Pathways: Planning lessons and courses

If you want to boost your skills in planning lessons and courses, this is the perfect place to get started.  

The free tools and resources below have been specially selected to help you: 

• define learning aims and outcomes that meet learners' needs
• select and use motivating activities, resources and materials to achieve course and lesson aims with groups of diverse learners
• plan coherent lesson stages including recycling previous learning, different interaction patterns, feedback and differentiated learning 

There is no set order for the resources below. Choose what to do according to the time you have and the topics that are most interesting for you. 

Video: Discussion activities for teaching English (2 minutes)

Watch this short video to get some tips on how to plan and set up discussion activities for your class, including what to avoid! 

Video: Why is differentiation important? (3 minutes)

This is the first short video in our 'Understanding differentiation' series. Rachael Roberts considers the importance of understanding learners and including differentiation in the classroom. This ensures all learners are supported and challenged in the right ways. Watch the first part of the series below.

Article: The basics of lesson planning (10 minutes)

What is a lesson plan? What should go in an English lesson plan? Why is planning important? Callum Robertson explores these questions in this article about the basics of lesson planning. 

Click here to read the article The basics of lesson planning

You can read more about writing lesson aims in his follow-up article The elements of a lesson plan.

Click here to read the second part The elements of a lesson plan

Article: How can I make sure my class is truly communicative? (15 minutes)

We hear a lot about communicative language teaching (CLT), but it can be difficult to put into practice in our classes. This article looks at a tool we can use to evaluate how communicative classroom activities really are. 

Click here to read the article

Article: Communicative writing for the ELT classroom (10 minutes)

In this article, Jo Cummins looks at strategies for communicative writing in English language teaching classes.

Click here to read the article

Publication: Gender-ing English language classes across the globe: Practical lessons for teachers (120 minutes)

This book contains 40 lessons that show how English language teachers working in different environments have included a range of gender topics in their teaching practice. All the lessons can be adapted easily to different contexts.

Click here to read the summary or download the full publication

Podcast: How can we use the creative arts to teach English? (35 minutes)

In this episode, Chris and We'am talk about how incorporating art in the classroom can help create a positive atmosphere for learning. They talk to Chrysa Papalazarou and Dr Sirhajwan Idek about how visual arts can help capture learners' attention, and a project that uses indigenous art to bridge the gap between local culture and language and English. 

We'am talk about how incoporating art in the classroom can help create a positive atmosphere for learning. They talk to   Chrysa Papalazarou and Dr Sirhajwan Idek about how visual arts can help capture learners' attention and a project that uses indigenous art to bridge the gap between local culture and language and English. 

 

Webinar: How can we use technology to make engaging listening activities? (60 minutes)

In this webinar Chiara Bruzzano discusses how listening works, based on research, and explores how to use technology to make classroom listening activities more engaging. 

As you watch the webinar, make notes: which of these ideas could you use with your classes, and why?

After watching the webinar, share your answer to the discussion question in the comments section below. 

If you watch the recording and comment on it, we'll be happy to send you the link to an attendance certificate for the session.

Webinar: How can games help revise vocabulary (60 minutes)

In this webinar, Alegra Nikolova-Ristovska demonstrates fun and simple games that can be used to revise grammar, vocabulary and/or culture, so that you can use them confidently in your own classroom. These are all versatile games that can be done with limited to no resources and have various applications. The games are suitable for all levels of primary, secondary and even adult learners too. 

 

Lesson plans (60 minutes)

Why not try out our new listening lesson plans? They have been created to help you introduce best practice for teaching listening into your classes.

Families

In this lesson, A1/A2-level learners practise and improve their listening skills as they listen to a conversation between two teenagers describing and comparing their families.

Families teaching materials

Challenges at school

This lesson is aimed at B1-level learners. In it, learners will improve their listening skills by listening to a dialogue between two young people talking about the challenges they face at school. They will learn more about ADHD and reflect with empathy on challenges that some people face. 

Challenges at school teaching materials

What would you do if ...?

Learners will learn and practise how to use the second conditional in this lesson as they talk about imaginary situations. The lesson follows a PPP (presentation-practise-production) approach to teaching grammar, which can be applied to other grammar-based lessons.

What would you do if teaching materials

Workbook: Planning lessons and courses

If you want to develop further in planning lessons and courses, this workbook will help you take your skills to the next level. It's designed to help you create a regular learning habit and apply what you've learned in the classroom. You'll find an overview of the theme and recommended learning materials. You'll also find support to reflect on and personalise your learning. You can use the workbook in different ways – do what works for you! We hope you find it beneficial.

Click here to access the workbook

We explored Planning lessons and courses in October, November and December 2025. When our teacher community explored this theme, they had a lot to say. This roundup highlights real voices and experiences from educators around the world. Which ones speak to you? Tell us what you think in the comments.