Speaking calendar/World's Ugliest Dog
June 20th · Petaluma, California

World's Ugliest Dog

Held annually since the 1970s at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, this contest isn't about mocking dogs—it's about celebrating inner beauty and the love between owners and their unique pets. Most contestants are rescue dogs with unusual features. Today we're debating the definition of beauty—is it better to be perfect or one-of-a-Kind? We explore the perfection in imperfection.

SPEAKING LESSONB1 / B2Discussion · Vocabulary · Activities
01 / LET’S TALK

Speaking Discussion

  1. Why do we find ugly-Cute animals so much more lovable than perfect ones?
  2. Is beauty something we are born with, or is it something we create with our personality?
  3. Should we spend more money rescuing unusual animals instead of buying perfect ones?
  4. How has social media changed our standards of what is beautiful?
  5. If you entered a personality contest, what would be your winning trait?
02 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Activity 1: The Judge's Choice

You are a Judge. Explain why the "Ugliest Dog" is actually the most beautiful using the word "Compassion".

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Debate

Justify your answer in 30 seconds:

  • "Inner beauty is the only beauty that matters."
  • "Perfection is boring."
  • "We should have a 'World's Ugliest Human' contest (or is that too mean?)"