3 Complete ESL Lesson Plans With Answer Keys

Good ESL lesson plans make the next class easier to teach. You need a clear objective, materials at the right level, realistic timings and answers you can check quickly. A list of activity ideas is useful, but a complete lesson also shows how the stages connect.

Below are three original, free ESL lesson plans for adults and older teens: a beginner café lesson, an elementary storytelling lesson and an intermediate workplace discussion. Each includes student material, a timed procedure, teacher notes, answer keys and a speaking task with success criteria.

Choose one lesson from the table, copy its student material into your handout or slides and keep the teacher answers separate. Everything needed for the core tasks is on this page. No paid textbook, video, specialist knowledge or Ohemi account is required.

Choose an ESL lesson plan for your class

The timings assume pairs or small groups, including one-to-one lessons with the teacher taking a role. They are planning estimates, so allow extra preparation time for learners who need it. The levels are suggested starting points, not official CEFR certifications.

Before choosing: check what learners can already do. An adult can have sophisticated ideas while still needing simple English. The Council of Europe’s CEFR descriptors describe language use through illustrative statements about ability; use that approach to set a practical classroom goal.

For additional warm-ups or speaking extensions, use our ESL conversation topics organised from A1 to C2. Choose questions that prepare learners for the final task rather than adding an unrelated discussion.

What a complete ESL lesson plan should include

Start with an observable outcome: “Learners can order two items and ask the total price” gives you something to listen for. “Understand food” is harder to teach towards and harder to check.

A practical plan also identifies prior knowledge, target language, materials, stage timings, interaction patterns, likely problems and evidence of learning. The British Council’s guide to the elements of a lesson plan highlights clear aims and a meaningful context for the language being taught.

Use the following ESL lesson plan template when adapting any of the examples:

These examples connect input, guided practice and independent use. You can change a topic while keeping that progression. Ohemi’s activity types include vocabulary, reading, gap fills and role-play, which can support different stages of the same lesson.

Lesson 1: an A1 café lesson plan, 45 minutes

Class: adults or older teens, beginner level. Prior knowledge: familiar food words, basic numbers and polite greetings. Main skill: speaking, supported by reading. Preparation: display or copy the menu, dialogue and student tasks below; use imaginary coins rather than real money.

Objectives and target language

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Identify at least four of the five menu items and their prices.
• Order one food item and one drink using a polite phrase.
• Ask the total price and ask for repetition if needed.

Target chunks: “I’d like…”, “How much is that?”, “It’s… coins”, “Here you are”, “Thank you” and “Sorry, can you say that again?” Teach the chunks as usable expressions; a beginner does not need a full grammar explanation of “would”.

Timed lesson procedure

Student material: menu and model dialogue

The Corner Café — all prices are in imaginary coins.

Assistant: Hello. Can I help you?

Customer: I’d like a tea and a sandwich, please.

Assistant: A tea and a sandwich. Anything else?

Customer: No, thank you. How much is that?

Assistant: It’s seven coins.

Customer: Here you are.

Assistant: Thank you. Enjoy your lunch.

Read it with a partner. Underline the words the customer uses to order. Circle the question about the price. Then change “tea” to “water” and say the exchange again with the new total.

Student Task A: complete the dialogue

Use each word once: like · much · seven · Here · Thank.

1. Customer: I’d _____ a tea and a sandwich, please.
2. Customer: How _____ is that?
3. Assistant: It’s _____ coins.
4. Customer: _____ you are.
5. Assistant: _____ you. Enjoy your lunch.

Student Task B: check the prices

Use the menu to answer:

1. How much are a tea and a cake together?
2. How much are a coffee and a sandwich together?
3. You have seven coins. Can you buy a coffee and a cake?

Practise saying each total aloud. If you do not understand a partner, use “Sorry, can you say that again?”

Student Task C: order within a budget

Customer card: You have seven coins. Buy one drink and one food item. Ask the total price before you pay. You may look at the menu and phrase bank, but do not read the model dialogue.

Assistant card: Take the order, repeat it and give the correct total. All five items are available in round one. After both partners have tried each role, make cake unavailable in an optional extra round.

Your goal: complete the exchange and stay within the budget. Swap roles after each order. In the extra round, the assistant can say, “Sorry, no cake today,” and the customer chooses something else.

Teacher notes and answer key: lesson 1

Model dialogue: the customer orders tea and a sandwich for seven coins. Replacing tea with water changes the total to six coins. The ordering phrase is “I’d like…”; the price question is “How much is that?”

Task A: 1. like; 2. much; 3. seven; 4. Here; 5. Thank.

Task B: 1. Six coins: 2 + 4. 2. Eight coins: 3 + 5. 3. Yes: coffee and cake cost exactly seven coins.

Task C: possible orders within seven coins are tea and sandwich (7), tea and cake (6), coffee and cake (7), water and sandwich (6), or water and cake (5). Coffee and sandwich costs eight, so it exceeds the budget. If cake is unavailable, tea or water with a sandwich still works.

Possible successful exchange: “I’d like a coffee and a cake, please.” / “A coffee and a cake. Anything else?” / “No, thank you. How much is that?” / “It’s seven coins.” / “Here you are.” / “Thank you.” Other polite wording is acceptable.

Check learning: listen for a clear order, a price question, an understood total and a polite ending. Record which part still needs support. A pause or minor grammar error does not automatically make a successful exchange unsuccessful.

Likely problem: learners may say “I like a coffee” when ordering. Re-model “I’d like a coffee” and contrast the purpose briefly: preference versus an order. Avoid interrupting every role-play to correct pronunciation; address a small number of useful points afterwards.

Support: leave the phrase bank visible and rehearse the first line together. Extension: remove the model and add the unavailable item. Homework: write a six-line dialogue with a different valid order, or record the same exchange with a partner.

Lesson 2: an A2 past-tense lesson plan, 45 minutes

Class: adults or older teens, elementary level. Prior knowledge: learners have met the past simple and basic question forms with “did”. Main skills: reading and speaking. Preparation: copy the reading and Tasks A–D; separate the teacher answers before sharing.

Objectives and target language

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Identify the main change of plan and put five story events in order.
• Use at least three target past-tense verbs in a short, understandable story.
• Ask a relevant past-tense follow-up question about a partner’s story.

Target verbs: go/went, buy/bought, meet/met, walk/walked, visit/visited and stay/stayed. Sequencing language: first, then, after that and finally. Question frames: “Where did you go?”, “Who did you meet?” and “What happened next?”

Timed lesson procedure

Student material: a weekend that changed

Last Saturday, Alex wanted to have a picnic with Sam. Alex went to the market at nine o’clock and bought two sandwiches. At ten, Alex met Sam outside the park. It started to rain, so they did not have their picnic. They walked to the town museum instead.

They visited an exhibition about old trains and ate their sandwiches in the café. In the afternoon, Alex stayed at home and watched a film. On Sunday, Alex called Sam. They agreed to try the picnic again next weekend. Alex was disappointed about the weather, but enjoyed the museum.

Word help: a picnic is a meal eaten outdoors; an exhibition is a collection of things people can look at; disappointed means unhappy because something did not happen as you hoped. Use “instead” when one thing replaces another.

Student Task A: reading comprehension

1. Where did Alex go at nine o’clock on Saturday?
2. What did Alex buy?
3. Why did Alex and Sam change their picnic plan?
4. What was the museum exhibition about?

Discuss the main idea with a partner: what did they plan to do, and what did they do instead?

Student Task B: order the events

Write the letters in the order they happen in the story.

• A. Alex stayed at home and watched a film.
• B. Alex bought two sandwiches at the market.
• C. Alex and Sam walked to the museum.
• D. Alex called Sam on Sunday.
• E. Alex met Sam outside the park.

Retell the five events using “First…”, “Then…”, “After that…” and “Finally…”. You can use “then” more than once.

Student Task C: past simple practice

Put the verb in brackets into the past simple.

1. Alex _____ to the market. (go)
2. Alex _____ two sandwiches. (buy)
3. Alex _____ Sam outside the park. (meet)
4. They _____ to the museum. (walk)
5. They _____ an exhibition about trains. (visit)
6. Alex _____ at home in the afternoon. (stay)

Now complete this question with the correct form: “Where did Alex _____ in the afternoon? (stay)”

Student Task D: tell a four-part story

Choose a fictional story card, or use a real experience if you prefer. The notes are prompts, so put the verbs into the past tense when you speak.

Prepare four short sentences. Your partner listens and asks one question using “Where did…?”, “Who did…?” or “What happened next?” Answer, then swap roles. Try telling the story again without your notes.

Teacher notes and answer key: lesson 2

Task A: 1. The market. 2. Two sandwiches. 3. It started to rain. 4. Old trains. The original plan was a picnic; they visited the museum instead.

Task B: B → E → C → A → D. Accept full sentences that preserve this sequence. Alex’s Sunday phone call must come after the Saturday events.

Task C: 1. went; 2. bought; 3. met; 4. walked; 5. visited; 6. stayed. The additional question takes stay, because “did” carries the past-tense marking: “Where did Alex stay in the afternoon?”

Task D is open-ended. One possible response for card A is: “First, I met a friend in the park. Then it started to rain. After that, we visited a café. Finally, we went home. We enjoyed the afternoon.” A partner could ask, “What did you drink?” Accept invented details that do not contradict the chosen card.

Check learning: listen for a comprehensible sequence, at least three accurate target verbs and a relevant follow-up question. Evaluate the interaction as well as the grammar. A learner who asks for clarification is also doing useful communication work.

Likely problems: “Did you went…?” and repeated switching into the present. Put one statement and one question on the board: “You went to the museum” / “Where did you go?” Ask learners to notice which word shows the past in each.

Support: keep the reading and verb pairs visible during preparation. Give learners four sentence starters. Extension: add a reason for the changed plan and a question the narrator did not prepare. Homework: write 60–80 words about another changed plan, with four past-tense verbs and two sequencing expressions.

Lesson 3: a B1–B2 Business English lesson plan, 60 minutes

Class: adults or older teens comfortable with workplace scenarios. No work experience is required; all roles are fictional. Prior knowledge: telling the time, giving reasons and making simple suggestions. Main skill: spoken interaction, supported by reading and short writing.

Preparation: copy the email, useful phrases and role cards. Give each learner only their own role card before the negotiation. In a one-to-one lesson, the teacher can represent two colleagues while the learner represents the third.

Objectives and target language

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Make a suggestion and explain a scheduling constraint politely.
• Check a partner’s availability and agree on a time that meets all role-card requirements.
• Record two agreed actions with an owner and a deadline.

Target language: “We could…”, “I’m not sure that would work because…”, “Would eleven work for you?” and “Let’s agree on…”. At B1, prioritise a clear exchange. At B2, ask learners to compare alternatives and summarise another person’s concern before proposing a solution.

Timed lesson procedure

Student material: email to the team

Subject: Agreeing on our Monday planning meeting

Hi team,

We need one 30-minute planning meeting on Monday. All three team members must attend. Please choose one of these times: 09:00–09:30, 10:00–10:30 or 11:00–11:30. Check everyone’s availability before you decide.

We also need two things before the meeting. Someone must send a short agenda by Friday at 16:00. Someone else must prepare a shared notes template by Friday at 17:00. Please decide who will do each task. One person should not take both tasks.

Finish your discussion with a clear meeting time, the two task owners and their deadlines.

Thanks,

Morgan, team coordinator

Student Task A: read for the requirements

1. How long must the Monday meeting last?
2. How many team members must attend?
3. When must the agenda be sent?
4. Can one person take responsibility for both preparation tasks?

Underline the part of the email that supports each answer. Do not choose a time until you have heard every colleague’s availability.

Student Task B: match phrases to functions

Match phrases 1–4 with functions A–D. Use each function once.

A: check another person’s availability. B: make a suggestion. C: confirm a decision. D: explain a concern.

Practise saying the four phrases with a partner. Change the time or reason while keeping the function the same.

Student Task C: complete and soften

Use each word once: could · because · would · on.

1. We _____ meet at eleven.
2. I’m not sure that works _____ I have another appointment.
3. _____ eleven work for you?
4. Let’s agree _____ eleven.

Now make this message more constructive: “No. Ten is impossible. Change it.” Include a reason and an alternative time. Several answers are possible.

Student Task D: negotiate with role cards

Work in groups of three. Keep your card private at first and explain your availability aloud. Your group must choose one of the email’s three complete 30-minute slots. Nobody can move their existing commitments.

Dana — customer support: You have a customer call from 09:00 to 09:30, so you cannot attend the first slot. You are available for the complete 10:00 and 11:00 slots. You can send the agenda or prepare the notes template before the stated Friday deadlines.

Lee — designer: You have a fixed design session from 10:00 to 11:00, so you cannot attend the 10:00 slot. You are available for the complete 09:00 and 11:00 slots. You can take either preparation task and would prefer to prepare the notes template.

Amir — developer: You have a support shift from 08:00 to 10:00, so you cannot attend the 09:00 slot. You are available for the complete 10:00 and 11:00 slots. You can take either preparation task and would prefer to send the agenda.

Your task: agree on a meeting time, then allocate the agenda and notes template to two different people. Preferences are flexible; availability and deadlines are fixed. Ask at least one availability question and give a reason for accepting or rejecting a slot.

Record the agreement:

For a B2 extension, propose one rule to keep the 30-minute meeting focused. Explain a possible drawback and revise the rule after hearing a colleague’s concern.

Teacher notes and answer key: lesson 3

Task A: 1. 30 minutes. 2. All three. 3. Friday at 16:00. 4. No; two different people must own the tasks.

Task B: 1–B, 2–D, 3–A, 4–C. A learner may use a question to make a suggestion in real conversation; for this exercise, match each complete expression to its stated main function.

Task C: 1. could; 2. because; 3. Would; 4. on. One possible reformulation is: “I’m not sure ten would work because I have a design session. Could we meet at eleven instead?” Accept other polite responses with a reason and an alternative.

Task D — fixed answer: the only slot that all three can attend is Monday, 11:00–11:30. Dana and Amir cannot attend at 09:00. Lee cannot attend at 10:00. All three are available at 11:00.

Task D — flexible answers: any two different task owners are acceptable because every card permits either task. A preference-respecting example is Amir sends the agenda by Friday at 16:00; Lee prepares the shared notes template by Friday at 17:00. The deadlines remain the same even if the owners change.

Possible negotiation: “We could meet at ten.” / “I’m not sure that would work because I have a design session. Would eleven work for you?” / “Yes, I’m available then.” / “That works for me too. Let’s agree on eleven to eleven thirty.” / “I can send the agenda by Friday at four.” / “Thanks. I’ll prepare the notes template by five on Friday.”

Check learning: look for an appropriate suggestion, a stated constraint, a time that respects every card and an accurate action record. For the B2 extension, assess the explanation and response to a concern; there is no single correct meeting rule.

Likely problem: a confident speaker chooses a time before hearing everyone. Pause the task and ask the group to summarise each colleague’s availability. Another common gap is an action without an owner or deadline; point learners back to the agreement table.

Support: display the phrase bank and let learners mark their available slots before speaking. Extension: ask for a concise written summary explaining why the other slots were rejected. Homework: write a 60–90-word confirmation email with the agreed time, both owners and both deadlines.

Adapt these ESL lesson plans for adults, online and mixed levels

Keep the objective visible when you adapt a lesson. If the outcome is ordering in a café, adding a long restaurant review may use the time learners need for their final exchange. Change the support before changing the goal.

For online ESL lessons

Share the task, language support and time limit before opening breakout rooms. Paste role instructions into separate messages where possible. Check that learners can see the menu or email on their device while speaking, especially if they are using a phone.

Ask each pair or group to return with a concrete result: an order, an event sequence or an action table. Keep the teacher key out of shared slides. You can paste the correct answers after learners have compared their work.

For one-to-one teaching

Take one role yourself, then swap. In the meeting task, represent two colleagues and disclose their constraints as the learner asks. Give preparation time, but leave space for the learner to ask questions rather than supplying every missing detail.

A second attempt can change one item, story card or preferred task owner. Keep the core success criteria consistent so that the learner can notice an improvement.

For mixed-level classes

Use the same situation with different language support. A sentence frame, a visible verb bank or a rehearsal can make a task accessible. A stronger learner can justify an alternative, handle an unexpected reply or summarise the agreement for another audience.

Avoid making stronger learners permanent assistants. Give them their own speaking goal and rotate roles. Check that every learner gets a turn at the central task.

If you have 30 or 60 minutes

For a 30-minute version of either 45-minute lesson, keep a brief model, one controlled exercise, the final speaking task and feedback. Shorten the lead-in, omit an additional practice round and move a supplementary task to homework. Preserve enough time to demonstrate the task before students begin.

For a 60-minute café or storytelling lesson, add preparation, a second speaking round and peer feedback. Extra time is useful for trying improved language, rather than filling the lesson with unrelated questions.

Reuse the lesson plan template without starting again

Save a teacher copy containing the objective, procedure and answers, plus a student copy containing only the input, tasks and language support. Add the class level, date and one note about what you would change next time.

When you reuse the plan, check three things: whether the language is already familiar, whether the scenario fits the learners and whether the task still gives them a reason to interact. Change names, menu items or role priorities to keep the activity relevant.

For a complete v2 example, follow our AI lesson plan generator walkthrough. Build activities yourself or review and edit an AI draft. Check every answer against the final version of the material; a small edit to a menu or timetable can change a previously correct key.

For optional independent practice, Cambridge English’s speaking activities offer level and duration filters. Choose something connected to the class objective, then revisit the useful language in the next lesson.

Questions teachers ask about ESL lesson plans

What should an ESL lesson plan include?

Include learner level and prior knowledge, an observable objective, target language, materials, timed stages, teacher notes and an answer key for closed tasks. For open-ended speaking, provide a possible response and clear success criteria rather than pretending there is one correct opinion.

Are these free ESL lesson plans suitable for beginners?

The café lesson is designed as an A1 starting point for learners who recognise basic food vocabulary and numbers. The A2 story assumes previous exposure to the past simple, and the B1–B2 meeting requires more independent interaction. Choose according to what learners can do, then adjust the support.

Can I turn these examples into ESL worksheets?

Yes. Copy the original student material into a classroom worksheet or slides, leaving out the teacher answers. Add room for writing and keep the final speaking instructions visible. If you change details, recalculate prices, check event sequences and solve the scheduling task again.

How do I mark a speaking task without a single answer?

Use the task outcome and a few observable criteria. In the café lesson, check the order and total. In storytelling, check sequence and listener response. In the meeting lesson, check constraints and action details. Note useful language and one next step for each learner.

How much grammar should I explain before a task?

Explain enough for learners to understand and attempt the objective. A brief model and a small practice task may be enough when the language is familiar. If learners cannot use the pattern yet, give more guided practice and simplify the final task rather than adding a long explanation under time pressure.

Can I build these lessons in Ohemi?

The examples follow a sequence you can recreate with vocabulary, reading, practice and speaking activities. Review Ohemi’s lesson-building features to see how the workflow is designed. Ohemi v2 is opening through a waitlist; join the Ohemi waitlist for access updates.

Choose one plan, check the answers and teach towards the final outcome. After class, save one useful observation: what learners could do independently, what needed support and what you would change for the next group.

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