Sports ESL lesson thumbnail
Book 7 · Unit 10Intermediate · Ages 12–14

Sports

This sports ESL lesson practises activity vocabulary with the collocations play, do and go. Students mime sports, classify them by verb, discuss equipment and evaluate healthy fitness habits. They write about a favourite sport and perform a television interview between a reporter and athlete.

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Lesson format

2 × 45 minutes

Level

Intermediate

Age group

Ages 12–14

Main focus

Speaking first

What students will learn

• Name popular sports and match them with play/do/go
• Use present simple to describe fitness routines
• Ask and answer 'Do you play football?' and 'What equipment do you need?'
• Express opinions about sports and health
• Write about a favourite sport and its benefits
• Perform a sports-reporter interview roleplay

Lesson flow

Students mime sports for classmates to guess, sort sports into play/go/do groups, and drill 'Do you play table tennis? What do you need for baseball? A bat and a ball.' The second lesson writes fitness-habit sentences ('I do yoga every Monday'), discusses what makes a sport healthy, writes 'My Favourite Sport' explaining what it needs and why they enjoy it, and roleplays a sports-reporter interview with an athlete.

Target language

  • • Play / do / go + sport
  • • 'Do you play...?' / 'What do you need?'
  • • Present simple for fitness habits
  • • Sports and equipment vocabulary

Key vocabulary

  • marathon
  • tournament
  • champion
  • athlete
  • training
  • compete
  • fitness
  • teamwork
  • record
  • stadium

Speaking questions students answer

  • • Do you play football?
  • • What equipment do you need for basketball?
  • • How often do you exercise?
  • • What's your favourite sport?
  • • What keeps you healthy?

Recommended teaching contexts

• Intermediate ESL and EFL classes• Ages 12–14• Primary school classrooms• Language schools• Private and small-group lessons• Teaching sports vocabulary• Pair and whole-class speaking• Interactive whiteboards and online teaching

Why this lesson works

The lesson follows a clear progression: Mime sports in a What Am I Playing? warm-up, match sports to play/do/go and equipment, write about a favourite sport and perform a sports-reporter roleplay. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.

This lesson includes

• Interactive lesson slides
• Teacher guide
• Printable worksheets
• Speaking practice: "Do you play football?"
• Classroom games
• Videos
• Vocabulary practice
• Pair work
• Extension activities

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