Ice breaker
Facebook is a 'social' media platform, but just how social is it?
Use the Facebook form in this sessions slideshow to ask each other questions about the information we share with each other online. For example, 'what are your favourite films, books etc...'
Do you think social media or real-life socialising is more effective?
Grammar - 15 minutes – tech tools
Using social media to practice English is a great idea. Why not fill up your feed with English language notifications, join groups, follow English speakers and have an English social media experience?
VK is a mostly Russian and Eastern European platform, but the main language is English. For this reason, most users are using English as a second language and there is an absolute wealth of English learning groups, podcasts, blogs and more to make your social media experience focused on learning.
For interactive audio and video practice visit and choose from the huge archive of materials
To interact with other learners in a huge forum, create your own threads and learn through peer interaction try ESL cafe's student forum
Open debate
Follow the slideshow for this session
What is an influencer? Watch the video
Pause at 0.48 - what is a sketch, what is a blog?
Pause at 1.06 - should you have such an ‘influence’ at 16?
Pause at 1.44 – what could an influencer do with 1m+ people? What is the purpose of this connection?
Pause at 2.01 – do you think being an influencer is hard? How does it
END – Who controls an influencers output? An influencer or their audience?
Look at the vocabulary for the next video. Watch the video
Pause at 1.04 – What is the impact of selective influence?
Pause at 2.55 – What does ‘comparison is the thief of joy mean?’
Pause at 4.11 – What are your predictions for the future of social media?
End at 4.56 (continue if desired, second half of the video goes a little off-topic)
Debate
Split into groups to discuss the following questions. After 5 minutes stop and move to a new group, with different people. NEW PLACES, NEW FACES. Try to communicate with as many people as possible to benefit from different vocabulary, grammar, accents and opinions.
AT HOME: try this as a writing exercise or start a discussion in the FORUM
1 How do you predict social media will change in the future?
2 Is being an influencer too much power for an individual?
3 Do influencers have a role in politics, education, the environment and other issues?
4 How can social media help you learn English?
5 Is it easy to be an influencer? What type of lifestyle do they lead?