***This post sponsored by thetalklist.com- learn English like a native!
How to teach an English class a lesson on the topic of dating
This is a very fun lesson! We can talk about phrasal verbs
and idioms in the context of pickup lines, we can play funny (and a bit
awkward) scenarios, and we can tell stories about our experiences on bad dates!
There are lots of ways you can take this, here is a template based on a lesson
I’ve taught more than once with great success. Just make sure you know your audience: this wouldn't be a great lesson for children or much older, mostly married people. Regardless of marital status, however, these phrases are often used in television and film!
Vocabulary
*I like to give my students the
vocabulary a class ahead of time so they can actively apply it during the
lesson rather than still trying to familiarize themselves with it during
class.*
- date
- couple
- drinks
- coffee
- crush
- bachelor/-ette
- flattering
- promisuous
- player
- fling
- pick-up line
- courage/guts
- flaw
- jealous
- turn-on/turn-off
- to compliment
- to flirt
Verbal Phrases
- Go for...(coffee/drinks)
- Get...(coffee/drinks)
- Grab...(coffee/a bite to eat)
- Break up
- Get together
Turn Ons and Turn Offs
*Have your students look at this list of traits, and decide
which is a turn-on and which is a turn-off (for them personally, or for most
people in general); you can also have a "neither" or
"neutral" category*
- Smoker
- Highly educated
- Tattoos
- Body odor (B.O.)
- Muscular
- Brings you flowers
- Career-oriented
- Glasses
- add your own!
Cliched/Common Break-Up Excuses
- It's not you, it's me
- Let's be friends
- You're smothering me
- I love you, but I'm not in love with you
- in your native language/culture?
Cheesy/Corny Pick-Up Lines
*These can
be very difficult to translate, best to reserve for more advanced students*
- I forgot my library card, can I still check you out?
- I lost/forgot my phone number, can I have yours?
- Are your legs tired? Because you're been running through my mind all day.
- Did it hurt?...when you fell from Heaven?
- Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see.
- What's your sign?
- Come here often?
- If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.
Role Play Scenarios
- Picking up a girl/boy at a coffee shop
- Picking up your date at their house
- Meeting your girlfriend/boyfriend's parents
Discussion Questions
*As both a teacher and a language
student, I feel for intermediate+ students that discussion is the best way to
practice in a classroom. It helps students connect their "real world"
selves, thoughts, opinions, and feelings to a foreign language, and also helps
teachers connect with students on a personal level, which is vital for
encouraging students and making them feel comfortable enough to speak English
without reservations.*
- What sorts of problems do couples encounter? (new couples vs. married; newlywed vs. dating)
- Should the man pay on a date? ("going Dutch")
- Do you think it's okay to date a co-worker?
I hope you have as much fun with this lesson as I have!
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