Minimalism ESL lesson

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett

Intro

This lesson idea has A LOT of ideas and you’ll have to be selective. It can be incorporated with the consumerism lesson as well as the consumer society. All three are built so that you can mix and match the different activities and tasks as you see fit. In this lesson idea the focus is mainly on minimalists and types of buying. There is vocabulary work, a reading task and speaking questions. There is also a grammar focus on conditionals (First, second and third). The lesson is ideally for Upper-Intermediate and above but you can easily incorporate a lot of the ideas here with Intermediate levels. You can find more from the lesson ideas page.

Warm-up

Get students to discuss the quote and its meaning and whether they agree with it or not. Get feedback and elicit examples of what Warren Buffett is referring to. The idea here, is that when you have too many responsibilities or priorities you don’t have time to focus on the most important things – whether it is career related or lifestyle choice.

Alternatively you can write the word MINIMALISM or ask students to play a game of hangman with you. Once the word is on the board draw a circle around it and ask students to discuss for one minute what it means. After feedback brainstorm examples or words associated with MINIMALISM. Then ask students to briefly discuss if they have ever tried doing this in their life and what the result was. Don’t give them too much time because details will be discussed later.

Vocabulary

Words for Keep and Get rid of, put them in the right category

Store, Save, Dispose of, consume, hoard, stockpile, archive, dump, throw away, retain, abandon, eradicate, maintain, preserve, discard, conserve, save

After students have done this in pairs, check answers and explain anything that is unclear. Be ready to explain the difference in meaning between conserve and preserve as these are false friends in some languages.

B1 level words: 1. Organize, 2. Reduce, 3. Remove, 4. Choose, 5. Save, 6. Clean, 7. Keep, 8. Sort, 9. Buy (used in the context of mindful consumption), 10. Need (as in recognizing what is necessary)

C1 level words: 1. Declutter, 2. Essentialism, 3. Aesthetic, 4. Streamline, 5. Simplicity, 6. Intentional, 7. Uncluttered, 8. Sustainable, 9. Frugality, 10. Restraint

B1-Level (Intermediate) w/ Answers vocabulary exercise

1. You should organize your belongings to make your home feel more spacious.

2. To live simply, it’s important to reduce how much clutter you accumulate.

3. She decided to remove all the unnecessary furniture from her apartment.

4. Before making a purchase, always choose if you truly need the item.

5. One benefit of minimalism is that you can save money by spending less.

6. It’s a good habit to clean your workspace daily to maintain order.

7. A minimalist lifestyle encourages you to only keep things that bring value to your life.

8. When decluttering, it’s helpful to sort items into categories like “keep” and “donate.”

9. Instead of impulsively shopping, try to be mindful about what you buy.

10. People often buy things they don’t actually need, leading to unnecessary clutter.

C1-Level (Advanced) w/ Answers

1. She decided to declutter her wardrobe by donating clothes she no longer wore.

2. The concept of essentialism focuses on keeping only what is truly necessary in life.

3. His home has a modern aesthetic, with neutral colors and minimal decorations.

4. To improve efficiency, the company decided to streamline its production process.

5. Minimalism promotes simplicity in design, avoiding unnecessary complexity.

6. Living with fewer possessions should be an intentional choice, not an accidental one.

7. Their living room was beautifully uncluttered, free of excess furniture.

8. A sustainable lifestyle encourages people to reduce waste and be mindful of resources.

9. She practices frugality by avoiding unnecessary purchases and reusing items.

10. He showed restraint by resisting the urge to buy new gadgets he didn’t need.

Check the speaking section for ideas on how to get students using the words + a debate activity.

Speaking

The speaking questions below have been written to include the words from the above vocabulary task so students can practice the words.

Questions on Minimalism:

• Do you like shopping? How often do you buy stuff (clothes, shoes, electronics, household items etc.)
• Have you ever tried to reduce the amount of stuff in your home? how (un)successful were you? What made it easy/difficult?
• How often do you go through your stuff and dispose of things you don’t need or any longer?
• How important, in your opinion, is it to maintain clothes, electronics, shoes and other consumer items? How often do you do this?
• Is it common in your home to conserve food/energy/money? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
• Do you or your family preserve foods? or other consumer goods? Why(not)?
• Do you use a lot of space in your home for storage? How helpful is it to store your things and save them for the future? Give some reasons for doing this.
• What are some different ways to discard consumer items you don’t want anymore? (electronics that work, clothes and shoes that are still usable, other items…

Additional questions and activity related to target vocabulary

These questions incorporate C1-level words and B1-level verbs related to minimalism, encouraging students to use the target language in conversation.

Part 1: Personal Opinions & Everyday Life (B1 Level)

These questions help students use B1-level verbs in real-life contexts.

1. How do you organize your personal space at home? Do you have a system for keeping things tidy?

2. What do you do to reduce clutter in your bedroom or workspace?

3. When was the last time you had to remove something you didn’t need? How did you decide what to get rid of?

4. How do you choose which items to buy when shopping? Do you consider yourself a minimalist?

5. What are some ways you try to save money by buying less?

6. How often do you clean your home or workspace? Do you enjoy it?

7. What are three things you always keep in your bag or backpack? Why?

8. When you declutter, how do you sort your things? Do you donate, recycle, or throw them away?

9. Do you prefer to buy fewer high-quality items or a lot of cheaper ones? Why?

10. What is one thing people often think they need but could actually live without?

Part 2: Deeper Discussion & Critical Thinking (C1 Level)

These questions encourage students to express more complex ideas using C1-level words related to minimalism.

1. Have you ever tried to declutter your home? How did you feel afterward?

2. Do you think essentialism is a good philosophy to follow? Why or why not?

3. How does minimalism influence modern aesthetic trends in fashion or interior design?

4. In what ways can companies streamline their products or services to focus on what truly matters?

5. Why do some people believe that simplicity leads to a happier life? Do you agree?

6. How can someone be more intentional when making decisions about what they own?

7. Describe an uncluttered space you’ve seen. What made it feel different from a typical room?

8. How can people adopt a more sustainable approach to shopping and consumption?

9. Do you think frugality is a skill everyone should learn? Why or why not?

10. How can practicing restraint when shopping lead to long-term benefits in life?

Follow-Up Activity: Partner Discussion(Debate)

• Role-play: One student plays a person who loves minimalism, and the other plays someone who prefers a more materialistic lifestyle. They must discuss their perspectives using the target vocabulary.

• Debate: “Owning fewer things leads to a better life.” Do you agree or disagree? Justify your answer using at least three words from the list.

Here are five more debate statements/questions related to minimalism, encouraging students to use the target vocabulary while developing critical thinking and speaking skills:

1. “Minimalism is only for wealthy people.” – Do you agree or disagree? Why?

2. “A minimalist lifestyle improves mental health and reduces stress.” – What are the pros and cons of this idea?

3. “Technology and digital tools make it easier to live a minimalist lifestyle.” – Is this true, or does technology encourage overconsumption?

4. “Frugality and minimalism are the same thing.” – How would you define each concept, and do you think they are different?

5. “A home should be beautifully uncluttered, even if it means sacrificing comfort.” – Should design and aesthetics be prioritized over practicality?

Digital minimalism?

Here are five more debate statements/questions specifically related to digital minimalism, encouraging students to think critically about their use of technology while practicing the target vocabulary:

1. “Deleting social media leads to a better, more focused life.” – Do you agree, or is social media essential in today’s world?

2. “Unsubscribing from emails and notifications helps people become more productive.” – Is digital decluttering necessary, or do notifications help us stay informed?

3. “Owning fewer digital devices leads to a more sustainable lifestyle.” – Should people limit how many gadgets they own, or is technology necessary for modern life?

4. “Digital minimalism is unrealistic because we rely too much on technology.” – Can people truly practice digital minimalism without disconnecting from society?

5. “Companies should streamline their apps and websites to reduce digital clutter.” – Is digital simplicity better for users, or do people prefer having more features and content?

Alternatively you can print the questions out, put students into groups of 3-4 or even 5. Hand out the sheet with the questions to one student in each group. Then, ask students to take turns choosing a word from the board/projector randomly. The student with the questions finds the corresponding question to the word selected and ask the question to one of the students in the group. This adds a bit of fun to the speaking task.

Reading

Explain your buying tendencies to your partner, think about these questions to help you…

• How would you describe your consumption habits?
• Do you think about what you buy very carefully and for a long time?
• Are you spontaneous with your buying?
• Do you do research before deciding what to get?

 

This reading text below describes the different types of buyers. It also provides questions on what a person should ask themselves before making a purchase.

The three types of buyers

• Section summary: Research shows we all fall somewhere on a spectrum between hoarder and minimalist.

To understand how modern people relate to their items, Preston conducted an experiment.

The experiment worked as follows: Preston had participants choose from a list of 107 household items ranging from invaluable (like egg shells) to highly valuable (like a diamond ring). She let participants select as many items as they wanted.

Then, once the participants chose their items, Preston asked them to pare them down to what they could fit in a shopping cart. Once they’d done that, she pushed it further—she asked them to pare down again to what would fit inside a shopping bag.

This revealed three basic personality types around possessions: hoarders, intermediates, and minimalists.

• Hoarders, no surprise, tended to grab and acquire more. In Preston’s study, these people selected a lot of items from the list—one chose 82 items. But they then had trouble pairing the items down to fit in the shopping cart or bag. Some literally couldn’t do it, and it caused them severe anxiety (one freaked out and argued that the 42 items they insisted on keeping would fit in a small shopping bag).
• Then there were “intermediates.” These people were somewhere in the middle. They started with too many items to fit into the shopping bag, but not so many that their initial run of items didn’t fit in the shopping cart. And they were fine paring their items down to a shopping bag’s worth and left with a reasonable amount of useful items.
• At the opposite end were the minimalists, who tended to acquire less. These people didn’t select many items from the initial list—one guy chose nothing. In fact, these people were mildly overwhelmed with the list itself and the thought of having too much caused them anxiety. When asked to pare down, they did so quickly and easily and ended up with an exceedingly small amount of items. But they left a lot of useful, life-enhancing gear on the table.

Preston says every one of us lies somewhere on the spectrum of “hoarder” and “minimalist.”

And so, before I buy, I ask myself:

1. Why am I buying this in the first place?
2. Is it possible I’m just bored or stressed, and online shopping is relieving that?
3. What do I intend to accomplish with this item?
4. Do I already own something that can serve the same purpose?

And that is why I’ll be returning that Filson flannel. I forgot to run that four-question framework before clicking buy, and thank God for online returns.

Reading comprehension exercise

Understanding the Experiment

1. What was the purpose of Preston’s experiment?

2. How did Preston conduct her experiment? Describe the steps participants went through.

3. What did the experiment reveal about how people relate to their possessions?

Types of People and Their Behavior

4. What are the three personality types identified in the study?

5. How did hoarders behave in the experiment? Provide specific details.

6. What was the main difference between intermediates and minimalists in their approach to selecting items?

7. Why did some participants experience anxiety when asked to reduce their number of items?

Critical Thinking & Application

8. According to the text, why do some minimalists feel overwhelmed by too many options?

9. The author provides four questions to ask before making a purchase. Why are these questions important?

10. How can this experiment help people make better decisions about what they buy and keep in their lives?

Choose any combination of these as you wish for checking understanding.

Language Focus

Grammar Exercises: First and Second Conditionals

Topic: Minimalism and Consumerism

1. First Conditional

Explanation:

The First Conditional is used to talk about real or possible situations in the future and their likely results.

Form:

• If + present simple, will + base verb

Examples (Minimalism & Consumerism):

1. If you stop buying unnecessary items, you will save more money.

2. If everyone reduces waste, the environment will benefit.

3. If you donate your old clothes, someone else will use them.

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. If people _______ (buy) fewer things, they _______ (reduce) clutter in their homes.

2. If you _______ (declutter) your living space, you _______ (feel) less stressed.

3. If brands _______ (promote) sustainability, consumers _______ (make) better choices.

4. If you _______ (adopt) a minimalist lifestyle, you _______ (spend) less money.

5. If companies _______ (stop) producing single-use plastics, pollution _______ (decrease).

2. Second Conditional

Explanation:

The Second Conditional is used to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations in the present or future and their imagined results.

Form:

• If + past simple, would + base verb

Examples (Minimalism & Consumerism):

1. If people consumed less, the planet would be healthier.

2. If I were a minimalist, I would own only the things I truly need.

3. If companies cared more about sustainability, they would create eco-friendly products.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the sentences using the Second Conditional.

1. People don’t buy fewer products. The planet isn’t more sustainable.

(If people bought fewer products, the planet would be more sustainable.)

2. I don’t live a minimalist lifestyle. My home feels cluttered.

3. Brands don’t focus on eco-friendly designs. Consumers don’t choose sustainable options.

4. Companies don’t reduce production of luxury goods. People keep overspending.

5. I don’t donate unused items. They take up space in my home.

These exercises incorporate meaningful context, making grammar practice both relevant and engaging for students while tying into the theme of minimalism and consumerism.

3. Third Conditional

Explanation:

The Third Conditional is used to talk about unreal situations in the past and their hypothetical results. It reflects regret, missed opportunities, or “what if” scenarios.

Form:

• If + past perfect, would have + past participle

Examples (Minimalism & Consumerism):

1. If I had avoided impulse shopping, I would have saved a lot of money.

2. If people had donated unused items earlier, fewer resources would have been wasted.

3. If companies had focused on sustainability years ago, we would have seen less environmental damage.

Exercise 3: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. If I _______ (know) about minimalism sooner, I _______ (reduce) my spending habits earlier.

2. If people _______ (choose) quality over quantity, they _______ (waste) fewer resources.

3. If you _______ (not buy) that expensive gadget, you _______ (save) enough money for a vacation.

4. If companies _______ (invest) in eco-friendly products earlier, they _______ (have) a positive impact on the planet.

5. If I _______ (declutter) my home last year, I _______ (feel) more relaxed now.

Speaking Activity: Conditional Conversations on Minimalism and Consumerism

Objective:

To practice using the First and Second Conditional in meaningful and interactive discussions related to minimalism and consumerism.

Activity Title: What If We Changed Our Habits?

Preparation

1. Write prompts and scenarios involving consumerism and minimalism on small cards (or display them on a slide).

• Examples for First Conditional:

• If you stop buying unnecessary things, how will your life change?

• If people start recycling more, what will happen to the planet?

• If everyone chooses minimalism, what will be the biggest challenge?

• Examples for Second Conditional:

• If you were a minimalist, how would your life look different?

• If companies cared about the environment, what products would they sell?

• If people didn’t care about material things, how would society change?

Procedure

1. Pair Work/Small Groups:

Divide the students into pairs or groups of three. Give each group a set of question cards.

2. Speaking Task:

• Each student picks a card and reads the scenario/question aloud.

• The group discusses the scenario, making sure to use the target conditional forms in their answers.

• Example responses:

• If I stopped buying clothes every month, I would save a lot of money. (Second Conditional)

• If more people started practicing minimalism, they will feel less stressed. (First Conditional)

3. Follow-up Challenge:

After 5-7 minutes of discussion, ask each group to share one or two insights or interesting ideas they discussed.

Extension

• Turn the activity into a debate: One side argues the benefits of minimalism (If people practiced minimalism, the world would be better), while the other argues its challenges (If minimalism became mainstream, some industries would collapse).

This activity allows students to practice speaking fluently, use conditionals accurately, and engage in meaningful discussion on a relevant topic. Was this lesson helpful? Become a member for free to get access to all the lessons or sign up for the newsletter for updates on new lesson ideas posted.