Trad Wives & Gender Roles (Upper-Intermediate Lesson)

ESL/EFL Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2/C1)
Lesson Topics: gender roles, feminism
Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: trad-wives-feminism-upper-intermediate-062024.docx
Lesson Overview:

  • After warm-up questions, students read a short 220-word passage about 'trad wives', a new trend among (some) women who wish to embrace a more traditional 1950s-style homemaker lifestyle. The reading passage also contains a link to a short TikTok video that shows the life of a trad wife.
  • The passage is followed by recall activity, reading comprehension questions, and a vocabulary-matching activity. Next, students match vocabulary from the video to definitions and then form discussion questions using the target vocabulary.
  • There are two debate topics--one about the value of the trad wife movement and one about whether feminism has achieved its goals. After, the lesson has two role-play scenarios involving a friend who becomes a trad wife and later has to get a divorce.
  • Other speaking activities include a review of past gender norms.
  • After famous quotations, the lesson ends with a review of vocabulary and collocations before presenting some final discussion questions.

AI-generated image of a trad wife in her kitchen

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2/C1) Lesson on Trad Wives & Gender Roles

Warm-up-Questions

  1. Did your older female relatives (mother, aunts) have careers or did they stay at home? Did they seem happy?
  2. Given the chance, would you like to be a stay-at-home parent?
  3. What does feminism mean to you?

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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

  • ….
  • Some women choose the 'trad wife' lifestyle because they find it brings a sense of fulfillment and stability. Social media has also made this trend popular by showcasing daily routines, recipes, and homemaking tips, which promote the idea that traditional roles can be satisfying.
  • Firstly, it supports old-fashioned gender roles, which limit women. Secondly, it keeps stereotypes about women alive. Finally, it shows a level of privilege since not all families can manage on one income, and 'trad wives' lose their personal and financial independence by relying on their husband's income.
  • Some women might be drawn to the 'trad wife' trend because they are tired of the pressures of modern life and the rat race. For these women, the trend offers an opportunity to “step back and do less,” providing a sense of relief and simplicity.

Vocabulary 1-b, 2-I, 3-d, 4-a, 5-f, 6-c, 7-h, 8-k, 9-e, 10-j, 11-g

Collocations 1-d, 2-c, 3-e, 4-a, 5-b

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