Ten Keys to Happiness

This week, the topic I'm working on with my class is happiness - quite an appropriate one for this time of year when most of us are suffering from the January blues!

Here is a reading/ speaking activity I've created, based on an article from February's edition of Psychologies Magazine. 

Reading Task

I've simplified the original article to make it more accessible for B1 learners. It outlines Ten Keys to a happier life from the Action for Happiness movement. 

Find out more about Action for Happiness here and how you can get involved:

http://www.actionforhappiness.org/

VISION BOARDS

Creating a personal 'Vision Board' (sometimes known as a 'mood board') is a great way to get learners to think about and understand what's really important for them in their lives. Basically, this is a life-coaching technique, but I think it works really well in the EFL classroom because it's fun, hands-on and creative. The completed boards can be used in a number of ways to generate discussion.

TASK 1 - Making a Vision Board

You will need: 

• A large sheet of card or coloured paper for every student. 

• A selection of old magazines, holiday brochures, catalogues etc. Glue.

• Inspiring/ motivating background music (optional)

• A few pairs of scissors (optional)

Ask  your learners to look through the magazines and find pictures that appeal to them in order to create their personal Vision Board.

They should choose pictures and words that show:

·        things they love

·        things they want more of in their lives

·        things or activities that make them happy

·        dreams for the future

Ask them to look through the magazines until they find something that appeals to them. They rip the picture (or word) out and stick it to onto their board with glue.

This creates a Vision Board.

TASK 2 – Discussion

When they have finished, ask them to move around and talk to other people in the class. They could show/ compare their boards and explain why they chose those pictures. They could ask each other questions about their boards or try to guess what the pictures represent. They could say whose board is the most creative/ interesting/ unusual...etc.

Ask students:

What did you learn in this lesson about yourself and other people?

(image from a workshop by vitaliscoaching.com)

Click here for Lesson Handout

Find out more about mood boards as a coaching technique

Channel 4's Unreported World Series

"15 and Learning to Speak"

Unreported World is a critically acclaimed TV series which focuses on the lives of people in some of the fastest-changing areas of the world. You need to sign up to watch on demand, but it's free and easy to do. 

The documentaries are all around 20-25 mins in length, which makes them suitable for using in the classroom.

This particular programme is amazing to watch. It follows the inspirational work of sign language teachers transforming the lives of deaf children and adults in Uganda who have never been able to communicate in their lives and who are often treated badly at home because they are deaf.

Click here to view programme

I've created a simple handout for this documentary (suitable for B1 +) 

Click here for worksheet

You could also pre-teach some useful vocabulary before watching e.g. remote/ boarding school etc. if you think this will help your students.