What is Pantone?
This B2 lesson gets students talking about colors, color naming, and the Pantone Color System. Students watch a short video, learn vocabulary like “shade,” “nuance,” and “cutting-edge,” and practice describing colors in creative ways. It works well for classes that enjoy design, branding, or visual topics.
Lesson overview
- Practice naming and describing specific color shades in English
- Learn 10 vocabulary words related to color, design, and manufacturing
- Watch and discuss a short video about the Pantone Color System
- Build speaking confidence through creative color-naming activities
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| B2 / Upper-Intermediate | 10 words | 2:00 min | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- Forecast
- Manufacturer
- Cutting-edge
- Inspiration
- Shade
- Nuance
- Fabric
- Reproduced
- Triple check
- Inconsistencies
Contents
- Lead-in
- Reading
- Discussion
- Vocabulary Preview
- Video
- Questions
- Practice
- Discussion
- Homework
Start with the lead-in activity on slide 2. Students look at 12 color swatches and try to name each one. Give them a minute or two, then move to slide 3 where the answers are listed. This usually gets a good reaction because colors like “charcoal” or “rose gold” are tricky to name, even for strong B2 students. Ask if anyone got close or came up with something better than the official name.
Move into the two short reading sections on slides 4 and 5. The first one talks about how color naming works in English. The second introduces Pantone and explains what the company does. Both readings are short enough that students can read them in class. After each one, use the discussion questions at the bottom of the slide. The Pantone reading works especially well if students have opinions about trends or branding.
Slides 6 and 7 cover the discussion activities. Students look at past Colors of the Year and talk about what each one reminds them of. Then they combine words to create their own Pantone-style color names, which is a fun way to practice compound nouns and creative vocabulary. Before the video, go through the vocabulary preview on slide 8. Let students check the words they already know, then review the full definitions on slide 9. This makes the video easier to follow.
Play the video on slide 10 and have students answer the comprehension questions on slides 11 and 12. Wrap up with the discussion questions on slide 14 about color preferences and how colors affect mood. For homework, students pick an item and invent a Pantone-style color name for it. This is a nice low-pressure writing task that reinforces the lesson vocabulary.
