A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you like shopping?
2. What is a big sale?
3. Do you buy many things?
4. What is a cheap price?
5. Do you like to save money?
6. What is a large crowd?
7. Do you shop online?
8. What is a new television?
9. Do you like shopping quickly?
10. What is a long line?
11. Do you buy gifts for people?
12. What is a credit card?
13. Do you think Black Friday is fun?
14. What are three things people buy?
15. Do you wake up early to shop?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What is the difference between a normal sale and Black Friday?
2. Why does Black Friday happen after Thanksgiving?
3. What are the good things and bad things about big crowds in stores?
4. How can a person shop smartly on Black Friday?
5. Should stores be open very early or late at night for shopping?
6. Why do many people buy things they do not need on this day?
7. Do you think Black Friday is a good tradition?
8. What is the purpose of advertising “doorbuster” deals?
9. How does Black Friday affect the mood of the people who work in stores?
10. What is the difference between shopping in a physical store and shopping online?
11. Do you think people should stop buying so much stuff?
12. What are the problems when shipping companies have too many packages to deliver?
13. When is the best time to start planning your Black Friday shopping list?
14. What are two differences between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
15. How does the idea of a limited-time deal affect your decision to buy?
Video-based ESL lesson plan for B1 learners – “Shopping Tips for Black Friday”
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. What are the rules for politely and safely shopping when there are big crowds?
2. How does the pressure of Black Friday affect local small businesses?
3. Should the government set rules for how big a discount must be to be advertised as a “deal”?
4. What is the difference between buying a necessary item and buying for pleasure?
5. Do you believe that Black Friday makes people focus only on money?
6. What are the challenges of returning an item bought on a final Black Friday sale?
7. How does the focus on quick shopping affect the quality of customer service?
8. What is the idea of “green consumerism” during a big sale?
9. Is it fair or unfair when a store raises prices just before Black Friday to make the discount look bigger?
10. How does the waste from packaging and discarded items affect the environment?
11. What are the steps for properly setting a budget before going shopping?
12. What is the value of spending a day helping others instead of shopping?
13. Should major public services (like schools) close on Black Friday to reduce traffic?
14. What are the reasons why some people wait all year for this one day to shop?
15. How does the Black Friday concept change when it moves to a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. What are the social pressures to buy gifts for many people during the holiday season?
2. What are the moral problems when store employees are forced to work very long hours on a holiday?
3. How does the focus on cheap prices affect the labor conditions in the factories that make the products?
4. Should stores be legally required to show the original price of an item for a certain time before the sale?
5. Analyze the psychological effect of “getting a good deal” on a person’s feeling of value.
6. Who is responsible for the aggressive and sometimes dangerous behavior of shoppers in crowds?
7. What is your view on the practice of companies using personal data to create special Black Friday deals?
8. Evaluate the role of the holiday season in pushing people into consumer debt.
9. How does the global spread of Black Friday affect the local shopping traditions of other countries?
10. Discuss the concept of “conscious consumption” versus impulsive buying.
11. What are the problems with relying on fast, cheap shipping for online Black Friday purchases?
12. What are the legal differences between a misleading advertisement and clear fraud?
13. Do you agree that the purpose of Black Friday is mainly to clear out old inventory, not to benefit the customer?
14. What steps should be taken to ensure that online sales are safe from scammers?
15. How does the annual cycle of massive sales affect the long-term value of products?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Is it fair that the pressure to participate in Black Friday makes it difficult for ethical, small-scale businesses to compete?
2. What is the right way to think about a government’s moral duty to protect citizens from aggressive commercial pressure?
3. How do the platform’s algorithms influence the type of products and deals that are highly visible?
4. When should the government force large companies to ensure safe working conditions for delivery drivers during peak season?
5. What are the moral questions when we talk about encouraging overconsumption that leads to massive waste?
6. How does the focus on quick, temporary discounts affect the stability of the long-term retail market?
7. Discuss the impact of mass shipping and returns on carbon emissions and climate goals.
8. How should leaders use the popularity of shopping to promote better financial literacy?
9. What is the idea of “de-growth” and how does it challenge the entire concept of Black Friday?
10. What are the long-term effects on society when children grow up seeing consumerism as a main yearly event?
11. What are the difficulties when courts try to decide if a store’s pricing strategy is illegal or just very smart business?
12. How does the search for extreme savings conflict with the need to buy high-quality, long-lasting products?
13. Do you agree that the most important thing is the economic boost Black Friday gives to the whole country?
14. What are the simple moral rules a consumer should follow to ensure their purchases are ethical and sustainable?
15. Should the government set a legal minimum for the quality standards of products sold during major sales events?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. What is the real difference between a person’s genuine need for an item and a desire created by advertising?
2. Debate the idea: Should we completely ban all retail sales that use time-limited pressure tactics?
3. How does the concept of “value” change when prices are constantly moving and manipulated?
4. What laws or rules are needed to control how companies use psychological tricks to increase impulse buying?
5. How do historical views of scarcity and plenty affect modern people’s behavior during a massive sale?
6. How can communities maintain a sense of sharing and generosity when the surrounding culture is intensely focused on buying?
7. Argue the point that humans should stop all attempts to control the market and allow consumers to make their own choices, regardless of waste.
8. What protection should laws give to employees who suffer stress or injury due to unsafe working conditions during the sales rush?
9. How can we stop the problem of using online sales to target financially vulnerable people with tempting offers?
10. What did old thinkers say about desire, contentment, and material possessions that is still important today?
11. What will happen to the need for physical shopping if virtual reality allows people to try on and buy clothes from home?
12. How do people use the idea of “getting a bargain” to avoid discussing the ethical issues of cheap labor?
13. How does the experience of a massive sales event affect a person’s long-term relationship with money?
14. What is the power of a single consumer movement (like “Buy Nothing Day”) to challenge the system?
15. If scientists could create a perfect replica of any item instantly and for free, how would that fundamentally change the need for Black Friday?
