The aim of this activity is to involve the students in the process of revising the content of recent classes and producing prompts for a speaking assignment.
Agreeing/Disagreeing
Genius inventions lesson plan
In this lesson students discuss the usefulness of various 2016 inventions. In the second stage of the lesson, students work with word formation exercises, modelled after Cambridge Advanced Use of English Part 3. The lesson is aimed at B2+ students, especially those who are planning to take the Cambridge Advanced exam. The class takes around 45 minutes to complete.
Note down, pair, share listening and speaking activity
The aim of this activity is for the students to practice their listening and speaking skills. It is suitable for any level, groups of 2 and more students. It is best used to create interest in the lesson topic or to close the class.
Problem solving speaking activity: part 2
I have compiled a list of 15 problems to which students need to brainstorm solutions. This list is a result of classes I have taught to teenage and adult students. It is a perfect fit for conversation classes. The topics include family life, relationships, neighbours, and shopping.
Visual prompts: my 3 favourite illustrators
In this post, I am coming back to the issue of organising my classes around images rather than topics and lists of conversation questions. I am sharing the list of my 3 favourite illustrators and some tips on using their work during lessons.
CAE speaking hexagons game
The objective of this game is to help students practice answering typical exam Part 4 questions, being careful about not monopolising the speaking time, and including the partner in the discussion.
Alphabet of the obsolete: speaking activity
In this activity, students practice expressing and justifying their opinions discussing this brilliant cartoon by John Atkinson. It is a great discussion generator for conversation classes with adult and teenage students. It might come in handy when talking about such topics as technology, change, society or lifestyle.
Best and worst Christmas gifts speaking activity
The aim of this activity is to talk about best and worst ideas for Christmas gifts. It is a good fit for all ages and levels. It makes students share their personal experience, compare opinions, and usually makes for a fun class. It is a great idea for the last lesson before the Christmas break. Continue Reading …
Speaking prompts for advanced students: photos
How far would a conversation class go if the only discussion prompt was a single photo? No topic, no questions, no pre-determined outcome. Just the picture. Does it even make sense? This post describes how I decided to find answers to these questions.
Continue Reading …
Country themed emojis speaking activity
The aim of this speaking activity is to discuss notions that students find representative of their countries. It is suitable for intermediate and more advanced students and complements such topics as national stereotypes, culture, and cultural differences. It was inspired by this article about Finland releasing a Christmas calendar that “is all about Finnish feelings represented in a set of emojis.” Continue Reading …
