This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers is designed for a C1 ESL class on the subscription economy. This engaging class material uses listening, reading, and speaking activities to explore services like Netflix and Spotify. This lesson plan provides a comprehensive look at the modern subscription economy.
Students start with a warm-up discussion before moving on to a vocabulary matching task with key business terms. The material includes a listening gap-fill, a reading comprehension text about "subscription shock," and a targeted grammar practice on advanced conditionals.
The lesson culminates in a structured debate, allowing students to use all the newly acquired language in a practical, communicative context.
Activities
- Vocabulary and reading: Students learn key terms like 'consumer fatigue' and 'lock-in effect' before reading an article about 'subscription shock'. They then answer comprehension questions to check their understanding of the modern challenges consumers face with recurring payments.
- Listening comprehension: A listening exercise challenges students to complete a short text about the double-edged sword of convenience and commitment in the subscription economy, honing their ability to catch specific details and nuanced vocabulary in spoken English.
- Grammar practice: The grammar section focuses on advanced C1 structures, specifically mixed conditionals and inversion with 'Had I...' or 'Were I...'. Students practice by rewriting sentences, which is ideal for expressing hypothetical financial situations.
- Speaking and debate: The lesson concludes with a dynamic debate where students argue whether subscription models benefit companies more than consumers. This activity encourages fluent use of the lesson's vocabulary and advanced conditional structures in a practical context.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces essential business and economic vocabulary related to modern digital services. Key terms include: value proposition, recurring payments, lock-in effect, consumer fatigue, freemium model, curated experience, tiered pricing, and churn rate. Students will learn to use these terms to discuss business models and consumer behaviour.
Grammar focus
The grammar practice targets advanced C1-level conditional forms. The lesson explains and provides exercises on mixed conditionals (e.g., 'If I had known, I would have more money now') and using inversion for emphasis (e.g., 'Had I known...'). This helps students discuss hypothetical past and present situations with greater nuance and formality.
