Lesson Summary:
This complete ESL video lesson plan, based on Dyslexia Isn’t Just About Having Difficulty with Reading and Spelling, explores neurodiversity, dyslexia, and the lived experiences of people with dyslexia. Designed for B2–C1 learners, it develops vocabulary, empathy, and communication through viewing, discussion, and creative activities.
Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the concepts of neurodiversity, dyslexia, and learning differences
• To expand vocabulary related to neurodiversity and empathy
• To develop viewing, listening, and reading comprehension skills
• To improve writing through reflection and creative production
• To strengthen speaking and interpersonal communication through discussion and roleplay
• To enhance multimodal and visual literacy through homework tasks
Lesson Activities:
• Vocabulary-building exercises on neurodiversity and learning differences
• Pre- and post-viewing discussion of dyslexia and empathy
• Video viewing and comprehension questions
• Roleplay activity exploring dyslexia awareness
• Reading of The Gift of Dyslexia: Seeing the World Differently
• Article-based comprehension and critical thinking tasks
• Reflective and creative writing activities
Learner Type:
Upper Intermediate (B2) – Advanced (C1); mature teens and adults
Language Focus:
Vocabulary related to neurodiversity, learning differences, and empathy
Transform Your English Classroom with This Film English Multimodal Lesson
This ESL video lesson plan is built around a carefully selected short video and designed using the exclusive Multimodal Approach– an innovative methodology that integrates traditional language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) with viewing – the active process of analysing and interpreting multimodal texts – and representing – creating multimodal texts. This pedagogically rich approach mirrors how communication works in the real world, through a combination of language, image, sound, gesture and spatial design, making the lesson more engaging, relevant and effective.
This ESL video lesson plan plan consists of a complete, ready-to-use package that includes:
- A thought-provoking short video
- A detailed teacher’s guide with step-by-step instructions
- A pre-viewing vocabulary glossary to scaffold understanding
- Comprehension, discussion and critical thinking questions
- Creative post-viewing tasks such as roleplays, writing prompts and reflective activities
- A thematically linked reading text to reinforce language and deepen understanding
- A final task encouraging learners to create their own multimodal compositions (e.g. vlogs, posters, infographics or social media posts)
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
- Create authentic, personalised multimodal projects that reflect their own voice and ideas
- Strengthen emotional intelligence and intercultural awareness through affective engagement with multimodal texts
Whether you’re teaching in a secondary school, university or adult education context, Film English lesson plans offer a dynamic, research-informed pathway to meaningful language learning. Join thousands of teachers worldwide who are transforming their classrooms with the Multimodal Approach and helping their students learn English—and live through English—more fully.
Watch the short video.
