Time, Attention, and the Brain
Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Understand and use vocabulary related to focus, attention, and productivity.
- Accurately use gerunds and infinitives in context.
- Discuss productivity strategies and interpret findings from neuroscience.
- Express abstract ideas clearly and respond to complex questions about time and focus.
Level: C1
Time: 90 minutes
Main Focus:
- Vocabulary related to attention and neuroscience
- Grammar: Gerunds & infinitives
- Productive skills: abstract discussion, expressing opinions, evaluating research
Warmer (10 min) – “How Distracted Are You?”
- Ask students:
“What usually distracts you when you’re trying to focus?”
“Do you consider yourself a good multitasker?” - Quick poll: Rank your current ability to focus from 1–10.
- Then: “Imagine you had to work in complete silence for 2 hours. What would help you concentrate better?”
Vocabulary Introduction (15 min)
Target Vocabulary:
- cognitive load
- attention span
- multitasking
- deep work
- mental fatigue
- distraction
- productivity hacks
- task-switching
- flow state
Activity: Match the terms to definitions. Then give students 3 mini-scenarios (e.g. “Anna tries to answer emails, chat on WhatsApp, and work on a report at the same time.”)
Ask: Which terms apply? Why?
Follow-up:
Ask students to personalize: Which of these terms describe your daily work/study life?
Grammar Focus: Gerunds & Infinitives (20 min)
Quick Review:
- Verbs followed by gerunds (e.g., avoid, enjoy, keep, suggest…)
- Verbs followed by infinitives (e.g., decide, hope, plan, fail…)
- Verbs that change meaning (e.g., remember doing vs. remember to do)
Mini Practice Task:
Choose the correct form:
- I tried (to work / working) without checking my phone.
- He avoided (to take / taking) calls in the morning.
- They remembered (to turn off / turning off) their notifications.
Pair activity:
Complete prompts with your own ideas:
- I usually avoid…
- I plan to improve my focus by…
- I sometimes forget to…
Let pairs compare and ask follow-up questions.
Reading Task (15 min) – Interpreting Scientific Findings
Excerpt (editable to suit your needs):
“A recent neuroscience study found that when people multitask, the brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes overloaded, reducing accuracy and increasing stress. Instead, single-tasking improves memory retention and lowers cortisol levels. Researchers recommend taking breaks every 90 minutes and using focused blocks of time—commonly known as the Pomodoro Technique—to improve performance.”
Comprehension Questions:
- What happens in the brain during multitasking?
- What is the benefit of single-tasking?
- Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique?
- Do you agree with this advice?
Speaking Task (20 min) – Productivity Tips Debate
Instructions:
Students are given 5 “popular” productivity strategies. In pairs, they must:
a) Evaluate the effectiveness (1–5)
b) Justify their ranking using the vocab/grammar from earlier
Productivity Tips:
- Use the Pomodoro technique
- Work with background music
- Check emails only 3x per day
- Meditate for 10 minutes before work
- Block social media with an app
Prompt Questions:
- Which of these would you try?
- Which do you think won’t work for you at all?
- Which one could improve your quality of life the most?
Optional: groups rank their top 3 and explain to the class.
Wrap-Up Reflection (10 min)
- What did you learn about your own attention habits today?
- Which new vocabulary will you try to use this week?
- One thing I’m going to try this week is… (use gerunds or infinitives!)
You could finish with a short writing task for homework:
“Describe your ideal focused workday, including habits you’d use and distractions you’d avoid.”
- ___ cognitive load
- ___ attention span
- ___ multitasking
- ___ deep work
- ___ mental fatigue
- ___ distraction
- ___ productivity hack
- ___ task-switching
- ___ flow state
A. mental state where you’re fully immersed in a task, often losing track of time
B. Feeling mentally exhausted or unable to concentrate
C. A small tip or technique that helps you work more efficiently
D. The amount of time you can concentrate on one activity without losing focus
E. Any interruption that pulls your attention away from your task
F. The act of frequently moving from one task to another
G. Performing multiple tasks at the same time
H. Work that requires full concentration and no distractions
I. The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory
Vocabulary in Context
Read each situation. Write down which vocabulary word(s) best describe it.
- Alice spends her morning writing a report while checking social media and replying to emails. → ___________________
- After a long meeting, Tom feels drained and unable to think clearly. → ___________________
- Mara sets a timer and works in 25-minute blocks, focusing on one task at a time. → ___________________
Grammar – Gerunds and Infinitives
Choose the correct form.
- I tried (to work / working) without checking my phone.
- He avoided (to take / taking) calls in the morning.
- They remembered (to turn off / turning off) their notifications.
- I enjoy (to read / reading) during my lunch break.
- She forgot (to email / emailing) her colleague back.
Grammar Practice – Personal Prompts
Complete the sentences using gerunds or infinitives.
- I usually avoid ______________________.
- I plan ______________________ next week.
- I sometimes forget ______________________.
- I’m thinking about ______________________.
- I would like ______________________ more focused during the day.
Pair work: Ask your partner two of your sentences and compare your habits.
Reading – Interpreting Research
Read this excerpt:
“A recent neuroscience study found that when people multitask, the brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes overloaded, reducing accuracy and increasing stress. Instead, single-tasking improves memory retention and lowers cortisol levels. Researchers recommend taking breaks every 90 minutes and using focused blocks of time—commonly known as the Pomodoro Technique—to improve performance.”
Comprehension Questions
- What happens in the brain when we multitask?
- What are the benefits of single-tasking?
- What is the Pomodoro Technique?
- Do you agree with this advice? Why or why not?
Productivity Strategy Evaluation
In pairs, read the tips below. Discuss and rank them from 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective). Justify your answers.
Productivity Tip | Rank | Reason / Comment |
1. Use the Pomodoro technique | ||
2. Work with background music | ||
3. Check emails only 3x per day | ||
4. Meditate for 10 minutes before work | ||
5. Block social media with an app |
Follow-up discussion:
- Which of these would you actually try?
- Do any of these sound like a waste of time?
- What’s your best personal productivity tip?
Reflection – Focus Habits and the Future
Reflect and write:
- One new idea I learned today is: _______________________________________
- This week, I will try to: _______________________________________
- One thing I’ll stop doing to improve my focus is: ____________________________
Extension / Homework Ideas:
- Write a blog post or record a short video: “3 Ways I Stay Focused in a Distracted World”
- Research another neuroscience fact about attention and prepare a 2-minute presentation
“My Ideal Focused Day: What I’d Do and What I’d Avoid”
Try to use at least 5 words from the vocabulary list and 3 gerunds or infinitives.