LESSON OVERVIEW

In this Business English speaking class, students watch a video about the future of bricks-and-mortar retail shopping and discuss shopping trends.

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP & VIDEO

At the beginning of the speaking class, students do a warm-up activity in which they need to explain what makes them buy a certain product online or offline. They have to consider products of different types (e.g. food, cosmetics and toiletries, clothes). After that, students read some statistics regarding online and offline shopping. Before they start the speaking part of the task, students look at some statistics. They try to find phrases to describe offline shops and shopping as opposed to online shops and shopping (e.g. bricks-and-mortar, in-store). The phrases will be used in the second part of this Business English speaking class. Then, students discuss the reasons behind the statistics and say whether they would be the same for their countries. Finally, students watch the video about the future of retail shopping and complete one statement using the information they found out from the video. 

DISCUSSION & CASE STUDIES

After the video, students discuss some questions regarding bricks-and-mortar shopping. They share their experience with online and offline blending, discuss online and offline blending and consider what shopping might look like in the future. Then, they look at four trends in offline shopping (e.g. loyalty programmes, checkout-free shops, click and collect) and discuss whether they will grow in popularity or not. In the final part of this Business English speaking class, students decide what strategies they would suggest to some bricks-and-mortar businesses that are about to open in their area. The businesses vary from small local shops to national chains. Students need to consider online and offline blending, as well as other trends discussed in the lesson.