Author:

Clare Lavery

The following activities add a lighter touch whilst tapping into students' interests and sense of
fun. The key is to choose subject matter in tune with the students in your classes.

Just a minute

Each contestant is given a topic and must talk for one minute about it without hesitating,
repeating information or deviating from the topic.

Things in common

Each team is given four pictures/photos of people, objects, places or a list of four words (people,
things etc.).

 One of the four items is the odd one out and they must decide what three of them have in
common.
 Challenges can draw on your students' knowledge and curriculum interests or their
outside musical, sporting and cultural interests, e.g. four items commonly found in a
teenager's room (four of which contain a micro chip), four singers (three of them write
their own songs).

Slaves to fashion

Take a fashion item which is important to young people in the country where you are working.

 Ask students to bring as many pictures of these items from magazines (bring your own
too). This could be footwear or coats/jackets. Put students in groups to compare their
photos. Ask them to divide the collection into three categories: fashionable, practical,
both.
 Each group must then choose the best possible style for their age range and explain their
choice to the rest of the class.
 This can lead in to discussions on how important it is to be fashionable/peer
pressure/marketing to young people/parental attitudes to their choice of clothes etc.

Let's have a holiday

Give each group a handout featuring adverts for 4 or 5 holidays. Adverts can be from travel
brochures, Sunday papers etc. These can be pure fantasy holidays, adventure holidays/off the
beaten track (climbing Everest, exploring the Amazon) or holidays in the British Isles ( a city
based visit, a sporting/outdoor visit, a cultural visit to historical sites etc.)

 The group must come to a decision on a holiday to book together and then explain their
choice to the class.
 This can lead into a discussion on the best places for holidays in their country or a wider
issue like the idea of future holidays in space.

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/fluency-activities-higher-levels
Author:
Clare Lavery

 Provide careful preparation – give lots of vocabulary practice and language practice
beforehand
 Offer visual support – a grid to follow, a table to complete, a series of picture cards to
hold will help students focus and remember language
 Half an hour is too long. Short ten minute bursts are better.
 Plan class management – everyone has to know what they are supposed to be doing or the
class breaks down into anarchy. Demonstrate with students. Run through with a pair of
students.
 Don’t rely on verbal instructions. Show them what to do.

Stem sentences

Give students the first part of a sentence which they have to complete. Make a list of stems on a
handout. This guides them and gives them something to work through and compare in pairs or
groups. The sentences can follow a theme.

For example:

 On Sundays I usually ………………

 On School nights I usually…………….
 In the Summer I often……………….
 On my birthday I sometimes…………….
 At exam time I usually……………….
 On Valentine’s day I usually……….
 In 2006 I was…
 Last year was…….
 Last week I went to……
 Last night I………

Ask me more - improving conversation technique

Each student writes four facts about themselves or their families/friends (guide this with your
own examples). In pairs or small groups learners take turns to say one of their facts. You can do
this with the whole class. The other students must ask as many questions as they can to keep the
conversation going. Give help on the type of questions, if necessary.

Why? Because …

One person makes a statement about their interests. Another students asks them to give reasons.
This can be done in pairs, groups or with the whole class.

For example:

A: I like cats
B: Why do you like cats?
A: Because they are more independent than dogs
B: Why are they more independent?
A: Because they are happy if you leave them alone and don’t need a lot of attention
B: Why do they like being alone?
A: Because they are natural hunters.

The witness – a fluency game

Prepare a series of 4 or 5 pictures of people which can be easily copied (for example: 4 men with
beards or moustaches of differing ages). Divide class into pairs. Student A is a witness and B is a
policeman.

 Show all Student A's one of the pictures (Student B must not see it). Show it very briefly.
 Student B must ask the witness to describe the person he saw. Student B can ask
questions for details: hair, age, clothes, height, weight. Student B should take notes.
 Now give the Policemen (student B) the line up of 4 people. Which one did the witness
describe?

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/fluency-activities-lower-levels