A better way to brainstorm

Title separator

Giving suggestions

giving suggestions

LESSON OVERVIEW

In this lesson, students watch a video about a brainstorming method, learn English phrases for giving suggestions and practise vocabulary related to brainstorming. 

B1 / Intermediate75 minStandard LessonUnlimited Plan

VIDEO & GIVING SUGGESTIONS

In the warm-up activity, students look at two photos of people brainstorming and discuss some questions about them. They also talk about brainstorming in general. Then, students watch the first part of the video to see what the problems with brainstorming in a group are. Before watching the second part of the video, they suggest how the problems might be avoided. Then, they watch the rest of the video and put the steps of the brainstorming method from the video in the correct order. After the viewing, they share their thoughts on the method. Next, students look at some sentences from a brainstorming session and find the phrases which can be used for giving suggestions (e.g. What about…?, I think we should…?, Why don’t we…?). They also practise using the phrases by giving suggestions on how to solve some problems. 

VOCABULARY & A BRAINSTORMING SESSION

In this part of the lesson, students work with a case study. First, they read a dialogue as an introduction to the problem. Then, they look at some vocabulary in the dialogue (e.g. deal with, come up with, decide on) and match it with meanings. They also need to answer some questions about the dialogue using the new vocabulary. After that, they read an email which further explains what the problem is. They need to brainstorm ideas for solving the problem using the brainstorming method from the video. They also have to use the phrases for giving suggestions which they learned in the first part of the lesson. 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This worksheet includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. It’s available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

 

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. tutor4U

    I can’t wait to try this! Yes it may take longer but the opportunity to hear from everyone is so much more inclusive!
    Awesome concept, thanks so much for sharing.

    1. Iulia

      Hi!:)
      We’re so happy to hear that you find the content useful and the lesson engaging.

  2. Daryna Melnyk

    super, thank you

  3. Joanne Harland

    Hello

    I have used this lesson with a few students and they all complain that the background music in the video is much too loud. Something to think about when creating a lesson for your students.

    1. Iulia

      Hello, Joanne. That’s a good point, thank you. We’ll do our best to avoid this in our future lessons.

  4. KareenJ

    I liked this one because it presented practical language and practised it then also had revision – I work one to one so I had to amend one of the final exercises but that was fine. My student struggled with the listening though so we put the subtitles on and replayed it about 3/4 times. All in all, a very stimulating and useful lesson!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
ESL lesson on ghost kitchens
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Why own a restaurant if you can rent a kitchen?

Business

Talk about food ordering services! Students explore statistics about food delivery, review phrases for discussing food-service topics and watch a video about a delivery-only restaurant model.

talking about brands
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

The power of brands

Business Lifestyle

Get students talking about brands with this lesson! They share their views, learn the brand and the common name for products and watch a video on this topic. Students can also do an extra vocabulary task.

ESL speaking lesson about celebrities
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Life of a celebrity

General Lifestyle

Talk about the lives of famous people in this ESL lesson about celebrities! Students share opinions, explore how celebrities live and watch a video about a retired celebrity who now lives on a farm.

ESL lesson on eating out
B1 / Intermediate
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

Let’s eat out!

General

Work on dining situations with this ESL lesson on eating out! Students talk about going out to eat, review useful vocabulary and share experiences. They also listen to restaurant dialogues and role-play dining scenarios.

useful role-play situations
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

New place, new start

General

Practise useful language for moving to a new place! In this worksheet, students talk about housing, money, getting around and neighbours. They listen to short conversations and explore real-life dialogues through role-plays.

ESL lesson on business models
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

How businesses make money

Business

Talk about what makes a business successful in this ESL lesson on business models! Students practise business vocabulary, watch a video on all-you-can-eat restaurants and create their own business ideas.

giving suggestions politely
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Giving feedback on creative work

Business

Practise giving suggestions politely! Students discuss creative jobs, explore useful phrases for giving and responding to suggestions and watch a funny video in which famous painters work with clients. Students also do a role-play!

phrases for complaints
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Sorry to bother you, but… (making complaints)

Business General

Practise useful phrases for complaints! Students watch a video about complaining in restaurants and explore polite ways to make and respond to complaints. They also role-play complaint situations.

phrases for likes and dislikes
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Pineapple pizza isn’t my thing

General

Talk about favourite dishes with this lesson! Students share experiences, watch part of a video on American presidents’ favourite foods and practise phrases for asking about preferences and expressing likes and dislikes.

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
Close icon
Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of ESL Brains access!
Gift of ESL Brains access