Character Strengths

Lesson Summary:
This complete ESL video lesson plan for Upper Intermediate (B2) to Advanced (C1) learners explores the theme of character strengths and how they influence happiness and well-being. It includes engaging classroom activities where students predict, watch and analyse a short video, discuss quotations, practise key vocabulary, perform a roleplay, and read an article titled How to Discover and Develop Your Signature Strengths. It’s ideal for mature teens and adults who want to develop language fluency, psychological insight, and self-awareness through reflective communication.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the concept of character strengths and their impact on happiness and well-being
• To expand vocabulary related to character strengths, psychology and personal development
• To develop students’ listening, viewing and reading comprehension skills
• To enhance writing skills through creative and reflective tasks using new vocabulary
• To improve speaking skills through discussion, critical thinking and roleplay activities
• To foster multimodal literacy through creative homework tasks

Lesson Activities:
• Brainstorm and discuss ideas about virtue and well-being
• Learn and practise vocabulary related to strengths and happiness
• Discuss quotations about character strengths
• Predict and view the short video The Test that Reveals Your Hidden Strengths
• Answer comprehension and analysis questions
• Perform a structured roleplay based on using personal strengths
• Read and discuss the article How to Discover and Develop Your Signature Strengths
• Complete comprehension and reflection tasks

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

Language Focus:
• Vocabulary related to virtues, psychology and personal development
• Expressions for reflection and self-assessment
• Functional language for roleplay and discussion

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.