OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This ESL lesson plan on 'My Favorite Things' offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for intermediate B1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Discuss their favorite things and categorize them into different categories.
• Watch a video about Fernando's favorite things and complete listening exercises.
• Speak about and reflect on Fernando's favorite items.
• Practice tenses by completing questions related to their favorite things.
• Make a list of their top 5 favorite things and have casual chats about them.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

This ESL lesson plan on favorite items begins with a preview activity where students look at several images of a man named Fernando enjoying his favorite things, such as drinking coffee, running, listening to music, walking in the park, and using a camera. Students then categorize these activities into different groups: Personal/Professional items, Simple Pleasures, Places, and Living Things. After categorizing, students discuss what they think Fernando loves about these things and share their thoughts. Students also read Fernando's personal reflections and try to match each statement to one of his favorite activities. This part serves as a prediction-based exercise for the video.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In the viewing activity, students watch a short video where a young man named Fernando shares the five things he cannot live without. The video highlights how these items, such as specialty coffee, running, a pocketable camera, and parks, enhance his creativity, motivation, and well-being. After watching the video, students first list Fernando's five items and match each one to a corresponding description based on the video content. In the second part, students answer multiple-choice questions that test their comprehension of the video. These questions focus on Fernando’s preferences and lifestyle, such as his choice of coffee, his running habits, and his thoughts on photography. 

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

Following the video, students engage in a discussion about Fernando's favorite things. They start by sharing which of Fernando’s items they find the most interesting and why. They also think of or create a list of questions they would ask Fernando about his list of favorite things. To practice grammar and verb tenses, students read and classify a set of questions according to the tense they use (e.g., past simple, present simple, present perfect). Students then complete a list of questions using the correct tense. This follow-up activity encourages students to think critically about the use of tenses in everyday conversations.

CASUAL CHATS: TOP 5 THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT!

For the activation phase, students participate in a casual conversation activity where they share their own "top 5 things I can’t live without." Students brainstorm their favorite things in the same categories that Fernando used: Personal/Professional items, Simple Pleasures, Places, and Living Things. After narrowing down their list, they take turns sharing their five things with a classmate or the teacher, explaining why they can’t live without each item. Students ask each other follow-up questions using different tenses and some question prompts provided. This activation phase encourages students to use the target vocabulary and tenses in different question forms in a conversational setting.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS 'MY FAVORITE THINGS' ESL LESSON PLAN

This ESL lesson plan on students' favorite things offers a fun and interactive way for students to practice vocabulary related to personal interests while engaging with video content. It supports students in organizing their thoughts into categories and using specific vocabulary in context. The activities help reinforce listening, speaking, and comprehension skills while practicing verb tenses. Teachers can use this lesson to encourage meaningful conversations in class, allowing students to express their preferences and build confidence in discussing personal topics. It also promotes critical thinking as students reflect on their favorite things and the reasons behind their choices.