Societal expectations
Lesson plan overview
This B2-C1 ESL lesson deals with the topic of societal expectations, and is focused on speaking. Students will discuss social norms, social pressure, and peer pressure, and compare different cultures. Other lessons you might like are: “How to find your passion”, “Stereotypes”, “Self-care”, “Self-confidence“, “Mental load and invisible labor”, “Phrasal verbs: psychology” and “Idioms: forgiveness and acceptance”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a discussion on social norms and behaviors that are socially accepted or frowned upon in students’ cultures. Students look at different behaviors, habits, and life choices, and discuss them.
Vocabulary: Students read different opinions containing key vocabulary for this lesson (e.g. milestones, to fit it, to break free from, live life on your own terms, be true to yourself, peer pressure). Students match the expressions to their definitions. Then, they paraphrase 6 sentences, using the correct word or expression. After that, they discuss a few questions about their experiences with peer pressure and societal expectations.
Listening: Students watch a video called “Societal Expectations” and complete 2 listening comprehension activities.
The last 2 activities are focused on speaking: First, students discuss a few more questions related to societal expectations, and then they compare their country with another country they know well.
For more speaking practice, and to review key vocabulary from this lesson, you can use the 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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