Spiders? Heights? Things that go “bump” in the night? This lesson focuses on fear and the things that make our hearts skip a beat. Students will participate in plenty of engaging discussion activities and fun tasks while they learn and practice phrases and idioms related to being afraid. Additionally, students will watch a video that shares interesting facts about fear. The lesson activities and worksheets have been developed for both adults and teenagers, ensuring an exciting and immersive learning experience.

Lesson Objectives

Grammar: Students will learn and practice using phrases that express fear or anxiety, such as "scared to death," "shaking like a leaf," and "nerves of steel." This will help them understand how to describe emotional states in English.

Listening: Students will listen to a video about fears and phobias, identifying key terms and phrases related to fear. They will practice distinguishing between different types of fears and the language used to describe them.

Speaking: Students will participate in discussions about personal fears and phobias, using the vocabulary and phrases learned. They will express their feelings about various fears and share stories about times they felt scared.

Vocabulary: Students will learn vocabulary related to fear, such as "hair-raising," "jumpy," "fearless," and "the creeps." They will practice these words in various speaking and writing exercises to enhance their vocabulary retention.

Homework: Students will complete a worksheet where they must use new vocabulary in sentences, match phrases to their meanings, and write a short paragraph about their biggest fear and how they manage it. This will reinforce their learning from the lesson and encourage personal reflection on the topic of fear.

Video

Do you like being scared? You may not, but some people like being afraid. That’s right! Watch this video and learn what drives people to watch horror movies or take a ride on a rollercoaster.

Video Transcript

Vocabulary and Pronunciation

fight or flight [phrase]: the instinctive physiological response to a threatening situation, which readies one either to resist forcibly or to run away

kick into action [idiomatic phrase]: to start doing something quickly and effectively, especially something that you have been trained to do

crave [verb]: to want or yearn for greatly

carrot-and-stick [adjective]: characterized by the use of both reward and punishment to get cooperation

nurture [noun]: the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something

scared stiff [idiom]: very afraid or frightened

fearless [adjective]: brave; free from fear

instinctual survival response [noun phrase]: the process of a person or animal preventing itself from being harmed or killed; basic behavior in most living things

adrenaline rush [noun]: a physical feeling of intense excitement and stimulation caused by the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands

bury [verb]: to put or hide underground or to completely cover; to cause to disappear or become inconspicuous

put on a brave face [idiom]: to try to appear brave or calm

jumpy [adjective]: (of a person) anxious and uneasy; nervous

inherently [adverb]: in a permanent, essential, or characteristic way

innate [adjective]: inborn; natural

red alert [noun]: a warning that there is great danger

hair-raising [adjective]: causing terror, excitement, or astonishment

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