ESL WORKSHEET - Learning at old age

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

LEARNING TO READ AT 104

LinguaHouse

Mar. 25, 2022

Level: Pre-intermediate (A2-B1)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Education, Teaching and Learning; Society and Change; Special Report; Article Based; Past Tenses; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 03/25/2022

This lesson is based on the story of a woman in India who learned to read and write at the age of 104. Vocabulary related to the subject of ambition and success is studied and practiced. Students read a short text and listen to the same text, testing their reading and listening comprehension. The grammar point is specific and general ability in the past simple tense. (by Gillian Smylie)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Achieving a dream at 104
It’s never too late to learn a new skill
In 2021, a 104-year-old Indian woman achieved something incredible: she learned how to read and write. Kuttiyamma Konthy always dreamed of becoming a teacher. However, she didn’t manage to achieve this dream because her family couldn’t afford to send the children to school. Married at 16, she spent her time doing chores and raising her children.
Many years later, while looking after her 10 grandchildren, Kuttiyamma sat next to them and watched them studying. After some time, she could understand the alphabet of her native language, Malayalam, but still wasn’t able to read or write. Thanks to her neighbor, a 34-year-old literacy teacher, Kuttiyamma was able to join a government literacy program.
She worked on her reading and writing skills every day and received support from her teacher, who often met with her. In just three months, she was able to finish all the courses, which were designed to last a year. She could now read the local newspaper every day. But Kuttiyamma’s achievements didn’t end there. In November 2021, she managed to score 89/100 on a simple literacy exam. She explained that she aims to live long enough to see her grandchildren become successful. Kuttiyamma’s efforts show us that it’s never too late to achieve a life ambition!

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/learning-to-read-at-104. Accessed on October 7, 2025. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.