Joanna H.

B1 – Decode the Dream Teeth falling out? Flying? Being chased? This B1 dream interpretation lesson dives into the mysterious world of dream interpretation, a fascinating topic that gets students thinking, speculating, and speaking. If you’re looking for an original listening and speaking lesson that’s equal parts introspective and imaginative, Decode the Dream delivers just that. This lesson is perfect as a standalone class or as a follow-up to a session on sleep, emotions, or even controlling dreams, or perhaps my other lesson on sleeping habits in South Korea (

What do flying dreams really mean?🕊️

In this B1 lesson, students explore the meaning behind common dreams, practise speculative language, and share personal stories. With two engaging listenings from EnglishPractice, this class gets learners thinking, talking, and dreaming.

Check it out!👇🏽

B1 – Decode the Dream A B1-level ESL lesson on dream interpretation, ideal for learners curious about psychology, symbolism, and storytelling. Students explore common dream symbols, listen to realistic dream descriptions and an interpreter’s analysis (from English-Practice.net), and practise speculative language through pair discussions. Includes guided writing, personal reflection, and peer-to-peer interpretation—perfect for building vocabulary, fluency, and critical thinking in an imaginative context.

B1 - Decode the Dream

B1 – Why is Eurovision so popular? Lights, costumes, controversy – what’s not to love? This B1 Eurovision ESL lesson dives into one of the world’s most outrageous events and gets students talking and reminiscing. It helps learners explore the fun and eccentric world of Eurovision while sharpening their speaking and reading skills. It’s Eurovision week, with the grand final just around the corner on Saturday. It's the perfect time to tap into the excitement!

💫 Lights, costumes, chaos… and class discussion!

Get your students talking with this fun, free B1 ESL lesson all about #Eurovision.

Includes an authentic reading, vocab work, and a creative task.👇🏽

B2 – How to Survive the Apocalypse After the unexpected power blackout across parts of Spain last Monday, I found myself thinking: what if this weren’t just a short-term outage? What if we really had to prepare for something bigger - like an actual emergency situation? That moment inspired this B2 apocalypse lesson plan, a reading and speaking session on how to survive an apocalypse. Whether your students are preppers or skeptics, survival-themed lessons always lead to lively, creative conversations.

⚡Just published: a complete B2 apocalypse lesson plan ⚡

Reading for gist & detail, vocabulary, discussion, and survival simulation.

Perfect for students who love a challenge, and teachers who love creative speaking classes.😉

Includes a worksheet + slides. Grab it here 👇🏽

A2 – Christmas Email This A2-level Christmas email writing lesson guides students in crafting both formal and informal party invitations through picture analysis, structured writing tasks, and useful phrase practice. Ideal for Cambridge A2 Key exam prep, it includes a ready-to-use worksheet and teacher’s notes for a complete 45-minute class.

A2 - Christmas Email

🚨In case you missed it🚨

I was featured on a Teacher Talk Radio podcast where we explored my journey into online teaching, the use of AI in lesson prep, and thoughts on the future of education.

If you're curious about teaching in the digital age, click👇🏽
www.podbean.com/media/share/...

C1 – Describing Films and TV Shows A C1-level ESL lesson that builds expressive vocabulary for discussing films and TV shows. Includes engaging tasks, authentic reviews, and speaking practice.

C1 - Describing Films and TV Shows

B1 – My Last Trip This B1-level ESL lesson combines travel-themed stories with targeted grammar practice on first, second, and third conditionals. Students read, analyse, and share their own experiences using conditionals in a dynamic 45-minute class.

B1 - My Last Trip

Cambridge PET – Speaking Part 2 (Speaking Circle) While speaking tasks might not seem that terrifying, the truth is that for many students, having to talk on their own for a full minute in Speaking Part 2 can feel like the longest sixty seconds of their lives. Honestly, I totally get it. Speaking naturally, with no one helping you out, is tough — especially when you’re still building confidence with English.

Want to help your students stay confident and fluent in PET Speaking Part 2?

I’ve just published a new blog post with a complete lesson plan + free worksheet based on the Speaking Circle strategy! ⭕

Perfect for B1-level Cambridge exam prep.👇🏽

YouTube video by ELT Experiences Online Teaching & Freelancing: The Sunday Social with Martin Sketchley

I had a fantastic conversation with Martin Sketchley about the world of online teaching and freelancing! If you're thinking of taking this path, you can't miss it👇🏽

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_hh...

B1 – Cycling Courses This B1-level ESL lesson helps students practice Cambridge Reading Part 2 skills through a fun cycling courses theme. It includes speaking, writing, and reading activities that build confidence in matching profiles to texts while making exam practice personal and engaging.

B1 - Cycling Courses

School's out! - and now what? - JoannaESL Discover summer ideas for ESL teachers to stay productive, earn money, and prepare for the next school year with tips, tools, and inspiration.

Every summer used to stress me out - no job security, side gigs, constant worry.

4 years ago, I wrote this blog post with summer ideas for ESL teachers. Then I lost my job🙈

Now I’m self-employed - and summers? No stress.💪🏽

If I can do it, anyone can!

joannaesl.com/2021/06/15/s...

B1/B2 – Taking Patient History A practical B1/B2-level ESL lesson for medical professionals focused on the SOCRATES method of taking patient history. Students build clinical communication skills through vocabulary matching, realistic dialogues, and role-plays.

B1/B2 - Taking Patient History

B2 – Wearable Technology A dynamic B2-level ESL lesson exploring wearable technology and smart rings through reading, vocabulary, discussion, and a creative tech design task. Perfect for building real-world language skills around emerging tech trends.

B2 - Wearable Technology

B2 – Health and Fitness🕧 The topic of health and fitness never goes out of style. From weekend yoga sessions to the latest superfood trends, it’s something students often have opinions on. This B2-level vocabulary lesson on health and fitness is a fantastic opportunity to introduce students to useful terminology while getting them talking about their personal routines and habits. While health and fitness often come up in conversation, this lesson gives the topic a clear learning focus.

New B2 bite-sized ESL lesson on Health & Fitness!

Includes: Vocabulary gap-fill, speaking activities and a fitness coach role-play.💪🏽

Boost fluency and get students talking about their wellness habits.

Grab the lesson here👇🏽

B2 – Technological Advancements and Innovations A B2-level ESL lesson that builds vocabulary around technology and innovation through interactive discussions and speaking tasks. Students explore gadgets, key terms like artificial intelligence, and the impact of modern advancements on society.

B2 - Technological Advancements and Innovations

B2 – Past Simple vs. Present Perfect A B2-level grammar lesson that reinforces the use of Past Simple and Present Perfect to talk about past experiences. Ideal for quick 30-minute revision classes.

B2 - Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

B2 – Travel Itinerary Planning A B2-level city break lesson that builds travel vocabulary through an itinerary task, speaking activities, and peer feedback. Ideal for fast-paced 30-minute classes.

B2 - Travel Itinerary Planning

C1 – Mastering Paraphrasing (Use of English Part 4) A focused C1-level lesson on mastering paraphrasing for CAE Use of English Part 4. Includes practical tasks, sentence transformation strategies, and exam-style practice.

C1 - Mastering Paraphrasing (Use of English Part 4)

A2 – Seasonal Outfits A fun and practical A2-level ESL lesson on seasonal outfits, featuring listening, drawing, vocabulary games, and speaking activities to build everyday language skills. Great for students who enjoy real-life topics and visual learning.

A2 - Seasonal Outfits

B1 – Money Management A B1-level ESL lesson on money management that gets students talking about real-life spending and saving habits. With video input, financial vocabulary, and a fun budgeting case study, it’s perfect for engaging classroom discussion.

B1 - Money Management

B1 – Christmas mystery A fun and festive B1-level ESL lesson using a Christmas mystery video to teach modal verbs of speculation. Includes listening, grammar, and an interactive speaking game.

B1 - Christmas mystery

B2 – The Passive Voice Explore passive voice news articles in this engaging B2-level ESL lesson. Students dive into real headlines and articles to practice grammar, build reading skills, and boost fluency through meaningful speaking tasks.

B2 – The Passive Voice

B1 – Opening a Bank Account A B1-level ESL lesson on how to open a bank account, ideal for learners navigating everyday financial tasks. Students explore key banking vocabulary and develop listening and speaking skills through a clear, animated video and guided practice. The lesson features a step-by-step breakdown of the account-opening process, vocabulary-building exercises, and a personalized speaking task where learners explain how to open a bank account in their own country.

B1 - Opening a Bank Account

B1 – Understanding Credit Scores A B1-level ESL lesson on understanding credit scores, perfect for learners exploring personal finance. Students build essential financial vocabulary and listening skills through an engaging explainer video and interactive tasks. The lesson includes a visual breakdown of credit score factors, comprehension checks, and a structured role-play activity where learners take on the roles of bank officers and loan applicants. Ideal for learners who want practical language for real-world money matters.

B1 - Understanding Credit Scores

A2/B1 – What is Law? An A2/B1-level ESL lesson on the basics of law, ideal for learners curious about rules, rights, and how society works. Students explore key legal vocabulary through matching tasks and gap-fills, and engage with a clear, beginner-friendly video that answers questions like “What is law?” and “Who makes the laws?” Includes structured pair discussions, critical thinking on real-world scenarios, and speaking practice through engaging legal case role-plays.

A2/B1 - What is Law?

B2 – Types of Crimes A B2-level ESL lesson on types of crimes, ideal for learners interested in current events and real-world issues. Students build vocabulary through matching activities and explore crime-related topics via a gripping listening task based on an authentic story. Includes fluency-focused speaking questions, group discussions, and vocabulary practice to encourage critical thinking and debate. Perfect for engaging learners in meaningful conversation.

B2 – Types of Crimes

A B2-level ESL lesson on types of crimes, ideal for learners interested in current events and real-world issues. Students build vocabulary through matching activities and explore crime-related topics via a gripping listening task based on an authentic story. Includes…

B1 – Effective Customer Service A B1-level ESL lesson on effective customer service, ideal for learners aiming to improve workplace communication. Students listen to a realistic service call, explore essential customer service phrases, and practice handling real-world scenarios through role-plays. Includes vocabulary work, listening for detail, and guided speaking tasks based on authentic dialogue. Warmer: What Makes Good Customer Service? Start by asking students to brainstorm what makes good customer service.

B1 – Effective Customer Service

A B1-level ESL lesson on effective customer service, ideal for learners aiming to improve workplace communication. Students listen to a realistic service call, explore essential customer service phrases, and practice handling real-world scenarios through role-plays.…

B2 – Types of Photography A B2-level ESL lesson on photography genres, perfect for learners with a passion for visual storytelling. Students explore real-world images, read about photography styles, and engage in vocabulary, discussion, and brainstorming activities to build fluency. Includes creative speaking tasks and a reading activity based on simplified authentic descriptions.

B2 – Types of Photography

A B2-level ESL lesson on photography genres, perfect for learners with a passion for visual storytelling. Students explore real-world images, read about photography styles, and engage in vocabulary, discussion, and brainstorming activities to build fluency. Includes…

B2 – Essential Camera Gear Perfect for B2-level Business English learners or adult ESL students with an interest in photography! Help your learners build fluency and vocabulary through this dynamic 45-minute B2 lesson camera gear  listening and speaking lesson based on the YouTube video Camera Gear for Landscape Photography by William Patino. This engaging resource includes a student worksheet and teacher’s notes designed to spark discussion, introduce essential gear-related vocabulary, and develop listening skills through authentic content.

B2 – Essential Camera Gear

Perfect for B2-level Business English learners or adult ESL students with an interest in photography! Help your learners build fluency and vocabulary through this dynamic 45-minute B2 lesson camera gear  listening and speaking lesson based on the YouTube video Camera…