Humanities › Languages ESL Vocabulary Lesson Plan - Opposites for Beginning Level Learners Share Flipboard Email Print Languages English as a Second Language Vocabulary Basics Pronunciation & Conversation Writing Skills Reading Comprehension Grammar Business English Resources for Teachers Spanish French German Italian Japanese Mandarin Russian English Grammar View More by Kenneth Beare Updated March 17, 2017 Learning new vocabulary often requires "hooks" - memory devices that help students remember the words they have learned. Here is a quick, traditional and effective exercise focusing on pairing opposites. The opposites have been divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced level lessons. The exercise can be done as a matching exercise, or, for a greater challenge, students can be asked to come up with the opposites themselves. Both types of exercises are included in the resource section of this lesson.Aim: Improving vocabulary through the use of oppositesActivity: Matching oppositesLevel: BeginnerOutline:Divide students into small groups and distribute the opposites worksheet. Ask students to either match the opposites (exercise 1) or write the opposites (exercise 2). If you have more time, you can ask students to first match the opposites and then write out the opposites individually. Alternatively, you could give exercise as follow-up homework. Correct in class. Expand the exercise by asking students to provide synonyms. Lesson Plan - ESL Vocabulary Lesson Plan - OppositesExercise 1 - Match the Oppositesboyspeakoldrightfarfootsisterwifeblackcoolbuycleansmallwomanbegindrinkfullfatstand upfathershorthardcoldlightbig, largebrotherdark, heavydirtyeatemptyendgirlhead, handhothusbandleft, wronglistenlong, tallmanmothernear, closenew, youngsellsit downsoft, easythinwarmwhite Exercise 2 - Fill in the Oppositesboyspeakoldrightfarfootsisterwifeblackcoolbuycleansmallwomanbegindrinkfullfatstand upfathershorthardcoldlightIntermediate Level OppositesAdvanced Level OppositesBack to lessons resource page Continue Reading