10 Video Lessons and Worksheets for Low-Prep TEFL or ESL Lessons
Video lessons are great because students find them engaging and they tend to be very hands-off for the teacher. Keep this page bookmarked for those days where you need a fun, low-prep TEFL or ESL lesson. All of these lessons take about an hour.
1. Video Lesson about School Lunches around the World
This English video lesson is about school lunches all around the world and it is sure to generate discussion, even among teenage students. The video from Brightside shows all of the surprising foods that students eat at school around the world. The worksheet focuses on comprehension questions, but also using the passive voice, so its great for review. The discussion questions at the end are designed to inspire spirited class conversation.
2. Video Lesson using a Clip from Pixar’s Up
This video lesson uses a clip from Pixar’s Up. The clip is cute and funny and sure to engage students of all ages. The worksheet focuses on comprehension as well as the past continuous. It gives students plenty of practice using the past continuous before students get to the past continuous discussion questions at the end.
3. Video Lesson from National Geographic about an Animal Attack
This video shows the wild and true story of what happens when a photographer gets too close to a leopard seal. Its a shocking video that will lead to plenty of in-class discussion. It’s appropriate for all ages. The worksheet focuses on the present perfect, but it’s also a great practice in comprehension and discussion.
4. Video Lesson about Wild Reality TV Shows
This video lesson has a focus on romance-based reality TV shows, making it an excellent lesson for Valentine’s Day, but it’s also a great lesson to get students talking any time of the year. The lesson includes vocabulary, discussion questions, and three videos about three different romantic reality TV shows. The wild clips are sure to inspire discussion. This lesson is best for older teen or adult classes.
5. Infomercial Video Lesson
This lesson has students watching a few examples of infomercials before working together in groups to create their own infomercial. It’s a great lesson to get students used to presenting in front of their peers in a fun and creative way. It’s also an extremely low-prep lesson for teachers!
6. Video Lesson about Personal Finance from a TEDx Talk
This video lesson is great for adult students or business English students. It features a fascinating TEDx talk about improving your personal finances. The lesson includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and discussion questions. Students will find this lesson informative, engaging, and will walk away from class with food for thought.
7. Video Lesson about Playing Hooky on World’s Strictest Parents
This video lesson is good for any age, but it will be particularly shocking (and engaging!) for preteen and teenage students. The video comes from the reality show World’s Strictest Parents, and the clip is all about a teenager who is playing hooky (or skipping class). The lesson includes a worksheet with vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and discussion questions. Even your quietest students will absolutely have an opinion about this video. It’s an excellent lesson to get everyone talking.
8. Video Lesson about the Dangers of Social Media
Students have probably heard over and over again that social media can be a danger to teens, so that message can start to seem a bit hollow, but the video clip attached to this lesson will definitely put the dangers of social media into perspective for teens. Students will definitely have something to say about this video clip.
The worksheet for this video includes vocabulary, comprehension, and discussion questions. But it also includes a short story about social media with a focus on phrasal verbs, followed by more discussion questions including those phrasal verbs. It’s an excellent lesson for reviewing or introducing phrasal verbs, as well as letting students think about social media from a new perspective.
9. Video Lesson about Self-Control (the Marshmallow Test)
Have you ever heard of the marshmallow test? It’s a test that psychologists use on children to test their self-control. The video is funny but also very interesting. This lesson includes partner-based discussion questions, so the teacher simply needs to print the worksheet, show the video, and let students work together to answer the questions. It’s a very hands-off lesson with high rewards as students will find the discussion questions and video very stimulating.
10. Fascinating Video Lesson about Korean Basement Apartments
If you or your students have seen the film Parasite, then they will already know a little about the theme of this interesting video from the BBC. The video talks about Korean basement apartments, a unique living arrangement that is sure to encourage class discussion and interest. The worksheet includes vocabulary, comprehension and discussion questions. Students are sure to have something to say after watching this fascinating video.
