Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson for C1 ESL students helps them discuss the subscription economy. This English class material uses listening, reading, and speaking activities to explore services like Netflix and Spotify, offering a comprehensive look at modern consumer trends.
This lesson helps advanced students explore the dynamics of recurring payments and digital services. Activities include a warm-up discussion on consumer habits, a vocabulary matching task with key business terms, and a listening gap-fill exercise. Students will also engage with a reading comprehension text about "subscription shock" and practice advanced conditionals. The material culminates in a structured debate, providing practical communication tools for discussing economic models and consumer choices.
Activities
- A warm-up discussion where students share personal experiences with their subscription habits and recurring payments, setting the stage for the lesson's theme of the modern subscription economy.
- Vocabulary and reading activities where 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 modern consumer challenges.
- A listening comprehension exercise where students complete a short text about the convenience and commitment in the subscription economy, honing their ability to catch specific details.
- A grammar exercise focusing on advanced C1 structures, specifically mixed conditionals and inversion with 'Had I...' or 'Were I...'. Students practice by rewriting sentences to express hypothetical financial situations.
- A speaking and debate activity where students argue whether subscription models benefit companies more than consumers, encouraging fluent use of the lesson's vocabulary and advanced conditional structures.
Transcript
The subscription economy has undeniably transformed how we consume, offering unparalleled convenience right to our doorstep. However, this ease often comes with the hidden cost of commitment, locking us into recurring payments that we might forget about. While some services offer curated experiences, others can lead to an overwhelming array of choices, paradoxically making decision-making harder. It's crucial for consumers to meticulously evaluate the value proposition of each subscription, ensuring it truly enhances their lives rather than just adding another forgotten expense. Otherwise, we might find ourselves paying for numerous services we barely use.
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.
