Decision Making and Critical Thinking Collocations

What is this lesson about? This decision-making and critical thinking ESL lesson plan helps B2–C1 learners expand their vocabulary for discussing problem-solving, logic, and choices in professional and personal contexts. Students practise advanced collocations such as weigh up the options, question assumptions, evaluate the alternatives, and make an informed decision through engaging, real-world tasks.

What language will students learn? Learners study eight essential collocations:

• weigh up the options

• reach a conclusion

• assess the situation

• gather evidence

• question assumptions

• consider the consequences

• evaluate the alternatives

• make an informed decision

  
  

How do students practise? The lesson develops fluency and accuracy through:

• Warm-up discussion questions on decisions and problem-solving.

• Collocation matching to check understanding.

• Sentence gap-fills and transformations for contextual fluency.

• Tense challenge to integrate grammar and vocabulary.

• Speaking tasks to personalise language through real-life decision-making.

  
  

Why is this lesson useful? By the end, learners can:

• Use advanced collocations to talk about critical thinking and decision-making.

• Express logical reasoning, judgement, and evaluation.

• Integrate grammar, vocabulary, and speaking in one lesson.

• Reflect on real-life choices while building higher-level fluency.

  
  

Who is it for? This lesson is designed for upper-intermediate to advanced adult learners (B2–C1). It’s particularly useful for learners in academic, business, or workplace contexts where critical thinking and decision-making are key.