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2026-05-15 A Weekend You Remember

ByRichard

Lesson Plan

  • What we’ll do: We’ll share stories about weekends that stay in our memory — big or small, recent or long ago. I’ll model a few phrases for telling stories in order, then you’ll practice with classmates through three different speaking activities. No need for a dramatic adventure — a quiet meal or a walk with a friend works perfectly.
  • Key Phrases: “It all started when…”, “Out of nowhere,”, “To make things worse / better,”, “Eventually,”, “Looking back,”
  • What to bring: Just yourself and a weekend memory you’d be willing to share.
  • See you Friday!

Japanese Version:

  • レッスントピック： 思い出の週末
  • 今回の内容： 心に残る週末の思い出を共有します。大きな冒険でなくても大丈夫。静かな食事や友達との散歩でも十分です。物語を順番に語るフレーズを紹介した後、3つの異なるスピーキングアクティビティで練習します。
  • キーフレーズ： “It all started when…” / “Out of nowhere,” / “To make things worse / better,” / “Eventually,” / “Looking back,”
  • 持ち物： ご自身と、共有したい週末の思い出だけで大丈夫です。
  • 金曜日にお会いしましょう。

Weekend Story Remix

  • Choose a few events.
  • Choose as few or as many as you want
  • You don’t need to use all of them.
  • Invent a new story about a memorable weekend.
  • Try to use discourse markers between the events.
  • Don’t overthink. Have fun.
  • Don’t use AI. I need to see your true ability level. It will help me teach you.

Events

  • She gave her mother a present
  • She had a barbecue in her backyard.
  • She went to a soccer game.
  • Her son gave her advice.
  • Her sister-in-law played the piano for everyone.
  • She went for a walk with her grandson.
  • She lost her passport.
  • She went to her vacation home.
  • She took her granddaughter to an audition.
  • She (her granddaughter?) became a professional dancer.

Example

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Don’t worry, your story doesn’t have to be as good as this one. これくらい書けるようになったら、もう俺の出番ないなあ。

A Weekend to Remember

Last weekend was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. To start with, I took my granddaughter Hana to an audition for a professional dance company. She’d been practicing for months, so we were both incredibly nervous. As soon as we arrived, I could see how talented all the other dancers were, and my heart was pounding for her.

In the end, the waiting was the hardest part. However, when the director called her name and said she’d been accepted, I burst into tears. Hana is now a professional dancer. I still can’t believe it.

The next day, to celebrate, we had a barbecue in the backyard. The whole family came over — my son, my sister-in-law, neighbors, everyone. My sister-in-law even played the piano on the deck while we ate, which made everything feel like a movie. Meanwhile, my son pulled me aside and gave me some advice I really needed to hear. He said, “Mom, you worry too much. Just enjoy the moment.” He was right.

Later that evening, after everyone had gone home, I went for a long walk with my grandson Kenji. The neighborhood was quiet, the sky was pink, and for the first time in a while, I felt completely at peace.

All in all, it was the kind of weekend you want to hold onto forever.

A List of (Too Many!) Discourse Markers

# Marker Category Example
mingle-cardsDownload

Optional At-Home Activities

  • Think of one weekend you remember — any weekend, any reason. Write three sentences: what you did, where you were, and why it sticks in your memory.
  • Listen to someone tell a short story in English (podcast, video, or friend). Notice how they connect events — what words or phrases do they use?

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2 Comments

  1. A weekend to remember

    It all happened on Mother’s　Day.　Naomi went to her vacation home in Yamanashi with her family As soon as she arrived , she went for a walk with her grandson. In the evening, they had a BBQ in the yard. To start with, she gave her mother a present.
    Her mother was very pleased with the present and asked her sister in law to play the piano.
    Listening to the piano, her granddaughter Yuzu began to dance to the music. Everyone was so surprised to see Yuzu dance, for she was a very talented dancer. Naomi’s son gave her advice to take Yuzu to an audition in the U.S.A.

    Few years later, Yuzu became a professional dancer. One day Yuzu went to a soccer game to give a dancing performance during the half time. This was the last job before going back to Japan. However, she found that she lost her passport. Again Naomi’s son gave her advice to go to the nearest consulate to get a temporary passport as soon as possible. Finally Yuzu came back to Japan.
    Everybody was so pleased to see her again.

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