Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers explores the gig economy versus traditional jobs. This B2-level ESL class material includes vocabulary, grammar, listening, and speaking activities to engage your English students.
This comprehensive English lesson helps B2 students compare the gig economy with traditional employment. Activities include a warm-up discussion about ideal jobs, a vocabulary matching exercise, and a listening gap-fill. Students will practice grammar by describing work experiences, fill out a pros and cons chart to compare work models, and use specific phrases for contrasting ideas. The lesson culminates in a group discussion about the future of work, allowing them to apply all the concepts they have learned.
Activities
- Students start by discussing their ideal job and work preferences, activating their existing knowledge and preparing them for the topic of the lesson.
- A vocabulary matching exercise introduces key terms like 'gig economy,' 'freelancer,' 'job security,' and 'side hustle' to build a solid lexical foundation.
- The lesson includes a short listening exercise where students complete a gap-fill text, helping them practice comprehension and hear the new vocabulary in context.
- Learners practice the present perfect continuous and 'used to' to talk about work experiences, reinforcing their grammar skills through targeted exercises.
- A collaborative task requires students to fill out a pros and cons chart for both work models and then present their findings using specific phrases for comparison.
- The lesson concludes with a set of thought-provoking discussion questions, encouraging students to share their opinions on the future of work using the new language.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on the modern work landscape. Key vocabulary includes: gig economy, freelancer, contractor, benefits package, job security, side hustle, and autonomy. Students will also learn useful phrases for comparing and contrasting, such as 'whereas,' 'unlike,' 'in contrast to,' and 'on the one hand/on the other hand,' enabling them to discuss the topic with more nuance and precision.
Grammar focus
The grammar section targets two key structures for discussing work experiences. Students will practice the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) to describe ongoing actions and their duration. They will also practice using 'used to' to compare past work habits and states with the present, allowing them to clearly articulate changes in their professional lives. Both points are reinforced with fill-in-the-gap and sentence transformation exercises.
