esl b2 first listening part 2 featuring Billie Eilish's music.

You Probably Won’t Believe How Billie Eilish’s Music Can Engage ESL Students

B2+, Billie Eilish, Cambridge English First Preparation, Integrated Skills, Modal Verbs for Advice and Suggestion, Modal Verbs of Possibility/Deduction, present perfect, Song Activity 3 comments

Creative Song Activities for the ESL Classroom: A Billie Eilish Lesson Plan

There’s so much soul in a song like Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather, isn’t there? It’s emotional, it’s deep, and it connects with students instantly. So why is our first instinct often to flatten all that magic into a simple gap-fill exercise?

I’ve struggled with that question, too—how to honor a song’s artistry while still building solid language skills. This lesson plan is my answer. It uses a custom monologue inspired by the song’s themes for a B2-level listening task that feels as meaningful as the music that sparked it, all formatted like a Cambridge B2 First exam task.

This approach is built on my MUSIC+ Framework.. We use the song’s core message to get students invested before they even press play on the audio. By the time they reach the listening task, they’re already connected to the topic, making the exam-style practice feel natural and engaging.

ESL Lesson Plan featuring Billie Eilish's music. Enhance language skills with interactive, tech-enhanced listening activities.
Transform your ESL classroom with creative, song-based activities. Save time and boost 21st-century skills!

A Time-Saving Song Activity for Your Next ESL Class

Are you looking for an activity that’s not only deeply engaging but is also wonderfully simple for you to prepare? This is it.

I designed this activity to sharpen those critical listening skills, and the format beautifully mirrors the Cambridge B2 First exam, making it a PERFECT partner for your textbook-based curriculum.

This is more than just a creative idea; it’s an experience that finds that soulful balance between structured learning and pure, student-centered interaction. And the best part for us? This method gives you back your most precious resource—TIME—while delivering a lesson filled with connection and joy that your students will truly remember.

ESL Listening Activity Overview

  • Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
  • Learner Type: Teens and Adults
  • Skill Focus: Listening (Cambridge B2 First, Part 2 format)
  • Topic: Relationships, connection, and self-reflection
  • Materials: PDF worksheet (download below), audio (embedded video), and related resources
  • Duration: 15–20 minutes

Learning Objectives

  • Language Skills Development: Enhance listening comprehension by completing a 10-question sentence-fill exercise modeled on the Cambridge B2 Listening format.
  • Vocabulary Expansion: Acquire and use key vocabulary to describe relationship dynamics.
  • Critical Thinking: Foster critical thinking and discussion skills by analyzing the nature of the relationship depicted in the monologue.
  • Creative Communication: Promote creative and collaborative language use by writing a short, contextual reply.

Downloadable Materials

ESL Song Lesson Instructions

Step 1: (Motivation+) (5-7 min)

Warm-Up & Personal Connection

Start the lesson by engaging students with a relatable question. Ask the class: “Have you ever felt like you ‘just click’ with someone? Why do you think that happens?”

Encourage brief, open sharing to build a personal connection to the lesson’s theme.

Step 2: (Understanding+) (5-7 min)

Pre-Listening & Vocabulary Prediction

Prepare students for the listening task by introducing key vocabulary.

Write the following words from the monologue on the board: codependent, clingy, overrated, haunt, dramatic.

In pairs, have students discuss the words and predict what type of relationship the speaker might be describing.

Step 3: (Skills+) (10-12 min)

Listening Comprehension Task

Distribute the PDF worksheet to the students. Explain that they will listen to a monologue and must complete the sentences on the worksheet.

Play the audio of the monologue twice to allow students to check and complete their answers.

Tip: Mention that this type of focused listening task is excellent practice for official exams like the Cambridge B2 First.

Audio Transcript:

Look, I know what people think when they see us together. They look, they whisper, and I can almost hear them say, “What’s with those two? Are they okay?” Spoiler alert: we’re not. But that’s what makes us us!

I’m serious when I say, “I want you to stay till I’m in the grave.” Sounds intense, right? But don’t worry—it’s just a poetic way of saying, “You’re stuck with me!” Like, imagine me as gum on the bottom of your shoe: I’m not going anywhere.

If you leave? Oh, I’m coming with you. No hesitation. You’re heading out the door, and there I am, packing my bags like, “Wait for me!” Call it codependent, call it clingy—I call it love.

Honestly, before you came along, I thought I was one of those independent types. You know, the “I’m better alone” crowd. But now? Now I’m here, saying things like, “Birds of a feather, we should stick together.” And yes, I’ve completely changed my tune. But hey, I’ve also discovered that being alone is overrated. Who wants to sit in a quiet room, when I can sit next to you and make fun of bad reality TV?

Let’s be real: I’ve always been dramatic. Sometimes I cry, and I don’t even know why. You ask, “What’s wrong?” and I’m just like, “I don’t know what I’m crying for. I don’t think I could love you more!” Yeah, I’m that person now. And you? You just roll your eyes like, “Here we go again.”

Here’s the thing: you don’t even realize how great you are. I give you compliments, and you’re like, “Oh, stop. You’re full of it.” Well, I’m not. I see you, and I mean really see you. You’re awesome, and I’m ready to fight anyone who says otherwise.

And you know what? I think we’ve done this before. Like, in another life. I’m not saying I believe in reincarnation… but I’m also not not saying it. I swear, when I met you, I thought, “I knew you in another life. You had that same look in your eyes.” It’s freaky, but it’s true!

People might call us weird. They might say we’re too much. Well, let them! We’re not here to be normal; we’re here to be happy. I’ll stick with you, not just “till the day that I die,” but maybe even longer. Who knows? I could haunt you.

So yeah, life’s unpredictable. “Can’t change the weather, might not be forever.” But if it is forever? Well, that’s even better.

Answer Key:

  • okay (9)
  • gum (10)
  • independent types (11)
  • overrated (12)
  • dramatic (13)
  • compliments (14)
  • another life (15)
  • normal (16)
  • haunt (17)
  • forever (18)

Step 4: (Interaction+) (10 min)

Post-Listening Discussion

Review the worksheet answers as a class, clarifying any doubts.

Transition into a deeper discussion to encourage critical thinking. Ask follow-up questions such as:

  • “What makes the relationship described in the monologue unique?”
  • “Do you think this is a healthy dynamic? Why or why not?”

Step 5: (Creativity+) (10-15 min)

Creative Writing Reply

Challenge students to creatively use the language and concepts from the lesson.

In pairs, instruct them to write a short text message reply from the other person in the relationship described in the monologue.

This task encourages both collaboration and creative language use. If time allows, have pairs share their text messages with the class.

Tips & Suggestions

  • Foster a Safe Environment: When discussing relationship dynamics, ensure the classroom atmosphere is respectful and supportive, allowing students to share opinions without judgment.
  • Encourage Justification: During the post-listening discussion, prompt students to support their opinions with examples or reasoning (e.g., “Why do you say it’s unhealthy? What did the speaker say that made you think that?”).

Creative Freedom: For the final writing task, encourage students to be imaginative. The reply can be understanding, confused, angry, or humorous, allowing for a range of linguistic expression.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do song-based activities help ESL learners?

Activities inspired by songs boost engagement by using relatable themes from popular culture. They make learning feel less like a chore and more like a creative experience, which is especially effective for teens and adults.

What are the benefits of using popular music in ESL?

Using a popular song as inspiration creates a powerful context for new vocabulary and grammar. It hooks students emotionally, making them more receptive to the language in the follow-up activity, such as this monologue.

How can I adapt this B2 listening activity for lower levels?

For a B1 level, provide the monologue transcript and have students find the missing words as they listen. You could also simplify the creative task to writing a single-sentence reaction from the other person.

How does this activity save teachers time?

This is a complete, ready-to-use lesson plan that targets a specific, high-level skill. All materials are provided, eliminating prep time while delivering a structured, effective, and creative classroom experience.

Can I use this song-inspired lesson plan for teaching online?

Absolutely. The downloadable PDF and embedded YouTube video make this activity perfect for online ESL classes. The creative tasks can be easily adapted for breakout rooms and collaborative digital whiteboards.

What if my students don’t like Billie Eilish?

That’s the great thing about this lesson—they listen to a monologue, not the song itself! The lesson uses the theme from her song to start a conversation, so students can engage with the topic even if her music isn’t their favorite.

Explore More Resources

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Author Bio:

About the Author:Márcia Bonfim is an ESL/EFL teacher and creator of the Song Activity Factory. She helps educators create engaging lessons using her signature BEAT+ Method, which features the MUSIC+ Framework. You can discover her complete methodology summary here.