Books ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This ESL lesson plan about books and reading provides activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for pre-intermediate A2-B1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Discuss book formats along with personal reading habits
• Watch a video of people describing their favorite books
• Learn a variety of phrases people use to talk about and describe books
• Practice descriptive language with adjectives related to books
• Share and describe their favorite books, engaging in discussions about various book-related topics.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

In the preview section of this ESL lesson plan about books, students will first engage with various opinions about different book formats. They will read short statements from three people about their preferences for classic paperbacks, eBooks, and audiobooks.

Students will then discuss questions about these formats, sharing which opinion they agree with most and exploring other advantages and disadvantages of each type of book format.

Next, students will discuss their reading habits based on how often they read books. Those who read often or sometimes will talk about what they enjoy about reading and how they find new books. Students who read rarely or never will discuss their preferred media and whether they are interested in starting to read books.

The final part of the preview section focuses on the importance of several different factors when choosing or critiquing a book. These include factors such as the book cover, the author, the plot, characters, among a few others.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In the viewing phase of this lesson, students will watch a video where people of varied ages describe their favorite books and provide details about them. The first task is to match each person with their favorite book from the video. After this, students will correct sentences that contain mistakes about the book descriptions they heard. Finally, students will discuss whether any of the books mentioned in the video were also discussed during the Preview part.

DISCUSSION & TARGET LANGUAGE

After watching the video, students will first answer questions about the books mentioned in the video. They will discuss if they have read any of these books and share their opinions. If they haven’t read them, they will express whether they would like to read any of them. Students will then explore the meanings of "fiction" and "non-fiction" and share their preferences between these types.

Next, they will read and discuss ideas about how to refer to different aspects of books, such as the author, plot, characters, and genre. In this section, they learn several important phrases that will help them refer to these aspects of books.

Finally, students will complete sentences using adjectives to describe books, helping them practice and understand how to use descriptive language.

FAVORITE BOOKS SHARING SESSION

The task-based activation in this lesson starts with students choosing and writing some notes about their favorite book, or a book they really like. They will include details such as the book title, author, genre(s), plot, main characters, and descriptive adjectives. Students will then pair up or work with the teacher to describe their chosen books to each other, using provided phrases to structure their descriptions.

For those who prefer a different approach, they can choose discussion topics related to books and share their thoughts. For readers, topics include recommending books, discussing favorite authors, and describing book genres. For non-readers, topics include discussing popular books they’ve heard about, comparing books to movies, and imagining relaxing reading spots. This session helps students practice speaking and listening skills while sharing and learning about each other's book preferences.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS BOOKS ESL LESSON PLAN:

Enhanced Vocabulary Skills:

Students practice using and understanding descriptive adjectives related to books, along with some important phrases to refer to books. This helps them develop the ability to describe and discuss literature effectively.

Increased Engagement:

The lesson includes varied activities, such as video comprehension, discussions, and personal book sharing. This approach keeps students actively engaged and motivated.

Personal Connection:

Students connect the topic of books to their own experiences and preferences. This can make learning more relevant and may even encourage them to develop interest in reading.

Critical Thinking:

Discussions about book formats, genres, and personal opinions encourage students to think critically about their choices and preferences, as well as understand different perspectives.