B1 ESL Video Lesson Plan: Marathons

Lesson Summary:
This ESL video lesson plan is built around the short video I Ran 365 Marathons in 365 Days and introduces learners to the themes of running, marathons and personal challenges. Designed for Intermediate (B1) to Upper Intermediate (B2) students, the lesson helps learners develop key language skills through guided viewing, video analysis, vocabulary development, discussion tasks, roleplay, article reading and multimodal homework. It encourages critical thinking and reflection through meaningful engagement with the story of an extraordinary personal achievement.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the themes of running, marathons and personal challenges.
• To expand vocabulary related to long-distance running and personal challenges.
• To develop students’ viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills.
• To improve students’ writing skills through creative tasks using new vocabulary.
• To improve students’ speaking skills through roleplay and discussion.
• To develop students’ visual representing skills through multimodal homework tasks.

Lesson Activities:
• Vocabulary preparation and warm-up
• Pre-viewing questions on running and marathons
• Viewing and comprehension of a short video
• Quotations discussion
• Roleplay inspired by a charity fitness event
• Reading the article How Ordinary People Complete Extraordinary Challenges: Eight Strategies to Complete Challenges
• Article comprehension and reflection
• Writing tasks and multimodal assignments

Learner Type:
Mature teens and adults at B1–B2 level

Language Focus:
Vocabulary related to long-distance running and personal challenges

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 short video.

Remember that Individual Membership and Institutional Membership of Film English Club allow unlimited access to all 800+ Film English Club Video Lesson Plans, Extensive Viewing Guides and Film Study Worksheets.

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

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.