Discussing the weather — ESL lesson

Weather is a universal topic that connects people across cultures and is perfect for building foundational language skills. In this lesson, learners will master essential weather-related words, practice practical phrases for describing and discussing the weather, and apply their knowledge through interactive conversations.

Designed for beginner to intermediate learners, this 45-minute lesson uses visuals, role-plays, and personalized activities to make learning fun and relevant. By the end, students will confidently describe the weather in their own cities, ask questions about forecasts, and share their preferences for different seasons.

Basic vocabulary

Introduce essential words related to weather. These should be high-frequency, easy-to-use terms that describe common weather conditions and related concepts.

Vocabulary list

• Weather: The state of the atmosphere (e.g., sunny, rainy).
• Sun/sunny: Bright weather with clear skies.
• Rain/rainy: Water falling from the sky.
• Cloud/cloudy: Sky covered with clouds.
• Wind/windy: Moving air, often strong.
• Snow/snowy: Frozen precipitation.
• Hot: High temperature.
• Cold: Low temperature.
• Warm: Pleasantly mild temperature.
• Cool: Slightly cold, refreshing.
• Fog/foggy: Thick mist reducing visibility.
• Storm/Stormy: Strong weather with rain, wind, or thunder.
• Temperature: How hot or cold it is (e.g., 20 degrees Celsius).
• Season: Time of year (e.g., summer, winter, spring, fall/autumn).
• Day: A 24-hour period (e.g., today, tomorrow).

Vocabulary for extension

• Humidity/humid: Amount of moisture in the air (e.g., a humid day feels sticky).
• Thunder/thunderstorm: Loud sound or storm with lightning (e.g., a thunderstorm at night).
• Lightning: Flash of light during a storm (e.g., I saw lightning yesterday).
• Breeze/breezy: Gentle wind (e.g., a breezy afternoon).
• Frost/frosty: Thin layer of ice on surfaces (e.g., frosty mornings in winter).
• Hail: Small balls of ice falling during a storm (e.g., hail damaged the car).
• Dry: Lacking moisture (e.g., a dry summer with no rain).
• Wet: Covered with water or rain (e.g., a wet day after heavy rain).
• Overcast: Sky completely covered with clouds (e.g., an overcast sky looks gray).
• Forecast: Prediction of future weather (e.g., the forecast says it’ll rain).

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like weather icons (e.g., a sun, a cloud) or short videos showing different weather conditions.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for tricky words like “windy” (WIN-dee) or “foggy” (FOG-ee).
• Create flashcards with weather words on one side and pictures or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for describing the weather and asking about it. These phrases should be versatile and easy to adapt.

Key phrases

1. Describing the weather:
   • “It’s [sunny/rainy/cloudy] today.”
   • “The weather is [hot/cold/warm/cool].”
   • “It’s a [beautiful/stormy] day.”
   • “The temperature is [number] degrees.”
2. Talking about seasons:
   • “In [season], it’s usually [sunny/rainy/cold].”
   • “My favorite season is [season] because it’s [adjective].”
3. Future weather:
   • “Tomorrow, it will be [sunny/rainy].”
   • “The forecast says it’s going to [rain/snow].”
4. Asking questions:
   • “What’s the weather like today?”
   • “Is it [hot/cold] in your city?”
   • “What’s the forecast for tomorrow?”
   • “Do you like [rainy/sunny] weather?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “It’s sunny today in my city.”).
• Encourage learners to personalize by using the weather in their location (e.g., “It’s rainy in London.”).
• Practice question forms to promote interactive dialogue.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about the weather. These examples range from basic to slightly more detailed to suit different learner levels.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Hi, Tom! What’s the weather like today?
Tom: It’s sunny and warm.
Anna: Nice! Do you like sunny weather?
Tom: Yes, I love it! It’s great for walking.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, is it hot in your city?
Juan: No, it’s cool and cloudy today. The temperature is 15 degrees.
Sara: Oh, that sounds nice. What’s the weather like in summer?
Juan: In summer, it’s very hot and sunny.
Sara: Do you like that?
Juan: Not really, I prefer cool weather.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! What’s the weather like where you are?
Lisa: It’s rainy and windy today. There’s a big storm coming.
Mark: Oh, wow! Do you get storms a lot?
Lisa: In fall, yes. But in spring, it’s usually sunny and warm.
Mark: What’s the forecast for tomorrow?
Lisa: The forecast says it’ll be cloudy but no rain.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice both asking and answering.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using the weather in their own city or season.
• In group classes, 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: “What’s the weather like today where you are?” (If online, share your “location” humorously, e.g., “I’m Grok, and it’s always sunny in the xAI cloud!”).
• Show a weather map or icons and ask learners to name the conditions (e.g., “Is this sunny or rainy?”).

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of weather conditions.
• Practice pronunciation, focusing on pairs like “sun/sunny” or “rain/rainy.”
• Play a quick game: Show a weather picture and ask learners to say the correct word (e.g., “snowy” for a snowy image).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them (e.g., “It’s rainy today. I don’t like rainy weather.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “It’s ____ today.” or “In winter, it’s ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently, keeping feedback encouraging.

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 with their local weather.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about today’s weather or their favorite season.

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

• Have each learner share one sentence about the weather (e.g., “It’s cold and cloudy in my city.”).
• Provide feedback on vocabulary use and pronunciation.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about the weather in their city or season.

Additional tips

• Cultural relevance: Discuss how weather varies by region (e.g., tropical climates vs. cold winters) to make it relatable.
• Visual aids: Use a weather app or website (e.g., a screenshot of a local forecast) to show real-time examples.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., a weather forecast from YouTube or an ESL resource) to expose learners to natural speech.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, stick to simple descriptions (e.g., “It’s sunny.”). For intermediate learners, include details like temperature or forecasts.
• Incorporate technology: Share a virtual whiteboard to write phrases or show a weather map for discussion.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “It sunny” instead of “It’s sunny.” Emphasize the use of “is.”
• Pronunciation: Words like “cloudy” (CLOW-dee) or “windy” (WIN-dee) may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify the difference between nouns (e.g., “rain”) and adjectives (e.g., “rainy”) for accurate descriptions.

Example activity: “Weather match”

For group or individual practice:

• Create cards with weather words (e.g., “sunny,” “rainy”) and pictures or scenarios (e.g., “a beach day,” “an umbrella needed”).
• Learners match the word to the picture/scenario and say a sentence (e.g., “It’s sunny, so it’s a beach day.”).
• Alternatively, play a “Weather Guess” game: Describe a weather condition (e.g., “It’s cold and white.”), and learners guess (“Snowy!”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about the weather in your city or favorite season.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing today’s weather and how you feel about it.
• Research: Check the weather forecast for your city and write 2-3 sentences about tomorrow’s weather.