Pair exercise
-
More than small talk
Read more: More than small talk“How’s the weather?” “Did you have a good weekend?” “Not bad, thanks.” We’ve all had that conversation. A hundred times. In every language. But what happens when you ask something different? Something that actually requires you to stop, think, and share a piece of yourself? That’s the idea behind More Than Small Talk — our…
-
Let’s take a photo!
Read more: Let’s take a photo!A photo is worth a thousand words. But the conversation before you take it? That’s where the real learning happens. In Let’s Take a Photo!, pairs receive a list of titles and go out to capture them. Before every single photo, learners must discuss: What does this title mean to us? What will be in…
-
Whatever the Weather!
Read more: Whatever the Weather!You draw a card. It’s a thunderstorm. You draw another. It’s… a beach picnic. Now what? That’s the question at the heart of Whatever the Weather! — our new exercise where learners draw a random weather card and a random situation card, and have to talk their way out of the chaos. Would you cancel…
-
How do you travel
Read more: How do you travelBus, bike or car? In this speaking activity, students learn basic transport vocabulary and talk about how they travel in everyday life. Simple questions, clear structure, and real-life topics make it easy to practise full sentences and build confidence. Plus: a first step into sustainability — which ways of travelling are green? Practical language. Real…
-
Who’s who in the family?
Read more: Who’s who in the family?This OPTIMO activity turns family vocabulary into a fun, interactive speaking challenge! Learners start by reading a short story about the Rossi family — a lively, multigenerational family full of connections. Then, in pairs, they draw the family tree and bring the relationships to life through a guessing game: “This person is 12 years old……
-
Country and nationality bingo
Read more: Country and nationality bingoThis fun and simple activity allows beginner learners to go back to school by associating flags, countries and capitals that refer to geography while learning the language of the host country in a practical way! The bonus point ‘Culinary Specialty’ adds a little extra cultural flavour to this activity. It’s true that setting up the…
-
Describe the features
Read more: Describe the featuresHow do I look? Let’s describe each other! In this fun partner activity, students will practice vocabulary for describing a person’s appearance like eyes, hair, mouth, and ears. One student describes the faces using words — no pointing allowed! Can the other guess which person is being described? A great way to build speaking confidence,…
-
Negotiations
Read more: NegotiationsPair or small group exercise Learning objectives Instructions for this exercise Divide students into pairs or groups of three. Distribute the task material (national park information and task instructions) to the pairs/groups and instruct each to choose one object from the information to explore. Each student will explore a different object. Give students a few…
-
Giving advice
Read more: Giving adviceNow’s the Time for Good Advice! In this activity, students practice giving advice to friends or family members in a variety of everyday situations. The advice is given to imaginary people, so students do not need to share their own personal experiences or problems. This activity can easily be combined with grammar practice and basic…
-
Talk about the picture
Read more: Talk about the pictureA picture is worth a thousand words – but words are also needed! In this easily variable exercise, the student has to talk about a single image for a certain amount of time. They can, for example, describe what they see or think, but the most important thing is to try to talk as much…