B2 ESL Video Lesson Plan: How Isolation Affects the Brain

Lesson Summary:
This Upper Intermediate (B2) to Advanced (C1) ESL lesson plan is built around the short video What Happens to Your Brain Without Any Social Contact? and explores the theme of isolation and its effects on the brain and mental health. The lesson helps learners develop language skills and critical awareness through vocabulary work, video analysis, group discussion, roleplay, and reading an article titled The Science of Loneliness and the Human Brain. It encourages reflection on the importance of social connection and mental well-being.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the concept of isolation and its effects on the brain and mental health
• To expand vocabulary related to isolation, the brain and mental health
• To develop students’ viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills
• To improve speaking skills through roleplay and discussions using new vocabulary
• To develop students’ writing skills through creative tasks using new vocabulary
• To practise critical thinking through discussion and reflection

Lesson Activities:
• Vocabulary-building activities
• Viewing and comprehension tasks
• Group discussion and analysis
• Roleplay and creative writing exercises
• Reading and reflection on The Science of Loneliness and the Human Brain
• Critical thinking and multimodal homework tasks

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

Language Focus:
• Isolation
• The brain and mental health
• Emotional well-being
• Human connection
• Psychological resilience

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
• 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.