Explore our lesson plans
Standard Lesson 60 min
Save the ocean, save yourself
Global IssuesIn this A2 lesson about the environment, students watch a video about five tips on how to save the ocean, learn some vocabulary related to the environment and do several speaking tasks.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Cultural appropriation
General Global IssuesIn this lesson, students watch a video about cultural appropriation in fashion and learn some vocabulary. The lesson also includes lots of speaking activities for advanced students.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Stay interested, stay motivated – first lesson with new students
GeneralThis ESL worksheet can be used in the first lesson with new students. In the lesson, students discuss their interests, watch a video about motivation, and do vocabulary and grammar tasks.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Life is better outdoors!
GeneralIn this lesson, students watch a video about Taiwan and practise vocabulary related to nature and free time activities.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Put a ring on it
GeneralIn this lesson, students learn idioms and phrasal verbs with put. They also practise working out the meaning from context, and have an opportunity to use the new language in speaking activities.
Standard Lesson 75 min
Sharpen your critical thinking (CAE Speaking Part 3)
General GrammarWith this lesson plan, students evaluate the validity of arguments using the information from a video about logical fallacies. They also practise conjunctions and do a Cambridge CAE Speaking Part 3 activity.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Advanced vocabulary activities
GeneralThis is a set of ESL vocabulary activities rather than a typical ESL Brains lesson plan. Each of the activities can be used separately as a time filler, a warm-up, etc.
Standard Lesson 60 min
How many pints in a litre?
GeneralIn this lesson students practise talking about measurements in English and watch a video about some issues caused by the differences between the metric and non-metric systems. They also discuss problems that people face because of these differences.
Standard Lesson 90 min
Families – extended, nuclear, chosen
Global Issues LifestyleIn this advanced speaking lesson students will practise some vocabulary and watch a video about the history of the nuclear family. They will also discuss some statistics and talk about the changing family model.
Standard Lesson 75 min
Has cancel culture gone too far?
Global IssuesIn this lesson students learn vocabulary useful to talk about cancel culture, do a CAE multiple-choice cloze task, watch a video, and get the opportunity to discuss cancel culture and freedom of speech in depth.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Waste less (First Conditional)
Global IssuesIn this lesson students practise the use of First Conditional, watch a video about grocery shopping and discuss how we can waste less.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Let me tell you how I feel
GeneralWith this lesson plan, students watch a funny video about a girl who feels different emotions and learn adjectives to describe feelings. Students also get plenty of opportunities to speak about how they feel in different situations.
Standard Lesson 45 min
Slow or slowly? – adjectives and adverbs
General GrammarIn this lesson students learn the difference between adjectives and adverbs and learn how to create adverbs of manner. They also practise their use in several controlled and free activities.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Is there an ‘a’ in ‘weak’? (spelling games)
GeneralIn this lesson, students learn how to ask for spelling clarification and get a lot of practice through several spelling games.
Standard Lesson 60 min
I wish I could but I don’t want to
GeneralIn this lesson students watch a video about strategies for saying ‘no’ in English and discover some useful phrases to say ‘no’ politely. They also put them into practice through a role-play.
Standard Lesson 60 min
The things that we do when nobody is looking – defining relative clauses
General GrammarWith this lesson plan students learn and practise using defining relative clauses. They also watch a short animated video and talk about the things that people do when they are alone.
Standard Lesson 60 min
What makes you laugh? (synonyms for laugh)
GeneralIn this lesson students study advanced synonyms for laugh, watch a video about laughter and discuss different aspects of laughter.
Standard Lesson 45 min
Who am I? – guessing game
GrammarIn this lesson students play an A2 guessing game which creates a lot of opportunities to practise forming yes or no questions in the present and in the past and have some fun while doing it.