The summer is officially here, and we can certainly feel it with the scorching temperatures and too much sunshine! With many students likely planning trips, why not take this opportunity to turn it into a fun and practical B2 city break lesson where they prepare a short itinerary while learning six new words?
I recently had a student who changed her regular one-hour-a-week lesson to two thirty-minute lessons a week. The shift in the learning plan got me thinking about the structure of the lessons and how to make the most out of the shorter duration. Thirty-minute lessons can be intense and require a different approach compared to longer sessions. I believe it’s important to tailor the lesson plans to match the class style – quick, and energetic, with a clear focus on vocabulary, grammar, and conversation practice. Despite the shorter duration, the goal is for students to feel that they’ve learned something new and have been able to practice the language effectively.
With a little help of my dear friend ChatGPT, I created a course plan. So, here is the first lesson plan out of many (hopefully around 50 🫨). Each class has a theme, a task, and a speaking activity to wrap everything up. If you are interested in what this brief lesson looks like, you can scroll to the end of the post and get the presentation, the worksheet, and the teacher’s notes. Or have a look at other bite-sized lesson plans.
Warmer: My Last Trip
Start the class by modeling the activity. Share a few sentences about your last trip with the students. Mention where you went and add one interesting thing about the trip. I chose to discuss my trip to the Pyrenees.
In February, I took a trip to the Pyrenees for a few days. I decided to rent a motorhome, which allowed me to explore a wider range of places. It also let me bring along my cat for the journey.
Following the example, students share their most recent travel destinations and one interesting fact about it.
Vocabulary Focus: Travel Words in Context
In this class, the focus is on learning and memorizing six travel-related words: accommodation, embark, excursion, itinerary, layover, and sightseeing. Students engage in an activity in which they read a three-day city break itinerary and fill in the blanks with the words mentioned before. Afterwards, review the answers and test the understanding of the vocabulary by matching it to the definitions.
Task: Create a City Break Itinerary
If you are teaching groups, you can divide the students into pairs and instruct them to create a city-break itinerary for a destination of their choice. If the task turns out to be too challenging, you can assign each pair a specific place and have them research tourist activities for that location on the Internet.
Speaking: Discussing Travel Plans
Finish the class by pairing up the students and instructing them to discuss their travel plans. Monitor the activity and conclude the class with a speaking feedback session.
I’m excited to get your thoughts on this B2 city break lesson format! It works great as a quick speaking activity or to enhance an existing one. If you’re interested in seeing it in action, check out the links below!
Are there any exciting city breaks on the horizon for you?
Most of my learners are busy professionals and I always try to give them work to do that’s not only pertinent but quick. This lesson is perfect! Thanks so much!