Explore the surprising world of heart idioms with this engaging B1 ESL reading and speaking lesson.
Built around nine common expressions containing the word heart, this lesson helps students discover how English uses the language of the heart to talk about feelings, decisions, relationships, personality, and memory. The idioms and definitions are based on Kenneth Beare’s article “Heart Idioms and Expression” on ThoughtCo.

Students begin by discussing how different situations can affect them physically and emotionally before guessing the meaning of heart idioms from pictures. They then read a short story featuring the target expressions, check their understanding through reading-for-detail questions, match the idioms to their definitions, and practise using them in context. The lesson finishes with personalised sentence prompts and pair discussions.

In this lesson, students will:

• Read and discuss a story featuring nine common heart idioms and expressions

• Learn and practise vocabulary related to heart idioms

• Use context and visual clues to work out the meaning of idiomatic expressions

• Use heart idioms to talk about their own experiences, feelings, and opinions

Perfect for B1 adult and teenage learners, this ready-to-teach World Heart Day lesson requires minimal preparation and combines vocabulary, reading, and communicative speaking around a memorable everyday language theme.