B2 ESL Video Lesson Plan: Mr. Happy Man
This B2-level ESL video lesson plan is built around a thought-provoking video that explores the theme of happiness. It is designed to help learners develop key language skills—listening, viewing, speaking, reading, writing and visually representing—through guided discussion, roleplay, vocabulary building, and engaging classroom activities.
Check out the lesson planThis ESL video lesson is designed around a beautiful short film by Matt Morris about Johnny Barnes, an 88-year-old man who dedicates his life to making people happy. Students practise speaking, listening and writing.
Language level: Upper-intermediate (B2)- Advanced (C1)
Learner type: Mature teens and adults
Time: 90 minutes
Activity: Speaking, writing and watching a short film and a video
Topic: Happiness
Language: Adjectives to describe character
Benefits for Teachers:
- Save hours of preparation with a fully developed, flexible lesson plan
- Engage students through compelling stories and real-world themes such as emotional intelligence, character, values, empathy, personal development, identity, relationships, global issues and social issues
- Build classroom routines that integrate multimodal literacy naturally and progressively
- Foster more inclusive and differentiated learning by using varied modes of input
- Rely on a trusted methodology backed by educational research and grounded in the theories of Vygotsky, Kress, Mayer and Krashen
Benefits for Learners:
- Develop communicative competence and confidence through integrated skill-building
- Expand vocabulary and improve listening and reading comprehension through repeated, meaningful exposure
- Think critically and creatively while exploring powerful social and emotional themes
- Strengthen emotional intelligence and intercultural awareness through affective engagement with multimodal texts
Watch the film.
Check out the lesson plan
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We hope you enjoy this ESL video lesson plan.
Thanks for being part of the Film English community, and happy teaching!
— The Film English Team
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Transform Your English Classroom with the Multimodal Approach
This ESL video lesson plan is built around a thought-provoking short video and designed using the innovative Multimodal Approach, integrating listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. Engage learners with real-world themes, develop communicative competence, build vocabulary and foster critical thinking through dynamic, research-informed activities. Find out more about the Multimodal Approach and join thousands of teachers transforming their classrooms with Film English.
Thanks Kieran, this looks great …. I can definitely use this for my B2.2 class. Have a nice holiday ….
Kind and grateful regards,
John
Thanks a lot, John. Glad you like it. Have a great summer too.
All the best,
Kieran
Hi Kieran … We’ve just started spring (as far as I know) … but if you’ve somehow managed to leap frog into summer, let me know how you did it – I could use some serious beach time right about now …
Wishful thinking on my behalf, John. I meant Easter ; )
Thanks for your work, I’d like to use this with my students but the video doesn’t work, where can I get it? as in youtube there is only a preview???
Thanks
The film is working, but here’s a link to Vimeo, just in case: http://vimeo.com/36673515
Cheers,
Kieran
Excellent . Inspiring. I love it very much. Thanks!
Hi Vesna,
I’m happy you find it inspiring 🙂
Cheers,
Kieran
Maraming salamat (thank you very much) from the Philippines. Your lessons are like a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love them!
Thanks a lot, Anna. It’s great to know the lessons have reached the Phillipines.
Cheers,
Kieran
Thanks ever so much for the lesson, I’ll be using in class after Easter and link it to my classroom blog, too. I loved it, and not only this lesson but many others that you share, thanks for sharing!
Hi MÂŞ JesĂşs,
Thanks a lot for your kind comments, I’m really happy that you emjoy the lessons.
All the best,
Kieran
I worked through the lesson with a bunch of B2 ESL students yesterday. Link to the blog: http://stopandlearnenglish.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/mr-happy-man-from-film-english.html
I hope you don’t mind my linking, it’s for my students to go back to it easily, as I have other tasks for them on their classroom blog, too!
The lesson brought so much discussion, both about the film and about the quotes that I had to set the composition as homework, so brilliant, as it made speak in English for quite a while.
Thanks a bunch again!
Thank you ! It’s really one of the greatest lessons . I loved it and will use it with my students. Very urgent community problems are touched in the lesson .Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot, Zalina. I’m really happy that you like the lesson, let me know how it works with your students, please.
All the best,
Kieran
this is great…thanks
Thanks a lot. I’m glad you like it. Cheers, Kieran
Incoming link: Motivation | Pearltrees
I wish I could hold that unfathomable source of happiness in my heart… thanks for sharing this with us. Elsa
Thank you for posting this. I used it in two different lessons today. One was an advanced group and the other was an intermediate one on one. It went well in both. I will use it in future lessons as well. Thanks again! Love the lesson and the site.
Thanks a lot, Eric. I’m happy the lesson went well with your students. Good to know you like the site as well : ) Cheers, Kieran