OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This ESL lesson plan on favorite movie vocabulary offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for beginner A1–A2 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Talk about how often they watch movies, what types they like, and share their favorite actors.
• Learn basic vocabulary to describe different movie types and simple opinions.
• Watch a fun video where people share their favorite films and identify movies and actors mentioned.
• Practice using positive and negative adjectives to review movies, music, and podcasts.
• Write and share short reviews of their favorite media using useful expressions and ratings.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this ESL lesson on favorite movies by reading a short, enthusiastic movie review of Deadpool. Students answer some simple comprehension questions about the film, its genre, and why the reviewer loves it. Then, students discuss their own movie habits and favorites, such as how often they watch films and what types they prefer (e.g., comedy, action, drama). In the next part, students match people’s short comments about their favorite films to the correct film type vocabulary. They learn words like classic, masterpiece, horror, and moving, and match these to easy definitions. Finally, students discuss famous actors and actresses they like, or ones they know, building comfort around the topic and preparing for the video.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In this lively video, everyday people talk about their favorite films of all time—from the dramatic Ben-Hur and the spooky Jaws to the funny and surprising Dumb & Dumber. These choices are full of nostalgia and strong opinions, often with humor and heartfelt explanations. First, students listen carefully and put a list of movies in the correct order they hear them. Then, they write down other movies they hear from the one-minute mark onward. After that, students watch again and match short movie descriptions to the correct films, helping them understand adjectives and common expressions used to describe movies like classic, funny, or masterpiece.

DISCUSSION & ADJECTIVES

Students begin this section by discussing whether they’ve seen any of the movies from the video and if they liked them. They also share what movies they watch again and again and name other classic films they know. Next, students read four short online reviews about different media (including Stranger Things and The Room) and identify adjectives in each review. They decide whether each adjective is positive or negative and sort them into two lists. This helps build vocabulary related to opinions and reviews. In the final task, students give a star rating (from 1 to 5 stars) for each review based on its tone and language.

MOVIES, MUSIC, AND MORE: REVIEW TIME!

In this final section, students choose any type of media—like a movie, a podcast, an album, or even a video game—and write a short review using expressions and adjectives from earlier in the lesson. They also rate it using a five-star scale. They can talk about something they love, like, or don’t recommend at all. After writing, students share their reviews with a partner or their teacher and ask follow-up questions. Alternatively, students can choose from a list of speaking prompts to have a conversation about their favorite and least favorite media, such as a movie they think is a masterpiece or a podcast they find interesting.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS FAVORITE MOVIE VOCABULARY ESL LESSON

This favorite movie vocabulary ESL lesson plan gives teachers a complete, structured approach to developing vocabulary, listening, and speaking skills. It helps students use practical language to talk about media they already enjoy, which keeps them engaged and motivated. The vocabulary is simple and level-appropriate but still introduces rich and useful expressions. The video is dynamic, relatable, and full of clear, natural speech. Teachers can use both written and speaking tasks flexibly in pairs or one-on-one lessons. With both creative writing and structured listening practice included, this lesson offers strong skill development while keeping things fun and personal for students.