Tech-Smart ESL: ‘Strangers’ by Capaldi to Boost English Communication

Hey there, fellow English enthusiasts! 

Ready to mix up your teaching playlist? Welcome to our exciting English journey with the song “Strangers“, a super engaging song-based lesson that taps into Lewis Capaldi‘s heartfelt lyrics to spice up your English class. Forget the usual listen-and-repeat routine—here, your students will get to play with words, create their own dialogues, and really put their English into action. It’s all about connecting through music, using tech to make learning stick, and having a blast while doing it. Whether you’re clicking through slides online or having a lively chat in the classroom, this lesson is your ticket to a fun, fresh, and totally doable English teaching experience. Let’s get those language vibes flowing!

Quick Lesson Overview:

Step into the world of song-based STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLANS for ENGLISH language TEACHING with ‘Strangers‘ by Lewis Capaldi.

Through this immersive and interactive activity, students PREDICT song themes, EXPLORE language through a word cloud, CREATE and PERFORM dialogues, and ARRANGE lyrics in sequence while honing their listening skills. They’ll engage in thoughtful DISCUSSIONS about the song’s emotional depth, cultural references, and personal impact, all while improving their language proficiency

OBS: This lesson plan was made for ONLINE TEACHING, but it can be modified for face-to-face instruction, as well.

Language level: B1+B2
Learner type: Teens & Adults
Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing
Topic: Emotional connections through music
Materials: Genially presentation or worksheet.pdf, YT videos
Duration: 45 - 55 min
Download your free teaching resources: instructions.pdf; worksheet with exercises

STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN

Step 1 (5 min)

Tell students they are going to work with a new song during this class. Write the title of the song on the board: STRANGERS and ask students what kind of song they think it might be: sad, happy, angry; what music genre, and even what it might be about.

Step 2 (5 min)

Have students shout out words or phrases they think might be in the lyrics and have them explain their reasons quickly. Write their guesses on the board for later conference.

Step 3 (5 min)

Worksheet with the 2 exercises LINK or Genially presentation slide 1. LINK

Present the word cloud with the chosen sentences from the song. Tell students that the word cloud has just some phrases (not all of them!) from the song all mixed up. Choose students to read them aloud and clarify any vocabulary questions.

Step 4 (7 min)

Have students work in pairs to create a dialogue, as long as possible, using just the phrases and nothing else, in any order they want as long as it makes sense! Give them a time limit of 3 – 5 min. They should write down their dialogues to read to the whole class later.

Step 5 (7 min)

Have the pairs read their dialogues. Encourage students to add proper intonation to give more meaning to the phrases.

Step 6 (7 min)

Worksheet pdf exercise 2 or genially presentation slide 2 with the exercise projected. (teachers can also write the exercise on the board.)

Students will listen to the song and put the phrases in the order they appear in the lyrics. Number 1 is done for them:

SEE answers in the instructions.pdf

Step 7 (5 min)

Students can compare their answers in pairs. Ask students if they thought it was hard or easy to do it and also if they recognized any words they guessed would be in the song earlier. Play the official lyrical video (slide 3) for them to check their answers.

Step 8 (10 min)

Engage students in a discussion about the song with the following questions:

• What did you think about the song? Did it meet your expectations based on the title and the word cloud?
• Did anyone recognize the singer or have you heard this song before?
• What do you think the song is about? Can you share any lines or phrases that particularly struck you?
• How did the actual lyrics compare to the words and phrases you predicted would be in the song?
• Were there any new words or phrases that you learned from the song? How might you use them in your own language use?
• Discuss any cultural references or themes in the song. Were there any aspects that were new or particularly interesting to you?
• How did you find the activity of creating dialogues from the word cloud? Was it challenging to put the phrases in order while listening to the song?

Want to Bring Flow into your Classroom?