Culture Shock

This culture shock lesson plan is built around three real TikTok videos that show funny and surprising moments from different countries. Students answer the question what is culture shock through real examples and lots of personal sharing. There are plenty of speaking activities where learners compare experiences, react to the videos, and talk about their own culture surprises. The lesson includes practical ESL tasks that help students learn useful vocabulary, notice cultural differences, and build confidence. It’s light, fun, and perfect for B1 classes that enjoy real-life topics and lively discussions.

Teaching guide

Lead in
This culture shock ESL lesson begins with the four opening questions to activate students’ background knowledge. Encourage them to share personal experiences of cultural differences and discuss what culture shock means to them. This creates a clear purpose for the lesson and prepares learners for new vocabulary and concepts.

Vocabulary Preview, Definitions
Students check the culture shock vocabulary they already know. Go through unfamiliar words using the definition page and add simple examples. Help learners connect each term to real situations, which supports clearer understanding before the video tasks.

Video 1, Questions
Students watch a video about an American living in Ukraine and the culture shocks he experiences. After viewing, they answer four multiple choice questions, selecting the best answer for each one. Guide them to notice details and compare the experiences with their own cultures.

Video 2, True or False
The second video shows a Korean man discussing surprising cultural differences he noticed while living in the United States. After watching, students complete true or false statements. This helps them practice scanning for facts and recognizing subtle cultural nuances.

Video 3, Dialogues
The final video features an American in Germany talking about everyday culture shocks such as shop opening times, transportation and social behavior. Students then complete three short dialogues from the video by filling in the blanks with the correct culture shock vocabulary. This reinforces listening and controlled speaking practice.

Comprehension, Discussion
Students complete a summary table comparing culture shocks from all three videos. You can do this individually or as a group. Afterwards, students choose one discussion question and speak for two minutes. Encourage them to keep talking about their travel experiences or stories they have heard about culture shock.

Practice
Students match the collocations on the first page. On the next page, they write natural example sentences using each collocation. Focus on clear, practical sentences that help students use the vocabulary confidently.

Scenarios, Wrap up
Students imagine they are in three different surprising cultural situations and explain how they would respond. This develops real world problem solving and encourages creative speaking. To finish, students give one piece of advice for someone visiting their country, linking the whole lesson to authentic communication.