Good rest is an important part of a healthy lifestyle — and it’s also a great topic for an engaging ESL lesson. In this activity, students read ten pieces of questionable advice about how to rest well. Some tips are helpful, some are strange, and some are clearly not good at all. Learners must decide which is which, explain their opinions, and talk through their choices.

This lesson is available in two student-friendly levels (A2 and B1/B2), so you can easily adapt it to mixed-ability groups or use it as a scaffolded progression in your course.

What makes this activity truly valuable is the critical thinking it encourages. Students need to:

• evaluate information instead of simply accepting it
• justify their decisions using reasons and examples
• build confidence in expressing disagreement politely
• use real-life language about routines, sleep, habits, and health
• notice how lifestyle choices affect wellbeing

The topic is fun, practical, and highly relatable — everyone has strong opinions on sleep, rest, and daily routines, which makes discussion lively and natural. Because some advice is almost correct while other tips are very questionable, learners must think carefully and not rely on guesswork. This promotes meaningful communication instead of one-word answers.

You can use this resource as a warm-up, speaking task, critical-thinking challenge, or as part of lessons on health, lifestyle, or wellbeing. The mix of surprising tips and clear explanations keeps students curious, engaged, and ready to talk.

Give it a try with your class — and watch how quickly they start debating!

Happy teaching and learning!

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