English for Intermediate Learners (B1): New Year’s Resolutions: Hopes, Goals, and Fresh Starts

In this lesson, students will explore the topic of New Year’s resolutions and reflect on how people set goals at the start of a new year. Using clear, practical English, learners will talk about personal hopes, future plans, and ways to make positive changes in their lives.

The lesson focuses on building confidence when discussing future intentions, explaining reasons, and sharing opinions. Students will practice common B1 grammar structures such as going to, will, and first conditional sentences, while expanding useful vocabulary related to goals, habits, and self-improvement.

Through a short reading, guided speaking tasks, and realistic examples, students will compare their past experiences with their plans for the new year. The lesson also encourages learners to think critically about whether New Year’s resolutions really work and how to make goals more achievable.

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to clearly describe their resolutions, explain why they chose them, and discuss strategies for success using natural, everyday English.

This lesson is ideal for adult learners, university students, and working professionals in Japan who want to improve their speaking fluency, express future plans more confidently, and start the new year motivated and focused.