Advice & Sympathy · B1 · Oh No, That's Frightful! | No-Prep ESL Functional Language Lesson

A ready-to-teach B1 functional language lesson on showing sympathy and asking for and giving advice, with a spooky Irish Halloween twist.

Students read three facts about Halloween's Irish roots (Samhain, turnip lanterns, barmbrack and the púca), then predict a friend's bad news at a Halloween party in Cork. Through a two-part dialogue, they learn strong and light sympathy phrases (plus a few Irish English ones), react in a Halloween horror speed round, and study how to ask for, give and respond to advice. They practise main stress, race in teams to fix eight mistakes, role-play Halloween horror stories and write replies for an 'Ask the Púca' advice column, then vote on the best. It's a Halloween special, but the sympathy and advice language works any time of year.

What's inside (two PDFs):

• 18 colourful slides to project, with answer keys straight after each activity
• 5-page A4 exercise sheet: teacher's notes, answer key and a 3-page student worksheet with cut-up role-play cards
• Dialogue tasks, rules slides, a pronunciation focus on main stress and a team mistake race
• Easier and Harder options, an online tip, an exit ticket and free practice links

Level: B1 · Time: 60–75 minutes · Prep: print the exercise sheet, cut up the role-play cards and bring a bag or box for the 'cauldron'. Print, project and teach.

Facts are sourced, with full references.

Licensed to the purchaser for classroom use. Please do not share or resell.