Summary
This B2 ESL lesson plan helps students master the use of wish and regret structures for effective professional reflection. The material uses a listening exercise, interactive tasks, and guided discussions to teach students how to talk constructively about past decisions, missed opportunities, and areas for improvement in a work-related context.
This lesson guides intermediate students through the grammar and vocabulary needed for self-assessment and team retrospectives. Activities include a warm-up discussion on reflection, a listening comprehension task, and a vocabulary matching exercise with professional terms. Students will practice using structures like "I wish I had," "If only," "I regret -ing," and "should have" through targeted grammar and reading exercises, culminating in a speaking activity designed to build fluency and confidence in professional communication.
Activities
- A warm-up discussion about the importance of reflecting on past decisions in personal and professional life.
- A listening comprehension exercise where students fill in the gaps while listening to someone talk about past regrets and lessons learned.
- An interactive vocabulary matching task to learn key terms for professional reflection, such as "delegate," "retrospective," and "opportunity."
- A grammar focus section that clearly explains the use of wish and regret structures (wish + past perfect, if only, regret + -ing, should have) with examples.
- A fill-in-the-blanks reading exercise where students apply the target grammar to complete a short article about a career retrospective.
- Guided speaking practice with role-play scenarios that encourage students to use the new language to discuss past professional situations and suggest improvements.
Vocabulary focus
The vocabulary section introduces key terms essential for professional reflection. Students will learn and practice words like "delegate," "retrospective," "opportunity," and the phrasal verb "hold back" to discuss past actions and team dynamics effectively.
Grammar focus
This lesson concentrates on four key structures for expressing past wishes and regrets. It breaks down the use of "wish + past perfect," "if only + past perfect," "regret + -ing," and "should have + past participle," helping students articulate reflections on past events with grammatical accuracy.
