Eric Dane’s Final Message (Upper-Int/Advanced Lesson)

ESL/EFL Level: Between Upper-Int & Advanced (C1)
Lesson Topics: death, living in the moment, friendship, love
Skill Focus: Speaking, Vocabulary, Listening
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: eric-dane-message-upper-intermediate-022026.docx
Lesson Overview:

  • Note on level: The speech in the video is slow, so it should be accessible to upper-intermediate students. Much of the target vocabulary for the lesson is approximately C1 level though, so please use the lesson with stronger students.
  • Students first warm up with questions about childhood, friendship, and living in the present
  • As a quick vocabulary previewing activity, students match five idioms and phrasal verbs to their definitions.
  • The video's input is a speech from Eric Dane (5:50 in length), an American actor with ALS. Dane's speech is slow and at times slightly slurred, but the video has clear subtitles. Dane shares his final message for his daughters, which includes lessons on living a fulfilling life. Students are asked to write down the four specific tips Dane gives as they watch the video.
  • The video is followed by comprehension questions.
  • Next, students review phrases from the video and match key vocabulary to definitions. Once complete, students use some of the new vocabulary to complete discussion questions.
  • The lesson has two debate prompts on having purpose in life and the value of resilience.
  • The first speaking activity is a reflective task that asks students to imagine they are near death and writing a letter to their younger self. Students should come up with three or four pieces of advice that would have been useful for their younger selves.
  • After three famous quotations, students then review vocabulary and the lesson's collocations.
  • As usual, the lesson ends with a few final discussion questions.

An image of Eric Dane (AI-generated)

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (C1) Lesson on Eric Dane's Final Message      

  1. What are your fondest (favorite) memories from childhood?
  2. What qualities do you value most in friends?
  3. Many people talk about the importance of living in the present moment. Why is it so hard?

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 - Lesson plan written by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. ChatGPT was used to generate vocabulary definitions and answer keys. For questions, contact the author. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. For questions, contact the author.

 

Comprehension Question Answer Key:

  1. He gives his daughters four lessons: live in the present, fall in love with something meaningful, choose loyal friends, and fight life’s challenges with dignity and resilience.
  2. Because worrying about the past and second-guessing himself only caused shame and regret. Facing a terminal illness forces him to stay present instead of mentally “replaying” mistakes.
  3. Loving something (a passion, purpose, or person) gives meaning, motivation, and strength. His love of acting helped him survive his darkest periods.
  4. His job is not his identity or entire worth as a person, but it gives him energy and excitement. Work should inspire you, not define who you are.
  5. Friends who “just show up” — loyal, supportive, non-judgmental people who give without conditions and stand by you during difficult times.
  6. Because he sees himself as resilient. Like a cat with many lives, he keeps bouncing back after setbacks and refuses to stay down.
  7. It makes his advice urgent and focused on what truly matters. He emphasizes presence, love, friendship, resilience, and dignity because he now sees clearly that time is limited.

 Idioms and phrasal verb answers: 1-d, 2-a, 3-e, 4-c, 5-b

Vocabulary Answers: 1-h, 2-g, 3-e, 4-f, 5-c, 6-d, 7-a, 8-b

Collocation Answers: 1-e, 2-h, 3-a, 4-b, 5-d, 6-g, 7-c, 8-f

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