“Conversation Starter Lesson Series: Upper-Intermediate” is designed for intermediate-level ESL learners who want to improve their fluency and confidence in speaking English.
Each lesson includes an engaging reading material with audio, vocabulary and expressions, comprehension questions, and discussion questions to be used for one to one class, group class, or self-study for both online and offline classes.
Unit 10: Sports and Competition
Story 05: The Debate Over Professional Athletes’ Salaries: Fair or Not?
Key Lesson Vocabulary & Expressions: Look over and review before proceeding.
- astronomical
- exceptional
- revenue
- economic inequality
- societal needs
- significant
- excessive
- struggle to make ends meet
- disproportionate
- essential workers
Read or Listen to the following passage:
Professional athletes are some of the highest-paid individuals in the world. The salaries of professional athletes have become increasingly astronomical, with some players earning millions of dollars annually. While many argue that athletes deserve these high salaries due to their exceptional skills, dedication, and the enormous revenue they generate, others question whether these salaries are fair, particularly in light of economic inequality and societal needs.
One argument in favor of professional athletes’ high salaries is that they generate significant revenue for their teams and the sports industry as a whole. For example, the NFL generated approximately $16 billion in revenue in 2020, largely due to television deals and merchandise sales. Additionally, sports teams are businesses that aim to make a profit, and the investment in talented athletes can yield a significant return on investment.
On the other hand, critics argue that professional athletes’ salaries are excessive and contribute to economic inequality. While some athletes are making millions of dollars, many people struggle to make ends meet, particularly during times of economic hardship. Additionally, some argue that professional athletes’ salaries are disproportionate to the value they provide, particularly when compared to essential workers such as healthcare professionals and teachers.
Comprehension Questions:
- What is one argument in favor of professional athletes’ high salaries?
- What is one way that professional athletes generate revenue for their teams and the sports industry?
- What is one argument against professional athletes’ high salaries?
- Who are some essential workers that are often compared to professional athletes in discussions about salaries?
- Why do some people question whether professional athletes’ salaries are fair?
Conversations Starters:
- Do you think professional athletes’ salaries are justified considering the astronomical amounts they earn? Why or why not?
- What makes a professional athlete’s skills exceptional, and do you believe their salaries are proportional to their exceptionalism?
- How does the revenue generated by professional athletes benefit society, and is it enough to justify their high salaries?
- In light of the economic inequality in society, do you believe it’s ethical for professional athletes to earn such large sums of money?
- Do you think professional athletes are good role-models for children?
- Is investing in talented athletes a good return on investment for sports teams, or is it excessive spending that could be better used elsewhere?
- Have you or anyone you know ever struggled to make ends meet despite working full-time, and how does that compare to the salaries of professional athletes?
- Do you believe that professional athletes’ salaries are disproportionate to the value they provide compared to essential workers such as healthcare professionals and teachers?
- Are essential workers such as healthcare professionals and teachers paid enough, and should they be paid more than professional athletes?
- If you could be a professional athlete in any sport, what would it be?
