Using Stranger Things in ESL Lessons: A Fun and Powerful Way to Teach English

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 Stranger Things is a hugely popular Netflix series set in the 1980s that combines mystery, science fiction, and coming-of-age drama. The story follows a group of friends in the small town of Hawkins as they face supernatural events, secret experiments, and the mysterious “Upside Down.”

Because of its strong characters, emotional storylines, and accessible dialogue, Stranger Things has become a favorite not only among viewers but also among ESL teachers looking for motivating and meaningful classroom content.

In this article, you’ll discover why Stranger Things works so well in ESL lessons and explore practical ESL teaching resources and activities you can use with your students.

Why Use Stranger Things in ESL Lessons?

1. Engaging Content That Motivates Learners

One of the biggest challenges in ESL teaching is keeping students motivated. Stranger Things instantly grabs learners’ attention because:

  • Many students already know and love the series

  • The suspense and mystery encourage discussion and prediction

  • Characters are relatable, especially for teens and young adults

When students are emotionally invested, they are more willing to read, listen, speak, and write in English.

2. Authentic English Language

Stranger Things provides authentic, real-life English, including:

  • Natural conversations

  • Everyday expressions and idioms

  • Informal spoken English

This exposure helps learners understand how English is actually used, not just how it appears in textbooks.

3. Strong Themes: Friendship, Courage, and Identity

The series explores universal themes that work perfectly in ESL classrooms:

  • Friendship and loyalty

  • Growing up and identity

  • Bravery and standing up for others

These themes encourage meaningful discussions, opinion-sharing, and personal connections — all essential for communicative language learning.

4. Cultural Learning Opportunities

Stranger Things introduces learners to:

  • 1980s American culture

  • School life in the US

  • Pop culture references

This makes it ideal for CLIL-style lessons and cultural comparison activities.

ESL Teaching Resources for Stranger Things

Below are effective ESL activities and resources you can use to build a full lesson or unit around Stranger Things.

1. Reading Comprehension Activities

Reading tasks help students improve vocabulary, grammar awareness, and understanding.

Ideas for Reading Comprehension:

  • A short text summarizing the plot of Stranger Things

  • Character profiles (Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Max)


  • Comprehension Tasks:

  • True / False questions

  • Matching characters to descriptions

  • Answering “why” and “how” questions

2. Writing Activity: Introduction to Stranger Things

A great writing task is asking students to write a short introduction to the series.

Writing Prompt Example:

Write a short introduction to Stranger Things. Include:

  • Where and when the story takes place

  • The main characters

  • The main genre and themes

This activity develops:

  • Paragraph structure

  • Present tense usage

  • Descriptive language

3. Stranger Things Series Guide (Project-Based Learning)

A series guide is an excellent long-term ESL project. Students can work individually or in groups.

a) New Vocabulary List

Students create a vocabulary list including:

  • New words and expressions

  • Definitions in English

  • Example sentences

Example categories:

  • Emotions

  • Science fiction terms

  • Friendship-related vocabulary

b) Story Timeline

Students build a timeline showing:

  • Key events from the series

  • Cause and effect relationships

  • Important turning points

This improves sequencing language and past tense practice.

c) Favourite Episode Task

Students choose their favourite episode and explain:

  • What happens

  • Why they like it

  • Their favourite scene

This task encourages personal opinion and speaking or writing fluency.

d) Writing a Review

Students write a short review of Stranger Things:

  • What they liked

  • What they didn’t like

  • Who they would recommend it to

This is perfect for practicing:

  • Opinion language

  • Adjectives

  • Recommendation phrases

e) Creative Writing: Diary Entry from a Character

For a creative challenge, students pretend to be a character and write a diary entry.

Prompt Example:

Imagine you are Eleven / Mike / Dustin. Write a diary page about what happened today in Hawkins.

This activity:

  • Builds empathy and creativity

  • Practices past tense and emotions

  • Makes writing fun and personal

Final Thoughts: Why Stranger Things Is Perfect for ESL

Using Stranger Things in ESL lessons combines language learning with storytelling, culture, and creativity. It motivates students, provides authentic English, and opens the door to rich discussions and varied skills practice.

Whether you’re teaching teenagers or adult learners, Stranger Things can transform your ESL classroom into an engaging, communicative learning space — and your students might not even realize how much English they’re learning.






Location: New Jersey, Stati Uniti

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