You Don’t Need a New Car

Start with the lead-in where students read three short descriptions of old, beloved objects and guess what each one is. The writing is detailed enough to paint a picture but vague enough to keep them guessing. A worn leather jacket, an inherited watch, and a stained cookbook are the answers, but do not reveal them too quickly. Let pairs discuss and defend their guesses first. This sets the tone for a lesson about finding beauty in things that are not perfect. Follow up with the four statements on the next slide. These come from the video and work well as a prediction activity. Students read each one and interpret what it might mean before watching anything.

Move into the vocabulary preview. Twelve items is a full set, but many are descriptive phrases rather than single words, which makes them easier to grasp through context. “Dashboard rattles,” “paint’s chipped,” and “AC takes a minute to kick in” are the kind of phrases students rarely find in textbooks but hear constantly in real life. Have students tick the ones they already know and explain them, then go through the unfamiliar ones together using the definition slides. Ask students to think of their own examples for words like “charm” and “outdated” so the meanings stick before the video.

Play the video next. It is just over two minutes and has a calm, reflective tone. Before pressing play, show the multiple choice question so students know they are listening for the main theme. After watching, move straight to the sequencing activity. Nine statements need to be arranged in logical order, and students can listen to the video again in the background while they work. This is more challenging than it looks because several statements could fit in different spots. Let pairs compare their sequences and explain their reasoning. There is no single correct answer as long as the logic holds together.

The comments slide and discussion questions round out the speaking portion of the lesson. The discussion questions are personal and open-ended, asking students about objects they are attached to, when things become outdated, and the difference between nostalgia and being stuck in the past. These tend to generate long, natural responses at B2 level. Finish with the two practice activities. The sentence-building exercise asks students to combine word groups into longer, more descriptive sentences and add their own detail. This pushes production and creativity at the same time. The final speaking task has students pick a cherished old object and describe it with the same passion as the video speaker. Give them a minute to prepare, then let each student speak for about ninety seconds. It is a strong way to close because it ties every part of the lesson together.