Cost Of Living ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This ESL lesson plan on the cost of living provides activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for A1 beginner students. In this lesson, students will:

• Explore different types of living expenses such as housing, food, transport, and lifestyle.
• Practice simple math by calculating total monthly costs based on provided examples and personal estimates.
• Watch a video about the cost of living in London
• Compare their own living expenses with those of others and discuss the cost of living in different cities.
• Use basic financial vocabulary related to expenses and budgeting.
• Practice the present simple tense to describe costs and discuss financial topics.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

In the preview activity for this cost of living ESL lesson plan, students start by reading Ollie's list, which includes his monthly costs for housing, food, transport, and lifestyle. They then discuss several questions to understand the context of the list, such as identifying what Ollie is listing, guessing whether he lives in a big city or a small town, and determining his highest and lowest expenses. Students will also calculate the total cost of Ollie's expenses.

Next, they match various costs of living to the appropriate categories—housing, food, transport, and lifestyle. Finally, they brainstorm other potential costs of living and discuss whether the cost of living in their area is high or low compared to big cities. They also consider whether London is expensive or cheap based on their own experiences or perceptions.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

During the viewing activity, they watch a video about the average cost of living for a single person living in London's city center. In the activities, students then complete a table by writing the costs of living in London for various categories, such as housing and food.

Following this, they evaluate true or false statements regarding what costs are included in the provided information, such as whether gas, dining out, or personal car expenses are covered. 

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

In the viewing follow-up, students first discuss whether London is cheaper or more expensive compared to their own city or town and identify other big cities with similar high living costs. They then complete sentences about their own costs of living using basic verbs, such as “costs,” “spend,” “pay,” “end,” and “save.” Students also decide on the correct tense for these sentences and whether the sentences describe current or regular actions. The grammar focus is on the present simple tense. Lastly, they use the provided verbs to describe Melinda's living costs and savings in the present simple.

ACTIVATION: WHAT'S YOUR COST OF LIVING?

For the activation stage, students write down their own city or town and list their estimated or real monthly costs for various categories, including housing, food, transport, lifestyle, and other expenses. They then calculate their total monthly costs and savings. Students share their costs with a classmate or teacher using present simple phrases and discuss their spending, feelings about their costs, and strategies for saving more money.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS COST OF LIVING ESL LESSON PLAN:

These lesson plans help students understand the concept of cost of living through practical examples. They encourage real-life application by having students calculate and discuss their own expenses. The plans also improve students' ability to use specific vocabulary and grammar in context. Additionally, they foster conversation about financial management and comparison with other locations. Overall, the lessons build both language skills and financial awareness.