This ESL video lesson plan is designed around a short film titled In a Heartbeat and the theme of love. Students learn and practice expressions using the word “heart”, watch a short film trailer, predict and write a story, watch and discuss a short film, and watch and discuss a video in which elderly people give their reactions to the short film.
Language level: Intermediate (B1) – Upper Intermediate (B2)
Learner type: Teens and adults
Time: 90 minutes
Activity: Practicing expressions using the word “heart”, watching a short film trailer, predicting and writing a story, watching and discussing a short film, and watch and discussing a reaction video
Topic: Love
Language: Vocabulary related to love
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.
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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.
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Thank you so much!!!
I just shared the lesson plan on FB with my friends. The very first minute I watched this video I thought of building a lesson plan around it, but you´re always faster!!!
Anyway, thank you very much I’ll definitely test it this week!
Hi Paulina,
Thank you for commenting; I’m very happy you like it; I hope your students like it too.
All the best,
Kieran
Don’t you think you are outright promoting gay relations to CHILDREN?!!! That’s a shame. We, as teachers, have no right to influence kids by disseminating this type of “knowledge”.
Dear Evgenia,
First of all, I would say that if you don’t like the lesson or the theme of the lesson, don’t use it. Why not just say “This lesson isn’t for me”, and move on? Secondly, I don’t think I am “promoting gay relations to children”. I am simply using a short film which illustrates reality for thousands of young people throughout the world (including Russia, I believe) who are attracted to people of their own sex. Would you deny this reality? There is discrimination and even persecution of homosexual people throughout the world- homosexuality is illegal in 74 countries, and homosexuals even face the death penalty in at least 10 countries – Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Somalia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Northern Nigeria where certain states apply Sharia law. Do you deny this reality? Do you agree with this discrimination and persecution of someone’s sexual orientation? Do you think it is a “sin” for someone to love a person of the same sex? Thirdly, you say “We, as teachers, have no right to influence kids by disseminating this type of “knowledge””. What knowledge am I disseminating here? If it is the reality that young people fall in love with and are attracted to members of their own sex, then, yes, I am disseminating this self-evident “knowledge”. I think that one of roles as teachers is to teach our students to be open-minded, tolerant and empathetic.
I wish you well,
Kieran
I do not understand why gay people think they are right and everybody else must accept their dirty lifestyle.
if you are gay, that is your problem, but you do not have the right to influence young kids on that wrong way.
Dear Alfonso,
Firstly, you can use the lesson or not, as you choose. Why not just say “This lesson isn’t for me”, and move on? Secondly, in my opinion, your comments are homophobic and intolerant.
I wish you well,
Kieran
What’s being promoted? Love. Teachers have every right to influence everyone to believe in it.
Kieran, this is a fabulous lesson.
Hi Tyson,
Thanks very much for commenting. I completely agree with you that every teacher has the right to promote love.
All the best,
Kieran
Dear Kieran,
it was lovely to see this short film, which I have seen myself recently, in your lessons. Honestly, it is shaming true that many countries (including Russia, and that is a pity for me) don’t accept such feelings between people of the same sex. Yet it doesn’t mean we have not got such people among us.
And, honestly, I am irritated, no, furious with the fact that I will not be able to use this lesson with my students because of people as Evgenia. Because of the people who prefer to close their eyes on these poor teenagers, puzzled with their feelings. I will just be afraid of losing my job if some such homophobic teachers and even parents know.
Nevertheless, it is a great lesson and maybe one day I will show it to my students when they are ready. When they need it, as they need support from us and not bullying for their nature.
I am sorry for long comment but I am furious with some people who, unfortunately, are one nationality with me and who have such shaming opinion on this subject.
Kind regards,
Yulia
Dear Yulia,
Thanks very much for your kind words and support. I also think it’s sad that some teachers have such intolerant views.
Best wishes,
Kieran
This is a fabulous lesson plan, you must have spent hours trawling through video looking for suitable material! Thank you first the wonderful work you do!
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for commenting; I’m very happy you like it. The video for the elders’ reaction is embedded in the lesson and you only have to copy the YouTube link; the link is also in the PDF file.
All the best,
Kieran
Hi Carla,
The video for the elders’ reaction is embedded in the lesson and you only have to copy the YouTube link; the link is also in the PDF file. You might like to check before commenting.
All the best,
Kieran
Hello Kieran! Let me thank you for sharing with us a lesson plan involving such a beautiful film.
Hi Angelika,
Thanks a lot for commenting and for your kind words about the lesson.
All the best,
Kieran
Wonderful lesson! The topic is Love, just love! Believe me, I didn’t even notice the kids were the same sex, Mah! We are teachers and we must support always tolerance!
Hi Giovanna,
Thanks very much for commenting. I completely agree with you that teachers must support tolerance.
All the best,
Kieran
So glad to see this. Need resources for teachers who may be willing, but don’t know how to, promote love, as Tyson said.
I have lost track of the number of times I’ve used Film English as a place to introduce or build on a topic in all my classes.
Thank you.
Hi Anna,
Thanks so much for commenting. I’m delighted that you enjoy the lesson and find Film English a useful resource.
All the best,
Kieran
Thanks for your work. Promoting love as well as today’s realities.
Hi Otilia,
Thanks very much for your kind words.
All the best,
Kieran
When I saw that this video was going viral, I wondered (perhaps even figured) if/that you would make an accompanying lesson plan.
As usual, you’ve come up with something lovely: some language that students can take home as “something I learned today” along with engaging activities inspired by the film, with a nice follow-up based on a reaction video.
Thank you!
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Thanks a lot for commenting and for your kind words about the lesson- much appreciated.
All the best,
Kieran
Dear Kieran,
This is a quick congratulations message on your website.
After your talk in Montevideo this morning, I browsed through the lesson plans, especially this one: it’s fantastic! Very good taste and choice of materials!
Wishing you all the best,
Adriana
Dear Adriana,
Thanks very much for commenting and for the kind words about the website; I’lm very happy you like the lessons so much. It was great to meet you in Montevideo – I really enjoyed myself there 🙂
All the best,
Kieran
How lovely. What a nice way to introduce this subject of gay love and to strengthen vocabulary using heart.
Hi Laura,
Thanks very much for commenting. I’m delighted you enjoy the lesson and hope your students do too.
All the best,
Kieran
I am totally against that type of love but this is my personal feeling. The lesson, by the way, would let the students to express their feelings on the topic and discuss it deeper. Teachers shouldn’t avoid that type of topics – that is natural life. Students are individuals and it is up to them their future choices. We should guide them through life by letting them know the things that happen in it… Thank you for the perfect material.
Hi Vita,
Thanks very much for commenting and your kind words. I completely agree that teachers shouldn’t avoid these types of topics. Just one question: would you still use this lesson with your students even though you don’t agree with this type of love?
All the best,
Kieran
This film is not for me. I will move on.
By the way, I’m from Russia. I love my country and I accept people who they are and what they are. But I don’t think it is a good idea to promote such a kind of relationship in a young society when teenagers are going through formative years and easily influenced.
What’s more, I don’t feel it would be appropriate to let students see such films at school when we, teachers. are supposed to be neautral to such things.
Hi Maria,
Thanks for commenting. As I’ve already said in a previous comment, I think that one of roles as teachers is to teach our students to be open-minded, tolerant and empathetic. I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on this 🙂
All the best,
Kieran
You are completely right. But now I’d rather my students saw something different.
By the way,great thanks for your contribution.I find your films interesting and provoking. They make my students think about life. Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for the kind words. I’m very happy that the films and lessons make your students think about life.
All the best,
Kieran