ESL CONNECT - Are We Alone? The Search for Alien Life

1. Before watching

Discuss before watching. Focus on the future and your own life in the year 2100.

1. What do you think homes will look like in 2100?

2. What will people be doing differently at work or school?

3. Which future change sounds exciting, and which sounds worrying?

2. Watch

Watch the video on YouTube using the image below. Then complete the activities.

Imagining YOUR Life in the Year 2100 YouTube thumbnail

3. Comprehension

Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main purpose of the video?

2. Why is the year 2100 useful for discussion?

3. Which topic is most likely part of this lesson?

4. What should students do after watching?

5. What language is useful for this topic?

Answers: 1 B, 2 A, 3 C, 4 B, 5 A.

4. Five-paragraph gap-fill

Choose the correct answer. The paragraphs are based on the lesson topic and transcript.

In the future, our homes may look very different from the homes we know today. By 2100, many people in smarter houses that can control temperature, energy and security automatically.

Technology will probably become part of everyday life in ways that are difficult to imagine now. By the end of the century, scientists new systems for transport, medicine and communication.

Work may also change dramatically. At this time in 2100, many people with artificial intelligence, robots or virtual reality instead of travelling to a traditional office every day.

Environmental problems will shape the future too. By 2100, cities greener and more efficient if governments and companies invest seriously in clean technology.

However, the future will not only depend on inventions. It will depend on choices people make now. In 2100, people whether earlier generations made responsible decisions about climate, technology and society.

Answers: will be living, will have developed, will be working, will have become, will be asking.

5. Phrasal verbs

Match each future-related expression with the correct meaning.

1. look forward to

2. come up with

3. rely on

4. turn into

5. deal with

Answers: 1 D, 2 A, 3 E, 4 B, 5 C.

6. Vocabulary

Match each word or phrase with its meaning.

1. prediction

2. smart home

3. automation

4. sustainable

5. virtual reality

6. generation

Answers: 1 B, 2 E, 3 A, 4 F, 5 D, 6 C.

7. Grammar

Grammar focus: second conditional.

Brief rules

Second conditional is used to talk about imaginary, unlikely or hypothetical situations in the present or future.

Form: If + past simple, would + infinitive.

Example: If I lived in the year 2100, I would travel in a flying car.

Important: The past simple after if does not mean the past here. It shows that the situation is imaginary or not real now.

1. If I ______ in 2100, I would live in a smart home.

2. If people had robot assistants, they ______ more free time.

3. If cities ______ greener, people would be healthier.

4. If I could choose my future job, I ______ with new technology.

5. If homes used less energy, the planet ______ cleaner.

6. If everyone travelled by flying cars, traffic ______ very different.

Answers: 1 lived, 2 would have, 3 were, 4 would work, 5 would be, 6 would look.

8. Discussion

Use the language table first, then discuss the five questions below.

Function	Useful B2 language
Making predictions	By 2100, people will probably... / I think we will have...
Expressing uncertainty	It is possible that... / We might... / I am not sure whether...
Comparing past and future	Life will be very different from today because...
Giving an example	For example, homes might... / One possible change is...
Giving an opinion	In my opinion, this would be positive/negative because...

Five discussion questions

What will your home look like in the year 2100?
What jobs will people be doing in 2100?
What problems will humanity have solved by 2100?
Will technology make people happier or more stressed?
Write three predictions about your own life or your family in 2100.