This is a nice quick way to revise a lot of things you've covered with a class. It's basically complete the sentence but sentence stems is what other teachers have called it and i thought that sounded better. It offers the student the freedom to develop the sentence as they wish much like a plant will flourish and sprout unless we cramp its style, speak badly about it or don't give it enough positive rays.
The activity could be completed in thoughtful silence with a pen or spoken with a partner which could of course lead to further conversation between the two. The stem could grow branches that reach for the sky, make us laugh and turn our heads like sunflowers to the English language.
My example below was with a low level class but imagine what you could do with a high level class.
On Sundays I usually...
Before this class i usually...
In 2007 I was...
Last year was...
Last weekend I...
Next Weekend I...
At the moment...
In my house...
I love...
I hate...
Inspiring Words
"You can’t change the wind but you can adjust the direction of your sails."
~ Jonathan Swift
Ten Things
A simple activity to practice giving reasons and agreeing / disagreeing. (Cambridge B1 style)
An example...
1. Tell students in groups to make a list of 10 things that people take on holiday with them.
2. Collect some of the ideas on the board.
3. Take the word 'suitcase'. Ask students to tell you one reason why people take suitcases on holiday.
4. Ask students to give you one reason why people might not take a suitcase on holiday.
5. Ask students to give other reasons for and against taking a suitcase on holiday.
6. Put students in small groups and tell them to choose 3 or 4 other objects on the board and discuss reasons both for and against taking them on holiday and to agree or disagree with the people in the group and say why or why not.
Variations...
Activities that a school could offer students after school
Ways of improving your language academy
Ways of spending a weekend
Different Ideas for a friends birthday present
For each activity elicit some ideas for the class and repeat as above
A Further variation...
Elicit 10 random nouns before you start the activity. Then ask them to use those nouns to
Choose a present for a friend
Use the objects to escape a room full of Zombies
Improve your language academy
Escape a desert Island...
and complete the activity as above.
An example...
1. Tell students in groups to make a list of 10 things that people take on holiday with them.
2. Collect some of the ideas on the board.
3. Take the word 'suitcase'. Ask students to tell you one reason why people take suitcases on holiday.
4. Ask students to give you one reason why people might not take a suitcase on holiday.
5. Ask students to give other reasons for and against taking a suitcase on holiday.
6. Put students in small groups and tell them to choose 3 or 4 other objects on the board and discuss reasons both for and against taking them on holiday and to agree or disagree with the people in the group and say why or why not.
Variations...
Activities that a school could offer students after school
Ways of improving your language academy
Ways of spending a weekend
Different Ideas for a friends birthday present
For each activity elicit some ideas for the class and repeat as above
A Further variation...
Elicit 10 random nouns before you start the activity. Then ask them to use those nouns to
Choose a present for a friend
Use the objects to escape a room full of Zombies
Improve your language academy
Escape a desert Island...
and complete the activity as above.
What's the sentence?
This activity is a hangman style game but with words in place of letters. I
played it for a few hours today revising all kinds of sentence structures
that had come up in the last few months.
Split the class into two or three teams and put a sentence on the board like so...
'Last night ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ .'
Maybe give them a word or two to help them along (as I have done above). Go around the teams and students instead of saying letters say words they think might be in the sentence. If they need help start putting up first letters of words. Could also be played in pairs. if they get a correct word the team receives a point.
Split the class into two or three teams and put a sentence on the board like so...
'Last night ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ .'
Maybe give them a word or two to help them along (as I have done above). Go around the teams and students instead of saying letters say words they think might be in the sentence. If they need help start putting up first letters of words. Could also be played in pairs. if they get a correct word the team receives a point.
Say something different
Take any object (in its physical form or simply written on a card)
and around the class or in pairs each student has to say something
different about the object/word. Repeat
with another word.
For example a pen - it's blue / this one was made in japan / it is cheap but useful and so on...
For example a pen - it's blue / this one was made in japan / it is cheap but useful and so on...
Talking objects
Sometimes I wonder what inanimate objects might say should they be able to speak. For example is the glass of water that has been sitting untouched at the back of my desk wishing to communicate it's displeasure at being left half full? Do sun drenched flowers praise us as we walk by? Does my pure liquid ink pen release a barrage of anxiety when I leave it with it's lid off?
It's nonsense I know but at the same time it's a magical thought and prehaps the start of a fairy tale like story and certainly worth a couple of minutes chat at least.
So, complete the following sentence with any common noun and come up with some ideas...
If you could talk to a/an _______ , what might it say?
As a further thought... When might it be happy / sad / angry and so on.
It's nonsense I know but at the same time it's a magical thought and prehaps the start of a fairy tale like story and certainly worth a couple of minutes chat at least.
So, complete the following sentence with any common noun and come up with some ideas...
If you could talk to a/an _______ , what might it say?
As a further thought... When might it be happy / sad / angry and so on.
A Long Sentence #4
I went to the Supermarket... (or I went on holiday... in this case)
This well known game can be adapted for all types of vocabulary sets, grammar points and numbers too. Work around the class or let them work in pairs for a few minutes.
a) I went on holiday and I broke my leg...
b) I went on holiday and I broke my leg and my arm...
c) I went on holiday and I broke my leg and my arm and cut my finger...
This well known game can be adapted for all types of vocabulary sets, grammar points and numbers too. Work around the class or let them work in pairs for a few minutes.
a) I went on holiday and I broke my leg...
b) I went on holiday and I broke my leg and my arm...
c) I went on holiday and I broke my leg and my arm and cut my finger...
Ranking
Whatever the theme of the class or conversation, ask students to rank their TOP 5 of it.
Maybe you are talking about feelings and being angry so ask them to talk about and write down their top 5 situations when they get angry.
Maybe you are talking about going out at the weekend. Get them to talk about and write down their top 5 places to go / things to do... and so on...
Or of course the focus could be on their BOTTOM 5
Alternative idea
elicit 5 random nouns from the class. The idea is to rank those 5 nouns in some specific order but not to tell anyone how you've done it. For example size or speed, alphabetical or by favourite colours. For a minute, maybe everyone tries to guess how that person has ranked them until we are all bored or clueless.
Maybe you are talking about feelings and being angry so ask them to talk about and write down their top 5 situations when they get angry.
Maybe you are talking about going out at the weekend. Get them to talk about and write down their top 5 places to go / things to do... and so on...
Or of course the focus could be on their BOTTOM 5
Alternative idea
elicit 5 random nouns from the class. The idea is to rank those 5 nouns in some specific order but not to tell anyone how you've done it. For example size or speed, alphabetical or by favourite colours. For a minute, maybe everyone tries to guess how that person has ranked them until we are all bored or clueless.
A Long sentence #3
Speaking In pairs or around the class or indeed written... Teacher or student comes up with a first simple sentence, which is then repeated by the next student who at the same time adds one or two words to it, as does the next person until the sentence is too long to remember. Maybe get them to write it down, maybe don't...
E.g
I have a pen
I have a blue pen
I have an old blue pen
I have an old blue pen in my bag
E.g
I have a pen
I have a blue pen
I have an old blue pen
I have an old blue pen in my bag
A Long Sentence #2
Dictate a long sentence of
about 20 words. When you have finished, and only when you have finished, students write what they
remember. Dictate a second and third time if needed. A lovely activity in itself but what are you going to do with that text next?
Inspiring words
I've
learned that many people may forget what you said, they may forget what
you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
~ Maja Angelou
~ Maja Angelou
A Long Sentence #1
Prepare before class a sentence of about 20 words,
related to some current classroom language, and display it boldly on the
whiteboard. Ask a few of the students to read it out aloud, suggest
they try and memorise it, and then hide the text and ask them to write
what they remember. If necessary show it to them again briefly.
When all have the final text written beautifully on paper, an extra activity that can be done is to ask students to change individual words in the text for new ones so that the text still makes sense but is completely different to the original. Let them change as many words as possible and read them out if they wish, maybe draw a picture to go with it, maybe use the texts as future gap fills or simply calmly move on.
When all have the final text written beautifully on paper, an extra activity that can be done is to ask students to change individual words in the text for new ones so that the text still makes sense but is completely different to the original. Let them change as many words as possible and read them out if they wish, maybe draw a picture to go with it, maybe use the texts as future gap fills or simply calmly move on.
Who am I talking to?
Compile a list of 10 sentences with modal verbs in them (before class) and while you read out the sentences (in class) ask the students to use their imagination and write down who they think you could be talking to (anybody in the world that is)
For example...
You shouldn't wear that - I could be talking to Lady Gaga
You must train harder - a Footballer
You shouldn't smoke - My brother
You mustn't speak Spanish - Fernando in the class
You could try playing for Manchester Utd again - Ronaldo
and so on, getting feedback where necessary.
For example...
You shouldn't wear that - I could be talking to Lady Gaga
You must train harder - a Footballer
You shouldn't smoke - My brother
You mustn't speak Spanish - Fernando in the class
You could try playing for Manchester Utd again - Ronaldo
and so on, getting feedback where necessary.
First & Last
Give the students the first and last letter of a word and get them to write 7 words
For example...
S________p - Ship/Shop/Sheep/Sleep/Soap/Soup/Stop
Choose 7 of their best and write them on the board.
Alternatively you could scrap the above and dictate 7 words
Activities
1. Ask them to write a paragraph using all 7 words
2. Ask them to write a sentence using 3 of the words
3. Use some of the words creatively
For example...
S________p - Ship/Shop/Sheep/Sleep/Soap/Soup/Stop
Choose 7 of their best and write them on the board.
Alternatively you could scrap the above and dictate 7 words
Activities
1. Ask them to write a paragraph using all 7 words
2. Ask them to write a sentence using 3 of the words
3. Use some of the words creatively
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