Is learning English dry and boring? It does not have to be.
Before an important lesson, the teacher sends out material for learners to prepare. By the time class starts, everyone has something to say, and the discussion pays off inside that same session. Here is a real example of what goes out.
What gets sent the night before
Today we are going to discuss and then write about why fashion is so expensive, and whether that is justified. Luxury labels in particular, where a single item can run to 10,000 USD. Is that price matched by the value, or would the money create more value invested in something else?
You can connect this back to the Reading passage on the restoration of Ellen Terry's dress, which cost £110,000. Was that worth doing? Or should we follow the old Japanese farming communities, who used sashiko stitching to mend and decorate worn items so they could keep using them, and put the money elsewhere?
Have a think, read around it if you want, and bring your best arguments to this afternoon's class. Afterwards, each of you will be guided through writing a 250-word essay that sets out your view clearly, concisely and persuasively, using deceptively simple words like until, before and after accurately.
Why this works
When you already hold a view before the lesson begins, class time is not spent working out what you think. You walk in with something to defend, and the whole session goes on expressing it clearly in English.