Topic: What makes you happy?

Level: A2 and above

Type: General English

This lesson is based on a 6 minute English video called ‘what makes you happy’.
Students practice talking about things that make them feel happy. They will learn level-
appropriate lexical items connected to that topic.

Communicative objectives: By the end of the lesson, learners will be better able to
discuss and share their ideas about the different concepts of happiness around the
world.

Language Objective: By the end of the lesson, learners will learn a few lexical items
related to the topic such as down in the dumps, chirpy, hamster on the wheel, and
chirpy

Description:

The lesson starts with a warm up activity in which students brainstorm around the word
happiness. They are encouraged to come up with any words, phrases or ideas related
to this word. In order to check how much/little students know about the topic, they are
asked to do a matching activity on their own, then check with their partners. Teacher
boards these words, focuses on the form, highlights the stressed syllable and does a
quick drilling. Before watching the video, students are shown the title (What makes you
happy) and they are instructed to work in small groups to predict what ideas might be
there in the video. After the first listening, students check how well they predicted that
topic. During the second listening, they are handed a worksheet to write true or false as
they listen. After watching the audio, teacher starts an open discussion
 What makes you happy?
1- Before listening the audio, in pairs, students
brainstorm about the topic
2- Students match the words in column (A) to
their definitions in column (B)
Match the words in column (A) with their definitions in column
(B)
(A) (B)
1-chirpy a- always busy without getting
satisfying results

2-imperfection b- throw something carelessly

3-hamster on the wheel c- techniques you can use to overcome

a problem or get on with your life

4-chuck a way d- lines and marks

5-coping mechanism e- hide

6-creases f- cheerful and lively

7-disguise g- fault or weakness

 3- This is the title of today’s audio ‘’what
makes you happy? Can you guess what
ideas might be included? students work individually.

4- While listening, students write true or false as they listen

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjESWHykTJQ

Write true (T) or false (F) for the following statements:

1- The idiomatic expression ‘’feel down in the dumps” means to feel unhappy. ( )

2- Rob mentioned only two things that make him happy. ( )

3- The definition of happiness is the same for all countries. ( )

4- East Asian cultures see happiness as personal feelings of pleasure. ( )

5- The traditional Japanese concept of happiness is about celebrating

imperfection. ( )

6--English people are good at using different coping mechanisms like smiling and
doing everyday things. ( )
7-According to the UN Agency report, New Zealand is the happiest country on
Earth. ( )
5- After listening the audio, students summarize it into four
sentences. Make sure you include the different concepts of
happiness for different nations.

“What makes you happy?” Summary

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6- Discussion time:
In small groups, discuss the following questions:
1-what other things that keep Rob feeling happy?
2-why happiness is hard to define?
3- What makes you happy?

4- Do you agree with the idea of celebrating our imperfections?

5-why it is important accepting who we are?

6- Mention a situation in which you let things go and get on with life?
Focus on lexis:
Read these excerpts from the audio to answer the
following questions
1- Neil: There’re many things that can make you feel
down in the dumps.
2- Helen: if you break a pot instead of chucking it
away, you mend it with gold lacquer

a) _-What does the idiomatic expression ‘’down in the dumps’’ in

excerpt 1 mean?
b) Can you think of other synonyms or similar expressions?
c)-What does the phrasal verb ‘’chuck something away’’ in
excerpt 2 mean?
d)-use this phrasal verb in a meaningful sentence