What the Lesson Plan Generator does
You give it a topic, a CEFR level and a lesson length. It gives you back a full, staged lesson plan, with aims, timings, board work, checking questions, activities and student materials, written the way ABC English Online teaches.
It is not a generic worksheet machine. Every plan is grounded in four principles the school teaches by: communicative (real speaking and writing tasks), lexical (language taught as useful chunks and collocations, not isolated words), Dogme-friendly (space for the language that emerges from your learners), and scaffolded (a clear model → guided → independent arc, with instruction- and concept-checking questions built in).
Quick start in five steps
- Type your topic or theme. Be specific: "Making complaints in a restaurant" works better than "Speaking".
- Pick the CEFR level (A1–C2) that matches your class.
- Choose a duration (for example 60 or 90 minutes) so the timings are realistic.
- Choose a framework (PPP, ESA, TBLT or Dogme). If you are not sure, see Which to choose.
- Generate, then read, tweak and export. Add objectives or learner context first for an even better fit.
Every setting explained
| Setting | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Topic / Theme | The content the lesson is built around. Specific, real-world themes produce the most useful, communicative material. |
| CEFR Level | A1 to C2. Controls the difficulty of the target language, the texts and the tasks. Choose the level of your weakest core group, not your strongest student. |
| Duration | The lesson length. The plan's stage timings add up to this, so pick what you really have. |
| Framework | The shape of the lesson: PPP, ESA, TBLT or Dogme. This is the single biggest lever on how the lesson feels. See below. |
| Class Size | Tunes grouping: pairs and small groups for larger classes, more one-to-one style tasks for very small ones. |
| Materials-light Mode | Turn this on for a board-and-talk lesson with few or no handouts, in the Dogme spirit. Great for conversation classes and low-prep days. |
| Learning Objectives | One aim per line. If you know exactly what learners should be able to do by the end ("make and respond to polite requests"), put it here and the plan is built to hit it. |
| Learner Context | Who your learners are (age, nationality mix, why they study). This shapes examples and topics so they land, for example "adults in Malta, mixed nationalities, need English for work". |
| Prior Knowledge | What they have already covered, so the plan recycles it and does not re-teach it, for example "did the present perfect last week". |
| Picture Style | The look of any generated images used in the materials. |
| Additional Notes | Anything else: an exam focus, a coursebook page you are supplementing, a skill you want to prioritise. |
Lesson frameworks, and what each one is
A framework is the shape of the lesson, the order of stages and how you move learners from meeting new language to using it freely. There is no single "best" one; each suits different aims. Here are the four the generator offers, then two related approaches worth knowing.
Present · Practice · Produce
The classic, reliable structure for teaching a specific, discrete piece of language, a grammar point, a set of vocabulary, a function. It moves from tight control to freedom.
Engage · Study · Activate
Jeremy Harmer's flexible model. Its insight: learners need to be emotionally engaged before they study language, and they need real chances to activate it. Unlike PPP, the stages need not run in a straight line.
Three common sequences: Straight arrow (E→S→A, much like PPP); Boomerang (E→A→S→A: they try a task first, you teach into the gaps, they try again); Patchwork (E→S→A→S→A…, mixing stages across a lesson).
Task-Based Language Teaching
The lesson is organised around a meaningful task with a real outcome, planning a trip, solving a problem, reaching a decision. Language is in service of getting the task done, and is focused on after the task, from what learners actually needed.
Dogme ELT · Teaching Unplugged
A conversation-driven, materials-light approach. There are few or no handouts; the lesson is built from the learners, their lives, opinions and questions, and the emergent language that comes up is treated as the real content. The board does the heavy lifting.
Two related approaches worth knowing
TTT · Test, Teach, Test
Start with a task or quiz that tests what learners can already do (the first "test"), teach into the gaps it reveals, then test again to measure the gain. Perfect when a class part-knows something and you do not want to teach what they already have. You can reproduce it here by choosing ESA in its Boomerang order, or by asking for it in Additional Notes.
Guided Discovery
Instead of presenting a rule, you give learners examples and questions that lead them to work the rule out themselves. It builds deeper understanding and independence. Add "use guided discovery for the language focus" to Additional Notes to steer any plan this way.
Which framework should I choose?
| If your aim is… | Reach for… |
|---|---|
| Teach one clear grammar point or vocabulary set, with control | PPP |
| A lively skills or topic lesson with mixed aims and high engagement | ESA |
| Build real fluency and independence with a purposeful task | TBLT |
| Conversation, one-to-one, higher levels, minimal prep | Dogme |
| They part-know it and you want to teach only the gaps | TTT (ESA Boomerang) |
The ABC method built into every plan
Whichever framework you pick, the generator layers in the school's teaching style, so the plans are not generic ELT:
- Communicative (CLT): real communication is the goal. Expect information-gaps, role-plays and opinion exchanges over mechanical drills, every task has a genuine outcome.
- Lexical Approach: language is taught as chunks, collocations and fixed and semi-fixed expressions, not isolated words or bare rules, so learners get phrases they can use immediately.
- Dogme / emergent language: even structured plans leave room to notice, board and reformulate the language that comes up live in your room.
- Scaffolding + checking: a gradual-release arc (model → guided → independent), with ICQs (instruction-checking questions) before every task and CCQs (concept-checking questions) for target language, built in for you.
Beyond single lessons: schemes of work
The tool can also build a multi-week scheme of work. Give it a level, a length in weeks, how many lessons per week, and a course goal or theme, and it maps out a coherent sequence of lessons that build on each other, ideal for planning a whole course or a private student's programme.
Tips for the best plans
- Be specific with the topic. "Negotiating a pay rise" beats "Business English".
- Always add Learner Context. One line about who they are transforms how well examples land.
- State the outcome as an objective: "learners can give directions using prepositions of place". Plans built to an outcome are sharper.
- Match the framework to the aim, not habit. Language point → PPP; task or fluency → TBLT; conversation → Dogme.
- Use Prior Knowledge so it recycles rather than re-teaches.
- Read and adapt. Cut a stage that is too long, swap an example, add your class's in-jokes. You are the expert on your room.
- Keep the emergent-language stage. It is where a lot of the real learning happens, do not skip it to save time.
FAQ
Do I need to be an experienced teacher to use it?
No. New teachers get a clear, well-structured plan with checking questions written for them; experienced teachers get a fast, strong first draft to adapt.
Can I edit the plan?
Yes, treat the output as a draft. Read it, adjust timings and examples, and keep what suits your class. Export it when you are happy.
Which levels does it cover?
A1 to C2 (CEFR). Choose the level of your core group.
It suggested more than fits my lesson. What do I do?
Trim a stage or shorten the freer practice, and check the Duration you set matches your real lesson length.
Is it free?
It is a premium tool, included in the Pro (€29/mo) and Premium (€39/mo) plans of the ABC toolbox. See the plans, then open it from the Tools catalogue.