In this ESL lesson plan for adults and teens, students watch a short video report and do a viewing/listening exercise about how to argue effectively. It includes discussion questions and conversation activities about conflicts and arguments. Students also learn some important vocabulary terms and phrases from the video. The post-viewing section includes follow-up discussion questions and an activity on phrasal verbs/phrases from the video. There are additional debate tasks included, optional pronunciation activities, and a quiz & review section.

How can we have more productive conversations? In this Big Think interview, Shapiro uses his negotiating expertise to outline several strategies to escape the tribal trap and communicate effectively, including understanding the core values of the other side, listening intently to what they’re saying, conveying that you understand what they’re saying, and finding common ground.