Talking about where you are from — ESL lesson

This lesson is designed for English learners and teachers to master the art of discussing origins in English. Whether you’re sharing your hometown, describing your current city, or asking others about their background, this lesson provides practical vocabulary, phrases, and conversational strategies to make these exchanges confident and natural.

Through engaging activities, example dialogues, and a structured teaching plan, learners will build the skills to talk about where they’re from, where they live, and more—while having fun along the way! Perfect for beginners and intermediate learners, this lesson is adaptable, culturally sensitive, and packed with tips to ensure success in real-world conversations.

Basic vocabulary

Start by introducing keywords and phrases related to describing where someone is from. These should be simple and commonly used. This list also includes 10 extra words for extension if more time is available.

Vocabulary list

• Country: The nation where someone was born or lives (e.g., Japan, Brazil, Canada).
• City/town: A smaller area within a country (e.g., Tokyo, São Paulo, Toronto).
• Hometown: The place where someone grew up or feels connected to.
• Nationality: The identity tied to a country (e.g., Japanese, Brazilian, Canadian).
• From: Used to indicate origin (e.g., “I’m from Mexico”).
• Live: Where someone currently resides (e.g., “I live in London”).
• Born: Where someone was born (e.g., “I was born in Seoul”).
• Language: The language(s) spoken in a place (e.g., English, Spanish, Mandarin).
• Near/far: To describe proximity (e.g., “My city is near the capital”).
• Big/small: To describe the size of a place (e.g., “It’s a small town”).

Vocabulary for extension (if needed)

• Region: A larger area within a country, often with distinct characteristics (e.g., Tuscany, Patagonia, Hokkaido).
• Village: A small, rural community, smaller than a town (e.g., “I’m from a village in Ireland”).
• Capital: The main city of a country, often where the government is located (e.g., Paris, Nairobi, Canberra).
• Suburb: An area just outside a city, often residential (e.g., “I live in a suburb of Chicago”).
• Countryside: Rural areas outside cities or towns (e.g., “My hometown is in the countryside”).
• Citizen: A person who legally belongs to a country (e.g., “I’m a citizen of Australia”).
• Move: To change where you live (e.g., “I moved to Berlin last year”).
• Grow up: To spend childhood years in a place (e.g., “I grew up in a small village”).
• Famous for: Something a place is known for (e.g., “My city is famous for its food”).
• Culture: The customs, traditions, or way of life in a place (e.g., “The culture in my country is very welcoming”).

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like a world map or pictures of cities to connect vocabulary to real places.
• Practice pronunciation of country names and nationalities, as these can be tricky (e.g., “France” vs. “French”).
• Create flashcards with country names on one side and nationalities on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures that learners can use to talk about their origins. These phrases should be versatile and easy to adapt.

Key phrases

1. Introducing where you’re from
   • “I’m from [country/city].”
   • “I come from [country/city].”
   • “My hometown is [city/town].”
   • “I was born in [city/country].”
2. Describing your current location
   • “I live in [city/country] now.”
   • “I’m living in [city/country].”
3. Adding details
   • “It’s a [big/small] [city/town].”
   • “It’s [near/far from] [another place].”
   • “People there speak [language].”
4. Asking questions
   • “Where are you from?”
   • “What’s your hometown like?”
   • “Do you like living in [place]?”
   • “What language do you speak?”

Teaching tips

• Write these phrases on a whiteboard or handout, and have learners repeat them aloud to build confidence.
• Encourage personalization by asking learners to substitute their own country, city, or hometown into the phrases.

Example conversations

Use short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about where someone is from. These examples should demonstrate both asking and answering questions, with increasing complexity.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Hi! Where are you from?
Carlos: I’m from Mexico.
Anna: Oh, cool! What city?
Carlos: I’m from Mexico City. It’s a big city.
Anna: Nice! Do you like it there?
Carlos: Yes, it’s very fun!

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Where are you from, Ali?
Ali: I come from Egypt. My hometown is Cairo.
Sara: Oh, Cairo! Is it a big city?
Ali: Yes, it’s very big and busy. People speak Arabic there.
Sara: That sounds interesting! Do you live there now?
Ali: No, I live in London now.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hey, where are you from, Lisa?
Lisa: I’m from Brazil, from a small town called Ouro Preto.
Mark: Oh, I’ve never heard of it! What’s it like?
Lisa: It’s a historic town with old buildings. It’s near Belo Horizonte.
Mark: Sounds beautiful! Were you born there?
Lisa: No, I was born in São Paulo, but I grew up in Ouro Preto.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these conversations with the learner, switching roles to practice both asking and answering.
• After practicing, ask the learner to create their own dialogue using their real hometown or country.
• For group classes, pair students to practice with each other, encouraging them to ask follow-up questions.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step plan to teach this topic effectively. The recommended outline and sequencing will help you stay on time (45 total minutes). You can adjust this as needed to fit your teaching needs.

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask the learner(s): “Where do you think I’m from?” (You can make up an answer or use your AI identity humorously, e.g., “I’m Grok, from the xAI galaxy!”).
• Show a world map and point to a few countries, asking, “Do you know this country?” to spark interest.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or flashcards.
• Practice pronunciation and have learners repeat after you.
• Play a quick game: Say a country (e.g., “Japan”) and ask learners to say the nationality (“Japanese”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Write key phrases on the board and model how to use them (e.g., “I’m from Canada.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks with their own information (e.g., “I’m from ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently as they practice.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read through one of the example conversations as a model.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging them to use their own details.
• Encourage asking follow-up questions to make the conversation more natural.

Step 5: Wrap-up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Ask each learner to share a short statement about where they’re from (e.g., “I’m from [city], and it’s a [big/small] place.”).
• Provide feedback on their pronunciation and grammar.
• Assign homework: Write a short paragraph about their hometown or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that some learners may have complex backgrounds (e.g., born in one country, raised in another). Encourage them to share as much or as little as they’re comfortable with.
• Visual aids: Use maps, photos, or videos of different cities to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip of people introducing where they’re from (e.g., from YouTube or language learning apps) to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, stick to simple phrases like “I’m from [place].” For intermediate learners, encourage more details, like describing the place or their feelings about it.
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, use tools like Google Maps to show learners’ hometowns or share a virtual whiteboard for writing practice.

Common mistakes to address

• Pronunciation: Country and city names can be challenging (e.g., “Brazil” pronounced as “Bra-zil,” not “Brazeel”). Practice these explicitly.
• Grammar: Learners might say “I from Japan” instead of “I’m from Japan.” Emphasize the use of “am” or “come.”
• Word choice: Clarify the difference between “live” (current) and “born” (past). For example, “I live in Canada, but I was born in India.”

Example activity: “Find someone who”

If teaching a group, create a fun activity to practice.

• Give each learner a worksheet with prompts like:
  • Find someone who is from a big city.
  • Find someone who speaks more than one language.
  • Find someone whose hometown is near the sea.
• Learners mingle, asking questions like “Where are you from?” and “Is your city big?” to fill out the worksheet.

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write 3-5 sentences about your hometown or country.
• Speaking: Record a short audio or video answering “Where are you from?” and describe your hometown. Practice with a friend or colleague.
• Research: Look up other countries and learn how to say their name and nationalities in English. (Canada/Canadians, America/Americans, etc.).