Daily routine & habits.
Everyone has a routine, and almost nobody thinks theirs is interesting — which is exactly why it makes students talk.
Warm-up · ask three
- What is the first thing you do after your alarm goes off?
- Which part of your day would you happily delete?
- Are you a morning person or a night owl, honestly?
01
B2 course unit 1
Daily Routine and Habits
These prompts recycle the small-talk language and daily-routine vocabulary from Unit 1, so students meet the same ten items in the reading, the workbook and here.
Let’s talk
Discussion questions
Project the generator and let it cold-call a question. Filter by level, then give a student 60 seconds to answer without stopping. Browse the full decks below.
Random question generator
Press “New question” to put one on the board.
Deck 1
Your day, hour by hour
- Walk us through a normal weekday from the moment you wake up.B2
- How much of your day is decided by you, and how much by other people?B2
- What does your ideal morning look like, and how close is it to reality?B2
- Do you eat at the same times every day, or whenever you can?B2
- Which hour of your day is the most productive, and why do you think that is?C1
Deck 2
Habits, good and bad
- What habit have you kept for years without really thinking about it?B2
- Have you ever managed to break a bad habit? How did you do it?B2
- Is it easier to start a new habit or to stop an old one?B2
- How long does it really take before something becomes automatic?B2
- Do habits make us who we are, or do they just hide who we are?C1
Deck 3
Small talk
- What do people in your country make small talk about?B2
- How do you start a conversation with someone you barely know?B2
- Is small talk useful, or is it a waste of everyone's time?B2
- Who is a weak tie in your life — someone you see often but hardly know?B2
- Why do some cultures value small talk far more than others?C1
Deck 4
Rest and recharging
- How do you wind down at the end of a long day?B2
- Do you sleep enough? What gets in the way?B2
- When was the last time you burned the midnight oil? Was it worth it?B2
- What does a genuinely restful weekend look like for you?B2
- Has being busy become a way of showing status?C1
Deck 5
Changing the routine
- If you could redesign your week from scratch, what would you change first?B2
- Do you work better with a strict schedule or with total freedom?B2
- What happens to you when your routine is suddenly broken?B2
- Should schools and workplaces start later in the morning?C1
- Is a life without routine freedom, or just chaos with a nicer name?C1
Talk for longer
Useful language
The words students need to describe a routine and keep a small-talk conversation alive. Pre-teach a handful, then challenge them to slip three into the discussion or the debate.
Sentence starters
Scaffolding for B2 — finish the sentence about you.
Describing a routine
Habits and frequency
Starting small talk
Keeping it going
Words & phrases
The unit’s target vocabulary — the same ten items as the workbook.
light, friendly conversation about unimportant things
“We made small talk about the weather.”
a person you recognize but don’t know well
“Your barista is a weak tie.”
to start a conversation and help people relax
“A joke is a good way to break the ice.”
to share recent news with someone you haven’t seen
“Let’s catch up over coffee soon.”
to stop the alarm to sleep a little longer
“I hit the snooze button three times!”
to stay up late working or studying
“She burned the midnight oil before exams.”
to relax after a busy time
“I wind down with a podcast at night.”
to make brief contact to share an update
“I’ll touch base with you on Friday.”
to stop working for the day
“We’ve done enough — let’s call it a day.”
to do small jobs like shopping or going to the bank
“I spent Saturday running errands.”
Routine and habit word bank
Quick words for the debate and the discussion.
Classroom debate
Routine Showdown
Two changes to the daily routine go head-to-head. Vote, watch the split — then make one student defend the winner and another rescue the loser.
Which would improve your week more?
Round 1
How to play: Read both changes, take a vote and tap the totals in. Then one student defends the more popular choice, and another argues why the loser still matters. Push them to use a target phrase in every argument.
Model dialogue
Nina & Tomas catch up
Read it together, notice the underlined phrases, then act it out — and finally take on the roles below.
Monday morning, the office kitchen. Two colleagues meet at the coffee machine.
Morning. You look like you burned the midnight oil.
Is it that obvious? I finished a report at one in the morning.
That explains the coffee. Did you at least hit the snooze button a few times?
Four times. I have got into a terrible habit there.
We all have. How was your weekend, anyway?
Quiet. I spent Saturday running errands and Sunday doing absolutely nothing.
Honestly, that sounds perfect. I never manage to wind down properly.
What stops you?
My phone, mostly. I keep checking messages until midnight.
Try leaving it in another room. It made a real difference for me.
I might. Anyway, I should get started — shall we touch base after lunch?
Sounds good. And if this report defeats me, I am going to call it a day early.
Now compare your weeks
Student A - the planner
You live by the schedule
Every hour is planned, meals included. You believe structure is what makes free time actually feel free. Improvising is how days disappear.
Student B - the improviser
You decide as you go
You get up when you get up and follow whatever the day brings. A rigid plan feels like a cage, and the best moments are never scheduled.
Your mission
- Describe a normal Tuesday to your partner in one minute, without stopping.
- Find three things your routines have in common and two where you completely disagree.
- Agree on one habit you would both be willing to change for a month.
- Report back to the class — use at least three phrases from the Useful language section.
Wind down & write
Choose your writing task
Pick one task to finish in class or as homework. Every option pushes the unit vocabulary into writing.
01
Describe your typical week and explain which parts you would change if you could.
02
Write a short article for a student magazine: How to build a habit that actually lasts.
03
Some people say small talk is a waste of time. Write an opinion piece arguing for or against.
04
Write an email to a friend describing the strangest daily routine you have ever heard of.
05
Your school is deciding whether to start the day an hour later. Write a letter making your case.
Exit ticket · 60 seconds
Before you leave
Quick round-the-room close: each student answers in one sentence. A fast way to check the target language landed.
“Name one small change you could make to tomorrow — and one target phrase you will use today.”