Help students feel more confident from the first lesson with these back-to-school speaking activities for beginner and elementary ESL learners. The resource combines guided listening with structured conversation practice, making it an effective icebreaker for mixed-ability classes and learners of different ages.
Students first listen to model questions and responses before using that language in interviews with their classmates. This clear progression provides the support they need to start conversations, react appropriately and speak with greater confidence.
The resource includes two-page worksheets in A4 and US Letter sizes and a five-slide PowerPoint presentation containing audio, visual support and the answer key.
INCLUDED
- 2-page Worksheet (PDF – US Letter size)
- 2-page Worksheet (PDF – A4 size)
- 5-slide PowerPoint presentation with answer key
The worksheet
The worksheet includes a guided listening activity. The listening activity will help boost students’ confidence because it provides insight regarding the questions and the reactions they will need for the interviews in the second part of the lesson.
The PowerPoint presentation
The PowerPoint presentation is a great asset, not only because it will provide you with the visuals and audio for all the activities, but also because it contains the answer key to the exercises as well as some tips on the footnotes of each slide. You can use the presentation at school or for remote teaching.
To get additional ideas for your first lesson, read our blog post Activities For The First Lesson.
