Valentine’s Day in the classroom doesn’t have to mean pink hearts, clichés, and predictable happy endings. For B2 learners especially, this can be the perfect moment to explore love from a darker, more complex angle — betrayal, obsession, loyalty, and revenge.

One engaging alternative is using a TED-Ed video based on the Japanese ghost story of Oiwa (Yotsuya Kaidan). Instead of focusing on romance, the lesson invites students to examine how love can turn destructive — and how stories use language to build tension and meaning.

The lesson works particularly well for storytelling practice. Students analyze a short video, note key plot details, and then retell the story using linking words for sequencing, cause and consequence, contrast, and dramatic emphasis. Visual support (screenshots from the video) helps lower cognitive load, allowing learners to focus on fluency and structure.

Vocabulary work centers on emotionally rich words such as despair, grief, vengeance, mercy, and curse, which naturally fit the story and encourage deeper discussion. Follow-up speaking tasks ask students to rewrite the ending:
What if Iemon had been loyal? What if Oiwa had acted differently while alive? Should a love story always end happily?

The final discussion connects fiction with real life, asking learners what role love stories play in our culture — and whether tragedy can sometimes be more meaningful than romance.

This kind of lesson is memorable, communicative, and perfect for students who are ready to move beyond surface-level language practice — especially around Valentine’s Day.

Happy teaching & learning!

If you like what I do, consider supporting me! Thanks!

Sharing is caring!