Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers explores work and happiness. This ESL class material uses a video and discussion prompts to teach key vocabulary and grammar for C1 learners, focusing on career satisfaction and modern dilemmas.
This comprehensive C1 ESL lesson plan delves into the connection between work and happiness. Students begin by discussing their work philosophies before matching key vocabulary related to career satisfaction. The core of the lesson is a video analysis exploring the two essential elements of happiness at work. Activities include grammar practice with cleft sentences for emphasis, a role-play discussing complex career scenarios, and a reflective writing task on the meaning of "earned success."
Activities
- Students activate their schemata by discussing famous quotes and personal statements about the role of work in life, such as 'work to live' versus 'live to work'. This initial debate sets the stage for the lesson's main themes.
- Learners watch a thought-provoking video on the two keys to happiness at work. They answer detailed comprehension questions to check their understanding of concepts like 'earned success' versus 'worldly success' and the importance of service to others.
- This section introduces cleft sentences ('What...' and 'It's...') as a tool for adding emphasis. Students practice the structure by rewriting sentences to highlight specific information, improving their command of advanced sentence structures for formal speech.
- In small groups, students take on the role of advisors in a 'career crossroads clinic'. They discuss realistic dilemmas involving passion versus pay and work-life balance, applying the lesson's vocabulary and grammar in a practical, communicative task.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on C1-level vocabulary related to career and personal fulfillment. Key terms include idiomatic expressions and concepts like 'worldly success', 'to be a cog in a machine', 'meritocracy', 'learned helplessness', and 'to lighten somebody's load'. Students practice these terms in matching and gap-fill exercises.
Grammar focus
The main grammar point is the use of cleft sentences for emphasis. Students learn how to structure sentences with 'What...' clauses (e.g., 'What matters is...') and 'It...' clauses (e.g., 'It's the recognition that...') to draw attention to the most important part of a message. This is a key skill for advanced formal communication and debate.
