Explore our lesson plans
Standard Lesson 60 min
Become a confident English speaker
LifestyleWith this conversation lesson plan students get plenty of opportunities to talk about their experience with English outside the classroom. They also watch a video, read three short texts and learn some useful vocabulary.
Standard Lesson 75 min
It’s so hot right now!
Business TechnologyIn this lesson students learn expressions to talk about trends and watch a video about one of new buzzwords, i.e. NFTs.
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 60 min
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer
LifestyleWith this travel worksheet, pre-intermediate students can talk about how travelling changes them and learn some useful vocabulary. They also read a short text, watch a video about dream travel destinations and write an email.
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
Unconventional business model
BusinessIn this lesson, students learn about furniture retailer IKEA and discuss its business model. Then, they come up with their own business idea for a shop.
Standard Lesson 75 min
How to start a conversation with a stranger
LifestyleIn this lesson, students learn and create different conversation starters. They also watch a video about a man who talked to 100 strangers and do a role-play activity.
Standard Lesson 75 min
The art of giving feedback
BusinessIn this lesson, students discover a formula to help them give great feedback and learn some useful phrases for giving and receiving feedback in English. They also watch a video about giving feedback and learn vocabulary related to it.
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
Rethinking your mindset
Business LifestyleWith this speaking lesson plan, students watch a video about growth and fixed mindsets and get plenty of opportunities to discuss them. They also learn some collocations referring to challenges and development, as well as practise word formation.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Those who influence us the most online
Lifestyle TechnologyIn this lesson, students work with some easily confused words, practise the use of prepositions, and watch a video about micro-influencers. They also have a discussion about the effect, impact and influence that we experience in different areas of life.
Standard Lesson 75 min
Your smartphone is a library and Google is a librarian (verb-noun collocations)
TechnologyIn this lesson students learn verb-noun collocations related to searching and sharing information online, compare how information exchange is different now than it was 20 year ago, and watch a video about libraries.
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 45 min
Can you figure it out? ESL vocabulary puzzles
BusinessThis is a set of ESL vocabulary puzzles rather than a typical ESL Brains lesson plan. Each of the puzzles can be used separately as a time filler, a warm-up, etc.
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 60 min
Will your future clothes be made like this?
Lifestyle TechnologyIn this lesson students practise their listening skills while watching a video about 3D printed clothes. They also work with advanced synonyms for make and discuss the implications of 3D printing technology.
Standard Lesson 75 min
The right to rest and other employment laws
BusinessIn this lesson students learn vocabulary related to the topic of employment law, watch a video about a new law passed in Portugal and share their views on employment regulations around the world.
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.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Behind every success there are dozens of failures
BusinessIn this lesson about success and failure students watch an interview with Jeff Bezos and learn a few idioms related to failure. They also put them into practice through a role-play activity involving different aspects of business failures.
Standard Lesson 75 min
If he hadn’t pressed the button, nothing would have happened
GrammarIn this lesson about hypothetical situations in the past, students learn the Third Conditional in English and practise its structure through a variety of written and oral activities.
Standard Lesson 60 min
It’s kind of my favourite stuff (vague language)
LifestyleIn this lesson, students watch a video and learn how to use some vague language in English while talking about their favourite things in life.
Standard Lesson 75 min
Better. Faster. Stronger (comparative and superlative adjectives)
Grammar TechnologyIn this lesson based on a video about technology then and now, students learn and practise comparative and superlative adjectives while discussing how their favourite gadgets have changed over time.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Closing the gender pay gap
Business Global IssuesWith this lesson plan, students talk about gender stereotypes, watch a video and discuss the factors driving the gender pay gap. They also reflect on solutions to this problem and discover some expressions with the word root.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Gift giving
LifestyleIn this lesson plan about gift giving students discover expressions with the word gift. They also practise their listening skills with a video clip from Friends and share their experience of giving and receiving gifts.
Standard Lesson 90 min
Everyone has it, but no one can lose it: indefinite pronouns
GrammarWith this lesson plan students learn how to use indefinite pronouns and get the opportunity to put them into practice through a series of written and oral exercises.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Are emojis making us dumber?
GeneralIn this lesson about emojis students not only learn words to describe some common features of nonverbal communication, but they also watch a video and reflect on the role of emojis in digital communication.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Could you live without your sense of smell?
GeneralIn this lesson students practise their listening skills, revise sense verbs and learn to describe objects using sense verbs and adjectives.
Standard Lesson 75 min
Kindness means everything (irregular past forms)
General GrammarIn this lesson based on a video about kindness, students revise irregular past forms, practise them by re-telling a story in the past and eventually tell their own stories.
Standard Lesson 45 min
When bad means good
GeneralIn this lesson students discover different meanings as well as expressions with good and bad. They also get an opportunity to put them into practice while reacting to some real-life situations.
Standard Lesson 60 min
The best shindig ever!
LifestyleIn this lesson students watch a video on how to host a party, learn and practise some informal party words and phrases and engage in a role-play. Just a friendly reminder – this is a lesson for adults.
