ESL/EFL Level: Advanced (C1/C2)
Lesson Topics: co-parenting, relationships, dating
Skill Focus: Speaking, Vocabulary, Reading, Grammar
Approximate Class Time: 2 hours
Lesson Plan Download: unconventional-relationships-advanced-082026.docx
Lesson Overview:
Lesson Topics: co-parenting, relationships, dating
Skill Focus: Speaking, Vocabulary, Reading, Grammar
Approximate Class Time: 2 hours
Lesson Plan Download: unconventional-relationships-advanced-082026.docx
Lesson Overview:
- Teacher Notes: The lesson references the relationship type "friends with benefits" on page 4. Also, there is a small activity on the third and mixed conditional on page 4. If you don't want to get into the weeds of this grammar point, delete or skip it.
- Students first warm up with questions about relationships, raising a family, and unconventional relationship types.
- This lesson is centered on a reading passage (385 words) about a man named Richard, who is living with his ex, who came out as both gay and pregnant. Richard describes how their co-parenting situation evolved and its struggles. The passage concludes with Richard's statement that "there are no rules" today when it comes to relationships and family structures, which should be a good discussion point for students.
- The passage is followed by comprehension and follow-upquestions.
- Next, students match vocabulary items from the passage to definitions, which includes seven regular phrases and five idiomatic expressions. This is followed by an exercise which requires students to ask questions to each other using some of the new vocabulary.
- The lesson has two debate topics on polyamorous relationships and whether Richard's situation is sustainable.
- The first speaking activity focuses on the term "part of the equation." Students work with a partner to create an equation by listing factors that amount to a happy marriage. A sample is given.
- Next, students roleplay a date between a woman and Richard. Each person must ask questions to see if their date partner fulfills the elements of their equation.
- After a few famous quotations about relationships, students review a list of eight relationship types, including some unconventional ones. Students discuss which are accepted in their country, and which they would consider.
- As a grammar focus, students review a compound-complex sentence from the passage that contains both the third and mixed conditional. Each clause is explained, and then students do some short exercises. This could trigger a lot of questions from students, so be prepared to explain or point students to a resource for further practice.
- Next, students review collocations, and then the vocabulary from the passage.
- Finally, the lesson ends with a few final discussion questions.
ADVANCED (C1/C2) on Unconventional Relationships
WARM-UP
- What makes a family? How would you define it?
- If you don’t mind sharing, how would you describe your parents’ relationship?
- How has raising a family changed in the past few decades?
- Today’s passage is about unconventional (non-standard) relationship types. Make a list of some unconventional relationship types that exist today.
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This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. Claude AI was used to assist with answer keys and famous quotations..
ANSWER KEY
Comprehension Questions
- …
- Whether to keep the baby. (Open-ended: personal response for the second part.)
- They never formally sat down and committed to living together, yet the question of whether to separate existed in the background of every decision they made — so in a sense they were constantly choosing to stay without ever explicitly saying so.
- Any two of: the difficulty of untangling their lives; the comfort of staying; worry about the "cold war" of single parenting and one-upmanship; the treasured family moments they shared together.
- An example of the small, unexpected moments of joy that living together as a family produces — the kind he describes as "digging in your pocket for spare change and coming up with a handful of rubies."
- He was surprised to discover that he adores participating in his son's classes — swimming, gymnastics, dance — having assumed he would hate it.
- If Litia had come out after announcing the pregnancy, she may have lost the nerve to tell him at all, and they would have ended up going through the motions of a false marriage without honesty.
- (Open-ended: the story illustrates the absurdity and unpredictability of their situation — both matched with the same woman, neither quite sure of the rules of their new lives. Personal response for the second part.)
- …
Vocabulary Answer Key
Regular vocab: 1-a, 2-c, 3-g, 4-b, 5-d, 6-e, 7-f
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs: A-to come out, B-to lose the nerve, C-to one up, D-to cut ties, E-to go through the motions
Conditionals
- If Richard had cut ties with Litia after she came out, he would have missed out on raising his child. Also, he would not adore the time he currently spends with his son every day.
- If Richard had not decided to continue living with his ex, he probably would have had more success dating.
Collocation Answer Key
1-e, 2-f, 3-a, 4-b, 5-c 6-d
still together?? pt 2????
Not sure. I imagine one will get a serious partner, and then the cohabitation will fall apart. Did you try the lesson out?