First impressions
Lesson plan overview
In this lesson, students practice how to make and interpret first impressions in both everyday and professional contexts. They will expand their vocabulary by learning and reviewing personality adjectives and useful expressions for talking about first impressions, and explore the impact of appearance, personality, and body language. Because it focuses on introductions and relationship-building, this lesson works especially well at the beginning of a course to help students connect with each other while practicing practical language.
Who this worksheet is for:
This resource is designed for upper-intermediate (B2) ESL learners. It can be used in both general English and business English contexts, making it suitable for adult learners, professionals preparing for networking or interviews, and anyone who wants to gain confidence when meeting new people.
Other lessons you might like include “Meeting people“, “Business relationships,” “How to ace your job interview,” “Stereotypes,” “Small talk,” “Assertive vs aggressive,” “Dress for success”, “First dates,” and “Elevator pitch“.
Activities included in the worksheet:
Speaking (Lead-in): Learners first discuss a few questions given, and then brainstorm what makes a good or bad first impression in different contexts (e.g., a first date, a job interview, at a networking event).
Functional Language: Students learn expressions to talk about first impressions, such as come across as, project yourself as, make you appear, signals. They look at expressions and then combine behaviors with personality adjectives (e.g., approachable, respectful, reliable, judgmental) to make their own sentences.
Vocabulary: Next, students learn additional phrases such as put people at ease, judge a book by its cover, be drawn to, creep people out, and give off a vibe and complete a gap-fill activity.
Listening: Students watch and analyze a video called “7 Psychological Tricks To Make a Good First Impression”, note key tips and discuss them in groups.
Post-listening discussion: Guided questions prompt students to discuss the reliability of first impressions, cultural differences, and balancing authenticity with strategy.
For more speaking practice, you can use the printable conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
All video-based ESL lesson plans include online pre-class activities, which are FREE and can be completed without registration. Perfect for teachers who wish to embrace the blended learning approach. By providing students with resources and engagement opportunities before the actual class session, educators can foster active participation, enhance comprehension, and optimise in-class discussions.
The pre-class activities are optional: if you choose not to assign them, or your students don’t complete them, it will not disturb the flow of the class. You can find and review the pre-class activities for this lesson plan here:
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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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