A Vocabulary Lesson Plan on Sports and Leisure

Off2Class is introducing yet another free lesson plan for teachers and we have many more to come! This lesson plan on sports and leisure is “must-have” for ESL teachers everywhere. It is a vocabulary lesson that you can use to teach your Elementary English Learners. Keep reading to find out more about this vocabulary lesson and how to teach it. 

When to use this lesson plan on sports and leisure

As I mentioned prior, this is a perfect lesson for Elementary English Learners. Meaning, your student(s) should have a basic knowledge of functional English. Elementary English Learners should be able to ask and answer basic questions in English as well as have a growing vocabulary. Personally, I refer to this level of English as “Tourist English”. In any case this lesson is perfect to use to help introduce the most common vocabulary items related to roots, hobbies, pastimes and leisure time. Finally, before teaching this lesson it is important to confirm that your student(s) can form sentences in the “present simple” tense.

What will students learn in this lesson?

Throughout this lesson your student(s) will be introduced to different types of sports and leisure activities. The lesson includes several pictures and speaking prompts to encourage students to use new vocabulary words in the correct context.

In this lesson, your student(s) will also learn to differentiate sports, leisure activities and games. With help, they will be able to describe how these are played or completed. 

Moreover, your student(s) will gain the knowledge to match vocabulary words and complete sentences with the relevant images. As well, they will learn to fill in the blanks of sentences with the correct words. 

Finally your student(s) will learn to practice using words and verbs in different contexts. In particular, you should encourage them to to use the verbs play, do and go with the vocabulary learned. By the end of the lesson, your student(s) should be able to form sentences independently and to ask you or their classmates related questions. 

You can download the lesson plan on sports and leisure here:

How to teach this lesson plan on sports and leisure

The best way to approach teaching this ESL lesson plan on sports and leisure truly depends on the learning style of your student(s). I find that it is very effective to have students draw images associated with the words they are being taught; this is something you can do synchronously. As well, it can be very useful to incorporate word association games into the lesson. 

Studies show that vocabulary needs to be repeated several times before it becomes active vocabulary in the mind of a student. So throughout the lesson be sure to use new vocabulary words in as many contexts as possible. Also use the new vocabulary words in conjunction with verbs. For example, “you throw a football.” When you continue to use the vocabulary words in the correct context, it will encourage further retention and understanding. 

Most importantly, remember that vocabulary retention happens over time. You should review the words and verbs learned in this lesson in the future as well.

But wait there’s more…

One of the most useful tips I can offer you is to download the free Off2Class account. This account will give you access to this lesson and 149 other free lessons that come with detailed teacher notes. These teacher notes will provide you with excellent tips and question prompts that you can use to teach lessons in the most effective manner possible. Finally, if you want even more support from other teachers, be sure to join the Off2Class Facebook Community. It has over 8000 members that provide one another with support, tips and tricks. 

Happy teaching!