Vacations: Discussing your vacation plans

Planning a vacation is an exciting topic that resonates with learners of all backgrounds, making it an ideal theme for teaching English vocabulary and conversational skills. This lesson introduces essential words and phrases to help learners confidently discuss their vacation plans, destinations, and travel preferences.

Designed for beginner to intermediate English learners, the lesson combines practical vocabulary, versatile sentence structures, and engaging activities like role-plays and dialogues to build fluency. By using visuals, real-world contexts, and interactive practice, learners will develop the language skills needed to talk about trips, share preferences, and ask questions about vacations.

The following sections provide a structured approach with vocabulary lists, useful phrases, example conversations, and teaching strategies to create an engaging and effective lesson.

Basic vocabulary

Start with essential words related to discussing vacation plans. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily apply.

Vocabulary list

• Vacation/holiday: A trip or time off for relaxation or travel.
• Trip: A journey to a specific place.
• Destination: The place you plan to visit (e.g., Paris, beach).
• Travel: To go to another place, often for pleasure.
• Hotel: A place to stay during a trip.
• Flight: A trip by airplane.
• Beach: A sandy area by the sea or ocean.
• Sightseeing: Visiting famous or interesting places.
• Plan: To organize or prepare for something (e.g., vacation plans).
• Relax: To rest or enjoy free time.
• Book: To reserve something, like a flight or hotel.
• Luggage: Bags or suitcases for travel.
• Tourist: A person visiting a place for pleasure.
• Activity: Something you do for fun (e.g., hiking, swimming).
• Budget: The amount of money planned for the trip.

Vocabulary words for extension

• Itinerary: A plan or schedule of your trip activities.
• Passport: A document needed for international travel.
• Reservation: A booking for a hotel, flight, or activity.
• Guidebook: A book with information about a destination.
• Souvenir: An item bought to remember a trip (e.g., a postcard).
• Adventure: An exciting or daring activity (e.g., skydiving).
• Cruise: A vacation on a ship that visits multiple places.
• Museum: A place to see art, history, or cultural exhibits.
• Backpack: A bag carried on the back for travel.
• Local: Something or someone from the destination (e.g., local food).

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of beaches, hotels, or tourist attractions to connect vocabulary to real contexts.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “destination” (des-tin-AY-shun) or “sightseeing” (SITE-see-ing).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and images or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing vacation plans. These phrases should be versatile and easy to adapt.

Key phrases

1. Talking about vacation plans
   • “I’m planning a vacation to [place].”
   • “I want to visit [destination].”
   • “My vacation is in [month/season].”
   • “I’m going on a trip to [place].”
2. Describing the trip
   • “I’ll stay in a [hotel/hostel/house].”
   • “I’m traveling by [plane/car/train].”
   • “I want to go sightseeing in [place].”
   • “The trip will take [days/weeks].”
3. Expressing preferences or reasons
   • “I like [destination] because it’s [beautiful/exciting/relaxing].”
   • “I want to relax on the beach.”
   • “My favorite activity is [activity].”
   • “It’s within my budget.”
4. Asking question
   • “Where are you going for vacation?”
   • “What do you plan to do there?”
   • “How long is your trip?”
   • “Do you like to travel?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “I’m planning a vacation to Italy. I want to go sightseeing.”).
• Have learners substitute their own destinations or plans into the phrases.
• Practice question forms to encourage interactive conversations.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about vacation plans. These examples progress from basic to more detailed.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Hi, Tom! Are you planning a vacation?
Tom: Yes, I’m going to the beach.
Anna: Nice! Where?
Tom: Miami. I want to relax.
Anna: Sounds fun! How long is your trip?
Tom: One week.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, where are you going for vacation?
Juan: I’m planning a trip to Japan.
Sara: Wow! What do you want to do there?
Juan: I’ll go sightseeing in Tokyo and visit temples.
Sara: Cool! Are you staying in a hotel?
Juan: Yes, I booked a hotel near the city center.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! Do you have vacation plans?
Lisa: Yes, I’m going to Paris in July.
Mark: That’s exciting! Why Paris?
Lisa: I love art, and I want to visit museums like the Louvre. It’s a famous destination.
Mark: Nice! How are you traveling?
Lisa: By flight. I booked it last week, and it fits my budget.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice asking and answering.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own vacation plans or dream destinations.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach this topic effectively (approximately 45 minutes):

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “Where do you want to go on vacation?” or “What’s your dream trip?” to spark interest.
• Show pictures or a short video of popular vacation destinations (e.g., a beach, a city) to introduce the topic.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of travel-related images (e.g., a hotel, a plane).
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “sightseeing” or “budget.”
• Play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “destination”), and learners name a place (e.g., “New York”) or describe it.

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “I’m planning a vacation to Hawaii. I want to relax on the beach.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “I’m going to ____. I’ll stay in a ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently as they practice.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read one example conversation aloud, emphasizing natural tone and flow.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging personalization.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about their vacation plans.

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

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about their vacation plans (e.g., “I want to visit London. I’ll go sightseeing.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about a dream vacation or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that some learners may not take vacations due to financial or cultural reasons. Allow flexibility to discuss dream trips or local outings.
• Visual aids: Use images, travel brochures, or videos of destinations to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of someone discussing vacation plans to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “I’m going to the beach.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “I’ll visit Rome because I love history.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with travel images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I go to Paris” instead of “I’m going to Paris.” Emphasize the use of present continuous for plans (e.g., “I’m planning…”).
• Pronunciation: Words like “vacation” or “sightseeing” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify differences like “trip” (a specific journey) vs. “vacation” (a longer holiday).

Example activity: “Plan a trip”

For group classes, try this interactive activity.

• Give each learner a card with a destination (e.g., “Paris,” “a beach”) and ask them to describe their vacation plans.
• Learners take turns sharing while others ask questions (e.g., “What will you do there?” or “How will you travel?”).
• Alternatively, create a “Find Someone Who” game (e.g., “Find someone who wants to go sightseeing”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about your dream vacation or planned trip.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing your vacation plans and why you chose the destination.
• Research: Find a picture or video of a vacation destination and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.