Feelings and Emotions ESL Worksheets and Lessons
100 worksheets, 47 lessons, 19 vocabulary decks and 16 shadowing scripts · People & me
Start here — 24 free samples
Free to try: open, print and play them — no account needed.
Feelings worksheets
100 printable worksheets with answer keys; the 24 most used, easiest level first.
Feelings lessons
47 ready lessons for the four skills: teach on the board, set online or print.
Feelings vocabulary
19 word decks with meanings, examples and pronunciation: flip, quiz, print as flashcards or play as a game.
Feelings shadowing
Listen, repeat, record and compare: short scripts for pronunciation and fluency.
Warm-ups and fillers
Quick Fun Corner activities on the same theme: no preparation.
- Would you rather · KidsWho do you want to thank? Tell the class: “Thank you, …!” Then show your hug or draw your picture in the air.
- Ice breaker · A1Stand in a circle. Say one thing you're thankful for: "I'm thankful for my cat." The next student says all the sentences before and adds one: "Ana is thankful for her cat. I'm thankful for pizza." How long can the chain get?
- Ice breaker · A2In groups of three, write A to Z down a page. For each letter, find something you're thankful for: A, my aunt; B, books; C, cozy socks… After five minutes, the group with the most letters reads its list, and the class picks the most surprising thank-you.
- Ice breaker · B2Take one minute to think of someone who once helped you (a teacher, a neighbor, a total stranger) and never found out how much it mattered. Tell your group the story, then say the thank-you you'd give them today: "I've always wanted to tell you that…" Each group picks one story to share with the class.
About Feelings
Being able to say how you feel is a basic need in any language, and in the classroom it supports wellbeing as well as language learning. Emotions vocabulary also appears in almost every story, song and conversation, so it recycles easily.
Kids and A1 classes begin with happy, sad, angry, tired, hungry and scared, using I'm... and Are you...? with faces and gestures. A2 and B1 learners work on -ed and -ing adjectives (bored/boring), because and when clauses to explain feelings, and adverbs of degree. At B2 and above the focus moves to nuanced emotions (frustrated, relieved, overwhelmed), idioms such as over the moon, and discussing emotional intelligence and wellbeing.
On this page you will find printable worksheets, ready-to-teach lessons and vocabulary flashcard decks on feelings for all levels.
Teaching tips: Feelings
- Start lessons with a quick feelings check-in using faces on the board so children practice the language every day, not just in one unit.
- Contrast "I'm bored" and "I'm boring" with a memorable example, as mixing up -ed and -ing adjectives is one of the most persistent errors at A2 and B1.
- Play charades with emotion cards and let classmates guess with "Are you surprised?" to practice questions as well as vocabulary.
- Give higher-level learners a scale from annoyed to furious and ask them to place synonyms along it to build precision.
Questions teachers ask
Which feelings should toddlers and young learners learn first?
Happy, sad, angry, scared, tired and hungry are the core set, taught with faces, mime and songs before any reading or writing.
How do I teach -ed and -ing adjectives clearly?
Explain that -ed describes how a person feels and -ing describes what causes the feeling, then practice with pairs like interested/interesting in personalized sentences.
Is it appropriate to discuss emotions with adult learners?
Yes, as long as students can talk in general terms or about characters and situations rather than their private lives; nobody should feel obliged to disclose personal feelings.