Neighborhood Vocabulary ESL Lesson

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This neighborhood vocabulary ESL lesson plan provides activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for beginner A1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Talk about their neighborhoods or local areas
• Learn some vocabulary related to neighborhood places
• Watch a video about a man’s neighborhood in Chicago
• Study and use the phrases “There is(n’t)… / There are(n’t)...” to refer to places in their neighborhood or local areas
• Use the quantifiers/articles (some, any, a) to refer to places in their neighborhood or local areas

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

In the first part of this neighborhood vocabulary ESL lesson plan, students look at images depicting places in the neighborhood of a young woman named Aisha. These images include a park, a university, a restaurant, a pharmacy, a hospital, and a grocery store.

Then, students put some common neighborhood places into their respective categories (such as “food/drink”, “education”, “health”, etc.) in a table.

In the final activity on this page, students discuss some questions about their neighborhood or local areas.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In the second stage of this lesson, students watch a video of a man named Joe showing and describing places in his local neighborhood in Chicago. Joe lives in an area called Little Italy University Village. There is an activity for students to mark which places they see/hear Joe talk about in the neighborhood (including grocery stores, restaurants, schools, etc.)

In the second activity, there is a multiple choice activity for students to complete. They choose the correct answers based on what Joe says.

Finally, there is a section in which students must listen to the correct adjectives that Joe uses to describe his neighborhood.

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

After students watch the video, there are two discussion questions that prompt students to reflect on Joe’s neighborhood. This includes a question on whether students might like to live in his neighborhood or not.

The next part of the lesson is focused on grammar. Students read sentences from a man named Arnold who is describing his own neighborhood. They choose the correct answers in statements/rules based on his description. These sentences are based on the usage of “There is(n’t)...” and “There are(n’t)...” in conjunction with the quantifiers: some and any, and the indefinite article “a(n)”.

In the third part, there are some sentences for students to fill in the appropriate quantifier/article based on the context.

In the final part of the viewing follow-up, students describe an image of a street in a town. They are instructed to use the provided vocabulary (which includes places on this specific street) with the appropriate quantifiers or indefinite article

WELCOME TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD!

In this activity, learners will describe their neighborhoods through a structured writing and discussion exercise. Option A begins with students writing five sentences about their neighborhood or area. They incorporate a mix of singular and plural forms of various places such as banks, grocery stores, mountains, and cafes. They are encouraged to include both affirmative and negative sentences.

For example, a learner might write, "In my area, there are some nice mountains," or, "There isn't a lake." After completing their sentences, learners will share them with a classmate or their teacher, using adjectives like beautiful, expensive, big, or quiet to enhance their descriptions. This sharing step allows them to compare and contrast their neighborhoods, discussing similarities and differences.

Option B offers a discussion-based alternative where learners choose a few questions about their neighborhood to discuss with a classmate or teacher. The questions focus on the presence of schools, restaurants, public transit, grocery stores, and natural spaces in their areas. This activity helps learners practice descriptive language and engage in meaningful conversations about their local areas.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD VOCABULARY ESL LESSON:

Vocabulary:

Students will learn lots of new words related to neighborhoods, which will help them talk about their local areas more easily.

Fun & Engaging Video:

Watching a video about a man's neighborhood in Chicago makes the lesson more interesting and gives students a chance to practice their listening skills.

Useful Grammar Practice:

The lesson focuses on practical grammar points like "There is(n’t)… / There are(n’t)..." and using "some," "any," and "a(n)," which are key for beginners.

Interactive Exercises:

Writing and discussion activities get students actively using the new words and grammar in real conversations about their own neighborhoods.

Visual Learning:

Looking at images and categorizing places helps students remember the vocabulary better because they can see what the words mean.

Personalized Learning:

Describing their own neighborhoods makes the lesson more relevant and engaging for students.