Lesson Overview

This B2 ESL lesson explores the topic “Is Life Better With a Pet?”, helping students develop useful vocabulary and language for talking about pets, responsible pet ownership, the benefits and drawbacks of having an animal, and the responsibilities involved in caring for one.

Learners practise key vocabulary such as animal welfare, temperament, adopt, microchip, stray, groom, and breed, as well as useful phrasal verbs including look after, get on with, deal with, run away, and pick up after. They also listen to three people describing how their pets have affected their daily lives and discuss the advantages and challenges of owning different types of animals.

Through a wide range of engaging activities, students rank the pros and cons of having a pet, express and justify opinions, discuss realistic pet-related situations, take part in debates, solve case studies, and make decisions about different aspects of pet ownership.

This lesson is ideal for B2 learners who are developing their ability to talk about pets, responsibilities, relationships, everyday life, personal experiences, and opinions.

1. Warm Up: Pet Rules
2. Pets: Key Words
3. Pets: Phrasal Verbs
4. Pets: Pros and Cons
5. Audio: Why Life Is Better With a Pet
6. Discussion: Pets
7. Pets: Debate
8. Pets: Case Studies
9. This or That: Pets

Homework

Students read an article about the benefits of having a pet and answer detailed comprehension and discussion questions about how animals can affect people's physical activity, routines, relationships, and everyday lives.

1. Pets: The Benefits
2. Reading Comprehension: Questions