esl lesson on annoyances

1. Annoyances
Listening comprehension

2. What are some of the
things that bother you
most about other drivers,
politicians or smart
phones?

3. Expressions and vocabulary
tackle (verb): make an effort to deal with a difficult topic or situation
– We need to tackle the problem of pollution in our city.
touch on something (verb): talk briefly about something
– The president didn’t want to touch on the issues of the economy because of rising
inflation.
grumble (verb): complain quietly
– My husband often grumbles about careless drivers on the road.
alarming (adjective): feeling a sense of concern or danger
– It is alarming to see the price of gas and food go up almost daily.

4. Watch the video and answer the questions

5. Conversation questions
1. How do your own feelings on this topic match
Emily’s opinions in this interview? How do they
differ?
2. What things in life cause you to grumble and
complain? In such cases, how do you handle
such feelings?

6. Which of these activities bother you? Why or why not? Do you do any
of these behaviors?
○ Use both armrests in a movie theater or on a plane.
○ Not cleaning up after a meal and simply putting dishes in the sink.
○ Asking friends or family personal questions about money or
relationships.
○ Sending a bunch of short text messages instead of sending a
longer one.
○ Taking up more than one seat on a bus by putting your bag there,
so that no one else can sit down.

7. Listen to two men complaining about modern life. What problems
do they have with….
● Automated phone menus
● Domestic appliances
● Car radios
● Choosing a computer
● Computer printers
● Last year’s technology
● Too many choices

8. ROLEPLAY
In pairs, write a dialogue between two
people complaining. You can choose
how old they are. Act your dialogues
in class.