Consumer society
Area
Second language learning
Duration
1 session
Dimension of the advised group of students
One group of 20-30 people divided in small groups
Specific objectives
- To give practice in reading for information and argument
- To discuss opinions about consumerism
- To talk about buying habits
Needed Materials
- Worksheets
If the training is organized online one communication platform will be necessary.
Software
One online communication platform, such us: Zoom, Google Meet, Webex,
etc.
- In person, no software is needed.
Description
Fitting in’, whilst having the courage to demonstrate one’s own individuality is an
important part of growing up. Referred to as one of our most ‘creative and controlled
behaviors’, consumer consumption is widely acknowledged as an activity which allows
individuals to do exactly this. Living within a consumer-focused society can offer
people the creative license to demonstrate a certain level of self-awareness and selfexpression.
However, there are obvious negatives associated with such a choice. With the rise of
social media, product placement and targeted advertising, we are continually
bombarded with images of products and services which promise to make our lives
easier, more glamorous, and essentially better than those around us. This inevitably
raises concerns regarding the impact of this exposure on the more easily influenced or
vulnerable members of our society. Young people are often the worst affected, forced
to keep up with the latest trends in order to feel fulfilled and/or accepted by their
peers.
The activities are focused on centering students and their experiences, and lead them
to question whether we always exert personal choice as consumers or are our
consumer choices ultimately controlled? Are we pushed and pulled in certain directions by retailers vying for our money? In order to fully understand the spending
practices of teenagers and young adults, it is necessary to assess where society at
large is ‘pulled’ or ‘pushed’ into making consumer decisions, regardless of the scale.
Procedure on how to put in practice
Duration: 90 minutes
No of participants: 20-30 in small groups
Methods used: group discussion
Competences developed: critical thinking, reading comprehension, compare and
contrast
Step-by-step description:
1. Ask the group to order a cut-up quotation and then discuss what they think it
means and who they think said it. Discuss what they understand by the
concept of ‘consumer society’ and its advantages and disadvantages.
2. Work with a list of consumer goods in groups and ask them to decide which
items they think are most essential for their lives and which they would most
like to have.
3. Read a text and complete comprehension questions.
4. Discuss their opinions on the topic with follow-up questions and discussing
their own experiences.
a. What was the last thing you bought?
b. Did you need it?
c. Why did you buy it?
d. Did you shop around to get the best deal?
e. Do you ever waste your money? If yes, what on and why?
5. In groups, participants get a task card to write a radio commercial advertising
a product.
6. Ask a spokesperson from each group to read their advert to their whole group
and for the rest to comment on whether they would buy the product and why.
Debriefing question: ‘Waste not, want not’ – what does this phrase mean to you?
