Step into the world of dynamic and engaging speaking activities that will push your ESL students’ communication skills to new heights! Get ready to ignite their language prowess and have a blast while improving their English skills. Let the excitement begin and dive into the interactive fun that awaits you on this blog post! Let’s kick off this language learning extravaganza together!
Wordless Picture Pictionary
1. Divide the students into pairs with one partner facing the board and the other partner with their back to the board.
2. Display an image on the board for the partner facing it to describe to their partner with their back to the board.
3. The partner describing the image must not use the actual vocabulary words for the items they see. Instead, they should provide definitions or characteristics of those items for their partner to guess before drawing.4. For example, if the image shows a monkey, the partner describing it should say “it is an animal that lives in the jungle and likes eating bananas” instead of using the word “monkey.”
4. For example, if the image shows a monkey, the partner describing it should say “it is an animal that lives in the jungle and likes eating bananas” instead of using the word “monkey.”
5. Encourage the partner with their back to the board to listen carefully, guess the image based on the descriptions given, and then draw it.
6. Continue the activity with different images to practice speaking skills and vocabulary.
This activity aims to improve students’ speaking skills by challenging them to describe objects without using the actual vocabulary words. Enjoy the activity and have fun practicing English language skills!
Speech Sprint: Object edition
1.Set up a table at one end of the room with various more “unusual” objects placed on it (e.g. a rubber duck, paper clip, feather boa etc..
2.Divide students into two teams and have them line up on the opposite side of the room.
3.The first student from each team runs to the table, picks up an object, and returns to their team without showing the object to their teammates.
4.Once back with their team, the student must describe the object to their teammates without using the name of the object.
5.The team must guess the object based on the description given. If they guess correctly, the next student in line runs to the table to grab the next object.
6.The game continues until all objects have been described and guessed.
Opinion Hot seat
1.Divide the class into two groups: the “Hot Seat” group and the “Questioning” group.
2. Select one student to sit in the “hot seat” facing the rest of the class.
3. The teacher presents a controversial or thought-provoking statement to the student in the hot seat (e.g. “Social media is harmful to mental health”).
4.The student in the hot seat must express their opinion on the statement, providing reasons and examples to support their viewpoint.
5. The rest of the class (Questioning group) can ask the student in the hot seat questions or challenge their opinion. Encourage students to ask open-ended questions that spark dialogue and discussion.
6.After a set amount of time, rotate the hot seat to another student and repeat the process with a new statement.
Here are some interesting and controversial topics to use for the “Opinion Hot Seat” activity:
– Should schools have mandatory uniform policies?
– Is fast food to blame for the rise in obesity rates?
– Are standardized tests an accurate measure of students’ abilities?
– Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
– Should social media platforms regulate fake news?
– Is censorship ever justified in the media?
– Should professional athletes be role models for young people?
– Is online learning as effective as traditional classroom learning?
These topics can spark engaging discussions and provide students with the opportunity to articulate their opinions while listening to and considering opposing viewpoints. Adjust the level of difficulty of the topics based on the proficiency and interests of your students for an engaging and challenging speaking activity. Riddle Round Robin 1.Students sit in a circle and are given an object (e.g. a small toy, a piece of fruit) by the teacher.
Riddle Round Robin 1.Students sit in a circle and are given an object (e.g. a small toy, a piece of fruit) by the teacher.
2.The first student starts by describing the object without saying its name (e.g. “It is small and round, with a shiny surface”). 3.The other students in the circle can ask questions to try and guess what the object is.
4.Once the object is guessed correctly, it is passed to the next student in the circle, who then describes a new object for the group to guess.
One twist to add to this activity could be to have the students work together to crack a code to reveal the next object they will have to describe. For example, the teacher could provide a series of numbers or symbols that correspond to letters in the object’s name (e.g. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.). The students must work together to decode the message and figure out what the next object is before they can begin describing it. This adds a fun and challenging element to the activity while also encouraging teamwork and communication skills.
Definitions Duel
1. Provide each pair of students with a bag or container filled with various words- any vocabulary/lexis you want to revise.
2. In pairs, each student takes turns pulling a word from the container and creating a creative, non-traditional definition for that word.
3. The partner must try to guess the word based on the definition provided.
4. Once the word is guessed, the partner must use it in a sentence that makes sense.
5. Set a time limit for each round and award points for creative definitions and correct guesses.
6. Encourage students to be imaginative and think outside the box when creating their definitions.
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