Being a good neighbor
Lesson plan overview
This A2–B1 ESL lesson is dedicated to the topic of being a good neighbor and living in an apartment building. Students learn useful vocabulary related to neighbors, housing, and community life, watch a short video, and discuss common problems and solutions in shared living spaces. Another lesson you might find interesting is “Neighbour disputes”
Speaking: The lesson begins with a lead-in activity where students respond a few questions, and brainstorm examples of good and bad neighbor behavior. They complete a table with their own ideas and discuss personal experiences with neighbors.
Vocabulary: Next Students explore common neighbor actions (both positive and negative) and complete sentences using a set of verbs (e.g. leave, bring, complain, park, help). After that, students discuss a efw questions related to these behaviors. Students learn key words related to people in a building (e.g. landlord, tenant, building manager, homeowner, flatmate/roommate, caretaker/janitor).They match the words to their definitions and practice them in context. Students also learn useful expressions for describing relationships and handling conflict (e.g. get along with, confront, lose your cool, amicable, considerate, complaint).
Grammar and Speaking: Students practice using can’t and must to talk about rules and regulations in aartment buildings. Then they discuss questions about their own living situations, building rules, and neighbor relationships. They share experiences, evaluate common issues, and express opinions about what makes a good neighbor.
Listening: Students watch part of a video called “3 Tips – Being a Good Neighbor” and complete several comprehension tasks. They identify key ideas, predict content, and fill in missing information while developing listening skills.
Functional language: Students learn and practice polite phrases for resolving conflicts with neighbors (e.g. making requests, explaining problems, responding appropriately). They role-play realistic situations such as noise complaints, pets, and shared spaces.
For more speaking practice, you can check out the conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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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