C1 · Language and Power · Teachify

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Objectives

Use discourse, hegemony, framing, euphemism accurately in context
Read and discuss a topic-specific article at C1 level
Practise speaking fluently on critical linguistics
Complete written exercises with vocabulary in context

Teaching Notes

Warm-up: allow 8-10 min, let personal answers develop
Article: read together or have students read silently first
Vocabulary match: good for pair work
Speaking: encourage full sentences, not one-word answers
Exit questions: 5-min closer, no prep needed

Timing Guide

Warm-up: 8 min
Article + comprehension: 12 min
Vocabulary + match: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min
Speaking + discussion: 15 min
Exit + recap: 5 min

Teacher Question Bank

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C1 · Lesson 17 · Critical Linguistics

Language and Power

Critical Linguisticsdiscoursehegemonyframing

Getting started

Warm-Up Questions

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Read & Understand

Article

Language and Power

Language is never neutral. Every word choice, grammatical structure, and rhetorical device reflects and reinforces particular ways of seeing the world. When a government describes refugees as 'flooding' a country, it is not simply choosing a vivid metaphor — it is activating a discourse of threat and overwhelming force. When a corporation announces 'workforce optimisation', it is using euphemism to depoliticise what is, for thousands of families, economic devastation. Critical linguistics asks us to slow down and examine the ideological work that language performs. Who benefits from a particular framing? Whose agency is obscured by the passive voice? What is made to seem natural that is, in fact, a political choice? These questions are as relevant in the boardroom as in the political arena.

💡 Did you know? George Orwell's 1946 essay 'Politics and the English Language' argued that vague and dishonest language is used deliberately to make unacceptable political acts seem acceptable. It remains as relevant today as when it was written.

Work

Topic: Critical Linguistics

Key words

Vocabulary

01

discourse

the way language is used to construct meaning and social reality

02

hegemony

the dominance of one group's ideas or culture over others

03

framing

the way information is presented to emphasise particular interpretations

04

euphemism

a mild or indirect expression substituted for something unpleasant

05

ideology

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one forming the basis of economic or political theory

06

subtext

the implicit meaning beneath the surface of a text or statement

07

rhetorical

relating to the art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing

08

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word evokes in addition to its literal meaning

09

normalise

to make something seem standard or acceptable

010

agency

the capacity of individuals to act independently and make choices

Match the Words

Click a word on the left, then click its definition on the right.

discourse

hegemony

framing

euphemism

ideology

subtext

rhetorical

connotation

normalise

agency

an idea or feeling that a word evokes in addition to its literal meaning

a mild or indirect expression substituted for something unpleasant

the way information is presented to emphasise particular interpretations

to make something seem standard or acceptable

the implicit meaning beneath the surface of a text or statement

relating to the art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing

the capacity of individuals to act independently and make choices

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one forming the basis of economic or political theory

the way language is used to construct meaning and social reality

the dominance of one group's ideas or culture over others

Say it right

Pronunciation

discourse

DIS-cou-rse

hegemony

HE-ge-mony

framing

FRA-ming

euphemism

EUP-hem-ism

ideology

ID-eo-logy

subtext

SUB-text

Read & Discuss

Short Dialogue

A:

I've been thinking a lot about discourse recently.

B:

Really? What's your take on it?

A:

I think the issue of hegemony is often misunderstood.

B:

I agree. Most people don't consider the impact of framing.

A:

Exactly. And when you add euphemism into the mix, it gets complicated.

B:

So what do you think the solution is?

A:

Honestly? It requires both individual action and systemic change.

B:

That's a fair point. It's never just one or the other.

Comprehension

What topic are they discussing?
What does person B agree with?
What does person A say the solution requires?

Workplace conversation

Practice

Exercises

Gap Fill

Complete each sentence using vocabulary from today's lesson.

1. Political shapes how we understand social problems.

2. Cultural means some worldviews are treated as natural and universal.

3. a tax as a 'burden' rather than an 'investment' changes public perception.

4. 'Downsizing' is a corporate for mass redundancies.

5. Language rarely escapes the influence of .

Error Correction

Find and correct the mistake in each sentence.

The discourse of data has raise serious concerns.

Despite of the challenges, they succeeded.

The report, that was published last year, is relevant.

She suggested to review the euphemism more carefully.

Speaking practice

Speaking Prompts

Discuss with your partner

Find a recent news headline and analyse its language choices. What framing does it use? Who benefits?

What euphemisms are common in your industry? What do they conceal?

Is it possible to use language without ideology? Defend your answer.

Summarise today's topic in 3 sentences using vocabulary from this lesson.

Grammar focus: Advanced use of the passive to obscure agency in critical analysis: 'Mistakes we... — can you give an example?

Open discussion

Discussion Generator

More Questions

Use with pairs or whole class · Encourage full answers

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Debate

Hot Takes

Click Next Hot Take to start

✓ Agree

✗ Disagree

End of lesson

Exit Questions

Discuss in pairs — 5 minutes

Recap

Vocabulary

discourse, hegemony, framing, euphemism, ideology, subtext, rhetorical, connotation, normalise, agency

Article

Language and Power — reading & comprehension

Practice

Gap fill, error correction, vocabulary matching

Speaking

Prompts, discussion generator& hot takes debate

Homework

Write a critical analysis (12-15 sentences) of a piece of political or corporate language you have encountered recently. Examine word choice, framing, passive voice, and what is not said.