Why we call our partner “baby”

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – Study character traits vocabulary including “vulnerability,” “mature,” and relationship terms while discussing how personality affects partnerships in this upper intermediate ESL lesson plan.
• – Watch videos about relationship language exploring why couples use pet names and complete comprehension exercises for adult English lessons.
• – Discuss personal relationships by describing character traits, creating mind maps about good partnerships, and sharing relationship advice using these English teaching materials.

In this Upper-Intermediate ESL lesson, students will learn about character traits and how they can affect relationships, and some common vocabulary used when discussing these topics.

Warm-up discussion

In the first part of the lesson, the student discusses relationships that they have.

Video: Why we call our partner “baby”

Prior to watching the video, the students will get familiar with some of the words used in it (vulnerability, growing up, mature, puerile, selective regression, defensiveness, healthy) and use them in sentences.  

After watching the video Why we call our partner “baby,” they summarize it and answer some video comprehension questions.

Vocabulary: Character traits

The student learns character traits that affect relationships.  They match them with their meanings and use them in sentences. Then, they are given descriptions of a person’s character traits and try to guess which they are.

Next, they complete two mind maps – character traits for good and bad relationships.

To revise the vocabulary they learned, the student picks a card with a picture of two people and describes their relationship as well as their characters.

Wrap-up questions

In the speaking exercise, the student summarizes the ideas and advice related to relationships they learned in the lesson.