A variety of speaking exercises and pair work to help you on your travels.
Booking a hotel room
Vocabulary:
adjoining rooms– rooms next to each other
amenities– services, shops, transport
bed and breakfast – small hotel or a room in someone’s house.
complimentary breakfast– free, included in the price.
Deposit – money paid in advance
High season / low season– popular times
housekeeping– cleaning staff
late charge– extra fee for not checking out on time.
Rate– the fee per room per night, per person.
vending machine – machine that sells snacks, drinks.
You are going to Bangkok and need to book a hotel. What questions would you have ?
How much is the rate for 4 people ? What time is check-in / out ?
Could I book adjoining rooms ? What is in the area ?
Where exactly is the hotel ?
How do we get to the hotel from the airport ?
Approximately how much is the taxi ?
Make a list.
Take turns being a tourist and working on front desk / booking.
Language to use:
Receptionist: Greet the guest / Ask for ID (passport, ID card). Check how many nights the guest(s) are staying / Ask to see booking confirmation /
What else could you ask ?
Guest: Explain you have a reservation / Present ID and booking confirmation. Ask about amenities in the hotel and what to see in the local area.
You could check if the hotel has a laundry service // can they book a taxi ? / do they organise tours ? Are there vegetarian restaurants in the area, or banks, money exchange, hairdressers ? What else could you need ?
Now … your experiences:
What was your favourite hotel room and why ?
Conversely, what was your worst room ?
What was bad about it ? In what way were you disappointed ?
How did the service excel ? Was it good value for money ?
Would you strongly recommend it ?
How did you find the staff ? Was it easy to get to ?
I’ve spent so much time reading books about classroom activities, looking at websites and blogs only to reject the vast majority as not being suitable for my level of students. Here are a couple of games that have been successful over the years, in different centres and with different ages, though I usually employ them with students aged between 6 and 10. Adapt them as you wish, and have fun.
Word Battleship
This is based on the old paper and pencil game (later upgraded for the electronic and computer age).
A
B
C
D
1
2
3
4
Word Battleship
Board a grid as above (add more cells as required). Put the class into teams.
[I let them choose their own names, and if a student says, ‘Errrrrr,” then that’s the name I give them … additionally, this always gets a laugh]
Ask the teams questions based on previous lessons, general knowledge, whatever suits your class. You could either elicit an answer from the team as a whole, or individual members.
If the student answers correctly, they are allowed to choose a cell, example “C3.” On a separate sheet, have the same grid with scores assigned to each square. In the example that follows, C3 would score 25 points.
The following questions were used to review past tense grammar, as well as forming collocations:
Put the sentences into the past tense (simple past). Say complete sentence.
1 Last week we learn about technology
2 I buy a new iPhone last night.
3 Michael Jackson write many good songs.
4 Oh, no … I do not do my homework !
5 Have they decide what printer to buy ?
6 He see all the ‘Avengers’ films in one day !
7 It’s Friday ! I think today was Wednesday !
8 On holiday, I walk along the beach.
9 My grandmother send me an email.
10 Have you play the new video game ?
Complete the collocation
11 (go) to the cinema [I _______ to the cinema]
12 (play) guitar
13 (take) a photo
14 (chat / go) online
15 (do) voluntary work
16 (make) a decision
A
B
C
D
1
25
50
10
5
2
10
25
100
25
3
50
10
25
5
4
5
25
10
50
Snakes and ladders
Another activity based on a classic game. I first used this in a very energetic class of 9 – 11 year olds and, thanks to the size of the room, I was able to draw a grid on the floor and use students as ‘counters’, to move around the ‘board’.
If that isn’t possible, just board a grid like so:
START
GO FORWARD 2
GO BACK 1
GO FORWARD 1
HA HA BACK TO START
GO BACK 3
FINISH
All you need is a die or dice and different colour board markers. As before, arrange the class in teams, then ask each team a question. The student who answers then throws the die (preferably NOT at the teacher but one thing at a time), and I chart their progress on the board. You can decide whether or not the students need an exact score to land on Finish or not … play it by ear.
[ ‘dice’ is generally accepted for both singular and plural. For English-language learners it’s probably better to use ‘dice’.]
IELTS students need to know an incredibly wide array of adverbs so, with that in mind, here’s an exercise which can be easily adapted as a team game. Complete the sentences with suitable adverbs. Piece of cake, right ?
Use a thesaurus and dictionary to boost your vocabulary.
Word Fill
Adverbs of manner & ‘but’, ‘so’ and ‘even though’
(Fast or quickly – both can be used as adverbs, fast more for speed, quickly for time e.g. the animal runs fast and eats quickly.)
Note: ‘well’, ‘fast’ and ‘hard’ are irregular adverbs of manner.
Use a positive adverb for (+) and a negative one for (-)
Example: She sings (+) beautifully but plays piano (-) terribly.
It is raining (-) heavilyso I will bring an umbrella
WELCOME TO LONDON
I will go along with you ……I am not really hungry
……….I am not hungry, I will go with you to KFC
Grabbike is cheap …..they drive so (-).
She failed her test ……..she studied (+)
Do I look like Batman ? Then why are you speaking so …..(-)
Batman has amazingly good hearing … but not all teachers have so SPEAK UP !
We have learnt many idioms ….that is just the tip of the iceberg.
He loves music …much ….he sings (-).
She never eats the food ………she works there.
……..she speaks English very (+), she is afraid to speak to westerners.
An exercise for lower-intermediates. Help to use basic verbs, and to build long sentences.
We can see five people:
Andrew, Fiona, Helen, Mark and Tina
We see what they eat (dinner), their job (occupation), what they do in their free time (hobby) and what that do on Saturday and Sunday (the weekend).
For example, Andrew likes to drink beer, Tina like to do karate
What do they do ?
Name // dinner // occupation // hobby // weekend
Andrew
steak and chips spaghetti
brewer
football & beer
sports & cinema DOESN’T like shopping
Fiona
tuna salad soups
accountant
reading driving
visits family & shopping DOESN’T like sports
Helen
sushi Korean BBQ
marketing
yoga & keep fit craft beer
exercises & cinema DOESN’T like loud clubs
Mark
fish and chips kebabs
civil servant
cars and bikes sports
fixing cars & drinking beer DOESN’T like loud clubs
Tina
pasta pizza
dentist
karaoke clubs
shopping and meeting friends DOESN’T like beer or sport.
Andrew likes to watch football but his girlfriend does not (doesn’t)Fiona is an accountantHelen likes to eat sushiMark likes to ride a bicycleTina likes to do karate
Make sentences
Use so does with positives, neither does with negatives.
EXAMPLE:
Mark eats chips and so does Andrew.
Helen doesn’t drink beer neither does Tina.
Tina likes shopping …
Mark doesn’t like loud clubs …
Make questions
EXAMPLE:
Who likes beer ? Who eats Italian food (pizza, pasta, spaghetti) ?
Look at the four photos. What do you know about the four places ?
What do you need to think about ?
They are all capital cities … will that make them cheap or expensive ?
Do they speak English there ? What is the temperature in winter and summer ? How would you find information ? What do you like to do on holiday ?
Extra activity – describe the photos in as much detail as you can. Use adjectives and make your voice sound excited (or unhappy).
Buenos Aires, capital of ArgentinaNairobi, capital of KenyaMoscow, capital of RussiaCopenhagen, capital of Denmark
Work in pairs – write or talk about these points:
Before I go – what do you need to do ?
While I’m in ________________, I’m going to _____________
Are there any places you don’t want to visit ? Why not ?
Pros and cons (good andbad points)
Buenos Aires:
Very colourful city with interesting buildings. Cheaper than some western cities.
In South America – could be a long flight (my class is in Vietnam). Language is Latin – American Spanish.
Nairobi:
National parks and museums. Some great food and can be cheap. English spoken.
Not very safe at night. Insects and bugs plus bad hygiene in some places.
Moscow:
Amazing culture and architecture. Generally safe for tourists. Lots to see and do.
Can be very expensive. Can be bitterly cold in winter. Most people have just basic or no English.
Copenhagen:
Friendly people, small city can be explored on foot. Great beer and healthy, fresh food. High quality standards. English widely spoken, like a second language. Safe.
Is notoriously expensive. Can be very cold and wet in winter. Very long flight (from Viet Nam).
Ask each other what they like best, where they would probably go, where they probably won’t go !
Advanced levels:
To practise complex sentences, make your own answers
The four cities are all interesting in their own way, but if I had to choose just one, I think I would probably select Nairobi in Kenya.
Firstly, I have never been to Africa and it look so different to Europe and Asia. Seeing those beautiful giraffes just walking past the window must be an amazing, unforgettable experience.
Secondly, I know that English is widely spoken in Kenya, so there should be no language barrier even though I expect a lot of culture shock.
However, I expect the heat will be a serious issue, so I must pack a lot of powerful sun cream, sunglasses and a hat. Additionally, i don’t really know much about the city, so I will have to read up.
In conclusion, I feel all cities offer something amazing but my choice would be Nairobi. I’m sure I will have an incredible time in Kenya.
Job – // What do you do ? // What line are you in ? // where they work
where they live
how long they have lived there (present perfect)
are they married ? If so, do they have children ? How old are they ?
the weather- // Do you think it will rain later ?
NOT about money, religion, why NOT married, or don’t have children.
To answer:
Oh, really // You don’t say right ! // That sounds interesting // Tell me more
Wow, fascinating // Do you like your job ? // How long have you been married ?
How old are your children ? Do you have a photo ? // What are you studying ?
Practice:
In a new class, ask each other some general questions. This is best done in pairs, so students don’t feel embarrassed speaking in front of the class. See how long you can keep the conversation going.
Fell free to add new questions.
Clothes
Which clothes do you like ?
Express what you feel about these clothes, whether or not you would buy them, or do you know someone who would like them ?
Vocabulary:
I choose the because it’s …
stylish // cool // beautiful // colourful // great quality // chic // really suits me
fashionable // trendy // so modern // really with it // I feel a million dollars //
however, you may feel it is …
expensive // ugly // gaudy // bad taste // not my style // old-fashioned // hideous //
Today’s blog, or activity sheet, is about persuasion; the ability to change someone’s opinion or make them do what YOU want THEM to do. This is known as having ‘the gift of the gab.’
This skill is mostly associated with salesmen who, without cheating or lying, make their product sound so wonderful that you simply HAVE TO buy it … and then you get home and realise you have parted with your hard-earned money for something you don’t want, don’t need and will never use.
Before we kick off, let’s roll out some new expressions:
One born every minute = negative, means that the person is an idiot, who bought something useless.
He/She saw you coming = negative, means the seller thought you would buy the poor quality item or pay too much for it.
Paid over the odds = negative, means paying too much for something.
Could sell sand to an Arab = positive, means the seller is so persuasive, he could sell anything to anyone (here, people who live in the desert do NOT need to buy sand).
Unique = positive, only one or something totally different and special.
Examples:
You paid £50 for that shirt ? He must have seen you coming !
The hotel was $75, I think I paid over the odds.
She’s such a great seller, she could sell sand to an Arab.
I can’t believe he though it was a real Rolex watch … for €30. Oh well, there’s one born every minute !
Activity
Welcome to
Mr Paul’s Wonderfully useful store
Here, you can find all sorts of incredibly useful and wonderful items.
The students have to practise their selling and persuasive skills, in order to sell these … ‘wonderful’ … items. As always, an example:
One grey sock
A truly wonderful sock (one), almost nearly perfect
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up, I have an absolute unique items for you. As you see, I have, just today ONLY, one beautiful delightful almost never-used silver-coloured sock, perfect for men, women or even children, yes, they can grow into it !
This amazing item, one of a kind, can be used for so many things, for example … have crying children ? Simply put the sock on your hand and … a PUPPET ! Guaranteed to stop all tears. Been shopping and have so many dirty, heavy coins ? No problem, simply put the coins in the sock. Having a party ? What would look better than this magnificent sock hanging proudly above the door ? Can use it for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Tet Holiday, Easter, Passover, Ramadan, Birthdays, Weddings … you name it … You CANNOT live without it …
You can have this priceless item for just £100 … OK, to you, today only … £75
Now … your turn
Write a ‘sales pitch’ for one of these items, think of some uses for it, then set a price. Try to convince your classmates to buy your unique item.
Some ideas for uses are at the end of the blog
One old Tea-bagOld wine bottle corkOld banana skinBroken old umbrellaLovely old T-shirtA flea market where people can sell … anything. One person’s junk is another person’d treasure
Tips and ideas:
teabag – mint tea – gets rid of spiders & mice : put on eyes to reduce puffiness
This lesson aims to introduce students to a wider range of vocabulary, phrases and expressions, and then gives them an opportunity to role play and act out the language.
A plan such as this only works with motivated students, and can be very fun for both learners and the teacher.
Print outs or photos of various consumer items will enhance the lesson, but first:
vocabulary
SHOPPING
Which shops do you like and why ?
Use these words and phrases to help you write your answer:
big, small, fresh, clean, cheap, expensive, near my house, convenient
range of choice, quality, cost, location, crowded
store layout (what does it look like ? Is it easy to find things ?)
staff helpfulness: average (normal), exceptional, non-existant !
value for money (good quality at a good price)
bargains (good quality and great price)
Interior of a Waitrose supermarket in the UK Food shopping is not always a pleasant experience
Haggling
This is the practice of trying to get a better or lower price for an item. This doesn’t happen in shops, which have a fixed price, but is common, indeed even expected, in markets, depending on the location and culture. Be careful – too much haggling can upset the trader.
haggling can be an art – there are many guides online
Expressions: I wasn’t born yesterday / you’re having a laugh !
[I will pre-teach these expressions in a class, but online students will have to look them up. If you ever need help, just leave a message]
What do you think is meant by ‘GENUINE FAKE’ ?
Make a conversation:
One is a market-trader, the other a customer.
You can choose the item(s): watch, phone, T-shirt, food etc.
The language is informal, intonation can be strong but still be polite.
EXAMPLE:
Here, the trader sells ‘genuine fake’ sunglasses
Customer: How much are these sunglasses, please ?
Trader: Oh, those are genuine Gucci, made in France. I can let you have for the special price.
Customer: Gucci … really ?
Trader: Absolutely, look … it says ‘Guchi’ here. Try them on … they are perfect for you.
Customer: Hhhmmmm, ‘Guchi’ … OK, how much are they ?
Trader: To you, my first customer, special price. Only $50
Customer: Are you having a laugh ! I’ll give you $5 tops, no more.
Trader: These are genuine Gucci … OK, OK, just for you, $45. They come from France.
Customer: Gucci are ITALIAN ! What a rip-off. I’m out of here.
Genuine Gucci sunglasses
With a larger class, have three students selling the same type of item but in different setting, for example:
a department store,
a shop having a sale
and a street market
To make it more realistic, the students have to alter their vocabulary to suit the store, that is, polite standard English for the department store, everyday English for the shop and more slang and idioms for the street market.
The items could include:
Handbags:
Set your own prices to reflect the realities of where you live.
A: My laptop is so slow. B: Buy a new one. A: I would if I had the money. B: Why is it so slow? A: That’s a good question. B: Did you take it to a computer shop? A: I would if I had the money. B: Well, I guess you have to live with it. A: Sometimes I want to throw it out the window. wanna B: You don’t want to do that. A: Why not? B: You might hit someone on the head.
Re-write but with smart phone instead of ‘laptop.’
Being a bit short – not having much or enough money.
A:Can I borrow £5? quid B: Sure. Why do you need it? A: I want to buy lunch. B: Where’s your money? [Pronunciation: Wheres yah monnnee ?] A: It’s not in my wallet. B: Your wallet is empty? A: I don’t have even one quid in it. B: Being broke is no fun. [Broke = having no money] A: Even if it’s only for a short while. B: It’s always good to have friends. A: Friends will lend you money when you’re broke. B: As long as you pay them back.
Write a similar dialogue but with different situations.
Vocabulary practice:
Look up the meaning of these words and expressions, then see how they’re used in the following dialogue.
truly / rather / somewhat/ quid / broke/ you what ?
Let me shuffle through my memory
run into / put up with / fun-filled / throughout the city
that’s a good question / this is the worst ….. in the world !
A You’ll never guess who I ran into last night.
B Who ? I was up to my eyes in work.
A Ms Cam. It was rather a surprise. I haven’t seen her for ages.
B Ms Cam ? Let me shuffle through my memory… oh, yes.
A Remember ? She was somewhat laconic at work, but after beer …
B Absolutely ! She doesn’t shut up ! I had to put up with her stories.
A Same thing last night. Nothing changes. But it was a fun-filled night
B Where’d you take her ? Anywhere fancy ?
A We started at a street bar but it was malodorous, so we took off.
B She drinks like a fish, I recall. What happened ?
A Hmmm … that’s a good question ! I had a few too many.
B That explains it – you look a bit sick. Did you drink cocktails ?
A Oh, did we ! This is the worst hangover in the world !
TRY to make your own conversation using some of the new vocabulary and expressions.
Ideas: buying something / wanting to go someone / having a bad day
Activity: Plan a day out for my friends.
I have two friends arriving in HCM( or your city). They want a typical, authentic experience. Plan a day for them. It must include:
Thay Paul with Tina and Michael.
Breakfast
A museum
Somewhere for a snack
An interesting building or location
Lunch
Souvenir shopping
Something to do in the evening
Give tips and advice.
How do they travel around ?
What are their options and estimate the prices.
Try to use as much new vocabulary as possible, words and expressions.
Directions to Pham Ngo Lao Street District 1 // Directions to a city centre street.
Ask for help. Other must offer as much help – how to get there, the best way, the price, the dangers. Body language – distance, expression, intonation, eye contact etc
Also back channelling. Nod your head, say, “Sure,” “Right.” “Oh, really ?”
Small talk …. Try to talk for as long as possible – then change subjects:
your home town / your favourite holiday / a great place to visit in your city / some great things about children / some terrible things about your city / family / favourite hobby.
Past simple/ past continuous
Look at the house map – say where you were last night and what you were doing
EXAMPLE: I was on the balcony, watering my plants.
I was in the bedroom, …………………
Famous for 15 minutes
Pretend you are famous – your partner will interview you on:
Sai Gon Today ! A live chat show from your work or school !
FIRST – why are YOU famous – what do you like doing best ?
Think of 6 questions. Examples:
When did you start ? When did you win your first award ? What was it like travelling to USA ? What are your plans for the future.
Who else works in a TV studio ? What equipment do we need to make a show ?
Adverbs of degree
very / so / extremely / = high, a lot
quite / somewhat = moderate / medium
Tokyo is ……….. expensive, while for Vietnamese people, Thailand can be ……………. expensive.
The test was …………….. (medium) difficult.
I ……… liked the film, but the book was better, it was …………….. good.
Free Speaking
Have you ever thought about trying or learning something new ?
Do you want to take up a new sport ? Start up a new business ?
Join up for a club ? Learn a new skill ?
Try to use some of the following phrases:
The job is repetitive ? It can be somewhat tedious.
Working everyday can have a negative effect on our health.
I feel it is not suitable for me. I am not suited to it.
My background is in engineering; I have no experience in business.
I may regret it if I don’t try – but it is a risk. Always a risk because it may be unsuccessful – it may fail.
Sentence order – exercises for you to practice rearranging the words in a sentence to make your English more interesting. This is especially useful for IELTS students.
Vocabulary – a feature just on boosting your command of the English language, and finding higher, or better, low-frequency words for basic English.
Vocabulary
Objectives:
Increase vocabulary. The average native-speaker uses about 2 000 words. You can boost your vocabulary by learning verbs, adverbs and adjectives which can be easily found by a Google search. Also, use an online thesaurus.
Speak in longer sentences. Say what you want to say (make your point), then elaborate by giving examples, adding reasons and maybe an anecdote. Along with this, give the opposite view by using conjunctions such as ‘however’, ‘on the other hand’ etc.
Pronunciation. Many native speakers have a problem understanding English learners, so we will practise slow and careful enunciation, intonation and stress.
excessive/ biased / appropriate / opponent / in opposition to / beat / currently / not my cup of tea
hold your horses / debate / borrow / lend / expect / lease / terrible
Which words would you employ / use ?
Brazil beating Costa Rica was ……..
This film is extremely violent, it’s not ………. for children.
The politicians are ………. the issue of land-………. to the Chinese.
You can ……. money from a bank, but they …… it at a high interest rate.
The match was so ………… However, Spain – Portugal was ………
The man said Ha Noi was the best city, but he is from there so he is ……….
People were on the streets ………. and ………… against higher taxes.
The man went to prison for forty years just for littering. That was ………….
I haven’t finished yet, ……………………..
TV, radio, internet news and newspapers are called the ……..
New vocabulary:
aggravate – to make worse
tensions – bad feelings
keep a lid on it – stop something getting worse, or not to tell someone. We’ve got a new boss coming, but keep a lid on it (don’t tell anyone).
set up – start to do something. Fred is going to set up a new business.
knock out – (from boxing) to hit someone so they fall and stay down for 10 seconds
to eliminate someone / thing
Historically (adverb from history) – something that has happened over a long time.
They are currently ——– between China and Vietnam. This is nothing new as —— the two countries have had conflicts.
The government are introducing policies to ———— on inflation (prices rising).
President Trump visited North Korea to ease ——- between the two countries. He must be careful what he says or he may ———— the situation.
England have ———– Colombia so I am ———(a great word for happy). However, the greatest shock was Germany being ———— at the group stage.
The coverage in the Chinese media is not impartial, it is unbelievably ——— . However, this is nothing new; the media is the USA is also ———- towards either the left or right.
Project: Look at these headlines from the UK media. Could they happen in your country ?
A story about the Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, and a sex scandal.
A left-wing paper writing about a right-wing Prime Minister.
Calling the England football manager a ‘turnip-head’.
Changing sentence order:
John read comic books as a boy. As a boy, John read comic books.
Mary sent two emails then went home. Mary went home after sending two emails.
Try changing these:
Watt worked as a maker of mathematical instruments but later found himself working with steam engines.
If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. Many suggest that he created the first true automobile in 1885/1886.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Japan’s high speed bullet trains, also known as Shinkansen trains, offer visitors an experience like no other with speeds reaching up to 320 km/hr !
