Thrills and Skills: A B2 Lesson Plan Inspired by The Weeknd’s ‘Dancing In The Flames’

Buckle up, language teachers! Get ready to rev up your B2 English lessons with this high-octane plan inspired by The Weeknd’s electrifying track, ‘Dancing In The Flames’. This cool lesson merges the thrill of pop culture with the precision of language learning, creating an unforgettable classroom experience.

From dissecting profound quotes about love to analyzing lyrics and even mimicking a Cambridge speaking exam, this lesson plan is designed to keep your students engaged and challenged. We’ll explore themes of risk, excitement, and decision-making, all while honing essential language skills.

Whether your students are fans of The Weeknd or simply enjoy a good adrenaline rush, this lesson promises to ignite their passion for English. So, let’s hit the road and embark on this linguistic journey that’s sure to be anything but ordinary. After all, in the world of language learning, sometimes you’ve got to dance in the flames to truly shine!

Description:

Language level: B2 and above
Learner type: Teens and adults
Skills: Listening, speaking, reading, writing, critical thinking
Topics: Music, driving, relationships, risk-taking
Materials: YouTube videos, genially presentation, speaking worksheet
Duration: 55-75 minutes (90-95 minutes if including the writing task in class)
Download your free teaching resources:  speaking p.3 worksheet.pdf

STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN

Step 1 (5 – 6 min)

Slide 01. Genially Presentation LINK. Quotes and question:

“Which perspective on love do you find more realistic or appealing and why?”

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.” – C.S. Lewis

“The heart was made to be broken.” – Oscar Wilde

Step 2 (10 min)

Youtube Video Quiz about the Weeknd – group competition – (slide 2)

Tell your students that they are going to work with a song related to the quotes they talked about. The song is by The Weeknd. Ask them if they know him and if so, what they know about him. Then, tell them they are going to watch a quiz video and have a team competition to see who gets more correct answers about the singer. 

Instructions. Divide the class into teams. Play the video and pause before each answer. The teams write their answers on a sheet of paper. Check their answers, award points. Resume the video.

The team with more points in the end is the winner.

Questions in the quiz with the right answers:

1. In which language did The Weeknd first learn to form sentences? (Amharic.)
2. Which famous comedian does The Weeknd have a special connection with? (Jim Carrey)
3. What was The Weeknd’s job before becoming famous? (Folding shirts at American Apparel)
4. Which of these songs is by The Weeknd? (Can’t Feel My Face)
5. Which of these is NOT part of The Weeknd’s car collection? (Tesla Model S)
6. Which country is The Weeknd from? (Canada)
7. How many languages can The Weeknd speak? (Three)
8.  At what age did The Weeknd drop out of high school? (17)
9. What is The Weeknd’s birth name? (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye)
10. What unusual method did The Weeknd use to improve his vocabulary? (Doing crossword puzzles)

STEP 3 ( 5 – 6 min)

Slide 3. Play the audio of the song for them and have your students identify words related to cars and driving.

Their task is to identify the word which is NOT in the lyrics

Answer windshield

Step 4 (5 -10 min)

Lyrics Slide 6. Show the lyrics for them to check their answers and also to help them with the vocabulary

Ask them all or some of the comprehension questions below:

1. What do you think the singer means by “Another odyssey” in the context of this song?

Possible student answers:

It could mean another exciting adventure or journey they're embarking on together.

It might refer to the challenges they face in their relationship, comparing it to an epic journey.

The singer could be talking about another wild night out or thrilling experience.

2. The lyrics mention “dancing in the flames”. How might this metaphor relate to the overall theme of the song?

Possible student answers:

It could represent embracing danger or living life on the edge.

The flames might symbolize passion in their relationship, suggesting they're fully immersed in intense emotions.

It could mean they're finding joy or excitement in a potentially destructive situation.

3. In the bridge, the singer says “Everything’s fadin’, we barely made it”. What emotions or experiences do you think this line is trying to convey?

Possible student answers:

It might express a sense of exhaustion after an intense experience.

The line could suggest they've gone through a dangerous or challenging situation and narrowly survived.

It could represent the fading of the outside world as they focus intensely on each other.

The lyric might convey a feeling of time passing quickly during their exciting experience.

Step 5 (5 min)

Music video. Slide 5.

Have your students speculate on how the music video might be like. (ask students who have already seen the music video not to say anything about it). Have students share their guesses, then Play the music video for them to check their ideas.

Step 6 (10 – 15 min)

B2 first speaking part 3 Worksheet LINK

IMPORTANT NOTES ON SPEAKING PART 3:

According to the Cambridge English: B2 First handbook, Speaking part 3 is a ‘”Collaborative task.

This part tests the candidates’ ability to engage in a discussion and to work towards a negotiated outcome of the task set. In Part 3, candidates are asked to respond to a written stimulus which forms the basis for a discussion. They are given a discussion question, together with five written prompts designed to help candidates by providing ideas for their discussion. Candidates are expected to answer the question by exploring the different prompts. Candidates can choose which prompts to discuss and are not expected to discuss all five prompts in the time available but should continue their discussion until asked to stop by the interlocutor. Candidates are expected to express and justify their opinions and speculate in order to have a conversation which answers the discussion question. The interlocutor will then ask candidates a second question designed to encourage them to summarise their discussion and to work towards a negotiated decision. Candidates are not penalised if they fail to reach a negotiated decision. They are assessed on their ability to hold a conversation, to turn-take appropriately, and to use the language of negotiation and collaboration while doing this. The task is opinion based and there is no right or wrong answer. The task gives candidates the opportunity to show their range of language and their ability to invite the opinions and ideas of their partner. Candidates are expected to share the interaction in this way and to initiate and respond appropriately.”

Tell your students that they’ll practice a little speaking part 3 with the theme of the song.

Now you can divide students into pairs, and use a timer to tell them when the time’s up, and everybody does it at the same time. (it can be a little messy, so make sure to tell students not to speak too loud.

Here is what the examiner would say :

Now, I’d like you to talk about something together for about two minutes. Here are some aspects of thrilling driving experiences and a question for you to discuss. First you have some time to look at the task (15 seconds).

What makes driving exciting but potentially dangerous?”

Now, talk to each other about why these aspects might make driving both exciting and potentially dangerous. ( give them 2 minutes to perform the task)

(after the 2 minutes are over) Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which two aspects are the most important to consider for safe but enjoyable driving. (1 minute)

At the end of the activity, have students share their experiences doing the task and the difficulties they had.

Step 7 (Homework (or in class, if you have time!)

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