When in Rome…

Title separator

Grammar - bare infinitive vs to-infinitive

ESL culture lesson

VIDEO #1

VIDEO #2

VIDEO #3

VIDEO #4

LESSON OVERVIEW

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. The idea for one of the videos comes from one of our subscribers. Magda, thank you! #yousuggestwecreate

A2 / Pre‐Intermediate60 minStandard LessonUnlimited Plan

WARM-UP & VIDEOS

In the warm-up activity, students have to finish sentences about different nationalities. They then move on to discuss what people in their country do in the situations presented in photographs (e.g. being at a wedding or on public transport). Next, they watch four short videos about what is considered polite or impolite in different places in the world and decide if the sentences in the task are true or false. After that, they discuss how these behaviours are perceived in their culture and share some other cultural and social rules they find interesting.

GRAMMAR & DISCUSSION

In this part of this culture lesson, students do two exercises in which they decide if certain statements require a bare infinitive or a to-infinitive (e.g. it’s polite to kiss…, you should always take off…, people tend to wait…). They continue with a discussion on the social rules mentioned in the previous exercises (e.g. visiting someone, making direct eye contact, kissing in public). After that, they talk about cultural norms regarding situations presented in photographs (e.g. giving presents, being on time, elderly people). Students are provided with a ‘Useful language’ box, which helps them explain what is considered respectful or polite.  

WRITING

In the last part of the worksheet, students look again at the lesson title (When in Rome…) and need to complete it by choosing the correct ending. After that, they briefly discuss the proverb and say whether they agree with it. Finally, they have to write a blog post for visitors in their country following a provided writing plan. In this exercise students use the ideas discussed in the lesson, as well as the useful language practised in previous exercises.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. dilbar

    thank you very much for such an intersting topic and I have been usuing it with all my students 6 times in a row haha! Very helpful and saved my time!! I wish there were more lessonbs of the kind!!! Thank you very much!!!!!!

    1. Leanne

      That’s great! So happy to hear it was so useful for you 🙂

  2. deborah

    A really cool lesson! I have used it with higher levels too and it generates a really interesting conversation, especially because I am from Malta !!!!!

    1. Leanne

      Oh, great! So glad to hear it’s going down well. Is it true about Maltese weddings then? 🙂

  3. Jimmy

    A great lesson but the second video is no longer available. Is it possible to get another link to it, please?

    1. Justa

      Hi Jimmy! We’ve just checked that and all the links to the videos work fine.

  4. Michał Altawil

    Very good lesson with an interesting topic. Although I think that instead of writing there could have been another speaking exercise instead.

    1. Justa

      Thanks for the feedback!

  5. Feruza

    Loved your lesson, thank you. Sts enjoyed the discussion part and the writing went well as well. Used it with both online and face-to-face classes. The humor was much appreciated by the sts.

    1. Justa

      Thanks! We’re really happy the lesson has been successful with different classes 🙂

  6. Mzisa

    This is a fantastic lesson!!! Thank you so much!! My student have been enjoying it a lot and it provokes very interesting discussions. Thanks again!!!

    1. Ewa

      That is great to hear! Thank you!

  7. D.G. Paul

    The second video doesn’t work. Can someone please fix that?

    1. D.G. Paul

      It seems to be a regional issue. I used my VPN and connected to a USA network, and the video loads fine.

  8. LAURALORENZI_ENGLISHCOURSES

    Hey, it seems a great lesson, but the 1st video is not available anymore. Can you share the link? Thanks!

    1. Stan

      Hi! Thanks for bringing this to our attention – we’ve updated the video links across the materials here so that they work again. Happy teaching 🙂

  9. Martyna Szczepańska

    the teacher’s version is not available to download 🙁

    1. Stan

      It’s most likely something you only experience as this file works for us fine. This might be caused by cookies stored in your browser – see if you can access this lesson in Incognito mode -if not contact us via chat/email and we will figure it out together.

  10. Isabelle Gomes

    Amazing!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
speaking lesson on walking
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

The joy of walking

Lifestyle

Join in discussing the effects of walking with this lesson! Students share opinions, watch a video about the benefits of walking and review useful vocabulary. They also recommend ideas to a friend who wants to be healthier and discuss quotes related to personal journeys.

talking about style and clothing
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Your style, your story

General Lifestyle

Talk about style with this lesson! Students discuss clothing choices, practise vocabulary on clothing and watch an ad for a fashion brand. They also share their personal clothing preferences and work on mind maps.

ESL lesson on hobbies
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Hobbies: more than just free time

Lifestyle

Engage in talking about hobbies from different perspectives! With this lesson, students share their thoughts and experiences related to pastimes, explore useful phrases and watch two short videos on hobbies. They also play a guessing game!

Past Simple activities
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Past Simple activities

Grammar

Review Past Simple with this lesson! Students practise the pronunciation of verb endings in the past, work on the verb ‘be’ in the past and revise regular and irregular verbs. They play a guessing game and complete short stories using the past form of verbs.

speaking lesson on tattoos
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

How about a tattoo?

Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about tattoos! They watch a video about tattoo tourism, share opinions and revise collocations with the word ‘tattoo’. They also discuss workplace discrimination against people with tattoos.

discuss modern dating
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Let’s go on a date!

General Lifestyle

Students discuss different types of dating, how it has changed over the years, and brainstorm hypothetical dating scenarios. They explore opinions, learn vocabulary, and watch and discuss a video about speed dating.

phrases to express frequency
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Meeting a celebrity

General Grammar

With this lesson, students talk about celebrities and work with grammar! They watch a funny ad, discuss situations related to fame and practise words and phrases to express frequency. Students also do a role play task in which they throw a celebrity party.

sharing experiences using Present Perfect and Past Simple
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Sharing experiences (Present Perfect and Past Simple)

Grammar Lifestyle

With this lesson, students discuss the topics people talk about when they first meet. They also practise Present Perfect and Past Simple, watch a video about people who have just met and do a role play activity.

practise advice structures
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

What to do when you’re stressed

Grammar Lifestyle

Talk about how to stop worrying about a problem with this lesson! Students discuss stress issues, watch a short video on tips about how to take your mind off problems and practise advice structures.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with