Our standalone lessons
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Critical Reading Club 30 min
Why eating locally is not enough
Global IssuesIn this worksheet students practise some language related to food’s carbon footprint. They also discuss their food choices and the factors that influence them.
Standard Lesson 45 min
Let’s go hiking!
LifestyleIn this lesson students learn hiking vocabulary, read some tips, watch a video about hiking and decide what they would and wouldn’t take on a hike.
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.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
The gig economy: good or bad for workers?
BusinessThis lesson plan gives students the opportunity to learn and practise words related to freelance work and discuss pros and cons of the gig economy.
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
The best food is in…
LifestyleThis lesson plan includes tasks on food-related words and a lot of activities for talking about food. Your students will also watch a video about dishes from different countries and discuss their eating preferences.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Why do people cheat in online games?
LifestyleIn this lesson, students practise some language related to breaking and following rules, and discuss the reasons behind cheating in online games.
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
Layoffs and cutbacks can lead to start-ups (phrasal nouns)
BusinessIn this lesson, students read a short article about a start-up surge and learn some phrasal nouns by working out their meaning from the context. They also use the phrasal nouns in a discussion and a crossword.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Bitcoin goes mainstream! Is cryptocurrency here to stay?
BusinessIn this advanced lesson, students learn some language related to money and cryptocurrencies and discuss what the fact that Bitcoin has gone mainstream entails.
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 60 min
When I want to feel comfortable, I wear…
LifestyleIn this lesson, students learn how to use the verbs look (like) and feel (like) and watch an ad for a shirt. They also do several A2 speaking activities, which gives them plenty of opportunities to talk about clothes.
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.
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Lying in your garbage
Global Issues LifestyleIn this lesson plan on zero waste students learn new vocabulary related to the word garbage while reflecting on small changes they could make to live a more eco-friendly life. They also watch two videos and practise their listening skills.
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 45 min
It will never catch on! (will for predictions)
Grammar TechnologyIn this lesson on predictions, students learn and practice the use of the Future Simple tense to predict what will happen, and discuss how life will be different in the future.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
How much control should the state have over children’s upbringing?
Global Issues LifestyleIn this lesson students engage in a discussion on the control the state should have over children’s upbringing and discover some vocabulary related to the topic.
Standard Lesson 75 min
I’m afraid that’s outside the scope of this meeting
BusinessIn this lesson, students reflect on ways to make a business meeting more productive and practise some useful phrases for business meetings. They also act out typical workplace situations.
Standard Lesson 60 min
When in Rome…
Grammar LifestyleIn this culture lesson students talk about social norms in different parts of the world. They also watch four short videos about polite behaviour in different cultures and write a blog post with advice for foreigners visiting their country.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Who should tackle misinformation on social media?
Global IssuesWith this lesson plan students learn and practise some useful news language and reflect on the problem of misinformation on social media.
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 60 min
The circular economy
BusinessIn this lesson, students discover pros and cons of the linear and circular economy and learn some new vocabulary and collocations related to the topic. They also work on a case study and come up with strategies to transform a company following a linear model into a more circular one.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Dealing with plastic waste
Global IssuesThis lesson gives students the opportunity to discover some language related to plastic pollution, discuss the problem of plastic waste and reflect on some eco-friendly ways to deal with other types of waste.
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
How are new words created?
GeneralIn this lesson about the origins of new words in English, students practise their listening skills, figure out the meanings of some newly formed words and eventually create their own new words.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Is being creative enough to succeed in innovation?
Business TechnologyIn this worksheet, students look for synonyms of some advanced phrases, practise word formation and reflect on what it takes to succeed in innovation.
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 60 min
Is science denial worse than it’s ever been?
Global Issues TechnologyWith this lesson plan, students reflect on a video about the role of science in the modern world, expand their vocabulary and hold a lively class debate.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Is it ‘OK not to be OK’ when you’re an athlete?
Business LifestyleIn this lesson students learn words and expressions related to mental health while talking about mental health issues suffered by athletes. They also discuss ways to promote mental health by public institutions.
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.
Critical Reading Club 30 min
Are we lonelier than ever?
LifestyleIn this lesson about loneliness, students get the opportunity to practise word formation and reflect on changes in their relationships with friends.
Flipped Lesson 45 min
A whole new universe
Grammar TechnologyIn this lesson about Facebook’s metaverse, students learn and practise intensifiers while discussing positive and negative aspects of metaverse environments.
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.
Flipped Lesson 45 min
Are we prisoners of our habits? (used to structures)
Grammar LifestyleIn this lesson about habits, students revise three used to structures and learn phrases with the word habit. They also watch a video about neuroplasticity and reflect on different aspects of some common habits developed by people.
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.
