Hot Topics
Engaging discussion topics about modern life and society (B1 level)
Who it's for
Written for B1 (intermediate) students who handle everyday English and are ready for longer answers.
Speaking lessons built around one everyday or topical theme each. More Conversation Starters lesson plans
Skills it practises
- Speaking: discussion questionsevery lesson
- Vocabulary: a target word listevery lesson
- Reading: a text or news storyevery lesson
- Controlled practice: gap-fills, matching, sorting and moreevery lesson
- Role-play: a dialogue to act out1 of 9 lessons
Lessons
- Social Media: Friend or Foe?Goal: give and defend your opinion about social media — with phrases for disagreeing politely and saying 'it depends'.47 minFree
- Work-Life BalanceDiscuss how to balance career and personal life in the modern world47 minOutline
- Work-Life BalanceGoal: talk about your own work-life balance with clear opinions — using burnout, boundaries and phrases for polite disagreement.47 minOutline
- City vs CountrysideGoal: compare city and country life with real opinions — using commute, pace of life and cost of living, and disagreeing politely.47 minOutline
- Fitness & Health TrendsGoal: talk about fitness and health trends with balanced opinions — your own routine included — and disagree politely about wellness culture.47 minOutline
- Streaming vs CinemaGoal: debate streaming versus the cinema with real opinions — using binge-watch, subscription and blockbuster, and granting the other side a point.47 minOutline
- Learning LanguagesGoal: talk about how you learn languages — clear opinions on methods, polite disagreement about apps versus teachers, and a plan you will actually try.50 minOutline
- Sustainability and Green LivingGoal: discuss green living with honest opinions — individual action versus systems, greenwashing spotted, and polite disagreement throughout.47 minOutline
- Mental Health and WellbeingGoal: talk about stress and wellbeing openly and carefully — language for describing feelings, responding with care, and giving gentle advice.47 minOutline
How to use it in a lesson
- Lessons run 47 to 50 minutes, with a timing on every stage, so you can see before you start what fits your slot.
- Start with "Social Media: Friend or Foe?": its whole plan is on this site, stage by stage, with the target vocabulary, free to read and to teach from on any video call.
- For a shorter slot, skip a practice stage or cut the discussion short: the stages are a guide, not a script.
Teach Hot Topics with your student
Lesson 1 of this course is free. A free account opens it in the interactive player, and the rest of the course is included with Starter. Teaching it live with your student in the Tuton classroom starts with a 7-day free trial.
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