Teeth falling out? Flying? Being chased? This B1 dream interpretation lesson dives into the mysterious world of dream interpretation, a fascinating topic that gets students thinking, speculating, and speaking. If you’re looking for an original listening and speaking lesson that’s equal parts introspective and imaginative, Decode the Dream delivers just that.
This lesson is perfect as a standalone class or as a follow-up to a session on sleep, emotions, or even controlling dreams, or perhaps my other lesson on sleeping habits in South Korea (Sleepy in South Korea). It works especially well for students who enjoy psychological or mysterious themes – and trust me, they’ll love guessing what flying or spiders might actually mean.
Students listen to real dream descriptions and then try to match them to meanings provided by a dream interpreter, both listenings provided by English-Practice, a website which offers way more than that! Along the way, teach how to describe dreams clearly, interpret symbols, and discuss whether dreams are nonsense or deeper messages from the mind. It’s a lesson that blends fun storytelling with real-life speculation and language practice.
If it sounds like it may interest you, scroll until the end of a post to get the presentation, the worksheet and the teacher’s notes.
Warmer: Guess the Symbols
Start off by asking students to guess the three most common dream symbols. Most of them will know at least one (teeth 😬, anyone?). After they compare guesses in pairs, reveal the actual top three and let them discuss whether they’re surprised and if they’ve had similar dreams (teeth falling out, being chased, and of course, flying). It’s a nice, light start to activate the topic and personalise the content from the very beginning.
Pre-listening Interpretation: Dream Book Extracts
Next, students read short dream-book-style definitions and try to match each symbol to its meaning. This activity introduces useful vocabulary (e.g., freedom, insecurity, avoidance) and naturally leads to deeper conversation. Students are then invited to say whether they agree with the interpretations.
Listening 1: What Happened in the Dream?
Time for the first listening! Students hear a series of dream descriptions, found in Listening task 1 on English -Practice, and must number a set of images to reflect what happens in each dream. This listening task encourages attention to detail and visual comprehension. Dreams involve houses, snakes, flying, and airports – all clear, relatable contexts for B1 learners.
Before moving on to the dream interpreter’s version, students work in pairs to guess what the dreams might mean. This is where you’ll see their creativity take off. Even shy students tend to enjoy this part, especially when they can compare and justify wild interpretations.
Listening 2: What Does the Interpreter Say?
In the second listening found in the listening task 2 on the same website, English-Practice, students hear an interpreter explaining the real meaning of the dreams they have just listened to and analysed themselves. Their task is to choose the correct interpretation from two options for each dream. After listening, the class compares their answers and discusses whether they agree with the interpreter.
Writing: Describe Your Own Dream
In this section, students choose one of their dreams and describe it in 5–8 sentences, using the support provided. Sentence starters are scaffolded carefully with some vocabulary from the recording, such as, In my dream, I was…, Suddenly, I saw…, When I woke up, I felt…. It’s a great way for learners to practise narrative structures in the past simple and past continuous, all while using vocabulary from the class. I decided to give my students some time to think and write down some sentences before moving into the speaking part, but I think it could be interesting to change it into a speaking task with stronger groups.
Pair Speaking: Interpret Your Partner’s Dream
To finish the lesson, students swap dream descriptions and take turns interpreting each other’s dreams using phrases like: In dreams, snakes can represent change, or It might be a sign that you’re feeling unsure. It’s collaborative, meaningful, and often funny, which means it should be a memorable class. Encourage students to justify their guesses and reflect on whether they agree with their partner’s interpretation.
Whether your students are into psychology, fantasy, or just enjoy a good mystery, this B1 dream interpretation lesson, this class gives them a chance to express themselves, learn new vocabulary, and practise real communication. It’s ideal for developing both receptive and productive skills at the B1 level, and most importantly, it’s fun! So, click below to download the presentation, worksheet, and teacher’s notes.
Have you ever had a weird dream? Do you believe dreams have any meaning?
