The case was about where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors said she lived in Spain but claimed her official residence was somewhere else. According to Spanish law, if you spend more than six months in the country, you're considered a resident for tax purposes. Shakira argued that Spain wasn't her main home during that time. Prosecutors showed evidence that she bought a house in Barcelona in 2012, where she lived with her partner at the time, Gerard Piqué. Shakira's lawyers said most of her money came from international tours, and she spent a lot of time outside Spain.

Shakira said she was frustrated with the Spanish tax authorities, who she believed targeted her because of her relationship with Piqué, who is Spanish. She declared Spain as her tax residence in 2015 and said she's paid €17.2m in taxes with no debts. Piqué was fined €2.1m for tax evasion between 2008 and 2010. Shakira and Piqué announced their breakup in June after being together for 11 years and having two children. Shakira wants to do what's right and be a positive example. She's ready to move forward and focus on her family and future opportunities in her career.

Original news source: Shakira: Singer settles Spanish tax fraud case with $7.5m fine (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to work in pairs to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. They should aim to do this in under two minutes, focusing on the key information: the tax fraud case, the settlement, Shakira's arguments, and the personal background that may have influenced the situation.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the article and ask students to agree or disagree (e.g., "Celebrities are often unfairly targeted by tax authorities," "Settling a case is an admission of guilt," etc.). Students can walk to different sides of the room based on their opinion, and then discuss their reasons with a partner.
– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down keywords from the article on cards (e.g., "tax fraud," "settlement," "residence," "prosecutors," "fine"). Students work in teams. One student must describe the word on the card without using the keyword or other obvious words related to it, while the others guess the word. Rotate the student who describes the words after each correct guess.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students discuss in small groups or pairs what they think might happen next in Shakira's career and personal life following this settlement. Encourage them to use future tense structures and to justify their predictions based on information from the article.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group lists the pros of Shakira's decision to settle the case, while the other group lists the cons. Afterward, have a representative from each group present their arguments, and then open the floor for a class discussion on the topic.

Colombian pop star Shakira has settled a tax ? case with Spanish prosecutors. She paid a €7.5m fine to avoid going to trial and a potential jail sentence of eight years. The ? were about €14.5m in unpaid taxes. Shakira denied any wrongdoing but settled to protect her children. She ? to move on from the stress of the past few years and focus on her family and ?. The case was about where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors said she lived in ? but claimed her official residence was somewhere else. According to Spanish law, if you spend more than six months in the country, you're ? a resident for tax purposes. Shakira ? that Spain wasn't her main home during that time. Prosecutors showed ? that she bought a house in Barcelona in 2012, where she lived with her ? at the time, Gerard Piqué. Shakira's ? said most of her money came from international tours, and she spent a lot of time outside Spain. Shakira said she was ? with the Spanish tax authorities, who she believed ? her because of her relationship with Piqué, who is Spanish. She declared Spain as her tax residence in 2015 and said she's paid €17.2m in taxes with no debts. Piqué was fined €2.1m for tax evasion between 2008 and 2010. Shakira and Piqué announced their breakup in June after being together for 11 years and ? two children. Shakira wants to do what's ? and be a ? example. She's ready to move forward and focus on her family and future ? in her career.

1. What is your opinion on celebrities being involved in tax fraud cases?
2. Do you think famous people are more likely to get in trouble with the law? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you found out your favorite singer was accused of not paying taxes?
4. If you were a celebrity, would you pay extra attention to your taxes? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about Shakira's decision to settle the case to avoid stress for her family?
6. Do you believe that celebrities have a responsibility to be positive role models? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a tough decision to protect your family? What did you do?
8. Do you think it's fair for someone to pay a fine if they believe they did nothing wrong? Why or why not?
9. How important is it to follow the laws of a country when you're living there, even for a short time?
10. What would you do if you were in a foreign country and didn't understand the tax laws?
11. Do you think Shakira's relationship with a Spanish citizen might have influenced the tax authorities' decision to target her?
12. If you had to move to another country, what would you do to make sure you stay on the right side of the law?
13. Do you like the idea of settling disputes out of court, or do you think people should always go to trial? Why?
14. How do you think Shakira's children might be affected by their mother's legal issues?
15. Do you think paying a large sum of money, like Shakira did, is enough to fix a mistake with taxes? Why or why not?

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