☀️ Back-to-school ready: Get more with an annual plan - save 25% before the term rush hits. Use code BACK2SCHL25. Ends July 31. Subscribe now →

My perfect day

Title separator

Speaking
Class

ESL lesson on enjoying life

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this ESL lesson on enjoying life are to:

  • talk about ways to appreciate life and be present in the moment;
  • watch the trailer for a film called Perfect Days;
  • discuss problems and solutions for different things in life.

With this lesson, students imagine their perfect day, watch a video about the film Perfect Days and talk about being present and valuing the moment. They read about activities that promote presence and simple joys, think of problems based on different topics and give advice. Students can also do an extra vocabulary activity where they explore phrases to talk about enjoying life (e.g. feel grateful for, live in the moment, see beauty in).

A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
B1 / Intermediate
45 min
60 min
Speaking ClassUnlimited Plan

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP AND VIDEO

Before this ESL lesson on enjoying life starts, students can do an optional vocabulary activity containing useful phrases for the lesson (e.g. live in the moment, feel grateful for, enjoy simple pleasures). Afterwards, they begin with a warm-up where they imagine their perfect day. Students complete statements (e.g. On my perfect day, I don’t…). Following that, they watch a video about the film Perfect Days. Next, students talk about the main character’s life using phrases about enjoying life (e.g. live in the moment, see beauty in, slow down). After that, they discuss questions about mindfulness and appreciating the present.

DISCUSSION

In this part of the ESL lesson on enjoying life, students discuss different things (e.g. city, friend, holiday) by answering questions about perfection and enjoyment. They then read about activities that help people be more present and enjoy a simple routine (grounding technique, eating mindfully and journaling). After that, students discuss them based on past experiences, interest in trying new techniques and suggestions for other helpful activities. Next, students get cards with different topics (e.g. travel, have a hobby, screen time) and think of a problem for each of them. Their partner listens and gives them advice on how to improve the situation without making big changes.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Jenny Mira

    Just used this lesson today. My student loved it and so did I!

    1. Olia

      Thank you for your comment! We’re glad you loved it 🙂

  2. isaadoraribeiro

    This lesson is incredible! I’m a huge fan of this film and I always recommend it to my students, so I’m pretty much excited to use this with other students! 😀

    1. Olia

      Thanks! I love the film too. Hope your students will enjoy the lesson as much as I did creating it 😊

  3. Jojorasta

    Wonderful lesson! Eager to use it tomorrow.

    1. Olia

      Thanks! Let us know how it goes – we’d love to hear how your students like it 🙂

  4. De 7 em 7 JDC

    Great lesson!

    1. Olia

      Glad you liked it 😀

  5. Ju Cislaghi

    The lesson is great, but I must say that I hate hidden slides. Include them in the lesson when it’s vocabulary, it’s annoying having to start the lesson with “vocabulary” instead of the name of the slideshow, you know what I mean?
    Even though, this was really fun to do even with younger students

    1. Olia

      Thanks so much for the feedback! We only use hidden slides when a task is optional – this way, teachers can decide whether to include it or skip it depending on their students and their needs.

  6. Sophie Krysiak

    You guys do such great work!

    1. Olia

      Thank you 🤗

  7. canacampos

    Interesting class. I loved the video!

    1. Olia

      Thanks so much! We’re glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  8. Troy

    Do you think this lesson could be used for higher levels such as B1+/C1? And, how? Thank you!

    1. Olia

      Absolutely! Speaking lessons are usually very adaptable – you can simply pre-teach more advanced vocabulary and encourage students to use it during the discussion.

  9. Marco_C

    Really great lesson, allows for good communication and relatable! Thank you!

    1. Olia

      So happy to hear that😊

  10. Katerina Tsiplacis

    What an absolutely beautiful lesson, thank you 😉

    1. Olia

      Thank you so much, that means a lot😊

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
ESL lesson on overtourism
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Are tourists still welcome?

Global Issues Lifestyle

Get students discussing famous sights with this ESL lesson on overtourism! They debate mass tourism, practise useful phrases and watch a video about annoying tourist behaviour. Students also imagine planning a budget to fight overtourism. 

ESL lesson on performing arts
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Let’s go to an arts festival

General

Talk about live entertainment with this ESL lesson on performing arts! Students practise useful vocabulary, watch a video about an arts festival and work on pronunciation. They also work in pairs to design their own festival.

ESL lesson on public speaking
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Public speaking

Business General

Talk about experiences and strategies with this ESL lesson on public speaking! Students practise useful collocations, watch a video about sharing ideas and prepare a two-minute talk. They also exchange peer feedback.

ESL lesson about siblings
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Siblings and success

General

Discuss family dynamics with this ESL lesson about siblings! Students read an article about success and birth order, talk about the family’s impact on achievement and review useful vocabulary.

ESL lesson on parties
A1 / Elementary | A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

Party time

General Lifestyle

Get students to discuss various celebrations with this ESL lesson on parties! They practise vocabulary for social events, work on the pronunciation of /ɛ/ and /ɜː/ sounds and share their opinions and experiences.

ESL lesson on object pronouns
A1 / Elementary | A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Do you do it online or offline? (object pronouns)

General Grammar

Discuss shopping preferences with this ESL lesson on object pronouns! Students review vocabulary for buying and returning items, practise object pronouns and watch a video about shopping online and in person.

dental health vocabulary
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

At the dentist’s

General

Help your students master dental health vocabulary! In this lesson, they discuss experiences, watch a video on why some people dislike dental visits and listen to conversations at the dentist’s. They also role-play dental appointments.

ESL lesson on third places
B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Shared spaces

Lifestyle

Discuss social spaces with this ESL lesson on third places! Students read about examples of online and offline community groups, watch a video excerpt on shared places and create social spaces for specific profiles.

travel role-plays
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

How do I get to…? (role-playing)

General

Practise key vocabulary for handling common travel situations! In this worksheet, students explore typical travel scenarios, act out engaging role-plays and work with dialogues. They also play Tic-Tac-Toe.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Title separator
Title separator