OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This ESL lesson plan on structured speaking skills offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for advanced ESL students. In this lesson, students will:

• Share and discuss habits of clear, articulate speakers using relatable workplace scenarios.
• Learn and apply vocabulary related to communication habits and strategies.
• Watch a video explaining three structured frameworks to organize ideas more clearly and persuasively.
• Analyze examples of structured responses using new frameworks and discuss their real-life value.
• Practice impromptu speaking using the frameworks in fun, real-life inspired speaking prompts.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this advanced ESL lesson on speaking skills by assessing a workplace scenario where a colleague (Greta) struggles to express her opinion clearly during a meeting. They reflect on whether her response is effective and give advice on improving communication. Then, they examine a list of good and bad speaking habits, identifying which ones Greta demonstrates and which they should aim to practice or avoid themselves. In the final part of this section, students reflect on their own strengths and challenges when it comes to speaking clearly, and discuss what it means to be articulate, setting the stage for the video they’ll watch next. The section finishes with a discussion prompt that gets students brainstorming strategies for confident, structured speaking. These advanced ESL speaking activities build self-awareness and vocabulary before diving into real frameworks.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

The video features Philipp, who explains how to speak more clearly and confidently using structured frameworks—PREP, What–So What–Now What, and Past–Present–Future. These tools are especially useful for speaking on the spot in professional or time-limited situations. In Part 1, students answer a short comprehension question to get the main idea. In Part 2, they match six different descriptions with the correct speaking frameworks based on the video. One item is a distractor, encouraging close attention. In Part 3, students review the video again and fill in a table describing example questions and responses Philipp gives for each framework. These tasks help solidify understanding and connect structure to real-life use—an essential element of advanced ESL speaking activities.

VIEWING FOLLOW-UP

To deepen understanding, students discuss how useful these frameworks are in their own lives and whether applying them would be challenging in real-time conversations. In the second part, students match ten numbered lines from Philipp’s sample responses to the appropriate speaker move (e.g., sharing a reason, reflecting on the past, making a prediction, etc.). This exercise helps students see the logic and flow within structured speaking and builds awareness of what effective communication actually looks like. These advanced ESL speaking activities not only promote practical speaking skills but also encourage critical listening and self-reflection.

THINKING IN FRAMEWORKS: VERSATILE SPEAKING PRACTICE

In this final section, students choose or create discussion questions based on each of the three frameworks. They prepare their answers or practice responding spontaneously, using the PREP, What–So What–Now What, and Past–Present–Future structures. They take turns with classmates or their teacher to ask and answer, giving them a chance to internalize the frameworks in a safe, supportive setting. The bonus task lets students write and try out their own questions, giving this activity a creative and personalized edge. These advanced ESL speaking activities help learners move from theory to confident action.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS ADVANCED ESL SPEAKING SKILLS LESSON

This lesson equips students with practical tools for structured, confident communication in real-world settings. It builds awareness of what makes a speaker effective and gives students repeatable frameworks to lean on when speaking under pressure. It helps learners practice high-impact speaking in low-stakes settings. It strengthens both listening and speaking fluency. It also offers teachers clear, easy-to-use materials that promote communication skills essential in both workplace and academic settings.