Part 1: Connect the Topic to Students’ Lives
Start every topic with a personal question. Before reading a text or watching a video, give students a minute to discuss in pairs: "How does this topic relate to me?" Drawing on their personal experience helps generate interest in the material and recall familiar vocabulary.
Part 2: Encourage Students to Explain Their Thinking
After completing an exercise, follow up with questions like: "Why do you think so?" or "What in the text supports your answer?" Provide sentence starters (e.g., "I think… because…" or "For example…"). This helps students practice structuring and presenting arguments in English.
