A No-Buy Year

This conversational B2 ESL lesson is based on a listening task about a “no-buy year.” Students will learn about the no-buy trend, practice vocabulary related to shopping and spending, and complete a listening activity with comprehension exercises. The class also includes engaging discussions about the no-buy challenge and opportunities to debate and exchange opinions on shopping habits and saving money. This lesson is suitable for intermediate and upper-intermediate students.

Lead-in

This ESL lesson explores the “no-buy” trend, a financial challenge gaining popularity on social media. The lesson begins with a lead-in activity where students reflect on the question: What items would be the hardest for you to stop buying for a year? They will select from categories like books, clothing, coffee, and gifts, share their opinions, and estimate how much money they could save by cutting back on one category. Next, students will learn about the no-buy trend, discuss their thoughts on its impact, and share personal experiences with reducing spending or giving up certain items.

Vocabulary, Definitions

he next slide features a vocabulary section with eight sentences. In each sentence, specific words are highlighted in bold, and students will be tasked with explaining their meanings. If they are unsure about any word, they can refer to the definitions provided on the following slide.

Listening, True or False, Comprehension

This B2 lesson is based on a TikTok audio where the speaker discusses her “no-buy year,” outlining the rules and the items she plans to give up. The audio is two minutes long. Students will listen to the speaker and note down the items she mentions. Afterward, they will move on to the exercises on the next slide. The first exercise is a True or False activity where students identify whether sentences are accurate based on the audio. The next task is a comprehension exercise where students match two parts of a sentence according to the information from the audio.

Questions, Debate

The next section focuses on discussion, featuring six questions related to ideas from the audio. Students will explore whether they would consider trying a no-buy challenge, discuss limiting takeout or dining out, and share their opinions on buying thrifted items, among other topics. The final activity is a debate, where students will express their thoughts on statements related to the no-buy challenge, encouraging deeper conversation and critical thinking about the concept.