The future of space travel

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60-90 min

Speaking

Intermediate

Overview

This Intermediate-level (B1-B2) conversation lesson is based on a video that examines where space exploration may take us in the next 50 years. Students will learn and practise key vocabulary from the video (e.g., tether, exploit, counteract, sustain) while debating the ethical, economic, and technological challenges of expanding human presence beyond Earth.

During the lesson, your students will develop their listening comprehension skills, engage in structured discussions, and express opinions about the future of space travel. They will also participate in debates and role plays, considering real-world dilemmas about space governance and resource exploitation.

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Media & Worksheets

Lesson PDFs

e-lesson Version

Our speaking lessons follow a consistent six-stage structure: warm-up, presentation (with video, images, or reading), controlled practice, free conversation, deeper discussion, and a final homework task to introduce in class.

Lessons come with a printable student worksheet and a teacher version containing notes and answers. For online teaching, we provide an editable Google Slides e-lesson that can be downloaded or exported to PowerPoint.

The purpose of this stage is to activate your students' existing knowledge and prepare them for the lesson's theme.

Activity 1: You will lead a warm-up discussion by asking students questions about the history and current state of space exploration, gradually narrowing the focus to the future.

Activity 2: Students will review a few recent news headlines related to space travel and discuss what they think each article might be about.

The presentation activity for this lesson is a video from the BBC titled ‘Where will space exploration take us in the next 50 years?’.

Activity 3: Students have to match key words or phrases from the video they are about to watch to statements that describe them.

Activity 4: The students watch the video and answer comprehension questions.

Activity 5: Students rank technological advancements in space exploration from most to least likely to happen and discuss their reasoning.

To reinforce their understanding of the new language or concepts introduced in the lesson, the students will work on a couple of controlled practice activities.

Activity 6: Students match space-related words to their synonyms to reinforce vocabulary comprehension.

Activity 7: Students have to rewrite sentences using a given word to practise using new vocabulary in context.

We move into free practice for this stage, where the students apply the language in more open-ended, communicative activities.

Activity 8: Students interview a partner about their thoughts on space tourism, discussing its benefits, risks, and future possibilities.

Activity 9: The students discuss several quotes related to space travel, sharing their interpretations and opinions.

This stage allows students to explore the lesson’s theme in more depth, tackling complex ideas and expressing their thoughts and opinions on related topics.

Activity 10: Students debate whether space should be open for all nations and private companies or regulated by an international governing body.

Activity 11: Students will discuss a series of controversial statements related to the future of space travel. They will first share their opinions in small groups and then discuss their ideas as a class.