B2 ESL Lesson Plan: Phones and Relationships

Lesson Summary

How do phones influence the way we connect with other people? This B2–C1 ESL lesson plan invites adult learners to explore relationships, intimacy and digital communication through the short video What Is Your Phone Doing to Your Relationships? Students examine the challenges of divided attention and consider how digital habits can support or weaken human connection.

The lesson also includes the article Eight Ways to Protect Relationships in a Digital World, which offers practical ideas for thoughtful communication, shared attention and healthy boundaries.

Learning Objectives

• To introduce the themes of relationships and human connection in a digital world.
• To build vocabulary related to relationships, intimacy and digital communication.
• To develop viewing, listening and reading comprehension.
• To practise speaking and critical thinking through discussion and roleplay.
• To develop writing skills through reflection and creative tasks.
• To practise visual representing through multimodal homework.

Lesson Activities

Learners discuss their views on relationships and phone use before predicting and watching the video. They answer comprehension questions, analyse the speaker’s argument and write a short reflection using new vocabulary.

A roleplay gives students practice in negotiating phone boundaries. Reading comprehension, article discussion and further writing activities help them evaluate practical ways to protect relationships.

Learner Type

Adults.

Language Level

Upper Intermediate (B2) – Advanced (C1).

Language Focus

Vocabulary related to relationships, intimacy and digital communication, together with language for discussing expectations, expressing agreement and disagreement, offering advice and reaching compromises.

Time

90–120 minutes.

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.

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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

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.