Lesson Type: Listening

Level: Upper-intermediate - Advanced

Lesson length: 60 - 90 minutes

Summary: This listening lesson is built around a comedy sketch video, in which a woman declines an invitation to a colleague’s party by simply saying, “I don’t want to go.” Students will most likely find humor in the colleagues’ shocked reactions and this may lead into a discussion about how to be polite when turning down an invitation in various cultures. The lesson includes a pre-teach of common social expressions and a helpful focus on advanced pronunciation (connected speech).

This lesson can stand alone as a listening lesson. If your students enjoy this context, there is also a part 2, in which students will learn and practice functional phrases for suggesting plans, accepting invitations, and declining invitations.

The video is not graded down for learners, so it should provide a good challenge for upper-intermediate to advanced students.

This lesson includes a detailed lesson plan, the full PPT presentation, and any other necessary materials.