OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This ESL lesson plan on cultural customs and etiquette offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for intermediate B1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Discuss common, uncommon, and frowned-upon customs in their culture and share personal experiences with culture shock.
• Learn and use vocabulary related to respect, etiquette, and cultural values.
• Watch a short video about Japanese etiquette and identify key customs that help avoid cultural misunderstandings.
• Practice useful expressions related to cultural norms through analysis and comparison of etiquette in different countries.
• Create and present their own cultural etiquette guide to inform or advise others respectfully and accurately.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this ESL lesson on cultural customs and etiquette by examining six images showing cultural customs. These include bowing to elders, tipping at a café, removing shoes before entering, slurping noodles, greeting by kissing on the cheek, and sharing food. They describe what they see and evaluate which customs are common or uncommon in their own culture. Next, students discuss the concept of culture shock, including its causes and how to handle it, and share any personal experiences. In the third part, students complete four culturally reflective sentences using vocabulary words like respect, dignity, etiquette, and pride, then explain whether these ideas apply to their home country. Finally, students talk about what they already know about Japanese etiquette and explore ways to learn more about cultural customs before traveling.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

Students watch a short video where travel content creator Drew Binsky introduces six key customs in Japan that foreigners should know—such as bowing to elders, not tipping, removing shoes, and avoiding certain chopstick behaviors. The tone is practical and light, aiming to prevent embarrassing mistakes. In the first activity, students read six statements and choose whether they are true or false, then correct the false ones to better understand Japanese customs. In the second part, students complete six partially written sentences based on the video. 

VIEWING FOLLOW-UP

After the video, students reflect by discussing what they found useful, interesting, or surprising and explain why. They compare Japanese customs to their own culture and consider how cultural differences shape social expectations. Next, students read descriptions of etiquette in four different countries—Georgia, Bhutan, Suriname, and Malawi—and decide whether the bolded expressions refer to positive or negative cultural etiquette. They then organize these into a two-column chart. In the final follow-up task, students connect these global customs to their own by identifying which practices are similar or different in their home country and discussing why that might be.

BUILD YOUR OWN CULTURAL ETIQUETTE GUIDE!

In the activation, students imagine themselves as a tourism official, business consultant, or travel blogger and create a short etiquette guide for a chosen country—either their own or another one. Using a list of categories such as greetings, dining habits, dress, gestures, and tipping, students write practical advice for visitors. They incorporate target phrases like “It’s customary to…” or “Locals may find it offensive if…” to frame their guidance clearly and politely. Once completed, students present their guides to the class or teacher and ask each other follow-up questions to clarify or compare cultural expectations. Alternatively, students can choose discussion prompts such as describing reverse culture shock, unique customs, or giving advice to foreigners visiting their country. 

BENEFITS OF USING THIS ESL LESSON PLAN ON CULTURAL CUSTOMS & ETIQUETTE

This ESL lesson plan on cultural customs and etiquette helps students improve their communication and cultural awareness through a wide range of structured and open-ended activities. It builds vocabulary related to social behavior, encourages students to connect personal experiences with broader cultural norms, and supports listening comprehension with real-life video content. The lesson’s final project promotes creativity and critical thinking while giving learners a meaningful opportunity to speak at length. Teachers can easily adapt the material to suit one-on-one or group settings, and students finish the lesson with a better understanding of how culture affects language, manners, and international travel.