How to use these activities
Each activity shows the level, the time and the group size. Sentence starters are always given: keep them visible. Students never have to share personal information. Whenever a question touches their own life, they can answer as one of the fictional personas below.
Fictional personas
Print them or show them on a phone. Each student can choose one for the whole session.
Sam Carter, 18, trainee electrician in Leeds. Loves cycling and old films. Wants to work abroad one day.
Priya Nair, 17, studies health and social care in Toronto. Plays the drums in a band.
Liam O'Connor, 19, studies carpentry at a vocational school in Galway. Coaches a junior football team at weekends.
Mia Thompson, 17, studies business and retail in Brisbane. Goes surfing whenever she can.
Jordan Lee, 18, trainee mechanic in Denver. Builds model planes and fixes old bikes.
Aroha Walker, 18, studies graphic design in Wellington. Sings in a choir.
Seventeen activities
- Interview the assistant
- Two truths and a lie
- Info-gap: the youth centre programme
- Role plays
- Describe a picture
- Debate starters
- Read aloud and record
- Just a minute
- Story chain with picture cards
- Role-play cards: real-life situations
- The opinion line
- Would you rather?
- Describe and draw
- Survey and report back
- Mini-presentations against the clock
- Listen and react
- Pronunciation shadowing
Interview the assistant
A2 to B2 15 minwhole small group
- Students have three minutes in pairs to prepare five questions about your country, your town, your studies or your tastes.
- They ask, you answer in your natural voice and speed. After each answer, someone must ask a follow-up question.
- At the end, each student reports one thing they learnt.
Watch the tune of their questions (Pronunciation, unit 9).
Two truths and a lie
A2 to B2 10 minwhole small group
- You say three statements about your country: two are true, one is false.
- Students ask up to five questions to find the lie, then vote.
- Reveal the answer and tell the story behind each statement.
Example with Australia
1. Christmas in Australia is in summer. 2. Australia is both a country and a continent. 3. Sydney is the capital of Australia.
The lie is number 3: the capital is Canberra.
Prepare your own three statements in the Meet my country template. Check every fact before the session.
Variation: Students then write two truths and a lie about one of the fictional personas below, and the group guesses.
Info-gap: the youth centre programme
A2 to B1 12 minpairs
Student A and student B each have half of the information. They ask questions to complete their table without showing it.
Card A
| Activity | Day | Time | Place | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climbing wall | Saturday | 10 am | ? | ? |
| Film club | ? | ? | Library hall | £3 |
| Bike repair workshop | Sunday | 2 pm | ? | ? |
| Choir | ? | ? | Music room | £2 |
Card B
| Activity | Day | Time | Place | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climbing wall | ? | ? | Riverside sports centre | £6 |
| Film club | Friday | 6.30 pm | ? | ? |
| Bike repair workshop | ? | ? | Station Road garage | £4 |
| Choir | Wednesday | 5 pm | ? | ? |
Then they agree on two activities to do together. Listen for numbers and prices: six pounds, six thirty.
Role plays
A2 to B1+ 15 minpairs
Each pair picks a card. Student A and student B read their role, prepare for two minutes, then play the scene. Swap roles and play again. Students speak as a fictional persona if they wish.
At the station
A: You want a return ticket to Manchester for tomorrow morning. Ask about the price and the platform.
B: You work at the ticket office. The 8.15 train is delayed by twenty minutes.
Booking an appointment
A: Phone the dentist's surgery to book an appointment this week. You are only available after 4 pm.
B: You are the receptionist. There is a slot on Thursday at 4.30 pm.
A summer job interview
A: You apply for a summer job at a bike hire shop. Talk about your skills.
B: You are the manager. Ask three questions and explain the hours.
Returning headphones
A: Your new headphones stopped working after two days. You want a refund or an exchange.
B: You work in the shop. Ask for the receipt and offer a solution.
Describe a picture
A2 to B2 10 minpairs or group
- Show the picture, or a photo from your country.
- Student A describes it for one minute; student B adds three details.
- Then imagine: what is the speaker saying? What do the listeners think? What happens just before, just after?
Use place words that need no pointing: in the foreground, in the background, in the middle, at the top, at the bottom, next to, behind, in front of.
Cultural note: at Speakers' Corner, in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, anyone can stand up and speak in public. People have done so since the nineteenth century, often standing on a box or a crate.
Debate starters
B1 to B2 15 mingroup
Put four signs in the four corners of the room: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree. Read a statement; students go to a corner, then each group gives two reasons. Anyone convinced by another group can change corner.
- Phones should be banned in schools.
- Everyone should learn a trade, even future engineers.
- It is better to live in a city than in the countryside.
- Artificial intelligence will create more jobs than it destroys.
- A four-day school week would be better for students.
Read aloud and record
A2 to B2 15 minindividual then pairs
- Students read the text silently, then mark pauses with / and underline the stressed words.
- You read it aloud once in your accent; students follow.
- Each student records it, listens, chooses one point to improve, and records again.
- In pairs, they listen to each other's second version and give one compliment.
Sample text
The first morning was cold and bright. I walked to the station, bought a ticket and waited on the platform. A woman asked me the time, and I answered without thinking. Only later did I realise: I had spoken English, and she had understood me. It was a small moment, but I still remember it.
Look for: -ed endings (walked, waited, asked), the schwa, and the h in had.
Variation: You write your own short text about a place in your country, and students read it.
Just a minute
A2 to B2 10 mingroup
Inspired by the long-running BBC radio game. A student draws a topic and speaks for 30 seconds (A2) or 60 seconds (B1 and B2) without a long stop. The group counts the new words or ideas, not the mistakes.
- My ideal weekend
- A useful app
- A job I would like to try
- The best season of the year
- A place I would like to visit
- A skill I'm proud of (as myself or as my persona)
Story chain with picture cards
A2 to B2 15 mingroup of 4 to 6
Show six picture cards, one after the other, on your phone or on the board. Draw them quickly or use photos: what matters is that everyone can see them. Each student adds two or three sentences to the story when a new card appears. The story must stay logical, and each student must use one linking word.
Card 1
A bus stop in the rain, early in the morning.
Card 2
A bus driving away, a young woman running after it.
Card 3
A small dog sitting alone near a bench.
Card 4
A phone with a missed call on the screen.
Card 5
A bakery with a sign: Help wanted.
Card 6
The same young woman, smiling, with the dog and a paper bag.
Listen for past tenses and linking words. At the end, the group gives the story a title and one student retells it in under one minute.
Show a model story
One possible story: It was raining and Emma was waiting at the bus stop. Suddenly, the bus drove away and she ran after it, but she missed it. Then she saw a little dog sitting alone near a bench. While she was looking for its owner, her phone rang, but she didn't answer in time. Next, she walked past a bakery with a sign in the window. In the end, she got a job at the bakery, and the dog's owner turned out to be the baker.
Linking words to look for: first, then, suddenly, while, after that, next, in the end, because, so.
Variation: Students draw their own six cards for another group, which tells the story.
Role-play cards: real-life situations
A2 to B1+ 20 minpairs
Six more cards for situations students will meet at work, on a trip abroad or on a work placement. Give two minutes to prepare, play the scene, then swap roles. A third student can observe with the Feedback grid.
Hotel check-in
A: You arrive at a hotel in Edinburgh. You booked a single room for two nights, but the receptionist cannot find your booking.
B: You are the receptionist. Find a solution: a double room at the same price, or another hotel nearby.
Phone call: a car at the garage
A: Phone the garage to ask if your car is ready, how much the repair costs and when you can collect it.
B: You work at the garage. The car needs a new part, which will arrive tomorrow.
In a clothes shop
A: You want a jacket in a smaller size and a different colour. Ask about the price and the return policy.
B: You are the shop assistant. You only have the smaller size in black or navy.
Job interview at a café
A: You apply for a weekend job at a café. Present yourself, your skills and your availability.
B: You are the manager. Ask about experience, teamwork and what the candidate would do with an unhappy customer.
Work placement: first day
A: It is your first day at a garden centre in Dublin. Ask your tutor what you have to do, the breaks and the safety rules.
B: You are the tutor. Explain three tasks and one important safety rule.
A problem at the restaurant
A: Your meal is cold and it is not what you ordered. Complain politely.
B: You are the waiter. Apologise and offer two solutions.
Variation: Add a twist card in the middle of the scene: the line is cut, the manager arrives, the price changes.
The opinion line
A2 to B2 10 minwhole group
Mark a line on the floor, or use the wall: one end means completely agree, the other completely disagree. Read a statement; students stand on the line where they think. Then talk to the person next to you, and to someone far from you. Anyone can move after hearing the arguments; they must say why.
- Homework should be done at school, not at home.
- Social media brings people closer together.
- Everybody should do a year of volunteering after school.
- Fast food should be more expensive.
- Uniforms should be compulsory in every school.
- Learning English is easier with films than with lessons.
Would you rather?
A2 to B1 10 minpairs then group
Read a question; each student chooses and gives one reason, then asks a partner a follow-up question. The aim is to speak fast and often, with no right answer.
- Would you rather live by the sea or in the mountains?
- Would you rather work at night or very early in the morning?
- Would you rather travel by train or by plane?
- Would you rather speak every language or play every instrument?
- Would you rather have a long holiday in winter or in summer?
- Would you rather work in a big company or in a small team?
Variation: Students write two new questions for another pair.
Describe and draw
A2 to B1 15 minpairs, back to back
Student A has the description below; student B has a blank sheet. A describes, B draws without looking. B may ask questions. Then they compare and swap roles with a picture of their own.
Card for student A
In the middle of the picture, there is a small house with a red door and two windows. On the left of the house, there is a tall tree. A cat is sitting under the tree. In the sky, at the top on the right, there is a sun and two birds. In front of the house, there is a path with three flowers next to it.
Show the checklist
The drawing should show: a small house in the centre; a red door; two windows; a tall tree on the left; a cat under the tree; a sun at the top right; two birds; a path in front of the house; three flowers next to the path. Count one point for each element in the right place: nine points.
Survey and report back
A2 to B2 20 minwhole group
- Each student chooses one question below, or writes their own.
- They walk around and ask at least five people, noting the answers.
- Back in their seats, they prepare a three-sentence report and present it.
- How do you get to school, and how long does it take?
- What job would you like to do in ten years?
- Which English-speaking country would you like to visit, and why?
- What is the best film or series you have watched this year?
- How many hours a day do you spend on your phone?
Show a model report
Model report: I asked six people how they get to school. Four out of six come by bus, one walks and one comes by scooter. Most of them need about twenty minutes, so nobody lives very far away.
Useful words: most of them, half of them, a few, nobody, only one person, four out of six.
Mini-presentations against the clock
A2 to B2 15 mingroup
Each student draws a topic, prepares for one minute, then speaks for 30 seconds. Press the timer: the speaker must not stop before the end. At B1 and B2, the group then asks one question, and the speaker answers for another 30 seconds.
- An object I couldn't live without
- A person who inspires me (real or a character)
- The best place in my town
- A tradition I like
- A useful skill for my future job
- My favourite season and why
Variation: Make it a relay: each speaker must start with the last word of the previous speaker.
Listen and react
A2 to B2 15 minpairs
Real conversations are full of short reactions. Read each reaction aloud (or press Listen), and students say what it is used for: agreeing, disagreeing, showing interest or gaining time. Then they use three of them in a two-minute chat about the weekend.
Show the answers
1 agreeing · 2 showing interest · 3 gaining time · 4 disagreeing · 5 agreeing · 6 gaining time · 7 showing interest · 8 disagreeing
Variation: Student A tells a short story; student B may only answer with reactions, at least five different ones.
Pronunciation shadowing
A2 to B2 10 minindividual then pairs
Shadowing means repeating just behind the speaker, like an echo, copying the rhythm and the melody. Say each sentence yourself, or press Listen. Students repeat at the same time, three times: first quietly, then normally, then with the same feeling.
Look for: the weak forms (a, for, to, at), the links between words (cup of, not what) and the voice going up or down at the end of the question.
Show the stressed words
Stressed words: 1 like, cup, tea · 2 waiting, ages · 3 not, ordered, afraid · 4 what, doing, weekend · 5 love, come, working, Saturday · 6 say, again, please.
Questions 1 and 6 go up at the end (yes or no questions or polite requests); question 4 goes down (a wh- question).