Extend Your Discussion
English discussion materials based on life in UK towns and cities
A great way to learn English is through community involvement. Extend Your Discussion is designed for upper-intermediate and advanced learners who are living or studying in the UK and want to practise discussing topics that are current among residents of British towns and cities.
The book follows the approach of its sister book Prepare for Discussion, but focuses specifically on issues and experiences connected with everyday community life.
The 14 discussion topics
The topics have been selected specifically for learners who want to participate more actively in life in their local community.
- Art versus graffiti
- Climate change
- Community events
- Controlled parking zones
- Cost of living crisis
- Dogs
- Homes or open spaces?
- Local history
- Neighbourhood disputes
- The planning system
- Policing
- Refuse & recycling
- Residents associations
- Wildlife gardening
How the materials work
Extend Your Discussion follows the approach of its sister book Prepare for Discussion. Every topic module contains the same familiar sequence of exercise types.
Why these topics?
The choice of topics is especially relevant to learners of English living and/or studying in the UK who welcome the opportunity to converse with British people and take an active part in the local community.
As well as specialising in ELT in my working life, I have had extensive involvement in my local community, including a period of over 20 years editing the content of my residents association's website. I have therefore had full opportunity to explore the 14 topics selected for Extend Your Discussion.
If you are hosting students of English at the upper-intermediate or above level and are willing to help them with their English, Extend Your Discussion would make a useful gift. The familiarity of the exercise types means that the role of the teacher is clear throughout.
How can this book help you?
Extend Your Discussion recognises that interaction with people in your neighbourhood can be one of the most effective and enjoyable ways of improving your English.
Whether you want to discuss housing, the environment, planning, transport or other issues affecting everyday life, this book will help you:
- develop vocabulary for discussing contemporary issues
- express and support your opinions more confidently
- participate more actively in conversations and discussions
- improve your understanding of life in British towns and cities
- engage more effectively with your local community
- extend your English beyond the classroom
Extend Your Discussion is for learners who do not simply want to speak English — but want to use English to participate, contribute and become more involved in the world around them.
Preview the materials
Explore examples of the exercise types used in the books, together with thoughts on their value in teaching discussion.
- Odd one out vocabulary exercises
- Short texts for listening / reading comprehension or listening and writing tasks such as dictation
- Dialogues for reading in pairs
- Discussion questions
- Themed crosswords including grids, clues and answer keys
The sister book
Extend Your Discussion follows the same teaching approach as Prepare for Discussion, which contains materials for 28 broader discussion themes.