Lesson Plan "Digital Addiction"

Lesson Plan

Context: Digital addiction

Programme type: General English

Participants: adults aged 35–40

Level: B2

Lesson format: a group lesson

Main aim: speaking fluency

Lesson duration: 60 mins

Homework: soft and fluid language exposure (blogs, YouTube shorts, language apps, etc.), lesson diary revision.

Lesson's focus: vocabulary and speaking

Target vocabulary/ target micro-content: nomophobia, be glued to sth, cut down on, use sth excessively, like a fish out of water.

Previous micro-content: have an addiction to sth, be dependent on sth.

Micro-tasks:

1. Listen to the context and spot the previous micro-content and new target micro-content.
2. Learn and practice using new target vocabulary in the context of digital addiction.

Lesson stages:

1. Surprise short-talk (10 mins)

Students listen to the story. The teacher tries to sound quite emotional.

T: You know what? Yesterday I realised that I have a problem. I suffer from nomophobia. This is me.

T: I feel anxious and unsafe without my phone, like a fish out of water without my phone. It’s one of my biggest fears to leave home without my phone. I’m really dependent on it, as personal information, contact numbers, emails, photos, and even documents are there. Especially, in wartime, it’s the fastest way to check on our family and friends when there’s an air alert. But still, it’s also about an addiction. I’m glued to my phone. I quite often hold it in my hands in order not to lose it. When I move from one room to another in my flat, I always take my phone with me. Crazy!!!

According to my phone’s weekly report, I use it excessively, I mean my screen time is really high. I should definitely cut down on it and maybe even go on a digital detox. Am I the only one here who has these problems?

Students share their own experiences. The teacher might ask some follow-up questions:

• Have you ever left your phone at home? How did you feel?
• What about your screen time? Is it pretty high?
• Have you ever tried to reduce it?

2. Vocabulary clarification stage: meaning, form, pronunciation (15 mins)

Students have a chance to listen to the sentences with the target vocabulary one more time. The teacher asks concept checking questions (CCQs) to clarify the meaning of the target vocabulary.

(Hear→Process:sound−meaning)

I mentioned that I suffer from nomophobia. What kind of phobia is it? What does it stand for? (no-mobile-phone phobia)

Also I feel like a fish out of water without my phone. Am I uncomfortable without it? (Yes) Do I feel safe without my phone? (No) Does it often happen to me that I forget my phone? (No)

I call it an addiction. I'm constantly glued to my phone. Do I spend a lot of time with the phone in my hands? (Yes) Is it easy for me to stop using my phone? (No) Does this happen once or often? (Often/ all the time).

If I use my phone excessively, do I use it too much? (Yes) Is it a healthy amount of time? (No) My screen time is really high. I should definitely cut down on it. Do I want to spend more time or less time on screens? (Less)

See (written form)

The teacher writes the target lexis on the board and clarifies one more time meaning, form, pronunciation, and any usage-related peculiarities.

Students come up with the synonyms for the target vocabulary.

3. Semi-controlled practice (10 mins)

Aim: Encourage participants to personalise target vocabulary in context.

Come up with your tips/ solutions to break this phone addiction. Use the sentence starters:

• The best way to deal with nomophobia is to ...
• Every time when you feel like a fish out of water without your phone, try to ...
• To cut down on the screen time, you/one should ....
• In order not to be glued to your phone all the time, consider ...
• If you find yourself using your phone excessively, it's a good idea to ....

In pairs exchange and discuss the tips. Do you have similar ones?

4. Freer practice (20 mins)

Discussion: (students know that they need to use target vocabulary in their answers)

1. Do you know someone among your relatives or friends who suffers from nomophobia? What are the symptoms? Why do you think so many people today are afraid of being without their phones?
2. Do you feel like a fish out of water without certain devices or apps, etc? Why?
3. Is being "glued to your phone" the new normal? Should we try to resist it or is it better to adapt? What are some signs that someone might be too glued to their phone?
4. What are some things you tend to use or do excessively without even noticing? In your opinion, why is it so easy to use digital devices excessively nowadays?
5. Have you ever tried to cut down on your phone use or screen time? Was it successful? What would be the most difficult thing for you to cut down on — and why?

5. Feedback stage: feedback on content VS feedback on language (5 mins)

The teacher asks students which expressions they remember from the lesson, which one they like the most or find the most useful.