Higher education: discussing pros and cons

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B1 learners explores Higher education: discussing pros and cons through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: First conditional with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for giving advice about future plans
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study First conditional — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for giving advice about future plans — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• Weigh the pros and cons — to think carefully about the advantages and disadvantages of a situation before making a decision.
• Take out a loan — to borrow money from a bank or financial institution, which you must pay back later.
• Get a foot in the door — to get your first opportunity to work in a particular company or industry.
• End up (doing something) — to finally be in a particular situation or place, especially one you didn't plan.
• In the long run — over a long period of time in the future.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on First conditional.

We use the first conditional to talk about a real possibility in the future. It's perfect for discussing the potential results of your decisions about university or a career. The structure helps us link an action to its likely outcome.

Examples from the lesson:

• If I study engineering, I will have good job opportunities. — The 'if' clause uses the present simple for the condition, and the main clause uses 'will' + infinitive for the result.
• You'll get into a lot of debt if you choose an expensive university. — The clauses can be reversed, but we don't use a comma when the 'if' clause comes second.
• If she doesn't get a scholarship, she might have to get a part-time job. — We can use other modal verbs like 'might', 'could', or 'may' instead of 'will' if the result is possible but less certain.

Key rules:

• Structure: If + present simple, ... will/might/could + infinitive.
• Use it for real and likely situations in the future, not imaginary ones.
• Common mistake: Never use 'will' in the 'if' part of the sentence.

Practical English

giving advice about future plans

You are talking to a friend who is trying to decide what to do after high school. Use these phrases to give your opinion and offer advice in a supportive way.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "Have you thought about...?" — use this to gently introduce a new idea or option.
• "If I were you, I'd probably..." — use this to give direct, personal advice.
• "It's worth considering..." — use this to highlight an important factor they should think about.
• "On the other hand,..." — use this to present a contrasting point or a disadvantage.
• "The most important thing is to..." — use this to emphasize what you believe is the main priority.