📖New Year, New Me: Talking About Resolutions

Lesson plan

Objectives

• Students can identify common New Year's resolutions.
• Students can express their own resolutions and future plans using 'I'm going to...' and 'I want to...'.
• Students can ask and answer simple questions about New Year's resolutions.
• Students can understand a short text about New Year's resolutions.

Materials

• Whiteboard or flip chart
• Markers
• Projector (optional, for reading passage)
• Student handouts (reading passage, grammar worksheet, vocabulary list)
• Pens or pencils
• Small cards or slips of paper for warm-up
• Timer

Warm-up

Start by asking students: 'What did you do last holiday season?' (e.g., Christmas, New Year's Eve). Give them 2 minutes to chat in pairs. Then, introduce the topic: 'Many people make plans for the new year. We call these 'New Year's resolutions.' What do you think they are?' Write 'New Year's Resolutions' on the board.

Presentation

Explain 'New Year's Resolution': 'It's a promise you make to yourself to do something new or stop doing something bad in the new year.' Give examples: 'I want to eat healthier.' 'I'm going to exercise more.' Present the target language: 'I'm going to...' for plans and 'I want to...' for desires. Write on the board: 'I'm going to + base verb' (e.g., 'I'm going to save money.') and 'I want to + base verb' (e.g., 'I want to learn English better.'). Emphasize that 'going to' is for definite plans, and 'want to' is for wishes or desires. Give several examples for each, asking students to repeat.

Guided practice

Give students a handout with sentence starters. For example: 'This year, I'm going to ______.' 'Next year, I want to ______.' 'My friend is going to ______.' 'My family wants to ______.' Provide a list of common resolution verbs/phrases (e.g., 'exercise more', 'read books', 'save money', 'eat healthy food', 'learn a new skill', 'travel'). Students complete the sentences individually. Then, in pairs, they share 2-3 of their completed sentences. The teacher monitors and offers corrections.

Freer practice

Divide students into small groups (3-4 people). Give each group a set of cards with different resolution topics (e.g., 'Health', 'Money', 'Learning', 'Hobbies', 'Relationships'). Each student picks a card and talks about a resolution they might make for that topic, using 'I'm going to...' or 'I want to...'. Other group members ask follow-up questions like 'Why?' or 'How are you going to do that?' Encourage natural conversation. Circulate, listening for correct usage and providing support.

Wrap-up

Bring the class together. Ask students to share one New Year's resolution they discussed today. Ask: 'What was easy or difficult about talking about resolutions today?' Briefly review the phrases 'I'm going to...' and 'I want to...'. Encourage students to think about their own resolutions for the coming year.

What Are New Year's Resolutions?

Comprehension

1. What is a New Year's resolution?
   Answer: It is a promise you make to yourself for the new year, a goal to do something good or stop something bad.
2. When do people usually make New Year's resolutions?
   Answer: They usually make them when December ends and January begins.
3. What are two common types of resolutions mentioned in the text?
   Answer: Health and learning new things are two common types.
4. Give an example of a health resolution.
   Answer: An example is 'I'm going to exercise more' or 'I'm going to eat less sugar.'
5. What is a resolution related to money?
   Answer: It is 'I'm going to save money every month' or 'I want to spend less on clothes.'
6. Why is it sometimes hard to keep resolutions?
   Answer: It is hard because goals can be too big, or people do not have a good plan.
7. What is a good tip for keeping a resolution?
   Answer: It is good to make small, clear goals, or tell a friend your resolution.
8. What does 'fresh start' mean in the text?
   Answer: It means a new beginning or a new opportunity.
9. Do people make resolutions about helping others?
   Answer: Yes, some resolutions are about helping others, like volunteering more.

Grammar — Future Plans: 'be going to' and 'want to'

'Be going to' is used to talk about future plans that you have already decided. It means you have a plan in your mind. The structure is: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb. For example, 'I am going to visit my parents next week.' or 'She is going to start a new job in March.' We use 'not' for negative sentences: 'They are not going to travel this year.' 'Want to' is used to express a desire or a wish. It means you would like to do something, but it might not be a definite plan yet. The structure is: Subject + want to + base verb. For example, 'I want to learn Spanish.' or 'He wants to buy a new car.' For third person singular (he/she/it), remember to add 's' to 'want': 'She wants to drink coffee.' Remember, 'going to' is for plans you've made, and 'want to' is for things you wish or desire. Both are useful for talking about New Year's resolutions!

1. Complete the sentences with 'am going to', 'is going to', or 'are going to'.
   Answer: 1. I am going to learn a new skill this year. 2. My sister is going to start a new hobby. 3. We are going to save money for a trip. 4. He is going to eat healthier food. 5. They are going to exercise more often. 6. You are going to read many books.
2. Complete the sentences with 'want to' or 'wants to'.
   Answer: 7. I want to travel to a new country. 8. She wants to improve her English. 9. My friends want to try a new restaurant. 10. He wants to quit his bad habits. 11. We want to spend more time with family. 12. The student wants to get good grades.

Pronunciation

Focus: /s/ and /z/ sounds

Minimal pairs

• sip / zip
• rice / rise
• face / phase
• bus / buzz
• peace / peas
• seal / zeal
• lose / loose

Drill

Listen and repeat after the teacher. Focus on the difference between the /s/ sound (like in 'snake') and the /z/ sound (like in 'zebra'). **Words:** /s/: resolutions, plans, hopes, goals, success, promises /z/: learns, saves, goes, improves, exercises, does **Sentences:** 1. She has many plans and goals. 2. He wants to save money and learns new things. 3. My friends exercise and improve their health. 4. He goes to the gym and does his best. 5. New Year's resolutions are often promises for success.

Conversation — You and a friend are meeting for coffee after the New Year. You are catching up and discussing your plans and hopes for the new year.

Role A

You are Alex. You are excited about the new year. You have a few clear resolutions. You want to hear your friend's ideas too. **Your goals:** 1. Tell your friend about one health resolution (e.g., eat healthier, exercise more). 2. Tell your friend about one learning resolution (e.g., read books, learn a new skill). 3. Ask your friend about their resolutions. **Language hints:** 'I'm going to...', 'I want to...', 'What about you?', 'Are you going to...?'

Role B

You are Ben. You are also looking forward to the new year. You have some ideas for resolutions, but maybe not very specific plans yet. **Your goals:** 1. Ask your friend about their resolutions first. 2. Tell your friend about one resolution related to money (e.g., save money, spend less). 3. Tell your friend about one resolution related to a hobby or free time (e.g., try a new hobby, spend less time on phone). **Language hints:** 'What are your resolutions?', 'I want to...', 'I'm going to try to...', 'That's a good idea!'

Useful phrases

• Happy New Year!
• What are your New Year's resolutions?
• I'm going to...
• I want to...
• Are you going to...?
• That's a great idea!
• How are you going to do that?
• I hope you can keep it!
• Me too!
• What about you?

My New Year's Resolution Plan

• Write down three New Year's resolutions you want to make. Use 'I'm going to...' or 'I want to...'.
• For each resolution, write one sentence explaining WHY it is important to you.
• For each resolution, write one sentence explaining HOW you are going to achieve it (e.g., 'I'm going to exercise more' -> 'I'm going to go to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays.').
• Review the vocabulary from today's lesson. Write a new sentence for 5 of the words.
• Prepare to share one of your resolutions and your plan with a partner in the next class.

Vocabulary

resolution

a firm decision to do or not to do something.

"My New Year's resolution is to read more books."

goal

something you want to achieve.

"My goal for this year is to learn a new language."

tradition

a custom or belief passed down through generations.

"Making resolutions is a New Year's tradition for many people."

improve

to make something better.

"I want to improve my English speaking skills."

habit

something you do regularly, often without thinking about it.

"Eating healthy food is a good habit."

exercise

to do physical activity to stay healthy.

"I'm going to exercise three times a week."

save money

to keep money instead of spending it.

"My resolution is to save money for a new computer."

learn

to get knowledge or a skill.

"She wants to learn to play the piano."

quit

to stop doing something.

"He is going to quit smoking next month."

healthy

good for your body and mind.

"Eating vegetables and fruit is very healthy."

challenge

something difficult that tests your ability.

"Learning a new language can be a fun challenge."

motivated

feeling determined to do something.

"My friend helps me stay motivated to go to the gym."

volunteer

to offer to do something without being paid.

"I want to volunteer at the animal shelter."

Activities

• Resolution Brainstorm · 10 minutes

  In pairs, brainstorm different categories for resolutions (e.g., health, money, learning, hobbies). For each category, write down 3-4 possible resolutions using 'I'm going to...' or 'I want to...'. Share your best ideas with another pair.

• Interview Your Partner · 12 minutes

  Work in pairs. Student A asks Student B about their resolutions for the new year. Student B answers using 'I'm going to...' or 'I want to...' and explains why. Then, switch roles. Encourage asking 'Why?' and 'How?' questions.

• Resolution Advice · 12 minutes

  In small groups (3-4 students), discuss the challenges of keeping resolutions. Share your own experiences or ideas. Then, give each other advice on how to keep resolutions. Use phrases like 'You should...', 'It's a good idea to...', 'Try to...'.