What do you say to yourself when something goes wrong? Do you say to yourself, I’m terrible at this! This is going to be a disaster! or are you kind to yourself? Some people naturally have a more negative inner voice, while others tend to talk to themselves in a more positive and encouraging way. We all have an inner voice, but the way we use it can be very different.
With September 13th, Positive Thinking Day coming up, I thought that it would be interesting to look at how we talk to ourselves and whether we can change that inner voice from negative to positive. Rather than simply saying to students cheer up! Stay positive!, this lesson analyses an adapted article by Psychology Today, How to Use Your Inner Voice: Reset, Reframe and Reflect, and finds a more realistic and helpful way to respond when things don’t go according to plan.
The lesson introduces the Reset, Reframe and Reflect method through an adapted reading, followed by vocabulary work, an FCE-style Use of English task, and plenty of opportunities for speaking! So, keep scrolling for a full-length B2 Positive Thinking Day lesson plan, worksheet and presentation. All for free!
Warmer: What Would You Say to Yourself?
As always, I didn’t want to jump straight into the topic. Instead, students look at three everyday situations that could easily trigger a negative reaction. They might wake up late, or realise that they haven’t prepared enough for an important presentation. Students analyse the situations and write down their natural, immediate reaction to each situation. Then, they compare their answers with a partner. I like this warmer because there are no right or wrong answers, and I think that with a group of adults some of the (honest) answers can be quite funny!
Reading for Gist: Reset, Reframe, Reflect
Once students have thought about their own reactions, they are introduced to the idea that there are different ways we can respond to negative thoughts. Students read a short introduction with three missing words, each one starting with the same letter r. The three words are: Reset, Reframe, Reflect. This is a good transition from guessing and introducing the topic to reading for gist and understanding the topic of this lesson.
Reading for Detail: Which R?
After reading the article, students work with eight paraphrased statements and decide whether each one refers to Reset, Reframe or Reflect. This part allows students to understand the ideas and connect them with the relevant section. It also gives them a reason to return to the text and look for evidence rather than simply relying on their first impressions.
Vocabulary Focus: Talking About Difficulties
Since the adapted text didn’t really have too advanced vocabulary, I decided to focus on fixed expressions that it provided. In this way students could start building chunks which are commonly used in the FCE Use of English. Some of the expressions include: find a way, learn from experience, become your own worst critic, or look at something in a different way. Students match the expressions with definitions, using the context to help them work out the meanings.
Controlled Practice: Rephrase It
Once students have worked out the meanings, they use the expressions to replace simpler wording in a series of sentences, for example, I always think I’m useless when I make a mistake. = I always become my own worst critic when I make a mistake. This gives them a chance to practise the expressions before moving onto the key word transformation task.
FCE-Style Task: Key Word Transformation
The lesson then moves into a short FCE-style key word transformation task. Students complete sentences using a given key word without changing it and keeping within the required word limit. The sentences are based on completely new situations, still related to the topic of the lesson. I wanted to include this task because the target expressions worked particularly well with an exam-style paraphrasing. It also gives students a useful opportunity to practise the kind of paraphrasing they need for FCE while still working with language connected to the topic.
Speaking: From Inner Critic to Inner Coach
The final activity brings the lesson back to the situations from the warmer. Students look at what they originally said to themselves and discuss how they could respond differently using one of the expressions from the lesson. I kept it as a speaking activity, as there were many opportunities for writing in this class. I think that this stage works really well to end this session because students aren’t simply producing random examples, but rather they are revisiting their own ideas from the beginning of the lesson and using the language they’ve just learnt. It could be also interesting to revisit this initial task and see which of your students are already kind to themselves, and which ones still need to work on this skill.
Final Discussion: Thinking Positively
The lesson finishes with three whole-class discussion questions about positive thinking. Students consider whether people can actually learn to think more positively, whether looking for the positive side of a situation is always useful, and what they might change about the way they talk to themselves.
I wanted this lesson to be more than a collection of activities about positive thinking. The students start by noticing their own inner critic, discover the Reset – Reframe – Reflect through an adapted reading, work with useful B2 vocabulary, practise FCE-style paraphrasing and finally return to their original thoughts and try to respond to them differently.
What does your inner voice usually say when something goes wrong?
