Teacher Notes

Unit 7 · Education & Learning · Lesson 34

Beyond the Classroom

Learn balanced discussion phrases — 'to some extent', 'that depends on', 'on the whole'. You'll talk about learning outside school with real B2 nuance.

CEFR B255–65 minDiscussion phrasesCore

Warm-up · §1

5 min

Get talking

reflection

Balanced discussion phrases — hedging your view

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Quick rule

Hedge → position → reason. Never open with the flat claim; open with the hedge.

Pattern builder

Partial agreement
To some extent / In a way / Up to a point + view
e.g. To some extent, formal courses still matter.
Conditional agreement
That depends on / It depends on how + noun
e.g. That depends on what you're learning.
Overall view
On the whole / By and large + view
e.g. On the whole, self-study suits me better.
See both sides
There's something to be said for + noun/gerund
e.g. There's something to be said for structured learning.

Compare

Function	B1 phrasing	B2 upgrade
Partial yes	Agree, with limits	'Kind of yes' → 'To some extent, yes'
It depends	Refuse a black/white answer	'It depends' → 'That depends on what you mean by…'
Overall	Sum up your position	'In general' → 'On the whole' / 'By and large'
See both sides	Acknowledge the other view	'Both are ok' → 'There's something to be said for both'

Examples

→
To some extent, formal education is essential.
→
In a way, we never stop learning.
→
That depends on what you mean by 'useful'.
→
On the whole, self-study works better for me.
→
It's a mixed picture, really.
→
There's something to be said for both.

Common mistakes

In a some way, it's true.
✓ In a way, it's true.
'In a way' is fixed — no 'some'.
That depends of what you mean.
✓ That depends on what you mean.
'Depend on', not 'depend of'.
On the whole yes, but on the whole no.
✓ On the whole yes, but with some exceptions.
'On the whole' sums up ONE overall view, not both.

Natural English

Stack two hedges when you're really unsure: 'To some extent, and on the whole, yes — but it depends on the course.' It sounds thoughtful, not weak.

Deep dive (full explanation)

B2 speakers rarely give flat opinions. They hedge: 'to some extent', 'in a way', 'that depends on', 'on the whole'. This isn't weakness — it's precision. It also buys thinking time and invites the other person to respond.

Question 1.'___ extent, formal education still matters.'

Question 2.'That depends ___ what you mean by useful.'

Question 3.'___ the whole, self-study works better for me.'

Question 4.'There's something to be ___ for both.'

Question 5.Which is WRONG?

Answer all items, then check.

Conversation Builder

Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build

Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build

Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.'___ extent, formal education still matters.'

Quick check 2.'That depends ___ what you mean by useful.'

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · §3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

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lifelong learning

learning that continues throughout your life.

self-taught

having learned something without formal teaching.

online course

a course delivered over the internet.

MOOC

massive open online course (large, free, online).

upskilling

learning new work-related skills.

reskilling

learning skills for a different type of job.

personal development

improving your own skills and character.

side project

a small project you do outside your main work.

certification

an official document showing a skill or qualification.

hobby

an activity you do for pleasure.

Activate it now

Try the words on your real life.

Make it yours#1
Are you self-taught in anything? What?
self-taught
Your view#2
Do online certifications carry the same weight as a degree? Why or why not?
certificationonline course
Rank#3
Rank most to least valuable for your career: upskilling, reskilling, a side project, a hobby, a MOOC.
upskillingreskillingside projectMOOC
Complete#4
Finish: 'The most useful thing I've taught myself is ___.'
self-taughtpersonal development
Discuss#5
Is lifelong learning realistic when people are busy and tired?
lifelong learning

Matching

Match term to meaning.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check.

Categorise

Sort these into how you would actually use them when talking about lifelong learning · discussion phrases.

Answer all items, then check.

Pronunciation · §4

3–4 min

Falling intonation on hedges

Hedges like 'to some extent' and 'on the whole' use a small falling intonation on the stressed word — 'to SOME extent ↘', 'on the WHOLE ↘'. This signals 'I'm giving you a considered position, not a full answer.'

To SOME extent ↘
In a WAY ↘
On the WHOLE ↘
By and LARGE ↘
That DEPENDS on ↘

Reading · §5

8–10 min

The Learning Doesn't Stop

Listen to the passage

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Once, learning ended at school. You picked a job, and — with luck — you did it for forty years. That world is gone. Today, most careers demand upskilling every few years, and around a third of workers will change field entirely at least once. In that world, lifelong learning isn't a hobby. It's survival. The good news is that access has never been better. Free MOOCs from world-class universities, thousands of YouTube tutorials, cheap certifications and a self-taught coder's word going as far as a degree in some hiring rooms — all of this would have been science fiction thirty years ago. The bad news? Free doesn't mean easy. Most people who sign up to an online course never finish it. Motivation collapses the moment life gets busy. On the whole, structured courses with real deadlines and human teachers still have the best completion rates. So the real skill of the 21st century may not be any particular subject. It's the habit of learning: picking things up, seeing them through, and being honest when you need to reskill entirely.

Question 1.According to the text, why is lifelong learning necessary?

Question 2.What's the good news?

Question 3.What's the bad news?

Question 4.What's the real 21st-century skill?

Answer all items, then check.

True / False / Not Given

Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.Careers today rarely need upskilling.

Q2.Most people who sign up to online courses complete them.

Q3.Structured courses have the best completion rates.

Answer all items, then check.

Listening · §6

8–10 min

Two colleagues discussing courses (about 1:30)

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Jonas:Are you doing that data course in the end?

Mira:To some extent. I've done three modules, but I've paused it.

Jonas:Why?

Mira:Honestly, work. On the whole, I need a course with real deadlines — otherwise it slips.

Jonas:Would a MOOC not work for you at all?

Mira:It depends on the topic. For something I'm curious about, fine. For upskilling, I need pressure.

Jonas:That's fair.

Mira:What about you — that language app you were using?

Jonas:Still going. In a way, five minutes a day is doable. A ninety-minute lesson isn't.

Mira:There's something to be said for tiny habits.

Question 1.How many modules has Mira done?

Question 2.Why has she paused?

Question 3.When does Mira think MOOCs work?

Question 4.What's Jonas doing?

Answer all items, then check.

Tick what you hear

Tick every phrase you actually hear.

Answer all items, then check.

Exam skills · §7

5 min

Strategy focus — Nuanced opinions in Speaking Part 4

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Task

Part 4 asks abstract questions. Flat yes/no answers score low. Hedged, reasoned answers score high.

Strategy

Open with a hedge ('To some extent…' / 'That depends on…'), give the reason, then acknowledge the other side ('That said…' / 'There's something to be said for…').

Example

To some extent, yes — I do think online courses are as valuable as a degree. But that depends on the field. For coding, absolutely. For medicine, obviously not. So on the whole, it depends on the job, not the format.

Practice · §8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.___ some extent, self-study works.

Question 2.That depends ___ what you mean.

Question 3.___ the whole, I prefer structured courses.

Question 4.She's a self-___ designer — no formal training.

Question 5.___ is learning new skills for the same job.

Question 6.A MOOC is a massive open ___ course.

Answer all items, then check.

Sentence transformation

Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.Fill: 'To s___ extent, yes.'

Q2.Fill: 'On the w___, I agree.'

Q3.One word — 'learning skills for a different job' = r___.

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · §9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a 130–170 word opinion post: 'How I keep learning outside work.' Use at least THREE hedging phrases and FIVE items of lifelong learning vocabulary.

Your answer

0 words Restoring…

Show model answer

How I Keep Learning On the whole, I try to learn something new every year — but that depends on how honest I am with myself. For work, upskilling is non-negotiable. I take one short online course each year, usually with a certification at the end. To some extent, it's the deadline that keeps me going. Free MOOCs have never worked for me: I sign up, do two modules, then forget. Outside work, it's different. I'm mostly self-taught: cooking, photography, and now a bit of Portuguese, five minutes a day. In a way, my side projects have taught me more transferable skills than any classroom did. There's something to be said for both — the structured course and the free-time hobby. One keeps me employable. The other keeps me curious. Lifelong learning isn't really about certificates. It's a habit, and habits die the moment life gets busy.

Speaking · §10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Useful expressions in Reference Centre

ROLEPLAY — Learning Habits Chat. Your teacher/partner asks: 'Do you actually still learn things outside work or school?' Answer in 60–90 seconds using at least THREE hedging phrases and FOUR items of vocabulary. Then swap.

Useful phrases

• To some extent, ___
• It depends on ___
• On the whole, ___
• There's something to be said for ___
• I'm mostly self-taught in ___
• For upskilling, I ___

Dialogue completion

Pick the most natural B2 line.

FriendDo you still learn new things outside work?
You_______________
FriendDo MOOCs work for you?
You_______________
FriendSo which matters more — a course or a hobby?
You_______________

Answer all items, then check.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Optional group extensions. ~18 min total

Homework · §11

Take-home

Take it home

writing

Write the 150-word 'How I keep learning' post.

speaking

Record a 90-second answer: 'Is lifelong learning realistic when people are busy?'

vocab

Write true sentences with: lifelong learning, self-taught, MOOC, upskilling, reskilling, side project.

listening

Watch a 3-minute TED talk on learning and note two hedging phrases the speaker uses.

Recap · §12

2–3 min

What you've learned

You can hedge your opinions with 'to some extent', 'on the whole', 'that depends on'.
You can talk about lifelong learning, online courses and side projects.
You can give a nuanced, adult answer to a big question.
You're ready for Lesson 35 — 'Study Abroad' on cultural adjustment.

Lesson 33 · How We Learn Lesson 35 · Study Abroad