Intrinsic Motivation

Lesson Summary:
This complete ESL video lesson plan, Un-Sabotage Yourself with Intrinsic Motivation, explores the themes of motivation and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Designed for Upper Intermediate (B2) to Advanced (C1) learners, it helps students build vocabulary related to motivation, psychology and personal values. Through viewing, discussion, reading and creative tasks, students deepen their understanding of what drives motivation and how it shapes behaviour.

Learning Objectives:

• To introduce students to the themes of motivation and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

• To expand vocabulary related to motivation, psychology and personal values

• To develop viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills

• To improve speaking through discussion, roleplay and critical reflection

• To enhance writing through creative and analytical tasks

• To strengthen multimodal skills through creative homework projects

Lesson Activities:

• Discuss motivation and types of motivation

• Predict and watch a short video

• Answer comprehension and discussion questions

• Analyse and reflect on key ideas from the video

• Perform a roleplay about motivation and personal growth

• Read and discuss The Power of Intrinsic Motivation in Language Learning

• Complete comprehension and writing tasks

• Reflect on learning through creative homework

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

Language Focus:

• Vocabulary on motivation, psychology and personal values

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.