The Importance of Being Bored

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are for your students to:

• – improve their English discussion skills in situational role plays, question-and-answer activities, and freer discussions in which they express their ideas and opinions;
• – acquire and use new English vocabulary, including common expressions and useful workplace English to improve reading comprehension;
• – think creatively and critically by analyzing real-life situations, reflecting on the role of boredom, and to discuss thought-provoking questions in a two-way conversation with their teacher.

This upper-intermediate lesson plan looks at how people today try to avoid being bored, and questions whether or not this is a good thing. Is it sometimes important for us to be bored? Your students will explore this idea through a series of interactive English activities that present new vocabulary, allow them to practice their reading comprehension, and express their ideas in natural English conversations.

Warm-up:

Students give their thoughts on a realistic situation and discuss what they think would be the most appropriate course of action. This activity encourages the student to think critically, and to present an opinion based on their own experiences. This should be done interactively, with the teacher asking short follow-up questions to elicit more detail. This style of conversation practice will allow the teacher to gauge the student’s current level, and grade subsequent activities appropriately.

Video:

Students watch a video on the topic called “You need to be bored. Here’s why”. Afterwards, they answer a series of questions about the key points that were covered. Students should also be encouraged to ask about unfamiliar words or expressions they heard during the video. If relevant to later activities, the teacher can briefly show the student how to use them. If not, a quick definition will be enough.

English practice exercises:

These exercises focus on strengthening students’ English vocabulary, by presenting practical workplace English phrases. These are presented and practiced by using gap-fills, and by creating appropriate responses from a set of given words. These exercises should be done interactively, with the student and teacher working through them together. The student should lead, with the teacher asking leading questions to help them if they get stuck.

English reading practice:

Students read an authentic English-language text about why people tend to avoid boredom. They then answer a series of comprehension questions to confirm their understanding of the main ideas. Students should be encouraged to say whether they agree or disagree with the ideas presented in the text, and to ask questions about any unfamiliar expressions that they come across. If relevant to the topic, the teacher should show the student how and when to use the phrase, and encourage them to try and use it in the final discussion activity.

English discussion practice:

Students answer a series of thought-provoking questions, and say how they relate to their own experience. Students should be encouraged to add extra information, and to ask the teacher related questions too. This helps to build up and practice the flow of a natural English conversation. If necessary, the teacher can present a simple template to use before starting the discussion, such as “Answer, Extra, Ask” – students answer the question, provide extra information, then ask the teacher a question. In this part of the lesson, the teacher should focus on fluency, and the student’s ability to keep the conversation going. If necessary, the teacher can note down a couple of mistakes to remind the student about after the activity.