Here is an update on this post with 30 song-based lesson plans and activities that I’ve been sharing over the years. I know it’s not always easy to navigate a blog like this, so I thought you might find it useful! Listening Comprehension 1. Students write an explanation for each of the words, names or ..read more

Here are some worksheets I’ve written for a project I’m working on with my C1 students. The goal is to create a short film that revolves around a future reunion with friends or classmates. Before beginning the project, the students will have practised present and past tenses, future expressions, and vocabulary related to personality. They ..read more

Nothing new here, but if you’re working on argumentative essay writing, perhaps the Fatigue Zone trivia signs in Queensland, Australia, could be an interesting topic for some of your students! LEAD-IN Display a few trivia road signs and ask the students about them: “Have you ever seen this type of sign?”; “What do you think ..read more

In this lesson idea based on “Penny Lane” by The Beatles, the students will practise present tenses and vocabulary related to everyday objects and actions: Vocabulary 1. Ask the students to match the following words with the pictures provided: motorcar, mac, hourglass, portrait, fire engine, pouring rain, shelter, roundabout and poppies. 2. Have the students ..read more

VOCABULARY KEY: 1. D; 2. B; 3. C; 4. F; 5. A ; 6. C KEY: 1. comforting ; 2. confident ; 3. selfless ; 4. sincere ; 5. supportive ; 6. committed Make_You_Feel_My_Love.pdfDownload READING Make_You_Feel_My_Love.pdfDownload KEY: 1. on your case; 2. warm embrace; 3. evening shadows; 4. dry your tears; 5. hold you for a million years; 6. made your mind up; 7. do you wrong; 8. no doubt; 9. go black and blue; 10. the storms are raging; 11. highway of regret; 12. winds of change 13. make your dreams come true; 14. go to the ends of the earth LISTENING The students listen to the song to check their ..read more

Lead-in 1. Have the students read four sentences with the following adjectives: “prickly”, “bouncy”, “rambling” and “restless”. Then ask them to match each adjective to their definition: The_Tumbleweed_Invasion_1.pdfDownload 2. Explain that today’s lesson is about something that is prickly, bouncy, rambling and restless. Think-Pair-Share: have the students guess what it might be. 3. Confirm or explain that the lesson is about tumbleweeds. If necessary, elicit its meaning. Display pictures or videos of tumbleweeds in action! Before Listening 4. Ask the students to write down what they know a ..read more

Here are 16 short films and videos I’ve been using for the past few years in my classes and which have worked well with teenagers (at least in my context!) The selection includes different types of video content, but they all provide such unique contexts that any lesson or task we design around them will help to make that skill or specific language area we’re practising a little bit more stimulating and engaging. Their flexibility is another advantage, since we can use the videos both to suit different levels and to adapt them to meet specific learning objectives. It is difficult to keep up wi ..read more

1. Cut the paper globe and worksheet. Fold the worksheet as shown below: Christmas_Around_The_World_1.pdfDownload 2. Cut the paper globe along the dotted line. Glue each half to each side of the worksheet. This will be your front cover! 3. The booklet features 11 Christmas traditions from different countries, so you can write something like “Chistmas Around the World”, or any other title you can think of, in the space provided. Feel free to decorate it! 4. Now look at this Christmas tree with 25 words. Classify them according to their last vowel sound, writing them under the correct co ..read more

In this activity, the students learn to write simple definitions of nouns in English. My students needed some work on this for their history lessons, and I thought blending a structured approach with a touch of creative writing, word formation and wordplay could be a good idea. This might be good practice for mastering the different components of a definition before attempting more formal terms related to geography and history. Defining_Nouns.pdfDownload ACTIVITY 2: KEY 1. doodlequack 2. chocoloony 3. infinipizza 4. sonicblasters 5. moodmirror 6. giggletron ACTIVITY 4: Suggested procedure ..read more

“Closer to Fine” (1989) by Indigo Girls, a song that explores themes of self-discovery, seeking meaning, and finding one’s place in the world, is used in this lesson to get B2-C1 level students to practise reading comprehension skills and expand their vocabulary in a contextual setting. After reading what the song is about and providing some context, the students reconstruct the lyrics by using the following grid: Closer_To_Fine_1.pdfDownload In the grid, each square contains a line from the song. To decide which line belongs to the song, the students use the words in the box in Activity 1 to ..read more