Let’s be honest, teaching grammar can sometimes feel a little… dry. Especially the future with “will.” How do we make it more than just rules on a worksheet and turn it into something that actually connects with our students?
What if we could wrap that whole grammar point in a message of pure hope?
That’s EXACTLY what we’re doing here, using the beautiful and uplifting song “Better Days” by OneRepublic. It’s the perfect match! The song’s entire soul is about looking toward the future, so teaching “will” suddenly becomes a real, meaningful conversation.
I’ve designed this as a complete, step-by-step guide that turns a grammar lesson into a fun, interactive experience for both your teens and adults. It’s all ready to go and perfect for online classes, but you can easily bring this energy into your face-to-face classroom too.
Ready to make grammar feel like pure inspiration? Let’s dive in!
ESL Song Lesson Plan at a Glance
Here is a quick overview of what this lesson covers:
- Estimated Time: 60–90 minutes
- Language Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Learner Type: Teens and Adults
- Skills Focus: Speaking, Reading, Listening, and Writing
- Topic: Hopes for a Better Future
- Grammar Focus: Future with WILL/WON’T
- Materials: YouTube videos, Google Doc, Google Slides
Download Your Free Lesson Materials
To get started, you’ll need these resources. I’ve prepared everything for you.
- Instructions: instructions;
- Word Cloud Activity: Google Doc – Word Cloud (to make a copy you can edit);
- Lyrics Exercise: Google slide Lyrics
About the Song: “Better Days” by OneRepublic
“Better Days” was written by Ryan Tedder during the 2020 quarantine. According to genius.com, the song carries a hopeful message that things will inevitably improve and we will all rejoice together. This theme of looking forward to a brighter future makes it a perfect and relatable choice for practicing the future tense.
How to Teach with this “Better Days” Lesson Plan: Step-by-Step
Video Tutorial: Watch This Lesson in Action
If you’re a visual learner, watch this tutorial where I walk you through the entire lesson plan.
Follow these simple steps to deliver a successful and engaging lesson.
Step 1: Warm-up with a Game (5 min)
Start the class with a fun game of hangman. Use the whiteboard feature in Zoom to have students guess the song title: “Better Days.” Don’t reveal the artist’s name yet—save that for later! (step 7)
Step 2: Introduce Vocabulary with a Word Cloud (5 min)
Share the link to the Google Doc Word Cloud. Explain that the bigger words appear more frequently in the song’s lyrics. This is a great way to pre-teach vocabulary.
Explain that “shed” is used as a verb in the lyrics with the word “tear”. SHED A TEAR means CRY.
Step 3: Set Up the Collaborative Writing Task (5 min)
Tell students they will work in small groups to write sentences based on the word cloud. Assign group numbers. Eg. group 1, group 2, etc. Send the link to the word cloud doc to the students and explain the task:
Your Task for the Students:
In the space designated for your group, use the words from the word cloud to write 3 sentences about the future using WILL, WON’T, or THERE’LL BE.
Step 4: Group Work in Breakout Rooms (10 min)
Zoom BREAKOUT ROOMS – (see HERE how to use breakout rooms)
Divide your students into breakout rooms and give them 10 minutes to complete the writing task on the shared Google Doc. I find that popping into the rooms to monitor progress works really well.
Step 5: Peer Correction (10 min)
Bring everyone back to the main room. Assign each group another group’s sentences to check for errors. For example, Group 1 checks Group 2, Group 2 checks Group 3, and so on. Have them underline any mistakes they find.
Group 1 reads and underlines the mistakes from group 2. Group 2 reads and underlines the mistakes from group 3, and so on. The last group reads and underlines the sentences from the first group.
Example with 4 groups:
Group 1 reads group 2’s sentences Group 2 reads group 3’s Group 3 reads group 4’s Group 4 reads group 1’s
Step 6: Review and Correct as a Class (10 min)
Review the sentences together. Ask students to explain the corrections, and then edit the sentences on the document. This step reinforces the grammar rules for everyone.
Step 7: First Listening and Discussion (7-10 min)
Ask students to predict the song’s mood (happy, sad, fast, slow). Then, play the audio for “Better Days.” Afterward, ask if their predictions were correct and if they recognize the band, OneRepublic.
Play the song again, but this time students see if there was any sentence in the lyrics that was similar to the ones they wrote in step 4.
Step 8: Focused Grammar Practice (10-20 min)
Share your screen with the Google Slide lyrics exercise. Students must fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses using will or won’t. Go slide by slide and give time for students to write down their answers in the chat. However, don’t correct them yet. as they are going to do this by watching the lyrics video later.
Step 9: Check Answers with the Lyrics Video
Play the official lyrics video. Students can now check their own answers as they listen and read along. This provides instant feedback and connects the grammar directly to the song.
Answer key: 1- there’ll be 2- there’ll be 3- won’t go 4- ‘ll wash 5- will tell
Step 10: Wrap-Up and Creative Homework (10 min)
End with a class discussion about the song’s positive message. For homework, ask students to express their own ideas about “better days” after a difficult time. They can create a drawing, poem, song, or short story. This allows for free, creative expression!
In the next class, you can hold a “Class Exhibit” to share their amazing work.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How do you use popular songs to teach English grammar?
A: Songs provide an authentic and memorable context for grammar. You can use lyrics for gap-fill exercises (like in this lesson), sentence scrambles, or identifying specific structures like the future with ‘will’ or verb tenses.
Q: What are some creative ways to teach vocabulary with music?
A: A word cloud, like the one in this lesson, is a great start. You can also have students create mind maps of themes in the song, find synonyms or antonyms for words in the lyrics, or write a story using a list of vocabulary from the song.
Q: How can I use song activities for teaching English speaking skills?
A: Songs are perfect for sparking discussions about the meaning, themes, and emotions in the lyrics. You can also use them for pronunciation practice by having students sing along or practice specific sounds found in the lyrics. This lesson encourages speaking in the peer correction and final discussion stages.
Q: Is this lesson plan suitable for online teaching?
A: Absolutely. I specifically designed this plan with online tools like Zoom’s whiteboard, chat, and breakout rooms in mind. All the materials are digital (Google Docs and Slides) and easily shareable for remote learning.
Song Activity Factory 
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