Engaging and interactive speaking activities not only foster fluency but also provide students with the confidence to express themselves effectively in English.
Let's dive into three interactive speaking activities:
1. Guess the question.
This game is a great icebreaker that encourages students to interact with their peers while practicing various language skills. This game is particularly effective for developing question formation.
Procedure:
1. Prepare a set of answers based on the language topic or vocabulary you wish to reinforce. It can be a name, a date, a place, a sport, etc.
2. Distribute a sheet with the answers to each student.
3. Instruct students to mingle and say to their classmates the answers on their sheets.
4. Students should phrase a question that can be answered with the word. All questions are welcome!
5. Encourage students to engage in follow-up questions or short conversations based on the topic of discussion.
Examples:
Student A: Michael Phelps.
Student B: Who has won the most Olympic gold medals?
Student A: Do you like sports?
Student A: Athens.
Student B: What is the capital of Greece?
Student A: Have you ever been to Athens?
2. My everyday life as a...
This activity urges students to use topic vocabulary, practice tenses and develop critical thinking. The game is particularly effective for developing students’ active listening skills and fostering cultural awareness.
Procedure:
1. Each student imagines a profession that they like.
2. Every student comes in front of the class and describes a typical day in that job. The describer shouldn’t give the job title away by for example saying “I fight fires” if they are describing a fire-fighter, but should say something more indirect: “Sometimes I get up very early and other days I don’t start work until the evening. Some days I get paid for just sitting around doing nothing, but I always have to be ready for anything. You never know when you might be called out…”.
3. The class tries to guess the job, by asking questions. Encourage students not to provide yes/no answers, but to be more elaborative.
4. When one student finishes, the next comes up.
Time can be adapted to your discretion.
Encourage public speaking skills with this activity!
3. Role-Play delight: A restaurant scene!
Role-playing provides students with an opportunity to practice essential vocabulary, phrases, and conversational skills required in real-life dining situations. This activity fosters students’ fluency and confidence!
Procedure:
1. Introduce essential vocabulary related to restaurants (i.e. menu items, ordering, etc.) If the students are at a younger age, don’t forget to highlight the responsibilities of a waiter and client as well as appropriate language usage.
2. Assign one student as the waiter and the other as the client. Rotate the roles after each round to ensure equal participation.
3. Give students time to rehearse their roles and dialogue within their pairs or groups.
4. Monitor and offer guidance, providing feedback on pronunciation, fluency, and language usage.
5. After each role-play, allow time for reflection and peer feedback.
Find here four extra speaking activities to have fun in class!
