PAST EXPERIENCES ESL Lesson

In this intermediate-level ESL lesson, you will learn grammar, vocabulary, and phrases to talk about everyday English topics: an English conversation lesson to talk about past work experiences.

This ESL lesson also comes with a downloadable PDF you can access when you are a member of Pocket Passport.

This ESL video lesson for daily English will help ESL students learn vocabulary, grammar, improve listening and be confident English speakers.

Practical English for everyday situations.

Germany

ESL Questions Past Experiences

1

What do you think the most challenging thing is about moving to another city/country?



2

Who and what exactly would you miss the most if you moved away?



3

How is your country different from others?



4

What customs and taboos are unique to your country?



5

Are you a picky eater? Would you be able to eat any other country’s food?



6

What countries would be the easiest and most challenging to adapt to?



Watch, Read or Listen

ESL Video on Past Experiences

Watch the following ESL YouTube video lesson to talk about the past work experiences.

ESL Listening Practice

Watch the YouTube video and answer the following questions.

1

Where did Daniella move to?



2

How does Daniella feel about her new job?



3

Why did Daniella have to work late at her old her job?



4

How long did she work at her old job?



5

What does she do on her days off?



6

What did she often do in Madrid?



7

What did she have to wear to work in Madrid?



8

What can she wear to her job now?



ESL Speaking Activity

Use the illustrations to talk about the passage using the past tense.

German Flag



Spanish Flag



Past Experiences ESL



Past Experiences ESL Lesson



Past Work Experiences ESL Lesson





ESL Vocabulary to talk about past experiences

Word Bank

almost | casual | comfortable | delicious | easily
engineer | experience | extra | gallery | marketing
museum | stay | style | suggestion | system | though
through | to treat someone like a child | used to

Matching

Match the words on the left with the meanings on the right.

1. easily (adv)

A. something that you’re required to do

2. to treat someone like a child (expr)

B. not quite; very nearly

3. suggestion (n)

C. very pleasant to taste

4. change (v)

D. an idea about what someone should do or how they should behave

5. have to (mod v)

E. a unique form of appearance

6. miss (v)

F. to treat as inferior; to look down on

7. almost (adv)

G. to feel sadness over the loss or absence of something

8. style (n)

H. to make or become different

9. delicious (adj)

I. physical well-being or relief

10. comfortable (adj)

J. without difficulty or effort

Past Work Experiences ESL

ESL Discussion

Discuss the following quotes about past experiences.

Past

“It is only by making the past alive again for a person that a true growth in the present is facilitated. If the past is cut off, the future does not exist.”

“The mixture of pain and anger, from past experiences, are the most sincere colors to create new horizons on my canvas.”

“You cannot change the past. You can only improve on the present.”

“People's behavior depends upon their current situation and past experience.”

“We are all a collection of our past experiences. But who we were before doesn't have to define who we will become.”

“When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.”

Practice

  1. What past experiences helped make you a stronger person?
  2. Do you keep in touch with your high school and university friends?
  3. Do you think the past was better than the present?
  4. What people from your past influenced you?
  5. Were you into anything in your past that you gave up and are no longer interested in?

In Your Own Words

Explain what the word or phrase in bold means and give an example.

Example: She was exhausted because she worked until midnight.
Meaning: very tired - I’m exhausted because I stayed up and studied all night.

Past Experiences

1

He used to treat her like a child and would never listen to her suggestions.

Meaning /

2

She never liked her old boss.

Meaning /

3

She worked in that office for three years before she decided to change her job.

Meaning /

4

She really liked her friends that she met through work.

Meaning /

5

She wore casual clothes to work every day.

Meaning /

Missing Words

Watch the video again and complete the sentences.

Past Work

Last year, Daniella ______________ 1 to Germany to start her new job as a Systems Engineer. She’s much happier in this job than her old one. She _________________ 2 work in a small office in Madrid, for a marketing company. She never enjoyed working with her old boss because he used to ________________________ 3 and would never listen to her suggestions. He used to give Daniella lots of extra work at the end of the day, which meant that she used to have to _________________ 4 almost every day to get all the work finished. She worked in that office for three years before she decided to ____________________ 5 her job. After finishing her training, she moved to Germany and started her new job. The work is so much better, and she has more free time too. On her days off in Germany, she visits parks, museums, and galleries, and goes rollerblading with some new friends she ________________________ 6. She does miss some things about her old life, though. In Madrid, she would often go to some great bars with her friends, and she used to be able to get delicious Spanish food _________________ 7. Her clothing style has changed, too. When she worked in Madrid, she used to have to wear a suit to work, but in her new job she can wear more _______________________ 8, so she feels more comfortable.

Free

  • Full Access to Select Lessons
  • New Lessons Added Every Week
  • Free Lessons Include:
  • Videos
  • MP3's
  • Flashcards
  • PDF's
  • PowerPoints

TeacherPro

$ 14 Monthly
  • Everything in Free +
  • Full Access to ALL Lessons
  • Lesson & Course Builder
  • Easily Create Sales Pages
  • Sell Courses Online
  • Upload Your Own Content
  • Student Accounts

Educator

$ 98 Monthly
  • Premium Teacher & Student Tools
  • Online Reservation System
  • Feedback & Evaluation Tools
  • Full Admin Tools
  • Full Customization
  • & Lots More!
50% Complete

Enter your email address below where you would like us to send the free sample!

Your privacy is protected.

Your Free Sample will arrive shortly.
Have a great day!