People you know

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – Review and practice vocabulary for people’s roles and relationships, including idiomatic expressions and descriptive phrases.

• – Consolidate the Past Simple tense through grammar review, sentence completion, and speaking activities.

• – Build comprehension and speaking skills with interactive games, a video on different types of relationships, and discussions about people in students’ lives.

In this Pre-Intermediate ESL lesson, the student begins by reviewing vocabulary about people in their lives, before moving on to review and practice the Past Simple tense. The lesson builds towards a Q&A session between student and teacher, which makes use of all the target language covered.

Introduction

The lesson starts with a reading exercise in the form of a conversation. The student’s task is to identify the people/relationships mentioned.

Vocabulary: People’s roles

The student revises vocabulary about people in their lives and their relationships with them (neighbor, classmate, flatmate, etc.) Then, the student reads a few dialogues which they complete with the most appropriate words. They are presented with sentences in which certain parts are underlined. These parts need to be replaced with words that carry the same meaning.

Grammar: Past Simple

Past Simple structure and use are reviewed and followed by a grammar exercise in which the student completes the sentences with Past Simple verb forms.

Going back to vocabulary, the student is given situations about which they answers questions using the vocabulary they have just learned.

Pick a card

The student picks a card with a person on it. They need to describe who that person is without using the word on the card (acquaintance, boss, stranger, etc.).

The student learns expressions used to describe relationships (hit it off, kindred spirits, bosom pals, etc.) Next, they sort people’s roles into four groups – family, work/school, friends, other.

Video: Simon Sinek explains different relationships

Author and leadership expert Simon Sinek explains the difference between professional relationships, acquaintances, and friendships. The student watches the video, fills in the gaps, and answers questions using the information from the video.

Finally, the student discusses different people in their lives in a speaking exercise.