What is this lesson about?

This advanced self-care ESL lesson explores whether self-care is a genuine practice essential for wellbeing or a consumer trend packaged by the wellness industry. Students learn high-level vocabulary (e.g. commodified wellness, accessibility gap, burnout prevention, lifestyle marketing) and debate whether self-care should be reclaimed as a necessity or accepted as part of consumer culture.

How do students learn the new language?

Learners follow a structured, discussion-first sequence:

• Warm-up with a thought-provoking quote by Audre Lorde.

• A challenging reading text on self-care and consumer culture.

• Comprehension and critical thinking questions.

• Vocabulary matching and gap-fill activities with advanced wellbeing terms.

• Debate expressions grouped by function (hedging, challenging assumptions, weighing trade-offs).

• Structured debate rounds exploring both perspectives.

• Reflection and a scaffolded opinion article task.

  
  

Why is this lesson useful?

By the end, students can:

• Debate self-care and consumerism with nuance and confidence.

• Use advanced vocabulary and debate expressions fluently.

• Present counterarguments and refute them persuasively.

• Write with academic precision on culture, wellbeing, and identity.

  
  

What makes this lesson special?

This self-care ESL lesson combines wellbeing, psychology, and consumer trends into a high-level debate. It challenges learners to think critically while developing advanced fluency. Suitable for online or classroom teaching, it provokes meaningful, real-world discussion.

Who is it for?

Best for adult learners at C1–C2 who want to refine their debating skills and explore modern wellbeing practices in English. Perfect for teachers seeking advanced, thought-provoking materials that merge language and wellness.