“Conversation Starter Lesson Series: 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 6: Social Media and the Internet
Story 01: E-Commerce
Key Lesson Vocabulary & Expressions: Look over and review before proceeding.
- Avid
- Ecommerce
- Unbeatable
- Outweighs
- Return policies
- Competitive pricing
- Convenience
- Selection
- Downsides
- Benefits
Read or Listen to the following passage:
As an avid online shopper, I always turn to ecommerce sites like Amazon.com for my purchases. The convenience and selection of products available is unbeatable. With ecommerce, I can easily browse a wide selection of products, read reviews from other customers, and compare prices all from the comfort of my own home.
One of the downsides to e-commerce is that I can’t physically touch or try on the products before purchasing them. However, the convenience of shopping online often outweighs this disadvantage. Plus, many ecommerce sites have generous return policies in case the item doesn’t meet my expectations.
My most recent purchase on Amazon was a new book by my favorite author. The book was priced very competitively, and with Amazon’s free two-day shipping, I received it quickly and was able to start reading right away.
Overall, I continue to be a loyal ecommerce shopper because of the convenience and selection of products available. While there are some potential downsides, I find that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Comprehension Questions:
- Why does the main character prefer ecommerce sites like Amazon?
- What are some advantages of shopping online?
- What are some disadvantages of shopping online?
- What was the most recent item the main character purchased on Amazon?
- How does the main character feel about ecommerce shopping overall?
Conversations Starters:
- What are some advantages of online shopping?
- What are some disadvantages of online shopping?
- How do you feel about shopping online versus shopping in person?
- What kind of products do you prefer to buy online?
- What are some concerns you have about shopping online?
- Have you ever had a negative experience with online shopping? What happened?
- Do you think the convenience of online shopping is worth the potential risks?
- How do you decide whether to buy a product online or in a physical store?
- What are some ways that ecommerce companies can improve the online shopping experience for customers?
- Do you think ecommerce is the future of shopping? Why or why not?
