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ESL Lesson Plans

ESL lesson plans for English language teachers and students designed around short films and videos.

A Single Life

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled A Single Life and the theme of stages of life. In the lesson students practise vocabulary related to the stages of life, discuss stages of life, watch a short film, and speak and write about it.

A Small Escape

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled A Small Escape and the themes of creativity and imagination. Students predict the story of a short film, watch a short film, write a story inspired by a short film, discuss a short film, come up with imaginative and creative uses of everyday objects and reflect on the lesson.

A Thousand Words

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film called A Thousand Words by Ted Chung. Students predict a story from its title, watch the start of a short film and make predictions about how a story will continue and write a story.

A Visual Manifesto

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled A Visual Manifesto, and the themes of images and visual literacy. Students choose an image they like, describe an image to another students, watch a short film with the sound off, write a voiceover for the film, read a transcript, analyse a short film, talk about images and visual literacy, reflect on the lesson.

Active Citizens

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled What is Active Citizens? and the theme of citizenship. Students learn vocabulary related to citizenship, talk about citizenship, predict the content of a short video, watch a short video, answer comprehension questions, analyse a short video, read an article and reflect on the lesson.

Adult Literacy

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled Adult Literacy and the theme of literacy. Students learn vocabulary related to literacy, talk about literacy, predict the content of a short video, watch a short video, answer comprehension questions, analyse a short video, perform a roleplay and reflect on the lesson.

Albert and Aidan Sykes

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled Albert and Aidan Sykes, and the themes of family and racism. In the lesson students do a dictation, predict the answer to questions, listen to an interview, answer comprehension questions, watch two short videos, and speak about the videos.

Ali’s Story

This ESL lesson plan is designed around an animated short film and the theme of refugees. Students practise vocabulary related to refugees, speak about refugees, watch a short film, retell a story, answer comprehension questions, talk about a short film, empathise with refugee children, reflect on the lesson and write an account of a refugee child fleeing their country.

Alike

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled Alike. In the lesson students practise using alike, adjectives to describe character and routines, watch a short film, predict how the film will end and speak about the film.

All That We Share

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled All That We Share by Danish TV channel TV2Danmark. In the lesson students talk about the communities they belong to, find out what they share with their classmates, watch and discuss a video about what a community shares.

Alma

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled Alma and the theme of character. Students learn vocabulary related to character, talk about their own character, predict the content of a short film, watch a short film, answer comprehension questions, discuss a short film, write a sequel to a short film and reflect on the lesson.

Alternative Math

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled Alternative Math by David Maddox and Malcolm Morrison, and the themes of maths and alternative facts. Students learn vocabulary related to maths, talk about maths, watch a short film and answer comprehension questions, predict the end of a story and speak about the film.

Amar

This ESL lesson is designed around a short film Amar by Andrew Hinton which focuses on a single day in the life of a fourteen-year-old Indian boy. Students practise talking about their present and past daily routines, and compare their routines with those of the boy featured in the film.

Anger

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled Why anger is overrated and the theme of anger. Students learn vocabulary related to anger, talk about anger, predict the content of a short video, watch a short video, answer comprehension questions, analyse a short video, perform a roleplay and reflect on the lesson.

Archie

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short film titled Archie and the theme of inheritances. Students learn vocabulary related to inheritances, talk about inheritances, watch the start of a short film, predict the end of a short film, answer comprehension questions, analyse a short film, write a sequel to a short film and reflect on the lesson.

Are you a good listener?

This ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled 4 things all great listeners know and the theme of good listening. Students talk about being a good listener, predict the content of a short video, watch a short video, answer comprehension questions, analyse a short video, perform a roleplay and reflect on the lesson.