FREE LESSON: From West Philly to Our School (A1)

Looking for an engaging lesson on linguistic variation and introductions? Say no more!

"Now this is the story all about how..." 🎶 I wrote a lesson to explore language variation and introduce the ever-versatile verb "be" in the Present Simple tense— all through the lens of an iconic TV moment.

This lesson was aimed at beginner-level high school students who were meeting each other for the first time. To break the ice and set the stage, I turned to the legendary opening scene of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where Will steps into his new world and encounters Geoffrey, the butler who works in his family’s mansion.

To kick things off, I introduced a few warm-up activities, asked students if they enjoyed watching TV series and, if so, which ones were their favourites. Together, we explored a concise summary, decoding visual signals such as the familiar "watch" and "thumbs up" icons, and analysing the compositional structure to infer vocabulary. Fortunately, many students were already acquainted with the show, which made for a smooth experience.

Next, we examined elements that indicated varying levels of formality— intonation, attire, body language, and key linguistic structures. This analysis provided an excellent opportunity to discuss sociolinguistic factors.

To wrap up, we turned our focus to the verb "be," spotting its various uses in the dialogue. Finally, students were encouraged to introduce themselves to their peers in pairs, applying what they had just learned.

Curious to try it yourself? Click here to access the complete lesson material and please note: this material is intended for educational purposes only. If you use it, kindly ensure proper credit is given and the sources of the selected texts are accurately cited.

See you next time!