Pre-intermediate A2

In this speaking activity students exchange authentic personal anecdotes.

This activity practises discrete vowel sounds. It practises both speaking and listening skills. It works well in pairs or in groups and usually generates lots of fun.

I use this activity with higher-Elementary level students, primarily to practise vocabulary and collocations related to house and home, but also as an early confidence builder for speaking skills.

The chart can also be used to highlight both patterns and variations in sound and spelling correspondence.

This activity gives students maximum speaking time and helps develop fluency. The slightly ‘unusual’ classroom set-up seems to encourage students to speak, producing a healthy buzz and fostering a positive learning environment.

This activity can be used with intermediate and upper-intermediate students and practises fluency as well as story-writing skills. It offers free practice of narrative tenses and sequential linking words, and helps foster cooperation and a sense of achievement as students work together to prepare and write their stories. It also solves the problem of giving up valuable class time to lengthy writing exercises and stops writing being such a lonely experience.

Divide the class in two teams. Give each team a set of slips with five (or three or two, depending on their level) things they have to name.

This is a good activity for getting your students going in the morning. It is also excellent for revising vocabulary.

It's possible to adapt many classroom activities to make them suitable for a Learning Circle. Here are a few ideas.