These days more and more people prefer staying at home rather than go out to meet friends. Home has become a place where people like to stay and invite their friends over.
You can talk about this topic in your English class using this lesson plan.
If you want to download the full lesson plan, just click the link down below.
Introduction
Do you like to stay at home? Or do you prefer to go outside?
Is it healthy to stay at home all the time?
What kind of people like to stay at home all the time?
I like to stay at home!
Read Adrian’s account below:
It’s not that I don’t have friends. I do. I just don’t like going out to do all the usual things they like to do. I mean, bars and nightclubs, things like that.
Most people my age love to do these things but not me.
When I was at university I was encouraged to go to bars, go to nightclubs. Many of the students in my year would go out almost every night. It was like they had to go out or they felt they were missing out on something.
I went to a few bars and I just got incredibly bored after an hour or so.
I like to drink alcohol, drink some beer. But I don’t really like to get so drunk that I don’t know what I am doing. And I don’t like really loud places or crowds.
And for most people my age that is what they want — to get drunk, be surrounded by lots of people and be in a place where the music blaring.
For me, the ideal night is to stay in, with some music that I love to listen to playing in the background, and maybe drink a little beer or wine — or sometimes just drink tea or something.
I like to invite people over where we can chat quietly and have great conversation and just hang out.
Then at the end of the evening, maybe everyone goes home and all I have to do is turn the lights off and go to bed. I don’t have to think about getting a taxi or being stuck outside in the rain.
My friends think I’m weird. They come over to my place in the week, maybe on a Wednesday or Thursday evening, but come the weekend they have to go out.
And where I work — a lot of my colleagues are the same age as me — on Monday they talk about things they did at the weekend. And it always involves getting really drunk and going to a dozen bars or so. Then they ask me what I did and I tell them I watched a movie or listened to music.
They look at me like I’m an alien.
One girl I work with said that if she had the same lifestyle as me she would feel really lonely. But that’s the thing — I never feel lonely. I have friends and I socialise. I just do it at home. And it’s really great.
Take this weekend for example. There’s this really great TV series about to start on Netflix. It’s got one of my all-time favourite actors in it. I plan to stay at home and watch the first episode of it and do pretty much nothing else all weekend.
I will read a little — or maybe a lot — maybe call my brother and see how he is doing.
That’s it.
I think it is the perfect life and I feel really comfortable doing the things I like to do — all at home.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Does Adrian have friends?
What kind of places does he not like to go to?
What did the students at Adrian’s university like to do every night?
Does Adrian like to drink alcohol?
How does Adrian describe a perfect evening?
What do Adrian’s friends think of him?
Do they visit him at the weekend?
What do Adrian’s work colleagues do at the weekend? What does Adrian tell them about his weekend?
What do his colleagues say about him?
How did one person describe Adrian’s lifestyle?
What is Adrian’s plan this weekend?
Essential Vocabulary
bars | nightclubs | encouraged |
missing out | incredibly | bored |
drunk | crowds | surrounded |
blaring | ideal | background |
invite | chat | conversation |
hang out | stuck outside | weird |
colleagues | alien | lifestyle |
lonely | socialise | Netflix |
all-time | episode | pretty much |
perfect life | comfortable |
Exercise
Write down all the words and phrases in your vocabulary notebook. Look in your dictionary and find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each word.
Then make up your own sentences using each word or phrase.
For example:
Notebook—a small book with pages of blank paper that students use to make notes when
studying.
“I left my notebook at home so I was unable to make any notes in my English class.”
Discussion Questions
What do you think of Adrian’s lifestyle?
Do you like to stay at home? Or go out and meet friends? Why?
Adrian’s colleagues and friends refer to him as weird and being an alien. Why do you think they say this?
What does Adrian mean by missing out? What are people afraid of missing out on?
Do you think Adrian is a shy person? Why/why not?
Is a busy social life very important? Why/why not?
What do you do in your social life? Is it enough do you think? Or too much?
Has the internet forced people to stay at home more? How?
Are people who stay at home all the time boring? Why/why not?
Are people who want to go out all the time trying to escape something from home? What are they trying to escape?
What three good things can a person do at home to have a good life?
Are bars and nightclubs interesting places? Why/why not?
What do you think of people who stay at home and just watch TV every night?
Staying at Home
Look at all the statements below about staying at home. Say whether you agree or disagree with each one.
Try to provide reasons why you agree or disagree.
Discuss the benefits of each item. Or lack of benefits.
- You can be yourself all the time
- You can wear whatever you want
- It is free
- It can save a lot of time
- It can save you a lot of energy
- You can save a lot of money
- You don’t have to have meaningless, stupid conversations with people you don’t really like
- You can be completely selfish and do whatever you want
- You don’t have to watch your manners or be polite
- You can spread out on the sofa and relax
The Perfect Night In
This is a group activity. Divide the class into small groups of three or four students.
In your groups, you are going to create The Perfect Night In.
You are planning a night at home. You will invite a very small group of friends to your home too.
This is not a party! No loud music, dancing and drinking!
You have to decide the following:
What kind of entertainment will you have?
Will it be music, a night of TV and Netflix, movie night or board games?
What kind of food will you prepare?
Will you cook some simple dishes, order a pizza or just ask your guests to bring some snacks?
What time will the evening begin?
Also, what time will it end?
And finally, what house rules do you have? After all, it is your home!
For example:
No smoking
No bad language
No rude behaviour
etc etc…
When you are ready, present all your ideas to the class!
Debate: Staying At Home vs Going Out All Night
This is a debate exercise.
Divide the class into two groups of equal number. Choose a student to act as chair for the debate. This person should ensure there is order during the debate and to make sure all people have the chance to speak.
The Debate
Some people like to stay at home while others like to go out and party all night.
That is the premise of this debate!
Team A
You like to stay at home. You think it is civilised and quiet. You are in the comfort of your own home and you can do anything you want.
You can eat any kind of food you like, carefully prepared just the way you like it. Then you can sit and watch all your favourite TV shows, catch a movie, read a novel – or just sit there in the dark, enjoying the peace and quiet.
Then at the end of the night, you don’t have to pay for a taxi home. You just walk to your bedroom and go to bed!
Team B
You like to go out. You like to go to wild and crazy parties and meet new people.
You love to socialize – be it in the latest cocktail bar, the newest nightclub or a restaurant with rave reviews.
Going out is an essential part of your life. Life is meant to be enjoyed and the only way you can do that is to go out in the evening and party!
In your teams, spend some time thinking about what you all want to say in the debate. Organise your thoughts and ideas so they make sense.
Then when you are ready – begin the debate!
Writing
Write a short article on the merits of staying at home. Try to bring up two points that you can discuss in your article at length.
When you have finished your article, read it out in front of the class. Or give it to your teacher for review.
What did you think of this lesson plan? I hope you liked it. Let me know in the comments below!
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