Understanding Clickbait - Multimodal Literacy Lessons

Understanding Clickbait is a dynamic and conversation-rich lesson that invites students to explore the persuasive power of digital headlines and the psychological techniques behind them. Designed for B2+ learners, the lesson builds critical literacy, discussion, and creative writing skills while helping students develop a deeper awareness of how online content can manipulate attention and influence behavior. Through analysis, group work, and collaborative headline writing, students learn to read more critically and communicate more effectively in the digital world.

Strengths:

• Timely and media-relevant topic: Focuses on a form of digital literacy that students encounter daily, making it immediately engaging and personally relevant.
• Analytical thinking and language use: Encourages students to decode and label persuasive techniques, promoting vocabulary development and higher-order thinking.
• Collaborative creativity: Invites students to apply their understanding by creating and analyzing their own headlines, fostering peer interaction and language practice.
• Structured critical discussion: Supports speaking fluency through targeted, thought-provoking questions about marketing, ethics, and media influence.
• Flexible delivery format: Works well in both in-person and online classrooms, with interactive elements that suit individual, pair, and group work.

Pedagogical Approach:

This lesson follows a task-based and communicative methodology, guiding learners through a sequence of discovery, analysis, production, and reflection. It blends critical literacy with functional language development by integrating real-world media texts, peer collaboration, and guided discussion. By encouraging students to identify and use persuasive techniques, the lesson promotes both language awareness and ethical reflection which are key components in helping learners become thoughtful and empowered users of digital content.