Somewhere in South Africa
This B1 lesson introduces students to South African culture, geography, and tourism through videos, vocabulary activities, and reading passages. Students learn eight travel-related words like “safari,” “paragliding,” and “hemisphere,” watch a funny Trevor Noah tourism commercial, and read six interesting facts about the Rainbow Nation. The lesson includes comprehension questions, discussion prompts, and an Expedia video for describing activities.
Lesson overview
- Learn eight tourism vocabulary words related to adventure activities and travel
- Watch and analyze Trevor Noah’s humorous South Africa tourism commercial
- Read six fascinating facts about South African culture, languages, and wildlife
- Practice describing travel activities using new vocabulary through video analysis
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| B1 / Intermediate | 8 words | 1:45 min | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- fascinating
- hemisphere
- expand your horizons
- afford
- commercial
- rafting
- paragliding
- safari
Contents
- Lead-in
- Discussion
- Vocabulary match
- Vocabulary
- Discussion
- Video
- Comprehension
- Reading
- Questions
- Extra video
Start with the discussion on pages 2-3. Ask students what they know about South Africa and what the country is famous for. Most B1 students mention Nelson Mandela or wildlife but not much else. Move to vocabulary matching on page 3 with eight words like “safari,” “commercial,” and “expand your horizons.” Page 4 shows eight adventure activity pictures for students to name.
Page 5 asks students to brainstorm questions for someone from South Africa. Then play the Trevor Noah video on page 6 where he makes a fake tourism commercial. It’s 1:45 minutes and students laugh at his jokes about hot Christmas and not affording snow. Pages 7-8 have six multiple-choice comprehension questions about the video.
The reading on pages 9-10 covers six facts: the Rainbow Nation nickname, three capital cities, 11 official languages, bordering countries, tourism spots, and record-breaking animals. After reading, students answer six questions on page 11. The final question asks which part sounds most interesting to them.
Wrap up with the Expedia video on page 12. Play it twice. First time, just watch. Give them a minute to think. Second time, they describe what they see using the lesson vocabulary. Students struggle more with the second viewing because they try to use too many words at once.
