The PPT suggests two interactive communicative activities ("speed dating" and four corners) to encourage and facilitate the discussion of fashion and appearance. The PPT includes 20 thought-provoking questions and ideas to get the students talking, all of the discussion questions and and both of the speaking activities were successfully used in my classes (14-24 students).

1. Talking about Fashion and
appearance
Discussion ideas
and throught-provoking questions
Developed by Alina Dashkewitz

2. • Watch the video and express your opinion
about the show
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTBvN
7vaj94)
Pop Idol
Remember to keep the
structure of an opinion
speech and use linking
and transition words to
make your speech
smooth and coherent.

3. Teacher’s Notes
• Each of the following slides features one
question. When discussion is held among
more than 6 students, it is a good idea to
organize it in the form of a “speed dating”
activity.

4. “Speed dating” activity
Arrange the chair in two rows so that each of the
students are facing another fellow student.
(If the classroom doesn’t allow for this, then the
students can simply be standing in two lines facing
each other).
The students will see a question projected on the
whiteboard. They will have three minutes to discuss
this issue with the person sitting/standing opposite
to them.

5. “Speed dating” activity
When the instructor changes the slide, each person
sitting in the front row needs to change their seat,
moving one seat to the right, so that everyone in the
front row changes their places clockwise. The
students in the back row remain in their seats (see the
graph on the next slide).
After the students in the first row make the move,
everyone is facing a new speaking partner. Discuss
the new question with your new partner for two
minutes, then the question will change again and the
students sitting in the front row will have to move
again as well.

6. “Speed dating” pattern
1 2
1
43
2 43
1 2
1
43
24 3
1 2
1
43
243
1 2
1
43
2 43

7. Are you concerned about clothes?
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ancora_marina/

8. Do you follow fashion?
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/studiodxavier/

9. Have you ever been embarrassed
by the clothes you wore?
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdeal/

10. When do you dress up?

11. What do you look for
when you buy clothes?
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/froderberg/

12. Do you know anyone who has changed their
appearance by getting a body piercing (a getting a
navel ring, piercing their tongue, lips, etc. )
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jooferr/

13. How do you think fashion will
change in the future?
Fashion as imagined in 1893 - The Future Dictates
of Fashion by W. Cade Gall

14. What do you think of wearing colored
contact lenses?
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29718769@N05/

15. Would you ever consider getting a
tattoo? Why?/ Why not?
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kovicfotos/

16. Would you ever consider getting a makeover? Why?/Why not?
What kind of people usually decide to have a makeover?
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/phot
os/mr_mohammed/

17. What is the role of fashion to one’s
happiness?
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/salvadordeluniverso/

18. Is makeup only for women?

19. “Four corners” Activity
The four
corners of the
classroom are
marked as
AGREE,
DISAGREE, IN
TWO MINDS
(MAYBE/IT
DEPENDS),
DON’T KNOW.
The Teacher shows the Students
a topic sentence (see the next
several slides) and each of the
Students goes to a corner that
corresponds to their personal
opinion on this issue (Students
who don’t agree with the statement
go to the corner marked
DISAGREE, students who support
the statement, go to the corner
marked AGREE and so on).

20. “Four corners” Activity
The Students discuss
their opinion in groups in
each corner and try to
come up with arguments
to justify their opinion
Then each “corner” present
their point of view to the other
groups ( can either be
presented by one student or
each student can present a
paragraph of the speech).
Remind the Students to keep
the structure of an opinion
speech

21. The fashion industry works by making
people feel bad about the way they look.
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/

22. You shouldn’t judge people by the clothes
they wear.
Photo credit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ryandevera/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomie/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/skyfaller/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/

23. It is not important to look fashionable if you
want success in life.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tetrapak/

24. Good-looking people are more successful.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adamgrabek/

25. Good-looking people have the avantage of
the Halo effect.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alizaschaffer/

26. Plastic surgery has become modern beauty.

27. Permanent makeup tatoos will become a
norm in the future.
Photo credt: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shout-it/

28. In the future we will use 3-D printers to make clothes, which
means you will be able to buy a code of your new pants or
dress and print them at home.
Source: http://mashable.com/2014/04/04/francis-bitonti-
3d-printing/

29. Developed by Alina Dashkevich