PITCHING IDEAS ESL LESSON PLAN DESCRIPTION
OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW
This ESL lesson plan on pitching ideas contains PDF worksheets, activities, and digital materials for upper intermediate B2 students. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to confidently and successfully pitch an idea on a topic of their choice. They will also be able to use a variety of phrases in their pitches to help them communicate their ideas.
PREVIEW & DISCUSSION
This ESL lesson on pitching ideas starts by having students watch a short video on a business idea pitch on the TV show ‘Sharktank’. This is then followed by a few questions to elicit the concept of “pitching ideas”. Students can explore what made his pitch successful. Then, students move on to a section to discuss more questions about pitching ideas. They do some vocabulary exercises that focus on phrases related to giving pitches, and explore some keys to successfully pitching an idea.
VIDEO & LISTENING COMPREHENSION
The video that students watch is based on a TED ‘The Way We Work’ series. In the video, a woman named Mar unveils the art of successful pitching an idea. She focuses specifically on using FOMO, storytelling, understanding the audience, and openly addressing your idea’s weaknesses. In the listening comprehension, students answers some questions, complete information about the tips, and then answer some more questions about these tips.
DISCUSSION & PHRASES
Following the video, students discuss a few questions about the video and pitching ideas. Next, students categorize some useful phrases for pitching ideas, based on three different functions: telling stories, creating FOMO, and identifying weaknesses. Students then use these phrases to complete a written example of a pitch.
PITCH AN IDEA!
The featured communicative activity in this lesson plan has students choose and describe an idea they’d like to pitch (it can be an idea of their choice). They describe the audience and objective of their pitch. Then, students use some instructions and tips that Mar gave in the video to prepare their pitch. The third step of the activity has students pitch their idea to their “audience” (their classmates or teacher). Students can choose whether they’d like to use some of the phrases that they practiced in the Viewing, Follow-Up activity.
BENEFITS OF USING THIS ESL LESSON PLAN ON PITCHING IDEAS:
Engagement: The communicative activity encourages active participation and engagement. Students can relate to the real-world scenarios presented in the pitch, making the lesson more interesting and relatable.
Storytelling Skills: The lesson plan helps students improve their storytelling abilities, which are crucial for effective communication. They learn how to structure a pitch like a hero’s journey, making their stories more engaging and compelling.
Practicality: Pitching ideas is a valuable skill in both professional and personal contexts. Teaching students how to pitch effectively prepares them for future job interviews, presentations, and entrepreneurial endeavors.
VIDEO DESCRIPTION
Mar Hershenson, an investor and teacher, reveals the secret to successful pitching – creating FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This involves storytelling in three steps: understanding the audience, using a hero’s journey structure, and addressing weaknesses.
LESSON ACTIVITIES
- SPEAKING: Pitching Ideas, Storytelling
- VIEWING: Short Answers, Tips, Questions
- VOCABULARY: Verbs, Phrasal Verbs, Phrases
- ADDITIONAL: Pitching An Idea, Quiz & Review, Lesson Reflection
LESSON TOPICS
Pitching An Idea, Storytelling