This engaging and thought-provoking lesson introduces students to the innovative concept of standing airplane seats, focusing on the Skyrider 2.0 design. Through vocabulary matching, video analysis, reading comprehension, and guided discussion, learners explore the future of air travel and evaluate the pros and cons of cost-saving innovations in the airline industry.

Students will enhance their vocabulary with terms related to air travel and design, critically analyze text and media, and practice expressing opinions through structured discussion questions. This lesson is ideal for intermediate-level English learners interested in current events, travel, and technology, and encourages critical thinking and real-world application.

There is a downloadable worksheet with answer key for ESL teachers and students underneath this post

The Future of Flying

❶ Match the words and phrases to their definitions

1. Standing seat	Not expensive; something most people can pay for
2. Padded support	To bend or tilt (the body) from a vertical position
3. Semi-standing	Making you feel calm and comfortable
4. Budget airline	A type of seat where you lean instead of sitting fully
5. Affordable	A company that offers cheaper flights with fewer services
6. Lean	Not fully standing, not fully sitting
7. Relaxing	A cushioned area that provides comfort and maintains posture

❷ Watch the video about standing seats on airplanes and answer the following questions:

1. What is the name of the new standing seat?
2. Why do airlines want to use this new type of seat?

❸ Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. How many more people could airlines fit on each flight with these seats?
2. What concerns do people have about standing seats?
3. Who created the Skyrider 2.0?
4. Is the Skyrider 2.0 is designed for long-haul flights?

✈️ Standing Seats on Airplanes

Air travel might soon look very different. A new type of airplane seat, called the Skyrider 2.0, could be used on flights starting in 2026. These seats are not like the ones we know. They are standing seats—passengers do not sit fully but lean on a padded support.

The Skyrider 2.0 was created by an Italian company called Aviointeriors. The design looks like a seat from a rollercoaster. It allows passengers to stay in a semi-standing position. This means airlines can fit 20% more people on each flight.

These seats are made for short flights, usually under two hours. They are not very comfortable, but they could make flying cheaper. Some budget airlines have shown interest in using them. In fact, the CEO of one low-cost airline has suggested that ticket prices could drop significantly—possibly as low as one euro—if these standing seats are introduced.

However, not everyone is happy about this idea. Some people worry that standing for a long time on a plane could be uncomfortable or unsafe. Others think it is a good way to make flying affordable for more people.

The seats have passed important safety tests, but no airline has officially said they will use them yet. If they do, flying could become more like taking a bus—cheap and fast, but not very relaxing.

❹ Discuss the following questions:

1. Would you use a standing seat if it was cheaper?
2. Do you think this idea is good or bad for passengers?
3. How important is comfort to you when you travel by plane?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of standing seats on airplanes?
5. Do you think this idea will become popular in the future?
6. How do you think air travel will change in the next 10 years?

Download the PDF and fill in the past simple and past participle forms of the irregular verbs in the table.

Table of Irregular Verbs

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Hiding from Passengers

It can be really frustrating when you speak a language fluently, but the results of language tests tell a different story! I was a flight attendant for fifteen years and I used to get frustrated because I was fluent in Italian but only had a one-year flag. This meant that I had to take a level test every year, while colleagues who could barely string a sentence together had three-year flags. Non-native French speakers would take off their name badges or hide in the toilets when French passengers needed help, whereas I would jump at the chance of speaking Italian to passengers!

Lower Intermediate but Fluent

I remember a student called Antonio who was a human resources manager for a company in Martorell. Antonio had a good level of fluency but his grammar was quite basic. He could read and understand long and complicated texts about business faster than I could, but when he took a test, his level was B1!

Pre-Intermediate but Fluent

I do one-to-one classes in Vilanova i la Geltru with David, a businessman who regularly negotiates in English. We do conversation classes and they are good fun; it feels more like having a coffee with a friend than working! David speaks English fluently, so I don’t have to speak slowly or repeat myself, but when I gave him a Cambridge level test, his level was A2 in general English and B1 in business English!

Measuring fluency

The two students I just mentioned communicate effectively in English even though they don’t have a high level of grammar. Do you think that a person with a high level of grammar but a low level of fluency would be able to communicate as effectively as Antonio and David? Many language tests focus more on grammatical accuracy than fluency, but how do you measure fluency?

The Benefits of Fluency

Fluency is important in spoken communication; it allows you to convey your ideas smoothly and keep the conversation going without worrying too much about the odd grammatical error. This is especially true in informal settings where the main aim is to understand, be understood and converse naturally.

The Benefits of Good Grammar

Grammar is important in formal contexts, such as academic writing or professional communication, and is also crucial for clarity and precision. Good grammar helps ensure that your message is understood correctly and prevents misunderstandings.

Mistakes Can Cause Offence

When I first started teaching English, I had a student who used to say, “I don’t read your email” when she meant to say, “I haven’t read your email”. I was offended and wanted to say, “I’m not going to keep sending you emails if you don’t read them!”.

Another student used to say, “I don’t listen (to) you!” instead of saying, “I can’t hear you!”. I wanted to tell him, “Please don’t interrupt the class to tell me that you’re not paying attention!”.

Another common mistake is to say, “Are you boring?” instead of, “Are you bored?”.

Spanish students often use “used to” when talking about the present. For example, they might say, “I used to work very hard” when they mean, “I usually work very hard”.

“Used to” is a useful phrase for talking about past habits or states that no longer happen or exist. For example, you might say, “I used to play football every weekend” to indicate that playing football was a habitual action in the past, but isn’t anymore.

Conclusion

Both grammar and fluency are important; grammar provides the structure needed for clear communication, while fluency allows for more natural and engaging conversations. For most students, speaking is much more fun than studying grammar, but grammar is a necessary evil. Teachers should strike a balance between teaching grammar and incorporating communicative activities to improve fluency.

Over to you

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I would really like to hear your experiences! Which is more important to you, grammar or fluency? Have you ever felt frustrated because you speak a language fluently, but when you take a level test you are told you have a low level?

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The Words I was Looking for Appeared in my Head

Many people watch films or TV series in the original language to improve their English and this can be very effective. I’ve taught many students who have achieved a high level of fluency in this way! On the other hand, not many people know how incredibly effective reading books can be. I became fluent in French through reading. I had studied French for years at school, but couldn’t string a sentence together! At first it was incredibly hard, I would fall asleep after reading 2 or 3 pages, but after a short time I became conversational; the words I was looking for just appeared in my head and I could use quite complicated grammar. It was as if the language had been downloaded directly into my subconscious! This was in 1999, e-books existed at the time but I had never read one!

Reading Helped me Get my Dream Job

I had previously done the same with Italian. I lived in Italy for two summers – about six months in total. After that, I got a job as a flight attendant with an Arabic airline but missed Italy and missed speaking Italian. Unfortunately, we didn’t fly to Italy and we rarely flew to continental Europe, so I searched the world for Italian books and films. I rarely found any but when I did, I stocked up. I read the books and watched the films over and over again and my Italian got better and better. In 1997, I achieved my dream of getting a job as a flight attendant with British Airways. I wouldn’t have got that job if I hadn’t spoken Italian. No time spent educating yourself is ever wasted and reading is a great way to learn – look at Elon Musk!

Lurking in the Recesses

In 2001 I moved to Spain and started the whole process again. For the first six months I studied one week a month at a language school and I started reading novels almost from the beginning. Learning Spanish was relatively easy as I already spoke French and Italian! Unfortunately, I’ve now forgotten most of my French and Italian – it’s as if Spanish came in through the front door and French and Italian slipped out through the back! I don’t think they’re gone forever – I’m sure they’re still lurking somewhere in the recesses of my brain!

Reading Romantic Novels as a Form of Study

Working as a long-haul flight attendant meant I had a lot of free time and I loved reading romantic novels. On the other hand, I felt guilty because I thought reading novels was a waste of time. Reading in foreign languages was like killing two birds with one stone; I could read novels without feeling guilty and learn a foreign language at the same time!

Tips for Learning through Reading

• If you are a beginner, start with children’s books; the language will be less complicated.
• Choose a book you have read in your native language; you already know the story, so it will be easier to guess the meaning of words you don’t know!
• Choose a book that has been translated from your mother tongue; the structure will be easier to understand.
• Choose a non-fiction book on a topic you’re interested in; it’s always easier to understand a foreign language if you’re familiar with the subject matter, and the grammar is usually less complicated in technical books.
• I would recommend reading e-books, as they are less expensive, take up less space and are lighter when you’re travelling. You may also be able to take notes or click on words for definitions, which makes the process much easier.
• If you’re reading a physical book, I would recommend reading for general understanding rather than looking up words in a dictionary.
• If you’re reading a shorter text, looking up the meaning of words will help you build your vocabulary.

The Digital Age

Love it or hate it, the digital age has greatly increased our exposure to foreign languages; it’s so much easier to find books, films and music in foreign languages. It used to be very difficult to learn a foreign language without living in a country where that language was spoken. Nowadays, you can learn languages, stream films, listen to music, read books and interact with people from other cultures and linguistic backgrounds on the Internet.

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle is a fantastic place to find books and you don’t even need a Kindle Reader; you can read them on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. There are millions of books to choose from and you can even take notes, highlight sections and click on a word to get a definition!

Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited is a monthly subscription that costs less than £10 a month and gives you access to millions of ebooks – it’s like having a virtual library at your fingertips!

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Over to You

I’d love to hear about your experiences of learning languages through reading! Do you find reading as useful as I do? Do you have any tips for good books for students to read? Do you prefer reading, watching films, listening to music or talking to people from other cultures to practise your languages? Do you have any other tips for language learning?

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Being bilingual offers a wealth of advantages, both cognitive and practical. Let’s explore some of the benefits: 

1. Enhanced cognitive abilities: Research shows that bilingualism improves cognitive functions such as attention control, working memory and problem-solving. Constant switching between languages keeps the brain agile and adatable. 

2. Reduced risk of dementia: Speaking two or more languages has been linked to the delayed onset of dementia. Bilinguals exhibit better brain health and resilience to cognitive decline.  

3. Improved Empathy: Multilingualism fosters empathy by exposing individuals to different cultures and perspectives. Understanding diverse languages enhances our ability to connect with others on a deeper level.  

4. Career Opportunities: In our globalized world, proficiency in multiple languages opens doors to international job markets. Employers value bilingual candidates for their cross-cultural communication skills.  

5. Social and Lifestyle Benefits: Bilinguals can engage with a wider range of people, enjoy diverse media content, and navigate different environments with ease. It’s like having a passport to various cultural experiences. 

In summary, being bilingual isn’t just about mastering words; it’s about expanding horizons, boosting brain health, and enriching life in countless ways. 

Sources 

Copilot, Psychology Today, BBC, Big Think 

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