Lesson Topics: luxury goods, counterfeiting, Trump's trade war
Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: luxury-brands-china-upper-intermediate-042025.docx
- The lesson begins with warm-up questions about China and brands.
- Next, students read a short reading passage (127 words) which describes a rise in Chinese TikTok users promoting luxury goods directly to Western consumers to avoid Trump tariffs. The video is followed by a short YouTube video featuring some of the TikTok videos. Overall, the passage and video describe the allure of cheap goods but also leave the viewer questioning the authenticity of the products.
- The video is followed by comprehension and follow-up questions.
- Next, students match eight vocabulary items to their corresponding definitions.
- After vocabulary matching, students form discussion questions with the target vocabulary.
- The lesson has two debate prompts about the value of luxury goods.
- There is one roleplay scenario in which a girlfriend confronts her boyfriend about a gift she received that seems to be counterfeit.
- For something different, the lesson includes a wardrobe upgrade activity. The student pretends to be a stylist and tries to put together three looks for their cousin, who will enter the workforce next week.
- Next, students review famous quotations related to time and sleep.
- Finally, students review vocabulary and collocations before discussing some final discussion questions.
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2/C1) Lesson on Luxury Brands
Warm-up-Questions
- Would you like to visit China? Why or why not?
- What are the most expensive fashion items (e.g. clothes, accessories) you own? Were they worth it?
- What are your favorite brands? How and where are their products made?
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This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. ChatGPT was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.
Comprehension Question Answer Key
- …
2. They are responding to President Trump’s decision to add high tariffs (taxes) to Chinese goods.
3. They say luxury brands lie about where their products are made — the products are actually made in China, and only the label is added in the West. (Opinion may vary)
4. The product might be counterfeit, and there may be no consumer protection if there’s a problem.
5. …
Vocabulary: 1-retails, 2-counterfeit, 3-high-end, 4-lure sb in, 5-exposing, 6-manufacturer, 7-garment, 8-stitched, 9-merchandise, 10-origin, 11-authorized
Collocations 1-c, 2-e, 3-f, 4-a, 5-a, 6-d, 7-b