Lesson Plan:
New Year’s ResolutionsLevel: Upper-Intermediate to Advanced (B1-C1) ESL students
Time: 30 minutes
Topic: New Year’s Resolutions – Discussing goals, habits, and plans for the future
Date: Suitable for early January
Objective
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss the concept of New Year’s resolutions and share personal experiences.
- Use key vocabulary (e.g., give up, take up, cut down on, cut out) and the structure “be going to + verb-ing” to talk about changing habits and setting achievable goals.
- Use the structure “If I were you, I would…” to give advice based on their partner’s resolutions.
- Write and present a list of realistic personal resolutions, giving reasons and advice to support them.
Lesson Stages
Sharing & Feedback (10 minutes)
Pairs share 2-3 of their partner’s resolutions with the class, including the advice (using “If I were you, I would…”).
Class votes on the most achievable/interesting ones.
Discuss briefly:
“By writing down a list of goals, we are more likely to achieve them.”
To what extent do you agree? Does not writing goals down mean we don’t really want them?
Warmer / Lead-in (5-7 minutes)
Elicit: Write “New Year’s Resolution” on the board.
Ask the class:
What is a New Year’s resolution? (Elicit ideas and examples.)
Do people in your country make New Year’s resolutions? Why or why not?
Small Group Discussion (5 minutes)
Put students into groups of 3-4. Give them the following questions to discuss:
- Are New Year’s resolutions a good idea? Why or why not? What is the best way to keep New Year’s resolutions? Did you make any resolutions last year? Did you keep them? If yes, what helped you succeed? If not, why not?
Vocabulary Presentation (5 minutes)
Introduce and practise key phrasal verbs for talking about habits:
- Give up (stop doing something completely, often a bad habit)
- Cut out (stop doing/eating something completely)
- Cut down on (reduce the amount of something)
- Take up (start a new activity or hobby)
“I’m going to give up smoking.”
“I’m going to cut down on junk food.”
“I’m going to take up yoga.”
Grammar Focus: Future Plans with “going to” (8-10 minutes)
Present the target structure:
I am going to + give up / take up / cut down on / cut out + verb-ing
Examples:
- I am going to give up eating chocolate.I am going to take up running.I am going to cut down on watching TV.
Pair Work Activity: Creating Achievable Resolutions (10 minutes)
In pairs, students brainstorm and write 5 realistic New Year’s resolutions for 2026 for their partner (not for themselves – this makes it more engaging).
Encourage them to use the target vocabulary and structure. While writing, students should also prepare 1-2 pieces of advice for each resolution using:
If I were you, I would…
(e.g., “If I were you, I would join a gym to help you take up running.”)
Prompt ideas (provide on handout, board, or presentation slides):
- A place to visitAn adventure or new experience (e.g., skydiving, hiking a mountain)
- A book to read or film/series to watchA new food/dish to try or cookSomething to learn (e.g., a skill, language practice)A way to become a better person (e.g., be kinder, help others more)
- Do more of something positive / Do less of something negative
- Stop a bad habit / Start a good habit
Take up baking bread at home.
Visit a cheesemaker or local farm.
Cut down on screen time and read one book per month.
Give up buying coffee every day and make it at home.