Here you can find a range of short activities to use in your secondary classroom with students at pre-intermediate level. All of our activities are designed around themes engaging and relevant to secondary learners and can be used to complement your school curriculum, giving students an opportunity to develop their English language and skills in motivating and enjoyable ways. Written by young learner experts from around the world, our activities are easy to use and aim to give your students the skills and confidence they need to enjoy learning English.

A class survey

Doing surveys can be a useful way of getting your students to interact, produce question forms and collect and analyse real information.

Mutual dictation

This is a pair work activity that works well with learners of all ages. It is especially appropriate for low level learners.

Scrabble letters

Here are some useful learning activities based around scrabble letters.

Songs and storytelling

This activity involves group work and the four main language skills. The students respond to music and write a story.

Adopt a word

At the start of the school year I ask my students to 'adopt a word' and share it with the class.

Lexical threads

These are two of the lexical threads that I use when dealing with the vast amounts of words that come up within my own classroom teaching.

Word grid

This is an activity which can highlight and help with problems students may have with using words they've learned in sentences.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight