How well can you swim?

Richard | Aug 28, 2026Aug 25, 2026

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• discuss swimming habits and confidence in the water;
• review swimming vocabulary related to equipment and techniques;
• write a dialogue using the vocabulary.

In this lesson, students discuss their own relationship with swimming and review swimming vocabulary connected to equipment and actions in the water (e.g. float, armbands, tread water, dunk). They read instructions from a swimming lesson to learn the names of different strokes and techniques and say which they can do confidently. Students also write and act out dialogues using vocabulary from the lesson and design their own beginner swimming lesson in pairs.

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This lesson starts with a warm-up in which students discuss questions about their swimming habits and confidence in the water. Afterwards, they read two texts about people who enjoy swimming and match words and phrases in bold with their definitions, reviewing swimming vocabulary (e.g. paddle, hold your breath, splashing, goggles). Moving on, students choose the correct word to complete sentences and continue them using a linker (e.g. however, because, although). Following that, they read short situations and use the vocabulary box to explain the reasons behind each one.

MORE SWIMMING VOCABULARY AND DISCUSSION

In this part of the lesson, students read instructions from a swimming lesson and match swimming vocabulary for different strokes and techniques (e.g. breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, front crawl, somersault, inhale, exhale) with photos. They say which of these they can do confidently, which they can do but not very well, and which they’ve never tried. Moving on, students complete sentences using this vocabulary and discuss questions comparing different strokes and techniques. Following that, they write and act out dialogues, using vocabulary from the lesson. Finally, in pairs, students design a swimming lesson for beginners, agreeing on rules, activities and a stroke to teach.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students choose the odd one out from sets of swimming vocabulary and give a reason for their choice. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

5

0