Circle Speaking

Students should form two circles with partners facing each other (an inside circle and an
outside circle, as seen below). Give students a topic or question to speak about. Students on
the inside talk first, with the partner directly across listening intently. Students on the outside
are then invited to speak, and the partner on the inside circle listens intently.
At the teacher’s discretion, when students have had enough time to speak, they are required
to switch partners by having the outside circle move clockwise (you might want to yell,
“Switch!” to indicate that students move). When students switch, you can invite switch
topics or give differing instructions (Now share your idea in only 30 seconds instead of 60,
or Now share what you heard your last partner say). This is a simple game to get students to
keep talking.

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Fishbowl
This activity requires four learners ONLY to speak, while all others listen. This is done by
placing four chairs facing each other in the center of the room (as if in a small group
discussion). To begin, invite four learners to sit in these chairs. All other members of the
class will sit in chairs in a circle around the four students in the middle, thus creating the look
of a fishbowl (the outside circle) and four fish in a fishbowl (the four inside students are
being observed by those on the outside).

Provide questions for the four students in the middle and invite students to speak at least
once for every question. After each have spoken at least one time, other students from the
outside circle may take their place by lightly tapping them on the shoulder. This is a good
way to spark conversation and allow for students to listen to each other. Some teachers will
provide snacks only for those who “enter” the fishbowl. Students on the outside may be
required to take notes, and are encouraged to enter when they feel strongly about the
conversation. This works especially well for debates or controversial discussions.

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Headbands
Place the name of a famous celebrity on a headband, making sure that the person does NOT
know what name appears on his or her own headband. For example, if studying a unit on
sports, teachers might write a number of famous sports celebrities on the headbands like
Maria Sharapova, Mohammed Ali, or Lionel Messi. Students walk around the room and look
at each headband, with clear instructions not to say the name of the celebrity. The students
take turns asking questions to each other in order to figure out their identity. Instruct students
to give helpful clues to each other.
This activity can introduce a theme, help students to work on question formation, and give
opportunities for students to respond to questions.

Guest Speaker
Invite a guest speaker that might be of some interest to the students. Before the speaker
comes, invite students to write down questions ahead of time that they want to ask the guest
speaker, and then have students ask those questions during or after the guest speaker’s
presentation. You may wish to tell the guest speaker ahead of time what questions the
students have.

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 Pictorial Prompt
While it is commonly stated that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” in the TESOL world,
pictures elicit a thousand words. A good picture can help to begin a class conversation and have
students immediately engage in thoughtful discussion. Just as in a written prompt, a pictorial
prompt involves a teacher asking a lot of questions about the picture to lead students into a
discussion about the current lesson.
A good pictorial prompt should be large enough for all students to see, and often has something
unusual or interesting to talk about. You may begin by asking, “What do you see?” or a more
specific question, such as “What problems do you see in this picture?” or “Why is this boy sad?”
A good picture often has multiple answers, and a teacher can ask for a wide variety of opinions.
When students are answering, a teacher may have to provide key vocabulary to explain certain
visual items (Does anyone know what this is? It is called a rainbow. Let me write that on the
board).
Remember that you may wish to have students write down their answers, or discuss in pairs or in
groups before they speak to the entire class or to you as a teacher.

Interviews and Student Presentations

Impromptu Speech
Give learners a chance to show their language production on the spot. Have them choose a topic
and speak on that topic for a certain period of time. The impromptu speech is best accomplished
when students are given a certain number of phrases they are required to use. While this is often
an assignment that is best ungraded, it gives students a chance to demonstrate their instant
knowledge of a topic or subject, and instant feedback from a teacher and other learners.

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 Presentations
A presentation is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to speak, present clear
and organized ideas, and to show their persuasive or informative power to an audience. This skill
also allows students to practice language strategies such as preparing notes and ideas, monitoring
language output, organizing information, and controlling anxiety, all important skills for
language production. A presentation may be of varied lengths and complexities, but generally
have the following elements:
a. As with a writing assignment, a teacher should generally give students clear directions through
an assignment sheet. The assignment sheet should clarify the length, topic, and expectations of
the speech. Visual elements such as a PowerPoint, pictures, or poster board should also be
clearly explained.
b. While a PowerPoint is a common tool, be careful to have students write text that would
supplant their ability to speak freely. Speaking production should be natural, and written text
should not interfere or replace the majority of the students’ speech. In other words, don’t turn a
presentation into a writing assignment by letting students read their speech!
c. Use of a model and rubric is highly recommended. If you can record past student presentations
and demonstrate how they would score on a rubric, this can be an excellent way of
demonstrating teacher expectations. Rubric categories vary among language professionals, but
may include: organization, use of key vocabulary, pronunciation, body and voice, persuasion,
ability to respond to an audience, and use of visual aids.

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