practised in conversation. (more…)

An unusual but stimulating topic of conversation – everyone will have something to say about this. Students match the phobias with their definitions before revising the difference between adjectives such as “frightened/frightening”. (more…)

An unusual lesson on a global topic which gives students the chance to develop their fluency skills. Students discuss questions such as “Can you think of any edible flowers? Are flowers often used in dishes in your country?” and “What is the difference between (more…)

There are many earlier Talking Point lesson plans in the:
Talking Point Lesson Plans Archive