ESL / EFL Lesson Plan on Discounts in the New Year Sales

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Huge discounts in New Year sales
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0812/081229-discounts.html
Contents
The Article
2

Warm-ups
3

Before Reading / Listening
4

While Reading / Listening
5

Listening Gap Fill
6

After Reading / Listening
7

Student Survey
8

Discussion
9

Language Work
10

Writing
11

Homework
12

Answers
13

29th December, 2008
THE ARTICLE
Shoppers around the world are snapping up bargains in post-Christmas sales. Stores are trying to lure bargain hunters with discounts of up to 75 per cent. The run-up to Christmas is usually the best time for stores. However, the global recession has meant many people have spent much less this year and sales have been down. Many stores have reported sales fell by five percent from last Christmas. Sales of luxury goods such as brand bags and perfumes have been hit worst, falling by up to 35 per cent. Retailers are now struggling to attract customers, who know prices will fall more than in previous years. Many people have deliberately saved their money until the New Year sales, knowing stores will slash prices.
Several of the big department stores and retail chains in the UK and USA opened their doors at five o’clock in the morning. Shoppers started queuing in bitterly cold weather from midnight. Many said braving the cold was worth it to get the good bargains. Penny Owen, from Sale in England, said she would cut back on her spending in 2009: “We’re worried about what will happen in the upcoming year. This will be our last big shop. Our new year resolution is to make our money go further, which means going shopping less.” Many others echoed her feelings. On the other side of the Atlantic, Marlene Diarra, an accountant from New York, said: “I’ve lost confidence in money. I’ll stock up in these sales for the rest of the year.”

WARM-UPS
1. SALES: Walk around the class and talk to other students about shopping and sales. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your partner(s) and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

shoppers / bargains / discounts / global recession / luxury goods / brand bags / saving / department stores / queuing / bitterly cold / cutting back / resolutions / confidence

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. CUTTING BACK: Will you cut back in 2009? Complete the table below. Share what you wrote with other students. Change partners and share what you heard.
I will / won’t cut back on
…because
Instead, I’ll…

Buying clothes



Eating sweets



Going out



Travelling



Eating out



4. BARGAINS: Students A strongly believe the bargains in sales are real bargains; Students B strongly believe the bargains in sales are still expensive. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. RESOLUTIONS: What are your resolutions for 2009?. Talk about these things with your partner(s). Change partners and talk again.
Studying
Exercise
Money
Habits
Family and friends
Shopping
My personality
Other _____________________

6. DISCOUNT: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘discount’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
a.
There are many bargains to be had in the sales following Xmas.
T / F

b.
The few days before New Year is usually the best time for stores.
T / F

c.
Spending on all items fell by 35 per cent in the Xmas period in 2008.
T / F

d.
Shoppers decided to save their money until after Xmas this year.
T / F

e.
Some big department stores opened for business at 5.00 am.
T / F

f.
The first bargain hunters started queuing at 3.00 am.
T / F

g.
An English woman said she wouldn’t go to any more big shops.
T / F

h.
An American shopper has bought lots of things she needs for 2009.
T / F