Posted on by karolasenglishblog

FutureMe 

This is a board game activity to talk about Future You and to revise future tenses.

Level: A2+

Objectives:

  1. To practise and/or review the use of future tenses
  2. To review different ways to talk about the future
  3. To help students choose the most appropriate future tense
  4. To develop speaking skills

Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):

futuremeDownload

Procedure:

  1. Write the word EXERCISE on the board and ask students to try and predict what exercise goals you have set for the nearest future. After a few minutes ask them to share their ideas and then write both your own answers on the board as well as your students’. Compare both sets and go through the tenses the students used to talk about your future exercise plans. The examples below are true and I am trying my best to stick to my guns 😉

I am going for a run tomorrow ( Present Continuous for future plans).

I am going to join a running club next week (Going to for something decided in advance).

I think I will go for a run early in the morning tomorrow ( Future Simple for things we believe will happen in the future).

I will be running by the lake at this time tomorrow ( Future Continuous for temporary actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future).

I will have completed a 10km race by the end of April (Future Perfect for actions that will be completed by a certain time in the future).

  1. Display FutureMe board game on the screen.
  2. In pairs or small groups, one of the students throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the topic.
  3. All the player (s) write down at least 3 examples related to the topic they have landed on (e.g. Exercise) and using at least 3 different ways to express future plans ( e.g. Going to, Future Simple and Future Perfect). 
  4. The students then share what they have come up with and discuss it in more detail.
  5. Encourage students to ask each other additional questions and give examples and don’t forget to correct and/ or find opportunities to help students express themselves more precisely and accurately throughout the activity.
  6. At the end, ask students to share which of their classmates’ answers inspired, surprised or encouraged them to set new goals for themselves.

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog

Up to 50% off

Introduction:

These are two board game activities to talk about shopping. I live in Spain where the winter sales usually start around the 7th although certain cities like Madrid bring them forward to 1 January. For that reason I thought it was just the right time to talk about shopping and reflect on our spending habits, on how much we consume and how much of it is done on impulse rather than consciously and intentionally.

Both games are about shopping and spending but I would suggest Shop till you drop for younger learners and adults with an intermediate level of English. Add to cart, on the other hand, is more suitable for advanced or proficient learners and ones that are quite talkative and love debating challenging topics.

Do not forget to feed students new vocabulary throughout the activity and obviously do not forget about correction.  You could also prepare a thematic vocabulary list and send it to your students before the class or ask them to research the topic themselves and then teach others new words they have learnt.

As always encourage students to ask each other questions and comment on each other’s responses. 

Level: A2, B1, B2 (Shop till you drop)

Level: C1, C2 (Add to cart)

Objectives:

  1. To practise speaking about shopping habits

Materials (Click on the worksheets below to download the PDF files):

shop-till-you-dropDownload
add-to-cartDownload

A die (use an online dice roller) 

Procedure:

  1. Give students a copy of one of the board games or display it on the screen.
  2. The teacher (or students if they are working in small groups or pairs) throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the question.
  3. The players then answer the question in small groups or pairs and in as much depth as possible. Encourage students to ask additional questions and ask for clarification and further explanation. At the end, ask students to tell you which questions or comments made by their classmates made them rethink their spending habits.

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Turn over a new leaf

Property of Natalia Wyrzykowska

Introduction:

This is a board game activity to talk about New Year’s Resolutions. It is a great way to help students practise speaking skills as well as reflect on their goals and plans for the following year. This activity is also a great opportunity to review future tenses if you think your students might benefit from it or need it.

Don’t forget to feed students new vocabulary throughout the activity, correct and/ or find opportunities to help them express themselves more precisely and accurately. 

Level: B1+

Objectives:

  1. To write new year resolutions
  2. To practise speaking skills
  3. To increase fluency and confidence

Materials:

turn-over-a-new-leafDownload

A die (or an online dice roller) 

Procedure:

  1. Write the words New Year’s Resolutions on the board and check that all students understand the meaning and/or concept of it.
  2. Give students examples of some resolutions you have made in the past e.g. to go for a run three times a week, to move house, to go to the beach more often, to eat less pasta, to refine your style etc. and ask them to guess which ones you managed to stick to and which ones you didn’t manage to keep.
  3. Put students in pairs or small groups and ask them to choose 5 resolutions for the coming year that they plan to keep and discuss them with their partner(s).
  4. Display Turn over a new leaf on the screen.
  5. In pairs or small groups, one of the students throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the topic.
  6. The player (s) discuss the resolution they have landed on. I have given you a list of questions the students can answer to help them out if the conversation runs dry: 1. Does it match any of the resolutions you wrote down in the previous activity? 2. Have you ever made a similar resolution? 3. Would you be happy to add it to your list? 4. If you have made a similar resolution before, were you successful in sticking to it? 5. If you have tried to do it before, what advice would you give to your classmates?
  7. Encourage students to ask additional questions and ask for clarification and details. 
  8. At the end, ask students to review their initial lists to see if they want to add any new ideas to them. Also ask students to put their resolutions in order of difficulty and give reasons why.

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog · 1 Comment

Pros and Cons

Pros and cons of having an amazing sister: Pros: Countless. Cons: Can’t think of any 🙂

Introduction:

This is a board game activity to talk about pros and cons. It is a great way to help students practise speaking about considering different options and making decisions.

Don’t forget to feed students new vocabulary throughout the activity, correct and/ or find opportunities to help them express themselves more precisely and accurately. 

Level: B1+

Objectives:

  1. To practise speaking about pros and cons
  2. To introduce pros and cons expressions
  3. To increase fluency and confidence

Materials:

pros-and-consDownload
pros-and-cons-expressionsDownload

A die (or an online dice roller) 

Procedure:

  1. Brainstorm pros and cons expressions (I have included a pdf to get you started. Give students examples of the expressions in context to make sure they know how to use them in the discussion later on).
  2. Give students a copy of the board game or display it on the screen.
  3. Put students in pairs or small groups.
  4. One of the students throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the topic.
  5. The player (s) discuss the advantages and/or disadvantages of a topic they have landed on. You could turn it into a competition and ask students to write down the advantages or disadvantages down and see who can come up with more. Also, the crazier the better as long as they are expressed correctly 😉
  6. Encourage students to ask additional questions and ask for clarification and details. Whilst the students are speaking you could ask others to note down expressions used by the speaker that I have included in the pdf (Materials).
  7. At the end, ask students to choose one topic that has not been discussed and using the expressions from the pdf write 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of a given issue.

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BFF

With my BFF 🙂
Image property of Karolina Wyrzykowska

Introduction:

This is a board game activity to talk about friends and friendships. It is a great way to help students practise speaking and develop fluency, and prepare for speaking exams.

Don’t forget to feed students new vocabulary throughout the activity, correct and/ or find opportunities to help them express themselves more precisely and accurately. Ask students to research the topic before the class and then teach others the vocabulary they have prepared.

As always encourage students to comment on each other’s responses and elaborate as much as possible.

Level: B1+

Objectives:

  1. To practise speaking about friends and friendships.
  2. To increase fluency and confidence.

Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):

bffDownload

A die (use an online dice roller) 

Procedure:

  1. Brainstorm relationship vocabulary. 
  2. Give students a copy of the board game or display it on the screen.
  3. The teacher (or one of the students) throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the question.
  4. The player must then answer the question and provide their classmates with as much detail as possible. Encourage students to ask additional questions and ask for clarification and details. Whilst the student is speaking you could ask others to note down specific vocabulary related to friends and relationships in general that he/she used and that were mentioned in the brainstorming session at the beginning of the activity.
  5. At the end, ask students to give you three unexpected things they have learnt about their classmates.

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog

Quite a conversation piece


Reaching for the light
(All images are property of Karolina Wyrzykowska)

Introduction:

This is a board game activity to talk about the weather. It is a great way to help students practise speaking and develop fluency, prepare for the FCE /CAE speaking exams and a great excuse to chat about, surely, everyone’s favourite topic.

Don’t forget to feed students new vocabulary throughout the activity and obviously draw their attention to any mistakes they might be making or find opportunities to help them express themselves more effectively and precisely. You could always prepare a thematic vocabulary list and send it to the students before the class or even ask them to research the topic themselves and then teach others the vocabulary they have prepared.

As always encourage students to comment on each other’s responses. 

Level: B1+

Objectives:

  1. To practise speaking about the weather.
  2. To increase fluency and confidence.

Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):

quite-a-conversation-pieceDownload

A die (use an online dice roller) 

Procedure:

  1. Brainstorm weather vocabulary. 
  2. Give students a copy of the board game or display it on the screen.
  3. The teacher (or one of the students) throws the dice twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the question.
  4. The player must then answer the question and provide their classmates with as much detail as possible. Encourage students to ask additional questions and ask for clarification and details. Whilst the student is speaking you could ask others to note down specific vocabulary related to the weather that he/she used and that were mentioned in the brainstorming session at the beginning of the activity.
  5. At the end, ask students to give you three unexpected things they have learnt about their classmates.

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog · 2 Comments

First things first

Introduction:

This is a creative speaking activity inspired by a great book by Edward de Bono called “Creativity Workout”. Students obtain random verbs and describe something they have done for the first time using the verbs from the board.

I have also included two audios for you to play to your students. Two of my friends kindly agreed to model the activity for you. My friend Adam talked about the first time he travelled abroad and my friend Claire spoke about the first time she visited Spain. Both of my friends are British English speakers and come from Norwich, UK. You could play the recordings to your students and they could tick the verbs they hear. This way your students get some great listening practice too.

Teacher tip/ reflection:

It is easy to get stuck in a rut and only do things we like or are good at. It happens to me in all areas of my life but particularly when it comes to physical exercise. When I finally manage to perfect a certain exercise routine I tend to do it over and over again simply because it makes me feel good to be able to do it well and also because I am able to switch off as the moves have become automatic through constant repetition.

Any attempt at changing the routine is met with a negative reaction from my body. It is natural. We want to go back to the old and familiar. So I gently steer myself in the direction of something new e.g. by choosing new exercises but sticking to the same time of day, selecting the same trainer (Yoga with Adriene) but a longer/shorter video or starting a new routine and “rewarding” myself with something “old and comforting” from time to time. In other words, I trick my brain to get out of my comfort zone.

The idea behind random words is exactly the same. It is to challenge your students to use the verbs in a new creative way and encourage them to come up with structures that they might otherwise avoid because it is uncomfortable and requires too much effort. The resistance to the unfamiliar is huge and I think that these types of exercises help to shake things up a little. And on that note, I would like to commit myself to doing some new yoga poses tonight. If I expect my students to try new ways of doing things, I might as well do the same 🙂

I am going to end this little reflection section with a quote:

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”- Brian Tracy

Objectives:

  1. To use irregular verbs in a new and memorable way
  2. To revise irregular verbs
  3. To get out of your comfort zone

Materials:  

  1. One die per pair or small group
  2. First things first board game
The first time I travelled abroad by Adam. Thank you.
The first time I visited Spain by Claire. Thank you.
first-things-firstDownload

Procedure:

  1. Hand out First things first to each team or simply display it on the screen.
  2. To obtain verbs for the activity students throw the die twice: the first throw indicates which column they are going to use and the second indicates which row they are going to use e.g. Obtain four random verbs and describe the first time you bought something really expensive. Below I have written down some ideas to get you started:

Describe the first time you: 

  1. Cooked something 
  2. Drove a car 
  3. Gave a presentation in English
  4. Got dressed up
  5. Got into trouble 
  6. Had to apologise to someone 
  7. Played truant 
  8. Slept in a tent 
  9. Stayed at a hotel 
  10. Swam in an ocean
  11. Told someone you loved them 
  12. Took a flight 
  13. Took a train
  14. Tried spicy food
  15. Was offered a job 
  16. Went abroad
  17. Went on a school trip 
  18. Went on holiday 
  19. Went to a club 
  20. Went to a live concert
  21. Went to a wedding 
  22. Went to school
  23. Went to the cinema 
  24. Were in a hospital
  25. Were late for work/school
  26. Wore makeup

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog

Stative noughts and dynamic crosses

This is a free board game to practise/revise stative and dynamic verbs in an entertaining way. Students create sentences using stative and dynamic verbs and if their sentence is correct, they add either an O or an X to the board until they line up 6 symbols in a row.

Level: A2+

Time: 30 – 45 minutes

Objectives:

  1. To define what stative and dynamic verbs are 
  2. To identify stative and dynamic verbs
  3. To practise by creating sentences with stative and dynamic verbs 
  4.  To line up 6 symbols (O or X) in a row

 Materials (Click on the worksheets below to download the PDF files):

stative-noughts-and-dynamic-crossesDownload

 

stative-noughts-and-dynamic-crosses-answersDownload

Procedure:

  1. Elicit some examples of stative verbs vs. dynamic verbs and write them on the board. Ask students to also identify verbs that could be both stative and dynamic.
  2. Divide the students into teams and hand out Stative noughts & dynamic crosses board game to each team or simply display it on the screen for everyone to see.
  3. To see who starts, do rock, paper, scissors.  Whoever wins chooses the square they want to start with. Next the player(s) identifies if the verb is stative, dynamic or both and comes up with a sentence using that verb e.g. expect (both dynamic and stative): I am expecting a baby. I expect you will be on time tomorrow. If the player(s) manage to do it correctly, they add either an O or an X to the board. The first player to line up 6 of their symbols in a row wins. 
  4. Monitor at all times and go through some of the most problematic sentences together at the end of the class. At home, ask students to write example sentences with all the verbs that they did not get to use in the game or the ones that they are still unsure about.

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog

A blast from the past

This is A blast from the past board game to practise/revise past simple and past continuous. Students create sentence endings in the past simple and past continuous tense using appropriate conjunctions e.g. while and when and adverbs e.g. just. 

Level: A2+

Time: 50 minutes

Objectives:

  1. To revise the past simple and past continuous tense.
  2. To use appropriate conjunctions e.g. while, as and when and adverbs e.g. just with the past simple and past continuous tense.
  3. To complete sentences using the correct form of the past simple or past continuous tense.

Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):

a-blast-from-the-pastDownload

Procedure:

  1. Hand out A blast from the past to each team or simply display it on the screen.
  2. The teacher or a student throws the die twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the sentence half. 
  3. The player now tries to come up with an appropriate ending for the sentence half they have landed on e.g. He was playing a computer game … while I was playing with the cat. He was playing a computer game … when someone knocked on the door. He broke his leg … when he was playing pool (a dangerous sport). To make it more entertaining I would turn this game into a mini competition and maybe award points for the most ridiculous, crazy and creative sentences.
  4. Monitor at all times and go through some of the most problematic sentences together. 

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Posted on by karolasenglishblog

How to…

Introduction:

How to board game is a great speaking/writing activity to describe a process and/or procedure using the appropriate linking words. The activity can be easily adapted to different levels and ages.

I have also included three assignments completed by my students who kindly allowed me to share them online. Thank you.

Level: A2+

Time: 30 minutes +

Objectives:

  1. To describe a process/procedure
  2. To revise/practise linking words used to describe a process

Materials (Click on the worksheets below to download the PDF files):

how-to…Download
how-to-…-by-a-_Download
how-to…by-g-_Download
how-to…by-j-_Download

Procedure:

  1. Hand out How to board game to each team/pair or simply display it on the screen if you are working online.
  2. Before you start the game go through expressions to describe a process e.g. first, once, having, the next step is, next, then, finally etc. 
  3. The teacher or a student throws the die twice – the first throw indicates which column they should use, and the second throw indicates which row, to obtain the question.
  4. Now student(s) describe a process using the expressions provided. Encourage students to use passive voice and especially the Present Simple Passive. It will instantly make them sound more capable and in control.
  5. Monitor and make sure students use linking expressions throughout their description. I would also encourage them to use the linking words in the middle of the sentence as well as at the beginning to avoid sounding repetitive. You want your students to sound fluent and natural rather than robotic so discourage them from peppering the entire description with linking words. I have some students who love doing that and it doesn’t always elevate their speech 😉
  6. Monitor students throughout the activity, correct mistakes and feed them new vocabulary.
  7. At home ask students to choose one example from the board and do a piece of writing. I have asked my students to do the same and they very kindly allowed me to share their creations on my blog. Feel free to have a look and use the pieces as sources of inspiration because that’s what they are…inspiring 😉

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