Impact Issues

Level: Low Intermediate to Intermediate (TOEIC score of 450-700)
Publisher: Longman
Includes: CD
Type of Text: Discussion

Impact Issues is a textbook designed to introduce topics for the students to discuss as well as give them a chance to practice giving their opinions and responding to the opinions of others. The first page is a story intended to introduce a particular topic (see below).


Each topic is placed under one of five sections: Issues in Lifestyles, Issues in Family, Issues in Relationships, Issues in Life and Death, Issues in Society. There are six lessons in each section. The book comes with a CD so students can listen to the story before reading it or while reading along. Because a CD is included, it's good to recommend that students purchase their own copy for studying on their own rather than simply borrow the book from the teacher during the lesson time.

The first half of the second page offers up five opinions that the student can agree or disagree with and discuss (see below). Each opinion is meant to reflect a different viewpoint. The teacher can have the student read each opinion and say whether or not he disagrees then ask why the student feels that way.


The second half of the second page varies somewhat from lesson to lesson but usually includes a question and a variety of choices that students can consider (see below - click on the picture to see a larger version).


Each of the answers to the questions in the "Looking at the Issue" section can be discussed in the lesson though sometimes the choices repeat the opinions that were given at the top of the page and you find yourself glossing over these ones. It's a good idea to have the students prepare their answers to this section before the lesson.

Impact Issues is an excellent book for having guided discussions about topics with intermediate level students who might have difficulty with a free-form discussion of a broad topic. The use of a story to introduce the theme provides context and background for the discussion so that the teacher does not have to go into a lengthy (and possibly confusing) lecture to prime the student on the topic. The opinions and questions on the second page give the students something to react to so they don't have to scramble mentally for a perspective to offer.

If you have students who are somewhat passive who want to spend most of their lesson time practicing speaking as opposed to focusing on specific skills or grammar, this book will serve you well. If you have students who are relatively assertive and do not need a great deal of structure to keep the conversation going, Impact Issues may seem too rigid for them.

Because of the well-organized and structured fashion in which each topic is addressed, Impact Issues is an easy textbook for any teacher to teach. The topics are interesting though some of the topics in each section are somewhat similar to one another. Please note that the lessons do not have to be taught in the order that they are given. The teacher may choose topics at random which appeal to a particular student.

Teaching recommendations:

In the ideal situation, a student should prepare for each lesson before the class by reading the story and listening to the CD at home. He should also review the second page and write his answers to the questions. If a student has prepared beforehand, the teacher may then spend some of the early lesson time asking comprehension questions to make sure the student understood the lesson content.

If the student has not prepared before the lesson, the teacher may ask the student to read the lesson aloud or silently in sections and ask the student comprehension questions after each section.

Whether the student has prepared or not, the teacher should check for understanding of idioms and difficult vocabulary. For example, "take (someone) for granted" is a phrase used in the second lesson of Impact Issues. This phrase is fairly difficult for most students to understand. It's a good idea to have them practice phrases like this one by making their own sentences using the phrase. Making their own sentences will demonstrate that they understand the phrase and help them remember it.

After the teacher is satisfied that the student understands the story, she can ask the student some general questions to get his opinion of the overall topic then move on to the second page. Read each of the opinions at the top of the second page, ask the student if he agrees or disagrees and why, then discuss his answers to the questions at the bottom.

Please note that teacher's pages for Impact Issues will be posted under the label "Impact Issues" as they are completed. These pages include comprehension questions, general opinion questions to be asked after the story is read, and a homework assignment. To access these pages, click on the "Impact Issues" label on the left side of the page under "Find Content by Label".