Why do we like being scared?
Lesson plan overview
Discover why humans enjoy scary experiences with this comprehensive, interactive worksheet designed for adult ESL students. This resource combines vocabulary, discussion, and practical exercises to help learners explore the psychology of fear while practicing English in a fun, meaningful way. Other lessons you might like are “Where do phobias come from?“, “Idioms: fear“, and “Adventure tourism and extreme tourism“.
Activities Overview:
Speaking: Students start by reflecting on personal experiences with fear, from riding roller coasters to watching horror movies or exploring dark forests. They categorize activities as “Scary but Fun,” “Too Scary – I’d Never Try It,” or “Not Scary at All,” using useful expressions to articulate their feelings. This section encourages self-awareness and introduces the topic in an engaging, relatable way.
Vocabulary Building: Students pair fear-related words like creepy, spooky, haunted, and dizzy and phrases like to squeal with delight, to face one’s fear, or to seek thrills with their synonyms. Students then complete sentences using the correct vocabulary, reinforcing word meaning in real-life scenarios.
Speaking: Students discuss questions about personal experiences with fear. They reflect on small fears they might want to face, encouraging personal growth and social interaction.
Listening: Students watch a TED talk called “Why is being scared so fun?” and answer multiple-choice questions based on a video about the psychology of fear. Then, they fill in gaps with the correct word forms from the video transcript, such as energized, worrysome, survival, and accomplishment. Post-listening discussions promote critical thinking about cultural differences in fear, the appeal of horror films, and the benefits of facing fears safely.
Speaking: Brainstorming ways to bring excitement in our lives: Students brainstorm and rank activities in areas like adventure, creativity, social events, and personal growth. Finally, in teams, students design an exciting day trip, planning every detail from morning to evening. This activity develops collaboration, presentation skills, and the ability to justify choices based on the excitement they provide.
For more speaking practice, you can use the printable conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
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Pre-class activities
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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