These ten lessons for secondary English classrooms invite learners to think critically and empathetically about different people's experiences. The lessons also contain free audio that provides the opportunity for learners to practise and improve their listening skills. The lesson materials are designed to demonstrate best practice in both teaching listening skills and integrating themes of equality, diversity and inclusion. The materials have been piloted in secondary classrooms around the world to ensure sensitivity and suitability in different contexts.
There are two stand-alone lessons for each CEFR level from A1 to C1. Each lesson:
- is based on a common syllabus or coursebook topic
- includes an audio recording of a dialogue or short monologues in which young people share their experiences
- features actors with a variety of authentic global English accents
- provides opportunities for meaningful, contextualised language practice
- encourages learners to reflect on, discuss and share their own views and experiences related to the lesson topic.
A1 Lesson plans
Families
This lesson helps learners to develop listening comprehension skills and reflect on the different types of families that exist. The lesson raises awareness that not all families look the same and that family can include friends, pets or anyone who makes us feel loved or safe. The materials provide meaningful language practice and encourage learners to think critically and empathetically by asking them to understand, compare and discuss different families.
Where do you shop?
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while exploring some of the different types of shops we can go to and the products we can buy there. The materials provide meaningful language practice and encourage learners to think critically by discussing the positive and negative effects of buying products from different places on people and the environment.
Lesson plan: Where do you shop?
A2 Lesson plans
Favourite places
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while reflecting on how everyone is different and why different places are special to people. The materials provide meaningful language practice and help learners understand how some places foster a sense of community, whereas others promote personal well-being. The lesson also encourages learners to reflect on their favourite place and why it is special to them.
Managing emotions
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while reflecting on when and why they feel certain emotions and what they can do to manage them. The materials provide meaningful language practice and help learners understand emotions like anger or frustration. The lesson also teaches learners different techniques that they can incorporate into their lives to help them manage emotions, and encourages them to think about and discuss their favourite technique.
Lesson plan: Managing emotions
B1 Lesson plans
Challenges at school
This lesson helps learners to develop listening comprehension skills and invites them to reflect on the challenges that some people face at school in an empathetic way. It encourages learners to reflect on the problems they face and feel more comfortable in sharing these. It also raises awareness of the challenges faced by neurodivergent learners, particularly those with ADHD. Learners also have the opportunity to explore study strategies that work for them and to practise active and empathetic listening in a role play where they express a problem and then give advice.
Lesson plan: Challenges at school
Starting a new school
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while exploring themes of inclusion, empathy and the challenges of starting anew in different circumstances. The materials provide meaningful language practice and encourage learners to think critically and empathetically by asking them to understand the experiences of four different students and consider how schools can support new students.
Lesson plan: Starting a new school
B2 Lesson plans
Social studies
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while finding out about social studies and the benefits of learning it. The materials provide meaningful language practice and encourage critical thinking, helping learners to reflect upon what makes school subjects useful. The lesson also provides opportunities for learners to speak creatively and persuasively about introducing a new school subject to their timetable.
Future expectations
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while reflecting on plans and dreams for the future, and the pressure that some young people might face when making important life decisions. The materials provide meaningful language practice and encourage learners to think critically and empathetically about the expectations that are sometimes imposed on young people by their families and by society. They also enable learners to develop skills for expressing problems and listening empathetically.
Lesson plan: Future expectations
C1 Lesson plans
Open-mindedness
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while learning about the key traits of being open-minded. The materials provide meaningful language practice and help learners reflect upon open-mindedness, binary thinking, division in society and how we back up and evaluate our beliefs. They invite learners to evaluate how open-minded they think they are, to engage in a discussion about open-mindedness, to share their opinions and to give voice to their experiences.
Managing stress
This lesson encourages learners to develop listening comprehension skills while learning about techniques to manage stress and empathising with teenagers who feel stressed and overwhelmed at exam time. The materials provide meaningful language practice and help learners develop critical-thinking skills, reflecting on the needs of those experiencing stress. The lesson also helps learners develop creative thinking by designing a game or activity within creative constraints.