B2 ESL Video Lesson Plan: Working in a Prison

Lesson Summary:
This Upper Intermediate (B2) to Advanced (C1) ESL video lesson plan is built around a thought-provoking short video that explores prisons, their role in society and the realities of working in a prison environment. Learners engage with authentic perspectives, analyse quotations, read an in-depth article on invisible jobs and develop language skills through viewing, discussion and creative activities.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the theme of prisons and their role in society.
• To introduce students to the realities of working in a prison environment.
• To expand students’ vocabulary related to prisons, institutional work and trauma.
• To develop students’ viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills.
• To develop students’ writing skills through reflective and creative tasks using new vocabulary.
• To improve students’ speaking skills through discussion and roleplay using topic-specific language.
• To improve students’ visual representing skills though multimodal composition homework tasks.
• To practise critical thinking through analysis, reflection and ethical discussion.

Lesson Activities:
• Introducing key themes and activating background knowledge.
• Pre-viewing discussion and prediction.
• Viewing a short video with guided comprehension tasks.
• Analysing quotations and institutional perspectives.
• Reading and discussing an article on invisible public service work.
• Roleplay and reflective speaking tasks.
• Writing and multimodal follow-up activities.

Learner Type:
Upper Intermediate (B2) to Advanced (C1) mature teens and adults.

Language Focus:
• Vocabulary related to prisons and institutional work.
• Language of trauma, visibility and responsibility.

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
• Promote social-emotional learning (SEL)
• 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.

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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.