📖 Key Vocabulary — Pre-teach Before Class
Introduce or review these words with students before starting the lesson so they can use them during speaking practice.
1a content creatorsomeone who produces material, such as videos or posts, for online platforms
2engagementinteractions such as likes, comments, and shares on a post
3to monetizeto earn money from something, such as online content
4a brand deal / partnershipa paid collaboration between an influencer and a company
5to discloseto make known or reveal information, such as a paid partnership
6to build a followingto gradually gain a loyal audience
7to go mainstreamto become widely accepted or popular
8relatableeasy for others to identify with or connect to
9a personathe public image or character someone presents to others
10picture-perfectappearing flawless or ideal, often unrealistically so
11a highlight reela collection of only the best moments of someone's life, shown selectively online
12transparencyopenness and honesty about one's actions or intentions
13credibilitythe quality of being trusted and believed
14validationapproval or affirmation, often sought through likes or comments
15self-esteemconfidence in one's own worth or abilities
16comparison culturethe tendency to measure oneself against others, especially online
17FOMO (fear of missing out)anxiety that others are having rewarding experiences without you
18burnoutphysical or mental exhaustion caused by overwork or stress
19an algorithma set of rules a platform uses to decide what content to show users
20digital literacythe ability to critically evaluate and use online information
✍️ Vocabulary Practice — Fill in the Blank
Complete each sentence below with the correct word or phrase from the 20 vocabulary words above. Use each word only once.
▼
a brand deal / partnership
a content creator
a highlight reel
a persona
an algorithm
burnout
comparison culture
credibility
digital literacy
engagement
FOMO (fear of missing out)
picture-perfect
relatable
self-esteem
to build a following
to disclose
to go mainstream
to monetize
transparency
validation
- Followers increasingly expect from influencers about how their content is sponsored.
- Some young users check their notifications constantly, seeking from strangers online.
- Constantly comparing herself to filtered photos began to lower her .
- What began as a niche trend on a small app eventually started and appeared on national television.
- Schools are now teaching so students can better evaluate what they see online.
- Audiences often prefer influencers whose everyday struggles feel rather than distant celebrity lifestyles.
- Platforms rely on to decide which videos appear on a user's feed.
- Many teenagers now dream of becoming , producing videos and posts as a full-time career.
- Psychologists warn that social media has created where users measure their worth against curated lifestyles.
- New creators often spend months trying before any brand notices them.
- Getting caught promoting a scam product can seriously damage an influencer's .
- On camera, she adopts that is much bolder than her personality in real life.
- Scrolling through someone's profile only shows of their life, not the difficult moments.
- The fitness influencer announced with a popular sportswear company.
- It took her almost two years her cooking channel and start earning a steady income.
- Influencers are legally required any paid partnership in their posts.
- Her vacation photos always look , even though the trip was full of problems behind the scenes.
- Seeing friends' party photos online gave her a strong case of .
- Brands often measure a campaign's success by looking at such as likes, comments, and shares.
- After posting daily for three years without a break, the creator eventually suffered from .
1.transparency
2.validation
3.self-esteem
4.to go mainstream
5.digital literacy
6.relatable
7.an algorithm
8.a content creator
9.comparison culture
10.to build a following
11.credibility
12.a persona
13.a highlight reel
14.a brand deal / partnership
15.to monetize
16.to disclose
17.picture-perfect
18.FOMO (fear of missing out)
19.engagement
20.burnout
🕐 0'–10': Warm-up & Opening Question
Purpose
Help everyone relax, get comfortable speaking, and activate ideas.
Teacher asks👉 "Do you follow any social media influencers?"
Follow-up questions- What kind of content do they usually post?
- Do you think being an influencer is a real job?
➡ Each student answers briefly (about 1 minute); the teacher asks 1–2 short follow-ups to keep it natural.
🗣️ 10'–45': IELTS Speaking – Part 2 Practice
Format: 1 minute preparation · 2 minutes speaking per student. Students choose or are assigned ONE of the topics below:
Topic 1
Describe an influencer or content creator you follow.
You should say:
- Who this person is
- What kind of content they create
- Why you follow them
- And explain what you think of their influence
Topic 2
Describe a time something you saw online influenced a decision you made.
You should say:
- What you saw
- What decision it influenced
- What the outcome was
- And explain how you felt about it afterward
Topic 3
Describe a public figure whose online image you think differs from reality.
You should say:
- Who this person is
- What their online image is like
- Why you think it's different from reality
- And explain how this makes you feel about social media in general
➡ Timing suggestion: 1 minute for preparation, then start speaking.
💬 45'–55': Follow-up Discussion (Part 3 style)
The teacher chooses questions related to the topics above, for example:
The Influencer Economy
- Why has becoming an influencer become such a popular career goal?
- What are the downsides of this career path?
- Should influencers be legally required to disclose paid partnerships?
Authenticity & Online Identity
- Do you think people present a false image of themselves online?
- How does constant exposure to curated lifestyles affect self-esteem?
- Will influencer marketing eventually replace traditional advertising?
to curate an image – to carefully construct how you appear to others
a sponsored post – content an influencer is paid to publish
to go viral – to spread rapidly across the internet
authenticity – the quality of being genuine or real
➡ Students discuss briefly; the teacher adds ideas, vocabulary, and useful structures.
🌟 55'–60': Wrap-up & Closing
- Quick recap of interesting or strong answers.
- One student summarizes what they learned today.
- Thank the teacher for joining.