Happy Marriage
This B1 lesson explores marriage and relationships through vocabulary, video, and debates. Students learn terms like proposal, arranged marriage, and materialistic while discussing what makes marriages successful. The lesson covers marriage vocabulary and encourages students to share opinions on dating, family approval, and different types of marriages.
Lesson overview
- Learn vocabulary related to marriage, dating, and relationships for B1 students
- Practice comprehension with video about knowing when someone is “the one”
- Develop debate skills on controversial topics like arranged marriages and age
- Build confidence discussing personal views on relationships and family involvement
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| B1 / Intermediate | 8 words | 3:11 min | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- dating
- determine
- divorce
- materialistic
- arranged marriage
- partner
- proposal
- ceremony
Contents
- Lead-in
- Vocabulary match
- Reading
- Discussion
- Video
- Comprehension
- Questions
- Vocabulary practice
- Debate
Start with the lead-in questions about marriage age, challenges couples face, and wedding traditions. These questions get students talking about their own cultural experiences with marriage. The vocabulary matching activity introduces key terms like proposal, ceremony, and divorce before students need them later. Do the true/false reading about marriage facts next. Students get competitive trying to spot the false fact, and it launches good discussions about what actually makes marriages work.
Show the video about how men know someone is “the one.” This video hits right for B1 students because the speaker uses concrete examples like introducing a partner to family and making their favorite meal. Have students take notes while watching, then discuss the comprehension questions. The follow-up questions about family approval and public affection get personal fast, which is exactly what you want at this point.
The vocabulary practice has students replace highlighted words with lesson terms. This checks if they actually understand the difference between words like ceremony and proposal or dating and partner. Walk around and check answers before moving on.
Wrap up with debate topics about arranged marriages, marriage age, same-sex marriage, and whether marriage is outdated. Pick one or two debates depending on time and your class. These topics can get sensitive. Know your students before you go here. I’ve had classes that loved debating marriage and others that shut down completely when I brought up same-sex marriage. The debate structure guides students through presenting cases, making counter-arguments, and summarizing positions, which B1 students need because their thoughts get messy without structure.
