I’ve used these 8 free lessons over and over again for TEFL class after TEFL class. They’ve stood the test of time, and if you want a guaranteed fun and engaging class, then you have to use these 8 best English lesson plans.

1. Get to Know You Lesson Plan from Oscar Lessons (1 hour)

The first one is this AMAZING get to know you activity. It’s guaranteed to take at least an hour and while I always use it on the first day of school, you could easily use it any day to get to know your students a little bit more. It’s one of the best lesson plans for getting students talking, forming questions, and learning about each other. Plus, it’s no prep!

This free lesson plan is good for any age and almost any English level from beginners to advanced.

2. “You’re Lying!” Game from Blog de Cristina (1 hour)

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve played this present perfect game from Blog de Cristina in my classes. The essence of the game is a PDF with topics that students can ask one another about using “Have you ever…?” questions. The trick is that students must answer “Yes, I have!” to every question. Find out which of your students are good liars and which ones are atrocious. The answer might surprise you!

I’ve used this game with children before, but it works best with English-learning preteens, teens or adults. It’s best for intermediate to advanced learners.

3. The Lunchroom Murder (at least 1 hour)

Who doesn’t love a mystery? I’ve used The Lunchroom Murder image over and over again for my advanced TEFL classes. You can find worksheets and lesson plans about it all over the internet, but if you want a specific no-prep worksheet, you can try this one from Rachael Bourne. I personally tweak the language and questions to be more suitable to English language learners, but I keep the image and the scenario the same. Students love this fun and engaging lesson. It’s always a hit.

This lesson is best for advanced ESL teens to adults.

4. Island Survival Game (At least 1 hour)

Every teacher has some version of an island survival game and in my opinion this one from Phillips Wom News is the best. Students get so excited to choose which items they’ll bring to the desert island and find out it if they’ve made the correct choices. The point system is really motivating. I do tweak the lesson based on the age and ability level of my students. For example, for children I typically just review the names of the items with them, let them choose their items, and then check their points. For adults or advanced learners I dive deeper into the lesson materials.

This lesson is great practice for grammar such as “to” for purpose. For example, “I would use the fishing pole to catch fish.”

The Island Survival Game works from intermediate to advanced and children to adult ESL classes.

5. Family Expressions Conversation Lesson From Tim’s Free English Lesson Plans (1 hour)

This lesson plan from Tim’s Free English Lesson Plans is amazing because it’s so student-centered. I’ve used this lesson over and over again for years, and it’s always successful because it really lets students interact with one another without the teacher getting in the way.

Essentially it’s a worksheet with questions about family idioms. Students have a conversation, asking one another the questions, while at the same time trying to determine the meaning of the idioms. It’s difficult to understand if you haven’t seen the worksheet, so go download it now!

This lesson is best for intermediate to advanced teens and adults.

6. Murder in the Classroom from One Stop English (1 hour)

This is another amazing murder mystery game. Why do we have two murder mystery lesson plans in this list? Because they work! If you have quiet students that aren’t always engaged, then give a murder mystery lesson plan a try because it always gets students talking.

This lesson is particularly good because everything you need is one handy PDF. Just print it out, read it over, and go to class.

This lesson plan is best for teens or adults.

7. Superstitions Lesson Plan from Sticky Ball (1 hour)

This lesson plan from Sticky Ball about superstitions is excellent. I’m always surprised by how much students love talking about superstitions and this lesson plan’s warm-up, all about identifying the meaning of certain superstitious symbols, is so much fun. The discussion questions always go down a treat.

This lesson plan is best for teens or adults in intermediate or advanced ESL classes.

8. Infomercial Lesson Plan from Oscar Lessons (1 hour)

I’ve used this super low-prep lesson plan in my classes for years. You just need a box of random objects and a way to play a few infomercials for your students. It’s also easily adaptable to make a much longer lesson, so you could easily stretch this topic into two or more lessons.

This lesson plan is best for intermediate or advanced students. It can be used for children, teens, or adults.

Honorable Mentions

The following ESL lessons are lessons that I’ve used over and over again, but they either cost money or are not quite an hour long in length. In my opinion they’re a good investment for how many times I’ve used them.

1. Dog Training School Video (10-30 minutes) – Free

This video lesson is amazing for children’s ESL classes. The video is heartwarming and it works well with different ability levels. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on whether or not you do the grammar and vocabulary practice.

Free!

2. Mog’s Christmas (90 minutes) – Paid

I’ve used this video lesson plan every year for Christmas since I purchased it. It’s meant for children, but I’ve used it with teens and adults successfully as well. It’s a funny video and great lesson plan.

$4.99

3. Digital Halloween Escape Room (have to pay) -Paid

I adore this spooky escape room. If you have access to iPads or computers at your school then I highly recommend this hands-off lesson for an easy and fun Halloween party. It’s best for children and preteens.

$8.00