An ESL Lesson Plan on Consumerism and Consumption

I am so glad to be introducing this ESL lesson plan on consumerism and consumption. Lovingly titled “Stop Buying Things You Don’t Need”, this lesson plan is great for advanced students looking to learn about consumerism, environmentalism and societal greed. Continue scrolling to learn more about the lesson, how to teach it effectively and to locate the download. 

When to use this lesson

This ESL lesson plan on consumerism and consumption is suitable to use with advanced-level students. You must use this lesson with mature students that can engage with the content…I know my adult students love this lesson! Not to mention, I love teaching it! In any case, you should use this lesson plan to practice reading, speaking and listening as well as to introduce your students to new vocabulary.

You can download the lesson plan below:

What students will do in this lesson plan on consumerism and consumption 

This lesson is designed to help students understand what consumerism and how it relates to them. To do this students will complete reading activities and will be introduced to new vocabulary words. With this, they will be encouraged to discuss topics as it relates to them and their culture. In addition to this, students will learn to formulate opinions on topics and texts. Finally, students will work on choosing an appropriate heading for a text they read. It’s always amazing to see what answers students come up with! I find it very interesting to find out what kind of shopper each student thinks they are. 

How to teach this lesson 

Since this lesson includes advanced topics and lots of discussions, it’s important to interact with your students in a conversational manner. Still, make sure to correct their grammar and pronunciation. To teach this lesson most effectively, I recommend checking your student’s understanding of concepts before introducing them. Once you have done that you can explain concepts further and encourage discussion about them.

I highly recommend downloading a free Off2Class account so that you can access teacher notes to accompany this lesson on consumerism and consumption. In these notes you will be provided with several questions to ask students; they are great prompts to start a meaningful discussion. As well these prompts help students formulate sentences independently. 

If you enjoyed this lesson plan, I recommend that you check out our list of lessons available with a free account. These lesson downloads cover a range of topics useful for many levels of English Language Learners. Also, for more teacher support check out our incredibly active Facebook Group where you can connect with other teachers using Off2Class. We love helping ESL teachers just like you, so look forward to more free lesson plans and let us know how we are doing in the comment below. Happy teaching!