adverbs of manner
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 45 min

Slow or slowly? – adjectives and adverbs

General Grammar

In 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.

warehouse stores vocabulary
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Unconventional business model

Business

In 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.

worksheet on employee benefits
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

What motivates you at work?

Business

In this worksheet on employee benefits, students learn vocabulary and watch a video about companies offering cool perks. They also have plenty of opportunities to discuss benefits and other things which motivate them at work.

conversation starters
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

How to start a conversation with a stranger

Lifestyle

In 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.

phrasal verbs with away
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Chasing the birds away (phrasal verbs with away)

General

In this lesson students learn and practise phrasal verbs with away, watch a video about a dog working at an airport and discuss the jobs dogs do.

phrases for giving and receiving feedback
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 75 min

The art of giving feedback

Business

In 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. 

spelling games
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Is there an ‘a’ in ‘weak’? (spelling games)

General

In this lesson, students learn how to ask for spelling clarification and get a lot of practice through several spelling games. 

giving a presentation
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Presentation: putting skills into action

Business

With this lesson plan, students practise giving a presentation in English by doing a lot of different speaking activities. The lesson is the third of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

speaking lesson plan
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Rethinking your mindset

Business Lifestyle

With 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.

phrases for presentations
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

Moving through your presentation

Business

With this lesson plan, students learn plenty of useful phrases for presentations in English. They also prepare presentation excerpts, and learn how to start a presentation. The lesson is the second of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

easily confused words
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Those who influence us the most online

Lifestyle Technology

In 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. 

business presentations in English
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

How to nail that presentation

Business

In this lesson about business presentations in English, students discuss presentation structures in depth, watch a video with tips on giving presentations, and learn useful words and phrases related to the topic. The lesson is the first of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

verb-noun collocations
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

Your smartphone is a library and Google is a librarian (verb-noun collocations)

Technology

In 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. 

saying no in English
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

I wish I could but I don’t want to

General

In 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.

hiking vocabulary
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 45 min

Let’s go hiking!

Lifestyle

In 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. 

defining relative clauses
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

The things that we do when nobody is looking – defining relative clauses

General Grammar

With 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. 

ESL vocabulary puzzles
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 45 min

Can you figure it out? ESL vocabulary puzzles

Business

This 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.

talking about food
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

The best food is in…

Lifestyle

This 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.

synonyms for laugh
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

What makes you laugh? (synonyms for laugh)

General

In this lesson students study advanced synonyms for laugh, watch a video about laughter and discuss different aspects of laughter. 

phrasal nouns lesson plan
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Layoffs and cutbacks can lead to start-ups (phrasal nouns)

Business

In 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.

advanced synonyms for make
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Will your future clothes be made like this?

Lifestyle Technology

In 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.

A2 speaking activities
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

When I want to feel comfortable, I wear…

Lifestyle

In 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.

employment law English
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

The right to rest and other employment laws

Business

In 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.

A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 45 min

Who am I? – guessing game

Grammar

In 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.

future simple tense
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 45 min

It will never catch on! (will for predictions)

Grammar Technology

In 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. 

phrases for business meetings
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

I’m afraid that’s outside the scope of this meeting

Business

In 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.

ESL culture lesson
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

When in Rome…

Grammar Lifestyle

In 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. 

C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Behind every success there are dozens of failures

Business

In 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.

circular economy
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

The circular economy

Business

In 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.

third conditional
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

If he hadn’t pressed the button, nothing would have happened

Grammar

In 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.

origins of new words
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

How are new words created?

General

In 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.

vague language in English
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

It’s kind of my favourite stuff (vague language)

Lifestyle

In this lesson, students watch a video and learn how to use some vague language in English while talking about their favourite things in life.

class debate in English
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Is science denial worse than it’s ever been?

Global Issues Technology

With 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.

comparative and superlative adjectives
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 75 min

Better. Faster. Stronger (comparative and superlative adjectives)

Grammar Technology

In 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. 

C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Closing the gender pay gap

Business Global Issues

With 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.

A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Gift giving

Lifestyle

In 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.

1 10 11 12 13 14 18
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