Monopolies ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This ESL lesson plan on monopolies and tech giants provides activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for advanced C1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Engage in discussions about tech giants and monopolies
• Learn vocabulary terms related to monopolistic practices and competition
• Watch a video report about a court ruling on whether Google is a monopoly
• Learn some legal vocabulary related to corporate law and big business
• Engage in conversations that navgate key issues in corporate law

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

In the first part of this ESL lesson plan on monopolies and tech giants, students start by comparing Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. They discuss similarities and differences in their products and services. They will then answer questions about which of these companies they use and how their products have affected their lives, as well as any legal issues these companies have faced.

Next, they will reflect on the concept of a monopoly, discussing whether it has a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.

They will then evaluate various business practices to determine if they are monopolistic or not.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

After watching a video on a US court ruling versus Google and their alleged monopolistic practices, students will answer questions about the court's conclusions, Google’s response, and the U.S. Justice Department’s claims. They also match some monopolistic practices to the tech giants discussed in the video.

Finally, students listen for key verbs or phrasal verbs used at the end of the video, which are related to legal processes.

DISCUSSION & VOCABULARY

After the viewing activity, students will discuss their views on the court’s decision about Google, potential penalties for the company, and a few other topics.

They will match a set of legal terms to a hypothetical introduction by Professor Adams on corporate law topics. These legal terms include:

• court settlements
• data privacy violations
• antitrust lawsuits
• court appeals
• mergers and acquisitions

They discuss which day of the course would be most interesting and why.

NAVIGATING CORPORATE LAW: KEY ISSUES & CONVERSATIONS

In this communicative activation, students will debate key corporate law topics such as the impact of lawsuits on markets, reasons for mergers and acquisitions, and the importance of data privacy. They will ask each other questions, share opinions, and reflect on which topics were most engaging or challenging.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS ESL LESSON ON MONOPOLIES & TECH GIANTS:

Enhances Critical Thinking:

Students analyze complex legal, economic, and corporate law issues, developing their critical thinking skills.

Improves Vocabulary:

Engaging with advanced vocabulary terms helps refine language skills in real-world contexts.

Stimulates Personal Reflection:

Students connect legal and business concepts to their own experiences, making the lesson more relevant.

Promotes Discussion:

This lesson encourages meaningful conversations and debates about current events and legal issues.

Increases Awareness:

It provides insight into the impact of large companies on consumers and markets. This can help students broaden their understanding of corporate practices.