ESL WORKSHEET - Politics in Brazil

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT

GOES ON TRIAL

AMERICAN ENGLISH LESSON PLAN

LinguaHouse

Sep. 29, 2025

Levels: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1) / Advanced (C1-C2)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Politics; Controversial Issues; Breaking News; Law; Ethics and Conduct; Society and Change; People and Places; Challenges; Speaking; Vocabulary Lesson; Article Based; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 09/29/2025

A breaking news lesson* about the trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, with a report focusing on the story and an article about the South American country. Students will learn related vocabulary, practice reading and listening skills and reinforce their new vocabulary with conversation practice. (by David J. Marriott)

* The access to this lesson plan is allowed only in American English, except for the audios.

CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (B2-C1).
CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (C1-C2).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (B2-C1).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (C1-C2).
CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Newsreader: Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has gone on trial for allegedly attempting to arrange a military coup.
Seven of Bolsonaro’s political allies, including four senior military figures, are also being tried. If sentenced, Bolsonaro and his alleged co-conspirators could face over forty years in prison.
The charges against Bolsonaro and the other would-be ringleaders include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
Seventy-year-old Bolsonaro lost the most recent election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – more commonly known as Lula – in 2022. A former paratrooper turned far-right populist, Bolsonaro appeared to model himself on Donald Trump in his rise to power, and the US President spoke out the night before the trial began, calling Bolsonaro the victim of a “witch-hunt”.
Trump has also declared punitive tariffs on Brazil’s imports, and sanctioned Alexandre de Moraes, the judge in charge of the trial.
Bolsonaro has denied plotting a coup, but admitted seeking “alternative” ways to prevent Lula from taking office. However, one of his co-defendants, Mauro Cid – who served as Bolsonaro’s top aide – has signed a plea deal, providing evidence against the former president.
The allegations date back to the months between the October 2022 election, and a far-right uprising in the capital, Brasília, in January 2023.
The trial is expected to last two weeks, and is widely regarded as a test of Brazil’s democracy. The last time a coup d’etat succeeded in the South American country was in 1964, when US-backed generals deposed the democratically elected President João Goulart. A twenty-one-year military dictatorship followed.
Bolsonaro, who has suffered health problems since being attacked while campaigning in 2018, is currently under house arrest, and watched the first day of court proceedings from his home.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/former-brazilian-president-goes-on-trial. Accessed on September 30, 2025. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.