. Tiny Kei Cars - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Tiny Kei Cars - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Tiny Kei Cars - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Tiny 'Kei' Cars

Big change may be coming to American roads after a visit to Japan by Donald Trump. America's popular SUVs may soon be rivalled by the four-seater, 660 cc "kei car" from Japan. President Trump has a fondness for this small car. He wants it to be made in the USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I have just approved tiny cars to be built in America." He added that the cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, amazing".

Kei cars make up around a third of all cars in Japan. They are suited to the narrow streets of Japan's big cities. However, laws are needed to make the cars legal in the US. The website Quartz reported that: "There are lingering concerns that [kei cars] are too small and slow to be driven safely." The Transportation Secretary said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more affordable and fuel-efficient cars, we have cleared the deck."

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/04/companies/trump-kei-cars/
  • https://qz.com/trump-tiny-cars-kei-japan
  • https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-issues-order-start-producing-smaller-cars-11154208

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Phrase Matching Paragraph 1
  1. Big change may be
  2. after a visit to Japan
  3. America's popular SUVs
  4. the four-seater, 660 cc "
  5. Trump has a fondness
  6. He wants it to be
  7. I have just approved tiny cars
  8. safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply,
  1. for this small car
  2. may soon be rivalled
  3. amazing
  4. coming
  5. made in the USA
  6. to be built
  7. by Donald Trump
  8. "kei car
Paragraph 2
  1. make up around a third
  2. suited to the narrow streets
  3. make the cars
  4. There are lingering
  5. too small and slow to
  6. Toyota or
  7. more affordable and
  8. we have cleared the
  1. deck
  2. any other company
  3. of all cars in Japan
  4. fuel-efficient cars
  5. legal in the US
  6. of Japan's big cities
  7. be driven safely
  8. concerns
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Big (1) ________________________________________________ coming to American roads after a (2) ________________________________________________ by Donald Trump. America's popular SUVs may soon be (3) ________________________________________________ four-seater, 660 cc "kei car" from Japan. President Trump (4) ________________________________________________ for this small car. He wants it to be made in the USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I (5) ________________________________________________ tiny cars to be built in America." He added that the cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, (6) ________________________________________________, amazing".

Kei cars make up (7) ________________________________________________ of all cars in Japan. They are suited to the (8) ________________________________________________ Japan's big cities. However, laws are needed to make the cars legal in the US. The website Quartz reported that: "There (9) ________________________________________________ that [kei cars] are too small and slow to (10) ________________________________________________." The Transportation Secretary said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make (11) ________________________________________________ and fuel-efficient cars, we have (12) ________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

BigchangemaybecomingtoAmericanroadsafteravisittoJapanbyDon aldTrump.America'spopularSUVsmaysoonberivalledbythefour-sea ter,660cc"keicar"fromJapan.PresidentTrumphasafondnessforthiss mallcar.HewantsittobemadeintheUSA.HewroteonhisTruthSocialwe bsite:"IhavejustapprovedtinycarstobebuiltinAmerica."Headdedthat thecarswere"inexpensive,safe,fuelefficient,andquitesimply,amazin g".KeicarsmakeuparoundathirdofallcarsinJapan.Theyaresuitedtoth enarrowstreetsofJapan'sbigcities.However,lawsareneededtomaket hecarslegalintheUS.ThewebsiteQuartzreportedthat:"Therearelinge ringconcernsthat[keicars]aretoosmallandslowtobedrivensafely."Th eTransportationSecretarysaid:"IfToyotaoranyothercompanywantst omakesmaller,moreaffordableandfuel-efficientcars,wehavecleared thedeck."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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