When holidays go wrong — ready-made English lesson, B1

Lesson goal: Students can tell the story of a holiday, including what went wrong, using narrative tenses, and deal with hotel bookings.

Add the lesson to get your own copies of the word set and exercises; the lesson opens in the builder, where you can adjust the steps and teach it.

Lesson plan

1
Warm-up
Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.
- What's the best holiday you've ever had?
- Do you like to plan everything, or do you just go and see what happens?
- Would you rather stay in a hotel, a hostel or a rented flat?
- What's the most popular holiday destination in your country?
2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
Open the boxCrossword
accommodation · reservation · double room · check in · check out · hostel · all-inclusive · package holiday · travel agency · destination · tourist attraction · guided tour · local · sunbathe · cancel
All words in the set
3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
1. Fill the gap
  When we arrived, the receptionist couldn't find our ___ on the computer.
  Answer: reservation
2. Fill the gap
  We have to check ___ by eleven, so let's pack our bags tonight.
  Answer: out
3. Fill the gap
  We asked for a ___ room because we wanted one big bed.
  Answer: double
4. Fill the gap
  We ___ (sunbathe) on the beach when the storm started.
  Answer: were sunbathing
5. Fill the gap
  When we got to the airport, we found out that our flight ___ (be) cancelled.
  Answer: had been / was
6. Multiple choice
  A holiday where the flights, the hotel and the transfers are booked together is a ...
  guided tourpackage holidayhosteldestination
7. Multiple choice
  At ... hotel, all your meals and drinks are included in the price.
  a localan all-inclusivea guideda destination
8. True / false
  Read: "Our package holiday started badly. The flight was delayed, and when we finally tried to check in at midnight, the hotel had given our double room to another couple. We spent the first night in a tiny hostel. But the next day the travel agency found us a lovely all-inclusive hotel, and the rest of the week was perfect." The writer stayed in a hostel for the whole week.
  Answer: False
9. True / false
  Read the text again. Someone else got the room that the writer had booked.
  Answer: True
10. Discussion question
  Tell the story of a holiday or trip when something went wrong. What happened, and how did it end?
  Sample answer: Last summer we were travelling to Greece when the airline lost our luggage. We had packed all our swimming things in one suitcase! We bought new swimsuits at a local shop, and the bag arrived three days later. In the end it was a great holiday.
4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Package holiday or independent travel: which do you prefer and why?
- Is it better to go on a guided tour or to explore a place on your own?
- What would you do if a hotel lost your reservation?
- Do tourists change the places they visit? In a good way or a bad way?
- Where would you go on your dream holiday, and what would you do there?
5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz

Lesson plan

Warm-up

Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.

What's the best holiday you've ever had?
Do you like to plan everything, or do you just go and see what happens?
Would you rather stay in a hotel, a hostel or a rented flat?
What's the most popular holiday destination in your country?

New words

Meet the words and practise them in games.

Open the boxCrossword

accommodation · reservation · double room · check in · check out · hostel · all-inclusive · package holiday · travel agency · destination · tourist attraction · guided tour · local · sunbathe · cancel

All words in the set

Exercises

The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.

Fill the gap
When we arrived, the receptionist couldn't find our ___ on the computer.
Answer: reservation
Fill the gap
We have to check ___ by eleven, so let's pack our bags tonight.
Answer: out
Fill the gap
We asked for a ___ room because we wanted one big bed.
Answer: double
Fill the gap
We ___ (sunbathe) on the beach when the storm started.
Answer: were sunbathing
Fill the gap
When we got to the airport, we found out that our flight ___ (be) cancelled.
Answer: had been / was
Multiple choice
A holiday where the flights, the hotel and the transfers are booked together is a ...
guided tourpackage holidayhosteldestination
Multiple choice
At ... hotel, all your meals and drinks are included in the price.
a localan all-inclusivea guideda destination
True / false
Read: "Our package holiday started badly. The flight was delayed, and when we finally tried to check in at midnight, the hotel had given our double room to another couple. We spent the first night in a tiny hostel. But the next day the travel agency found us a lovely all-inclusive hotel, and the rest of the week was perfect." The writer stayed in a hostel for the whole week.
Answer: False
True / false
Read the text again. Someone else got the room that the writer had booked.
Answer: True
Discussion question
Tell the story of a holiday or trip when something went wrong. What happened, and how did it end?
Sample answer: Last summer we were travelling to Greece when the airline lost our luggage. We had packed all our swimming things in one suitcase! We bought new swimsuits at a local shop, and the bag arrived three days later. In the end it was a great holiday.

Speaking

The student answers using the new words.

Package holiday or independent travel: which do you prefer and why?
Is it better to go on a guided tour or to explore a place on your own?
What would you do if a hotel lost your reservation?
Do tourists change the places they visit? In a good way or a bad way?
Where would you go on your dream holiday, and what would you do there?

Review

A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.

Quiz