Lesson Plan: Find Out and Talk About Other People's Experiences
Function of the Language: To inquire about and describe past experiences that are
relevant to the present using the Present Perfect tense.
Grammar Item to Teach: Present Perfect tense (all forms: positive, negative, and
questions, excluding 3rd person singular).
Type of School: Public
Number of Students: 25 students
Class Duration: 80 minutes
Type of Lesson: First-time introduction of the topic
Course: Secondary School
Level of English: Intermediate (A2-B1).
Type of School: Public
Time: 80 minutes
Approach: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) with Task-Based Learning
(TBL), integrating Bruner’s active learning, Ausubel’s meaningful learning, and
elements of Mariana Maggio’s Enseñanza Poderosa.
Materials Needed
Projector and speakers for the video
Handouts with activities
Whiteboard and markers
1 - Warmer (5 minutes)
Activity: “Have you ever?” Quick-fire Questions
Students stand in a circle, and the teacher asks quick "Have you ever...?" questions,
e.g., "Have you ever eaten sushi?" or "Have you ever climbed a mountain?"
Students who answer “Yes” step forward, while those who answer “No” stay in place.
2 - Introduction to Present Perfect (10 minutes)
Teacher Exposition:
Brief explanation of the Present Perfect tense using examples from the warmer:
Positive: "I have climbed a mountain."
Negative: "I haven’t eaten sushi."
Questions: "Have you ever traveled abroad?
3 - Listening Activity (15 minutes)
Video: Present Perfect Song – "Have You Ever?"
[Link]
Instructions:
Pre-listening: Predict some experiences mentioned in the song. For instance:
Have you ever traveled to another country?
Have you ever ridden a horse?
Have you ever climbed a mountain?
While-listening: Students listen to the song and fill in the blanks as they hear
the correct verbs:
Have you ever …… (climb) up a mountain peak
Have you ever …... (be) on a camping trip?
Have you ever …… (plant) a tree?
Have you ever ……... (look) through a telescope?
Have you ever ……... (write) a love note?
Post-listening: Discuss answers in pairs. For instance : "Have you ever done any of
these things?"
4 - Speaking Activity (15 minutes)
Activity: “Find Someone Who” Game
Instructions:
Students receive a handout with prompts like "Find someone who has visited another
country" or "Find someone who hasn’t tried pizza."
They walk around the classroom asking classmates questions in the Present Perfect
(e.g., "Have you ever visited another country?").
Write classmates' names in the appropriate box.
5 - Grammar Focus Practice (10 minutes)
Activity: Sentence Transformation
Instructions:
Students rewrite sentences in different forms:
Positive: "I have visited France."
Negative: "I haven’t visited France."
Question: "Have you visited France?"
6 - Production (20 minutes)
Activity: Personal Experience Presentation
Instructions:
Students create a short presentation about 3 experiences they have had or haven’t had,
using the Present Perfect.
Example: "I have tried surfing. I haven’t been to Japan. Have you ever eaten sushi?"
Students present to small groups and answer questions from peers.