Explore our lesson plans
Standard Lesson 60 min
E-waste recycling
Global Issues TechnologyIn this lesson, students watch a video, learn C2 vocabulary related to recycling, and discuss some ideas for solving the e-waste problem.
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.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Non-native speakers or lifelong learners?
GeneralIn this lesson students discuss the accuracy of different terms referring to non-native English speakers, do a word-formation activity and talk about the article they read at home.
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
There are only two things certain in life…
Business GeneralWith this upper-intermediate lesson plan students discuss the welfare state, watch a video about taxes in Sweden, and learn some useful vocabulary.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
On the way to zero food waste
Global Issues LifestyleIn this lesson, intermediate students discuss food waste, share some tips on how not to waste food and learn some useful vocabulary.
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
‘I owe you one!’ and other informal expressions
GeneralIn this lesson, students learn some informal expressions in English which are used instead of common phrases like ‘I understand’. They also watch two sets of short video clips, and practise using the new language.
Standard Lesson 60 min
Don’t stop talking! – A2–B1 speaking activities
GeneralThis pre-intermediate conversation worksheet consists of five speaking activities which can be used as fillers or warm-up tasks. The activities are suitable for a group of students, as well as for a one-on-one class.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Is it easy to be kind?
GeneralIn this lesson students talk about how acts of kindness are perceived nowadays, practise some useful phrases used in the article they read at home, and discuss how kind they would be in different situations.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Menstrual leave sparks debate
Business Global IssuesIn this lesson, students learn advanced words and phrases to express opinions, talk about the idea of menstrual leave and hold a debate.
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.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Are we all content creators?
GeneralIn this lesson students discuss who a content creator is and practise some vocabulary useful when defining vague terms.
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.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Are we becoming less materialistic?
Global Issues LifestyleIn this lesson, students talk about materialism and how the pandemic influenced our view of material gains, and do a transformation task.
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.