Society and community
Talk about your community, local issues, volunteering and how people can make their neighbourhood better.
In this lesson you will
- Use vocabulary for community and local issues
- Talk about volunteering and helping others
- Suggest improvements to a neighbourhood
Learn
Community: neighbours, residents, the local council, community centre, public services, facilities (parks, libraries, sports centres).
Local issues: crime, litter, homelessness, noise, traffic, a lack of affordable housing, loneliness among elderly people.
Helping: volunteer at a food bank, raise money for charity, organise a street party, get involved in local projects, donate clothes.
Suggesting improvements: The council should… It would be great if… What this area needs is… Why don’t we…?
Examples
- I volunteer at a food bank on Saturdays.
- Our neighbourhood lacks affordable housing.
- The local council has opened a new community centre.
- What this area really needs is more green space.
Vocabulary
resident
a person who lives in a place
volunteer
work without pay to help others
charity
an organisation that helps people in need
affordable
not too expensive
litter
rubbish left in public places
get involved
take part
Practice
Rubbish in the street is…
Speaking
Describe your neighbourhood: what’s good, what the problems are, and three things that would make it better. Have you ever volunteered?
Writing
Write a letter to your local council (100–120 words) suggesting one improvement for your area and explaining why it is needed.
Lesson quiz
The organisation that runs local services is the…
Review
Key points
- residents, council, facilities, public services.
- Issues: litter, crime, housing, loneliness.
- volunteer, raise money for, donate, get involved.
What you learned
- ✓ I can describe my community.
- ✓ I can discuss local issues.
- ✓ I can suggest improvements.