I have been involved in education since 1990 and have worked all over the world as a language teacher, teacher trainer, technology trainer and educational technology consultant. In May 2012 I won a British Council ELTon for Excellence in Course Innovation for the Blended Learning in ELT course I designed for Bell Educational Services . I write and publish materials which make best use of educational technology.
I have been involved in education since 1990 and have worked all over the world as a language teacher, teacher trainer, technology trainer and educational technology consultant. In May 2012 I won a British Council ELTon for Excellence in Course Innovation for the Blended Learning in ELT course I designed for Bell Educational Services . I write and publish materials which make best use of educational technology.
This ebook is 53 pages long and was originally published in 2009 so some of thetools are a bit out of date, but the ideas can still be used.
This document is intended as simple introduction to some free Web 2.0 type tools that can be used by teachers who are interested in using technology in language teaching. The tools presented here are just the tip of the iceberg and this should not be considered in anyway conclusive or even the ʻbest ofʼ Web 2.0 tools. New tools are emerging all the time, many not originally intended for education, but which can be put to good use by students and teachers alike to extent opportunities, enhance learning potential and develop the level of digital literacy that students will need for the 21st century.
TED Ed is a great tool for creating online lessons around videos. It enables you to structure a sequence of interactive activities around the video clip that guides the viewer towards a deeper understanding of the content. It’s an ideal tool for building blended learning.
In this document you can find:
-: a step by step guide showing how to use it
-: a video tutorial that shows you how to make the activities
-: some suggestions and ideas for using it in the classroom or as part of an online course.
TED Ed is a great tool for creating online lessons around videos. It enables you to structure a sequence of interactive activities around the video clip that guides the viewer towards a deeper understanding of the content.
It’s an ideal tool for building blended learning.
In this document you can find:
-: a step by step guide showing how to use it
-: a video tutorial that shows you how to make the activities
-: some suggestions and ideas for using it in the classroom or as part of an online course.
This ebook is 53 pages long and was originally published in 2009 so some of thetools are a bit out of date, but the ideas can still be used.
This document is intended as simple introduction to some free Web 2.0 type tools that can be used by teachers who are interested in using technology in language teaching. The tools presented here are just the tip of the iceberg and this should not be considered in anyway conclusive or even the ʻbest ofʼ Web 2.0 tools. New tools are emerging all the time, many not originally intended for education, but which can be put to good use by students and teachers alike to extent opportunities, enhance learning potential and develop the level of digital literacy that students will need for the 21st century.
This book is a wonderful collection of 20 stories from teachers around the world. Each one describes how they try to be genuine in their interactions with their students and how they try to model the practices they promote.
The stories come from teachers of all levels, ages and grades. The book displays the wide range of diversity that exists in both the classrooms and the way teachers approach their profession around the world.
Edited by
Adelina binte Asmawi
George M Jacobs
Guo Qingli
Willy A Renandya
Foreword by Alan Maley
In this lesson students will find out about body language and its impact on communications. They will have the opportunity to try to use body language and they will carry out online research to find out how well people consciously understand body language.
The materials in this plan can be used in different ways. The first three tasks of the plan can be used independently as a simple reading and discussion class.
The last two research tasks can be used independently as follow up tasks or you could use both. These tasks are likely to take longer and could be set as homework, independent study tasks or as projects. Both of these tasks will require internet access.
This lesson contains five tasks:
-: A discussion task which encourages students to think about their existing understanding of body language.
-: A reading task which develops students' abilities to understand visual information.
-: A discussion task which gives students the opportunity to formulate a personal response to the information they have studied.
-: An online research task which guides students through the process of researching and corroborating the credibility of online information.
-: An online research task which guides students through the process of creating research and disseminating the results.
The input for the lesson is based around an infographic on body language.
In this lesson students will explore their attitudes to buying clothes and find out about the costs and environmental impact of producing clothes.
They will do this by studying an infographic about the USAgain clothes recycling project, discussing the content and implications of the graphic and researching some of the background to the problem.
The materials in this plan can be used in different ways. The first four tasks of the plan can be used independently as a simple reading and discussion class. The last three research tasks can be used individually as follow up tasks or you could use all three. These tasks are likely to take longer and could be set as homework or independent study tasks.
This lesson contains seven tasks:
A pre reading task which encourages students to think about their existing clothes buying habits and attitudes.
A reading task which develops students abilities to scan text for specific information.
A quiz creation task which encourages students to ask questions about a text.
A post reading task which gives students the opportunity to formulate a personal response to the information they have studied.
A social media research task in which students create a digital questionnaire to research the opinions of their peers.
A writing task that develops students abilities to extract information from infographics and use it to create a persuasive text.
An online research task which guides students through the process of researching an environmental problem.
In this lesson students will learn about some of the factors that influence successful study. They will evaluate their existing study skills in the light of information from an infographic and do some online research into effective study techniques.
The infographic can be accessed at:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6b/dd/e7/6bdde7f57772e51a8463e76718e036d7.jpg
The materials in this plan can be used in different ways. The first four tasks can be used independently as a simple reading and discussion class.
The last three tasks are research tasks. These tasks are likely to take longer and could be set as homework, independent study tasks or as projects and followed up in the classroom. The research tasks will all require internet access.
This lesson contains seven tasks:
-: A discussion task which gets students thinking around the topic.
-: A reading task which develops students’ abilities to scan text for specific information.
-: A reading task which encourages students to summarize key points from text.
-: A discussion task which gives students the opportunity to formulate a personal response to the information they have studied.
-: A research task which guides students through the process of researching and corroborating the credibility of online information.
-: An online research task which guides students through the process of creating research and disseminating the results.
-: A writing task which helps students to summarize what they have learned.
In the lesson students will learn some amazing facts about hair and the historical significance it has had in different cultures around the world. They will also learn to challenge and question the accuracy of information they find online.
This lesson contains seven tasks:
A discussion task which gets students thinking around the topic.
A reading task which develops students’ abilities to use text to check information.
A reading task which encourages students to develop deeper comprehension.
A discussion task which gives students the opportunity to formulate a personal response to the information they have studied.
An online research task which guides students through the process of researching and corroborating the credibility of online information.
An online research task which guides students through the process of creating research and disseminating the results.
A research task which develops students’ abilities to use social media to carry out research.
The materials in this plan can be used in different ways. The first four tasks can be used independently as a simple reading and discussion class.
The last three tasks are research tasks. These are the tasks that push students to develop their digital literacies most. It’s not necessary to use all the tasks. These tasks are likely to take longer and could be set as homework, independent study tasks or as projects and followed up in the classroom. The research tasks will all require internet access.
This lesson is based on an infographic about the characteristics of introverts and extroverts and how these factors effect the kinds of work they choose to do.
In the lesson students will explore their views of what makes someone an introvert or extrovert. They will study an infographic which links the characteristics of each to different types of jobs and reflect on how the information applies to their own lives.
The plan includes a number of research tasks that develop students’ abilities to create and carry out online research and create online questionnaires.
There is also a reporting tasks which help student to develop the ability to analyze, synergize and share information as written text.
The files include a complete step by step lesson plan with printable worksheet and a presentation.
A Creative ESL Lesson Plan That Brings Stories—and Students—to Life
Looking for a lesson that sparks imagination, inspires discussion, and gets your students truly talking?
“Fairy Tales” is a ready-to-use, high-impact ESL lesson plan designed for B1+ learners that transforms your classroom into a world of magic, mystery, and meaningful conversation.
Using the captivating short film Croaked, students dive into the world of fairy tales and folk stories while developing their speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills. But this isn’t just a watch-and-talk lesson—your students will retell stories, argue in a mock trial, debate the role of media, and even create their own modern fairy tale.
Why teachers love it:
Zero prep – Just open, play, and teach
Flexible – Works as a one-off lesson or part of a broader storytelling unit
Engaging – Perfect for mixed-ability groups who need a break from the coursebook
Why students love it:
It’s fun, surprising, and different
It gives them a real reason to speak
It connects English to their own ideas and creativity
Give your students a lesson they’ll remember—and talk about long after the bell rings.
Includes video link, lesson procedures, discussion tasks, role play ideas, and a creative project.
One Small Step – An Inspiring ESL Lesson on Dreams, Ambition & Gender Equality
Level: B1+
Lesson Length: 60–75 minutes
Themes: Ambition, Gender Bias, Overcoming Obstacles
What do your students dream of becoming?
This powerful, ready-to-use lesson plan invites learners to reflect on their childhood ambitions while exploring real-world issues of gender discrimination and resilience. Centred around the award-winning animated short film One Small Step, this lesson sparks meaningful conversations, builds critical thinking, and develops key language skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will:
Reflect on personal dreams and ambitions
Discuss challenges women face in STEM careers
Explore the impact of gender bias in the workplace
Develop speaking fluency and vocabulary related to ambition and equality
What’s Included?
A complete, step-by-step lesson plan
Pre-watching and post-watching activities
Discussion prompts and critical thinking tasks
Extension ideas and optional homework
Links to the video and visual materials
Why This Lesson Works
One Small Step resonates emotionally with learners while providing rich material for classroom discussion. It’s perfect for promoting inclusivity, motivation, and social awareness—while reinforcing English language skills in a meaningful context.
Ideal For:
Teen and adult ESL learners at B1+ level
Teachers looking for high-interest, real-world content
Classes focused on diversity, gender issues, or career aspirations
Inspire your students to dream big—and talk about it in English.
Download the lesson now and take one small step toward deeper learning.
You will get a PDF (1MB) file
Inspire your students with a lesson that celebrates kindness, difference, and being your true self.
In this engaging and thought-provoking ESL lesson, your students will explore the story of the “Real Santa” through the lens of diversity, difference, and what it means to be truly powerful.
Using a short video as a springboard, learners reflect on the qualities of superheroes, discuss what makes each person unique, and think critically about inclusion and empathy. Designed for B1+ learners, the lesson develops speaking fluency and listening skills while encouraging meaningful classroom conversations.
This lesson helps your students:
Compare and contrast familiar superheroes with the story of Santa Claus
Build vocabulary around identity, difference, and powers
Reflect on what makes them unique and why diversity matters
Explore social themes in an accessible, age-appropriate way
What’s included:
A ready-to-use, step-by-step lesson plan
Video link + guided viewing questions
Pre- and post-watching discussion tasks
Critical thinking prompts
A digital presentation
This lesson develops speaking and listening skills while promoting empathy and respect for diversity. It is ideal for teachers looking to integrate values-based education into their English lessons in a creative and accessible way.
Spark lively discussions and critical thinking in your B1+ ESL classroom with this engaging 60-minute lesson on city life and global living standards. Using an eye-catching infographic and thought-provoking questions, students explore what makes a city liveable, compare top-ranked cities, and express their personal preferences.
Perfect for speaking and reading practice, this ready-to-use lesson also builds essential vocabulary and encourages deeper reflection on quality of life, urban vs. rural living, and cultural perspectives. Ideal for teachers who want to combine language learning with real-world relevance.
Spark your students’ creativity and problem-solving skills with this engaging, real-world lesson on turning sea water into drinking water! Using a clear, visually striking infographic, learners explore how to build a simple survival device from everyday items, while developing vocabulary, reading skills, and environmental awareness. Packed with critical thinking prompts and meaningful discussions, this ready-to-teach lesson is perfect for life skills, CLIL, or general English classes.
Help your students boost their productivity and their English skills with this thought-provoking lesson on procrastination! Using a vibrant, easy-to-follow infographic, learners reflect on their own habits, explore 15 practical tips to stay on task, and engage in meaningful discussions that build critical thinking and fluency. Perfect for Business English or life skills-focused classes, this ready-to-teach lesson brings language to life with real-world relevance and high learner engagement.
No prep required
Ideal for adult and young adult learners
Builds speaking, reading, and reflection skills
Flexible for classroom or online teaching
Get your students thinking, talking, and taking action—one tip at a time!
Includes answer key and digital presentation.
Boost Wellbeing and Language Skills with “Cheer Up” – A Ready-to-Use Lesson Plan
Help your students explore emotions, build empathy, and develop essential communication skills with Cheer Up – an engaging, ready-to-teach 60 minute lesson plan focused on wellbeing and emotional expression.
Designed for B1+ -level learners, this practical, five-task lesson uses real-world topics and visuals to spark meaningful discussion, develop digital literacy, and encourage critical thinking.
This lesson plan is based on an infographic that reports on a survey into advertising, people’s attitudes to it and how it influences them.
Aims:
To develop students’ abilities to think critically and form informed opinions.
To develop students’ abilities to study and research effectively using digital tools.
To develop students’ abilities to read and understand visual information.
To develop students’ abilities to check the credibility of online information.
To develop students’ abilities to carry out online research and to represent their findings visually.
To develop students’ abilities to extract information from research and create informative text based on their findings.
The materials in this plan can be used in different ways. The first four tasks can be used independently as a simple reading and discussion lesson.
The final four tasks can be used selectively to develop various digital skills.
This lesson contains eight tasks:
A discussion task that gets students thinking about advertisements and how they influence their behavior.
A reading task that develops students’ abilities to scan text for specific information
A reading task that develops students’ abilities to check and confirm information.
A discussion task that gives students the opportunity to reflect on the information and apply it to their own lives.
A social research task that gets students to create an online questionnaire to find out about people’s attitudes to advertising.
A research task that gets students to check the accuracy of information
.A research task that gets students to research the advertising techniques used by various companies.
A writing task that gives students the opportunity to consolidate their learning in the form of a blog article.
This lesson is based on an infographic about the characteristics of introverts and extroverts and how these factors effect the kinds of work they choose to do.
In the lesson students will explore their views of what makes someone an introvert or extrovert. They will study an infographic which links the characteristics of each to different types of jobs and reflect on how the information applies to their own lives.
The plan includes a number of research tasks that develop students’ abilities to create and carry out online research and create online questionnaires.
There is also a reporting tasks which help student to develop the ability to analyze, synergize and share information as written text.
The files include a complete step by step lesson plan with printable worksheet and a presentation.
“Behind every closed window there is a story.”
This lesson is based around a single image of a window with the shutters closed. The lesson includes a variety of discussion and conversation tasks that you can use to get students thinking and talking about the image. These are followed by language focus tasks and some more creative tasks. Finally, there are some suggestions for digital creation and research follow-up tasks.
It’s not necessary to use all of the tasks in the plan, you can choose to use any of the tasks individually or change the order of the tasks depending on the approach you want to take and the level of your students.