a FREE Online Access Instant Lessons that Get your English wv Language peudents yy Talking! ALEX FOREROESL Conversation Lessons: Instant Lessons that Get your English Language Students Talking! ESOL/TEFL/EFL/ESL approved By Alex Forero‘©Copyright 2016 by R Forero- All rights reserved. This document is geared towards providing exact and reliable information in regerds to the topic and issue covered. The publication is sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render accounting, officially permitted, or otherwise, qualified services. If advice is necessary, legal or professional, a practiced individual in the profession should be ordered. - From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved The information provided herein is stated to be truthful and consistent, in that any liability, in terms of inattention or otherwise, by any usage or abuse of any policies, processes, or directions contained within is the solitary and utter responsibility of the recipient reader. Under no circumstances will any legal responsibility or blame be held against the publisher for any reparation, damages, or monetary loss due to the information herein, either directly or indirectly. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher. The information herein is offered for informational purposes solely, and is universal as so. The presentation of the information is without contract or any type of guarantee assurance. The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the publication of the trademark is without permission or backing by the trademark owner. All trademarks and brands within this book are for clarifying purposes only and are the owned by the owners themselves, not affiliated with this document.Table of Contents Introduction...... How to use questions in your conversation class......- Week1 Breaking the Ice... Week2 Customs comparison ... Week3 —Movies/Films.. Week 4 Predictions one we Week5 Students’ Questions..... Week 6 Food (Part one)... Week 7 Food (Part two)... Week8 Nelson Mandela....... Week9 Festivals. Week 10 New Year's resolutions .. Week 11 & 12 Health... Week 13. Survival... Week 14 Advice. Week 15 Would you Rather ..... Week 16 Past simple questions... Week 17 How honest are you?..... 46 Week 18 Fear worksheet........ Week 19 Smoking. Week 20 Read all about itl....... Week 21 Social Issues.....csose Week 22 Money.... Week 23 Moral Dilemmas... Week 24 The Expert Game....... Week 25 Where in the World...... 67Week 26 Board Games. Week 27 Just a minute. Week 28 20 Questions. Week 29 The Debate... Week 30 Employment... Week 31 Role Play.... Week 32 Dear Diary .. Week 33 A day in the life .. Week 34 In today’s news! Week 35 Crime ... Week 36 Marriage... Week 37 Family conversation questions........ 90ESL Conversation Lessons Introduction Why did I decide to write ESL conversation club? I have been involved in the ESL/TEFL/ESOL/EFL industry for over ten years now in one capacity or another. | started out as a TEFL teacher. I undertook a month long TEFL course in Latin America and started my teaching career in a private low paying language school that could be described as a conveyor belt of students. Get them in, teach them, test them, pass them, next! It was one of my favourite jobs though. | met some wonderful people. Something | noticed while teaching was that the students really want to practise speaking English. Most students didn’t have any trouble doing textbook exercises, They also had good vocabulary but couldn’t quite use it in a sentence. They needed more conversation practice. In a classroom with up to 30 students, (and | know in many places 50+ students isn’t unheard of) getting plenty of talking time is not always feasible. A conversation club is a must in institutions for students who went to practice free and natural speech. We started one at that language school and I am currently running one in my present job in the UK. | decided to write “ESL Conversation Lessons: Instant Lessons that Get your English Language Students Talking!”because I think there lacks a good resource for ESL conversation material that actually gets your students talking. Running a conversation club sounds easy; | mean how hard could it be to get paid to chat? Well, it does take planning and imagination. It also depends on who your students are. Some could talk all day long, others are much quieter. Remember students all have their own personalities and getting them speaking in another language is a task in itself. Factor in their level of English and you have numerous factors at play when thinking about how you are going to run the club. In the beginning | looked and looked for material online that | could use in my conversation club. 1 would google, “ESL conversation lessons”, or “ESL conversation materials” for example and did find plenty of sites offering material. However | found that | had to dig around too many sites to cherry pick decent material worth using. | couldn't find much good conversation material concentrated on one site. There are a few ESL conversation question sites but they lack other types of activities/materials. | find that using question after question can become too repetitive week in week out. Many ESL conversation books also rely on question lists, some of which aren't very interesting. | have included a mix of material including questions, games, role plays, board games, lessons that use images and articles and more! Most of the lessons in this book come with a worksheet that you will need to print out for your class. In order to facilitate this for you | have uploaded all worksheets and lessons found in the book to myESL Conversation Lessons website, www.eslconversationclub.com where you can enter the code found at the end of the book for free lifetime access. You will find word documents available for download and printing,ESL Conversation Lessons How to use questions in your conversation class | vary the way | ask questions to my students to avoid too much repetition and make the class a bit more interesting. When only using questions for a given topic, | either present them to students as a list on a hand-out or as cut out cards which students can pick at random, For lessons that involve a lot of questions | have included list and card versions of the questions for you to copy and use as you wish. Here are some ways to use questions in your conversation class. 1. You dictate questions to your class. You can select students at random or in sequence by going around the class. This works best for smaller groups. For larger groups, students talk time may be greatly reduced this way. However using this technique to wrap up a class and see what students were talking about earlier in the lesson may be a good way to use this. 2. Divide your class into pairs or small groups of three or four and give them hand-outs of the question list or question cards. For the list they could ask and answer the questions in any order, you decide. For the cards they could take turns turning over the cards to reveal questions to ask each other as an alternative. 3. You can use a blank board game template to add questions to, from a related topic.Students take turns rolling dice to advance around the board by asking each other questions. Students have to talk for at least one minute to pass their go, otherwise they must return to their previous point on the board. Other students have to think of at least one question to ask the student, or they move back one space. 4. Stick questions up around the classroom to get students in small groups (under four) to stand up and discuss the questions around the class. This may help get your students to talk longer. 5. Arrange your students in small groups of four or five. Write up a question on the board for all groups to talk about. They have two minutes to talk about it before you write up another question to talk about. You decide on the time frame you give them before you change question. 6. Give students a topic and some conversation hints. They have to actually create the questions themselves to ask and discuss. This is good for practising questions.ESL Conversation Lessons Week1 Breaking the Ice Probably the best thing to do when getting a bunch of strangers together for a chat is to find out about each other. Turning this activity into a well-planned ice-breaker or game will not only motivate your students and give them a real purpose but it could end up as a fun activity that will set the scene for the rest of the year. If you have a regular group that is. If your group, like mine, works as a drop in conversation club then you might find that you see new faces each time you get together. In that case would welcome the new face to the class each time and ask for their name and introduce myself before starting the lesson. As with most of the material in this book feel free to use it as you wish adapting or completely taking apart what you find to best suit your class. Below are some icebreakers, some of which can be used at any time during the year. lie Detector This is a fun way to bring out the creative side to your students and get them mixing with each other as well. As with a lot of activities the teacher will demonstrate first. You need to come up with three statements. One is true and others are false. You read them all out aloud and ask students to guess which one they think is the true statement. So for example; 1. have taken flying lessons 2. Ihave lived in Mexico 3. can speak five languages fluently Number two is true for me. | can then tell the students a bit about the truth and invite students to ask me some questions. Give out post it notes to students. Tell them to write down two lies and one truth on their post it note. Students then have to get up and talk with each other and guess which statements are true! | have found this to be a lively ice breaker, fun and a way to get to know your classmates. If you have time you may finish by going round as a class asking a few students to share their facts. Another way to do this activity is to ask each student to write down (at random} two things that are true about him or her and one that is false. Then have the students read their list while the others listen and decide which one they think isa lie, Cycle through all the students.ESL Conversation Lessons Greedy Guts On first day of class pass around a bowl of sweets such as M&Ms and tell students that they are free to take as many as they wish but don't eat them just yet. Go around each student and ask them to tell everyone one thing about themselves for each sweet they have taken. So if they have taken five sweets then they have to say five things about themselves. It’s a fun way to break the ice and get the sugar levels up! The Interview This activity gives students the chance to talk to one other student before learning about the rest of their classmates, ‘+ Put students in pairs. You can handout ¢ list of questions for them to ask each other or ask them. to think of five questions to ask. You could also ask them to use a combination of your questions and ask them to ask a few of their own questions (especially if they finish your questions quickly) Questions What is your name? Where do you live? What do you do in your free time? What's your favourite food? What kind of music do you like? + Let students interview each other for five to ten minutes. + Asa class, ask students to introduce their partner and tell everyone ¢ bit about them. If you have a big class you could limit how long each person speaks by telling them to talk about three interesting facts they learned about their partner.ESL Conversation Lessons Week 2 Customs comparison Cultural Customs can be used as a way to get to know each other and it is a topic we all know something about. This is an interesting and emotive topic to discuss with your students. If you have a multi-cultural class expect a very lively lesson! Here's my lesson. ‘* Tell students that we are going to talk about customs today. Ask what that means for them. Tell them that customs are the cultural ideas that exist in a society, For example, shaking hands, bowing and kissing are ways of greeting each other in different societies. ‘* Write up the following customs from below on the board. Ask students if the statements are true or false for their country and discuss as a class. Ask students what they think of each custom, Are these customs similar to or different from customs in your culture? If different what is considered appropriate in your culture. 1. In Japan it’s the custom to take off your shoes when entering a home. In my country we. 2. In the U.S.A arriving early to a dinner party is not appropriate. In my country we... 3. In Spain, when meeting someone 2 kiss on both cheeks is normal. In my country we. * Hand out the following list to pairs or threes to discuss. Go round the class listening in on discussions. Bring the class back together and discuss the statements with class.ESL Conversation Lessons With a partner discuss how each situation is viewed in your culture. . Saying hello to strangers 2. Opening a door for someone » . Sharing a restaurant bill with a friend S Offering your seat on a bus toa child - Eating food with your mouth open 6. Spitting in public 7. Being drunk in public 8. Using swear words in public or private © Talking about money, for example your salary 10. Discussing religion, politics ete.ESL Conversation Lessons Week 3 Movies/Films A lot of us watch movies, This lesson focuses on getting students talking about the movies they have seen, describing the movie and giving their opinions about it. This is a lesson you should be able to do with most students since most students have seen at least one movie in their life and many will have favourite movies that they want to talk about. This lesson may take longer than one hour depending ‘on how many questions you go through, how many films you want to hear about etc. As always you tallor the lesson to you and your students’ needs. You could extend this lesson over two separate hours. 1. [like to warm the class up by asking some movie related questions to the class. Below are some you can use. You can also hand them out to pairs or threes to ask each other. ‘Also induded ‘questions in card format. Have you seen any good movies lately? What kind of movies do you like? Who are some of your favourite actors? How often do you see movies? Do you usually watch movies at the cinema or watch them at home? How much does it cost to see a movie in your country? What is the best snack to eat during a movie? Who is your favourite movie character? In your country what common courtesies apply when watching a movie at the cinema? Which do you prefer, comedy movies or horror movies? Why? Have you ever seen a movie in another country? Describe the experience. Do you like foreign films that are dubbed in your mother tongue or do you like watching the film in its original form? Do you think there is too much violence in movies? Does it affect children? Would you rather have a part in a movie, or be given £500,000?ESL Conversation Lessons Have you seen any good movies lately? What kind of movies do you like? Who are some of your favourite actors? How often do you see movies? Do you usually watch movies at the cinema or watch them at home? How much does it cost to see 2 movie in your country? What is the best snack to eat during a movie? Who is your favourite movie character? In your country what common courtesies apply when watching a movie at the cinema? Which do you prefer, comedy movies or horror movies? Have you ever seen a movie in another country? Describe the experience. Do you like foreign films that are dubbed in your mother tongue or do you like watching the film in its original form? Do you think there is too much violence in movies? Does it affect children? Would you rather have a part ina movie, or be given £500,000? 2. For part two you will need the ‘At the Movies’ worksheet for students to do in pairs. Students have to think of a movie and describe it to their partner without revealing the name of theESL Conversation Lessons movie or characters. Before giving them the movie worksheet | like to run through some vocabulary from the sheet. For example | would ask them about what ‘genre’ means and elicit some examples. | would write up the examples (horror, comedy, etc.) on the board. Once you feel that students understand the idea, give them the worksheet to work through in pairs. As the students discuss you should visit each pair or listen in and offer suggestions. The other alternative is to use the ‘At the Movies’ worksheet for a team game. Instead of pairing students, put them into groups. You make two teams (or more if you have a larger class). For round one each team has to nominate a student to describe a movie to their own team. They can’t mention any names or titles that could give away the movie title. Their team gets a point if they guess the movie name correctly. The whole class can listen to each team take their turn guessing. Have as many rounds as you want depending on class size and time. 10ESL Conversation Lessons At the Movies! Think of a movie and describe it to your partner. Don’t tell your partner the name of the movie, nor names of characters; they have to guess the movie. Use the worksheet to help you. Components of a Movie Gewre What kind of movie is it? Actors/Star: Who's in it? Who stars in it? Settia/Backgroud Where does it take place? When does it take place? Plot/Story What's it about? What happens in it? Clinax. How does it end? What happens in it? Important Language/Examples Ws a.comedy. It’s a horror. It’s a romance. Wsascrfi It’s 0 thriller. _isinit. stars init Tom Cruise is init. Ws set in, Ittakes place___ Ws set in London. It takes place in the 1920's It takes place in space. Ws about, who. W's about two people who fall in love on a sinking ship. It’s about a giant gorilla that rampages though a city. In the end the ship sinks. In the end the villain is sent to jail. aESL Conversation Lessons Week 4 Predictions Students predict what events and changes might happen in the future. Start by asking the class some warm up questions below before handing out the worksheet. ‘+ Where do you see yourself in ten years? ‘+ Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Why? ‘* Inwhat ways do you think life will be better in the future? © Inwhat ways will it be worse? Next hand out the prediction worksheet to pairs/small groups or to everyone to discuss as a class if under seven students. If in pairs, wrap up the discussion together as a class by discussing what they talked about. Ihave added the questions in a list format and also as a worksheet format if you wish to cut out the cards for students to take turns to turn over. This helps to randomise the order of the questions more. loften use the list format for pairs, handing out a sheet to both students. The cards can be cut out and mixed up face down for small groups of students. 210, 1. 12, 13, 14, 15, ESL Conversation Lessons Future Pre ions Discuss the questions with a partner. Give your opinion on each statement. Remember to ask each other follow up questions There will be no cash in the future. Everything, including financial details, medical records, qualifications and much more will be on one ‘smart card’. Do you think people will ive longer? What is positive or negative about it? Do you think aliens will ever visit the Earth? When? What will happen? The world will have only one official religion. There will be a world president one day. The UK will leave the European Union. International borders will disappear. Will robots ever replace humans? If so, in what way? How do you think your country will change in the future? Do you think life will be easier or more difficult for our children? How? There will be another world war. People will be cloned so they never die. Flying cars will solve the problem of traffic jams. Do you think the world will become overpopulated? Global warming will destroy many animal species even humans 3BESL Conversation Lessons Future Predictions Discuss the questions with a partner. Give your opinion on each statement. Remember to ask each other follow up questions There will be no cash in the future. Everything, including financial details, medical records, qualifications and much more will be on one “smart card’. Do you think people will ive longer? What is positive or negative about it? ‘The world will have ‘The UK will leave ‘nly one official ao you think aliens will vou religion ever visit the Earth? when? the European Union, ‘What will happen? International borders will disappear How do you think your country will change in the future? There will be a world president one dey Flying cars will Global warming will solve the problem destroy many animal of trafficjams species even humans Will robots ever replace humans? If so, in what way? Do you think the world will become overpopulated? Do you think life willbe easier ar more difficult for our children? How? There will be another world war People will be cloned so they never die uESL Conversation Lessons Week 5 Students’ Questions In this lesson students decide what they want to talk about. Give students three slips of paper and ask them to write down three topics which they want to talk about in class. They could be anything, for example, what you did last weekend, your favourite food, a time you had a lot of fun. Pass around a cup for them to put in their slips of paper with topics. Tell them that the topics are anonymous and no-one knows who contributed what. Once everyone has written their three topics and put them in the cup, pick a topic out to demonstrate the exercise. You, as the cup holder start by picking out a topic. You read out the topic and ask a question to anyone about that topic. You lead the discussion and ask questions trying to get people talking. Some discussions will get better response than others so move on to the next topic if see you see students struggling. Pace the activity so that all students get a chance to moderate and ask questions. This activity can be done as a whole class activity or in small groups. 15ESL Conversation Lessons Week 6 Food (Part one) Food is another topic that should create some interest among students. Many of us love to eat and want to share our foodie experiences with others. | have found that students have a lot to say about food from their home countries and in a mixed nationality class you should hear plenty of discussion about national dishes. This class can be delivered over two sessions due to the volume of material. You can be selective with the material and shorten or lengthen the class as you wish. ‘* [start off with some general warm up questions (maybe two or three] about food to the class as a whole. See below for some examples. Don't ask too many questions now as the next exercise Involves questions in pairs. I have added the questions in a list format and also as a worksheet format if you wish to cut out the cards for students to take turns to turn over. This helps to randomise the order of the questions more. 16ESL Conversation Lessons Food warm up questions to ask class 1, Whatisa typical meal from your country? 2. Do you think a vegetarian diet is better than a diet that includes meat? 3. How many meals do you usually eat every day? 4, What fruit do you eat the most often? 5. Whatis the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Did it taste good or bad? 6. Whatis your favourite dessert? 7. Are there any foods that you wouldn't eat as a child that you eat now? 7ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about FOOD What's your favourite food? How often do you eat it? Do you prefer to eat at a restaurant or at home? Why? How often do you eat ina restaurant? Describe an everyday meal from your country and tell how toprepare it. ‘Which country do you think has the best food? What food do you refuse to eat? Why? Do you think fast food, soda and sweets should be sold in school canteens? Do you like to eat junk food? Why/Why not? What are the most popular dishes in your country? ‘What do people usually eat on a special holiday (like New Year)? Do you take vitamin pills? Why/Why not? Do you think a vegetarian diet is better than a diet that includes meat? Ifyou visited a country where people ate snake or dog, would you try it? Have you ever eaten insects or snails? ‘Would you like to try them? Can you cook well? What is the last dish you cooked? ‘What's the strangest food you have ever eaten? Describe the exoerience. Do you prefer your own country’s food or other kinds of food? Is there a pet in your family? What does iteat? 18ESL Conversation Lessons Week 7 Food (Part two) For part two of this class we will be going through cooking verbs with the aim of getting students to tell everyone about a recipe that they know. Hopefully everyone knows a recipel It can be as basic as making cereal. | like to make sure that students know the following cooking verbs before we start this activity. ‘+ First | show the students the flash cards of the cooking verbs, asking students for the answer. After each picture | write up or pin up the name of the verb for all to be seen. Then to conclude 1 do a quick review asking each student to name a random verb showing the flash card. Flash cards can be downloaded from http://estconversationclub.com/2016/03/es!-conversation-lessons- instant. skin soltefleflesoles-approved Veros taught are: Peel Grate cut Slice Sieve Break Scramble Stir knead Fry Boil Add Pour Spread ‘* Next, for pairs, cut up the worksheet below for students to practice. Each student will have a different recipe to practice in pairs. They take turns describing the actions. When they finish describing the pictures ask them to tell each other about a recipe they know and how to make it ‘+ To finish, as a group ask 2 few students to describe a recipe they know, preferably from their home country to share with everyone. They can describe how to make it to everyone in the class. 19ESL Conversation Lessons ‘and cucumber sandwich — “Ay 4) Nhe AH SW SP gi? SY wy 2 3 id 4 ye : # / NO, ee, oh fp “a OG gi/ «air aESL Conversation Lessons Week 8 Nelson Mandela In December 2013 Nelson Mandela died. | decided to do a lesson that month about Nelson Mandela to honour the great man's memory. | work in a multi-cultural institution with students from every corner of the world imaginable. | know that many teachers study Nelson Mandela with their students so my conversationalists know all about him! Your students might not know so much so this would be a great way of educating them about the great man. | have included a brief text about him as part of the lesson. ‘+ Warm up questions to ask whole class. Do you remember the news about Nelson Mandela's death? How did you feel? Whatis Nelson Mandela famous for? Do you know the meaning of “apartheid”? Do you know why Nelson Mandela went to prison? Take a guess how long he spent in jail? Why do you think Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize? What will Nelson Mandela be remembered for? aM ewne ‘* Handout the text below (Nelson Mandela ~ A Biography] and ask some students to each read a sentence or paragraph each about Nelson Mandela aloud to the class. © After reading, ask them what they thought about Nelson Mendela and then continue with discussion questions below. This can be done in pairs or together if the class is small. Post reading discussion questions 1. What kind of political system do you have in your country? Can you vote? What age do you have to be tovote? Who are the most famous political heroes in your country? Why are they famous? Do you think it is possible to make big changes in a political system peacefully? wn 4, Do you know of any other famous people who protested peacefully that made big changes in their countries? 5. What characteristics do heroes share? aESL Conversation Lessons Nelson Mandela — A Biography Nelson Mandela's life was spent fighting for racial equality. He was, and will always be, one of the world's most respected and revered politicians; he stood up for his beliefs and devoted his life to his cause. Born Rolihlahia Mandela on July 18" 1918 in Mvesko, Transkei in South Africa, Mandela was the son of the principal counsellor to The King of Thembu people. After his father died in 1930, he became a ward of the King and lived at the Great Place in Mqhekezeweni. It was here that he heard stories of war and resistance and this sparked his political interest. name He attended primary school in Qunu and his teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave him ‘Nelson’ as all students had to have a Christian name. Later in his education, he went to study at the University College of Fort Hare, however he was thrown out for joining a student protest. He was forced to go back to the King at Great Place who told him to finish his degree otherwise he would arrange a wife for him. He fled to Johannesburg in 1941 and started a job as a mine security officer and then later worked for an attorney firm. He finished his degree at the University of South Africa and returned to Fort Hare in 1943 for his graduation. In 1944, he joined the African National Congress and helped form the ANC youth league aimed to combat political racism, sexism and other inequality. At this time he also married his first wife, Evelyn Mase who worked as a nurse. They had two sons and two daughters together, however the couple were to later divorce in 1958. The ANC created the Program of Action which exercised strikes, protests and non- violent resistance to inequality in 1949. In 1952, Mandela was made Chief Volunteer of the ANC's Defiance Campaign against 6 unfair laws. He was arrested and charged under the Suppression of Communism act, suspended for 2 years and sentenced to 9 months hard labour. In this year however he began studying a diploma which would allow him to practise law. He set up the first South African black law firm - Mandela & Tambo. 22ESL Conversation Lessons However, Mandela was arrested again in 1955 which resulted in The Treason Trial for which he was acquitted in 1961. During the trial, he married his second wife, Winnie Madikizella. They had 2 daughters. In 1962, he secretly left South Africa under the name David Motsamayi. He travelled Africa and England seeking support for freedom of black people. He received military training at this time by visiting Morocco and Ethiopia. He was arrested again on returning to South Africa because of his mission and was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, however in 1988 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was eventually released from prison in 1990 when the ANC was free to practise again. He became the ANC president and won the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside President FW de Klerk in 1993. He was able to vote for the first time on April 27" 1994 and later that year became the first black South African president. He married his 3” wife, Graca Machel on his 80” birthday. Mandela stepped down as president in 1999 and devoted the rest of his life to working on the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Mandela Rhodes Founda 2013. n. He died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5" 23ESL Conversation Lessons Week 9 Festivals I think most cultures have festivals of some sort so this is something most students will be able to talk about. | like to do this class around the time of a festival or celebration such as Christmas. | have many Muslim students so I would also be able to ask them about Ramadan. If you prefer to avoid religious festivals then there are still other festivals you could use. The Rio Carnival (Brazil), Chinese New Year (China), La Tomatina (Spainjare some examples. If you have a multi-cultural class then you should find there will be plenty of conversation between students about their different festivals and celebrations. If you have a mono-lingual class then perhaps you could do a quick internet search to find out what some of the main festivals are in that country if you find that your students need some prompting | start with some warm up questions to get students thinking about ideas. Here are some examples. ‘* Why do people celebrate Christmas/Ramadan/Diwali/ any festival? * Do you celebrate Christmas/Ramadan/Diwali/any festivals? Ithen hand out the Festivals worksheet below. Discuss in pairs/threes or as a class if it’s small. 24ESL Conversation Lessons Conversation questions about festivals and celebrations 1. What are some of the most popular festivals or celebrations in your country? When are the popular festivals celebrated? Are they celebrated as a family or a group? Are festivals in your country religious holidays? Is attending a temple or a church on that day part of the celebration? Are there special foods connected with the celebrations? \s gift giving a part of these festivals? Are there specific types of gifts to be given? eo ornanupun What are some of the things that are done at this festival or celebra 10.Do you enjoy the festival? 11.What activities normally take place at festivals? 12.Do you decorate your house for the celebration? 13.Are there special songs associated with the celebration? 14.Are there different festivals held in different regions within your country? 15.Do you celebrate New Year's Eve in your country? 16.Do you enjoy going to festivals? Why / Why not? 25ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about FESTIVALS ‘What are some of the most popular festivals or celebrations in your country? ‘Are festivals in your country religious holidays? When are the popular festivals celebrated? Is attending a temple ora church on that day part of the celebration? Is gift giving a part of these festivals? Do you enjoy the festival? Are there specific types of gifts to be given? What activities normally take place at festivals? Are there special songs associated with the celebration? Are there different festivals held in different regions within your country? Do you decorate your house for the celebration? Do you enjoy going to festivals? Why / Why not? Do you celebrate New Year's Eve in your country? ‘Are there special foods connected with the celebrations? Do you celebrate New Year's Eve in your country? Are they celebrated as a family or a group? 26ESL Conversation Lessons Week 10 New Year's resolutions Many cultures celebrate their new year at different times to our January 1% date here in the UK. However I do like to kick off the year in motivational mode with @ conversation about New Year's resolutions. Rather than it being a conversation about New Year's traditions | like to focus on what sort of resolutions my students want to make for the New Year and discuss the year ahead. Some may not even know what a New Year resolution is so | would have to explain the idea behind it to them. 1. Ask students what they understand by the following phrases. (On the board write To make a resolution To keep a resolution To break a resolution Explain what each phrase means. “To make a resolution means to make a promise to yourself to do something that year. For example to stop smoking or to lose weight ~ To keep a resolution means that you don’t give up on that resolution. - To break a resolution means that you give up on the resolution you made at the start of the year. 2. In pairs or as a class, ask students to talk about what they think are the most popular resolutions which are made by people each year. Below are some examples. You can write them on the board. Ask which ones would be most difficult to keep. Have you ever tried to do any of these things at other times of the year? Were you successful? | will spend more time with the family Iwill get fit | will lose weight | will stop smoking | will enjoy life more | will stop drinking alcohol | will get out of debt | will learn something new | will volunteer to help others | will get organised 71 ESL Conversation Lessons Hand out the question cards below in pairs or small groups if you have a large class. Do people in your country usually make New Year's Resolutions? Was last year a good year for you? In what way or why not? What do you look forward to about New Year celebrations? ‘What New Year's resolutions do you have? Will you keep them? What could happen for this year to be the best ever? ‘What things did you put off doing last year? Will you start helping others more this year? How can we help those in need? What is your biggest aim this year and why? ‘What do you think 2016 will be like? Do you think there will be more, happler stories this year in the news? Why is the news full of bad stories? What do you think was the most significant news story of the year? What have been the best and worst years of your life? What will the world's biggest problems be in 2016? What do you want world leaders to do this year? Here are some popular New Year Resolutions, Would you like to do any of them? quit smoking, eat more healthily, do more exercise, lose weight, learn a language What questions would you like to ask a world leader about 2016? What are some New Year's resolutions you have made in the past? Did you celebrate New Year's Eve? What did you do? 28ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS ‘At the start of a new year, people often promise themselves to go on diets, study harder, work less, and so on. Why do you think people do this at this time of the year? IF you could make three wishes for the next year which would definitely come true, what would you wish for? ‘Which time of year do you like best? ‘Can you think of two things you were happy about from last year? 29ESL Conversation Lessons Week 11&12 Health Health is an important topic for many of my students as it is really important for them to know how to speak about their health in case they need to visit the doctor or hospital. Many of my students are immigrants who speak little English but have young children and obviously being able to communicate about health related issues is very important. | often find my students enthused to talk about health. | usually spread this topic over two or even three classes, depending on interest and demand but any longer and you risk your students tiring of a topic that is talked about too much in one go. ‘+ To start | like to ask a general question to the whole class about health and fitness. | ask students if they think that they are very healthy. | then write up on the board, ‘10 tips for people who want to get fit &healthy’, You can either write the ideas in a list or as a spider diagram. List building (eliciting relevant vocabulary) Is a great way to get students thinking and to warm them up. It prepares them for the ‘heavier’ questions later on. Next my heavier questions come in the form of a health worksheet as shown below. | hand these out and students practise in pairs. | will circulate as usual, listening in and adding to their conversation. 30ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about Health Have you ever been very ill? Talk about it? When was the last time you went to the doctor/dentist/hospital? Why did you go? Medicine should be free for all people. Do you agree? Isa doctor's visit or a stay in hospital expensive? In the UK? In your country? Does your country have good medical healthcare? How is your health? What health problems do you worry about the most? What do you do to keep fit and healthy? Have you ever stopped doing something for your health? What is the best way to deal with stress? Talk about your experiences. What are some health issues in the news right now? Discuss how important they are. Have you had any vaccines? If so, against which diseases? Are you afraid of needles? What sports can be damaging to your health? In what way? What are the healthiest sports? What are the main causes of death? Are they the same for younger and alder people? What are the worst jobs for your health? What about the best ones? Is being a doctor or nurse a good job? Would you like to do this job? why? Why do women generally live longer than men in most countries? With the benefit of your experience, what three pieces of health advice would you give a young person? What are some of the types of traditional remedies used in your country? Do you think they are effective? Why do you think so many famous people use drugs? If someone has a cold should they struggle in to work or school and infect everybody or should they be lazy and stay at home? 31ESL Conversation Lessons Next Is a role play activity called “Remedies”. Students can do this in pairs. One student plays the doctor and the other the patient. The patients have a collection of ailments. They can choose one of them to act out. Tell students to imagine they have this ailment and are visiting the doctor to help them, Tell them to describe the issue to the doctor without saying the name of the ailment. The doctor listens, asks questions and has to diagnose the problem. Once diagnosed they can offer advice to the patients on what they should do. They can take turns playing the doctor and patient. 32Remedies © Tell the doctor your symptoms. © Don’t say the name of your illness. ESL Conversation Lessons = Seeif the doctor can diagnose the illness and advise you what to do. Ailment: Ailment: inuerierite Fever Flu Toothache Allment: Ailment: Ailment: Sore Throat Migraine Indigestion Ailment: Ailment: Sprained Ailment: Hangover Ankle SunburnESL Conversation Lessons Week 13 Survival ‘The survival lesson is a fun way to talk about hypothetical situations with students. It's a “What would you do if...” type of class and allows your students to use their imagination a bit. There are two separate parts to this lesson and you may do both or either one completely separately if you wish. ‘The first activity poses the question, “The world is going to end in twelve hours, what would you do?” You can ask students this question as a class to get them thinking about the topic. The following task is about the world ending and the students’ task of selecting ten people to continue the human race elsewhere. From a list of ten people students have to choose their best 5 people with reasons why they chose each person. Each person has a strength and fiaw. It’s not such an easy task but one that should get them discussing which candidates merit a ticket off earth. | first introduce the characters to the whole class though this can be time consuming. To make the task mare realistic you could use real people's faces for each name. (Stick the photos to a wall or board) hand out the worksheet to groups of up to four depending on class size. | ask groups to decide among themselves (using votes if they have to} to select their candidates. When everyone has finished deciding | ask groups to declare which candidates they chose and why and try to come toa consensus of the overall best candidates for the trip. Download the worksheet from htto://eslconversationclub.com/2016/03/esI-conversation-lessons-instant-lessons-get-english- language-students-talking-esolteflefiesolesl-approved, 34Worthy Candidates ESL Conversation Lessons The world is going to end in twelve hours, what would you do? The year is 2080 the world has suffered a terrible nuclear explosion and only ten people have survived it, There is a spaceship to take people to another world to start a new life, but there is only room for five people. Below isa list of the people’s gender, age, job and important information about them. Choose five people from the list that you think will have the most successful chance of surviving? Carlos, male, aged 44, a doctor + has 30 years’ experience as a doctor - is blind. Mark, male, aged 29, a builder +is very strong has anger management issues Maria, female, aged 24, model +is very attractive -very high maintenance Mehmet, male, aged 34, investment banker + excellent at mathematics, strong minded -was in prison for corruption Rob, male, aged 32, policeman + army trained, friendly, law-abiding ~ has manic depression Henry, male, aged 40, farmer + excellent knowledge of farming ~ an alcoholic Su Ling, female, aged 30, teacher + isalso a famous cook in China - cannot speak any other language Diego, male, aged 62, religious leader + caring, selfless and kind hearted - developed arthritis in both hands Sarah, female, aged 35, scientist + lived in a forest for 10 years, -\s pregnant Narmada, female, aged 30, nurse + knows how to make clean water ~is unable to have childrenESL Conversation Lessons Week 14 Advice People love to advise others on issues and problems and give their opinions. This lesson should provide you with many possibilities for your students to create. ‘+ You could start the class by asking if anyone has ever read an advice column or know what an advice column is. Ideally the teacher would bring in an example from a newspaper to show the students and read it out. They could offer advice for the problem. ‘* On the board write up an example problem/issue and ask cass for advice. Write up some responses. For example; | failed my English exam. What should | do? Write up students responses or offer some of your own if they don’t have any. For example; You should study harder. You should talk to your teacher about areas you need to improve You should use the internet as an extra resource. ‘+ Next hand out the ‘Giving Advice’ worksheet to pairs of students. Students take turns asking and answering questions from the worksheet. Give students 20-30 minutes depending on length of your class. As a class go through (some) questions and get answers from students. ‘* Now ask students to write down two or three problems of their own. Do activity as a class, asking for volunteers to read out their problems and others to come up with solutions to their problems, ‘+ Ifyou have time hand out the ‘Advice Questions’ sheet for a general class discussion about the topic of advice or do it in a separate lesson. 36ESL Conversation Lessons Giving Advice What are some things you should do to improve your English? What should politicians do to make your country 4 better place? What should ordinary people do? What should people do to be happy? What is one huge problem with the world? What should be done to fix it? Think of one major problem facing your country. What should be done to fix it? | want to make a lot of money, give me some advice. | just saw a man steal a woman's purse, what should | do? | just cut myself really badly, what should | do? | want to be healthier, give me some advice. | don't know what | want to do in the future, what should | do? What advice you will give your children? What foods should people eat a lot of to be healthy? What advice can you give me to improve my cooking? | want something fun to do at the weekend. What should | do? | won £100,000 and | don't know how to spend it. What should | do? | gained a lot of weight in last few years. | want to lose at least 10kg. What should | do? Ihave a job interview in English next week. How should | prepare for it? Think of one problem you have and ask your class mates for advice 37ESL Conversation Lessons Advice Questions 1. Are you good at giving advice? Do many people come to you with their problems? 2. If you could go back in time and give your younger self some advice, what would it be? 3. What advice will you give your children? 4. Do you have any regrets about the decisions you have made in life? What advice do you wish you had been given? 5. Did your parents give you good advice when you were younger? What was it? 6. What advice would you give the leader of your country? 7. What is the best/worst piece of advice you have ever been given? & Are you the kind of person who listens to other peoples’ advice? Why/why not? 9. Has anyone ever given you the wrong advice? What happened? 10. Have you ever given the wrong advice? Tell the story. 11. Are men or women better at giving advice? 12. What's the best piece of advice you could give anyone? 38ESL Conversation Lessons Week 15 Would you Rather “Would you Rather’ is a light hearted game where students have to state what they would rather do out of two quite extreme options. For example, students are asked if they would rather be able to speak with animals or be able to speak every language in the world. | have found this activity to work well with younger leamers though you may use it with all. | have uploaded a colourful PowerPoint of the activity to the website for you to download and use. | have listed a text only version of the questions below in alist and card format. Feel free to amend or add your own questions to the game. Link- ftep://esiconversationclub.com/2016/03/esI-conversation-lessons-instant-essons-get-english-language- students-talking-esoltefleflesoles! approved Instructions ¢ Ask students if they have heard the phrase, “would you rather” before. Explain that the phrase is asking you, which out of two options, would you prefer. * Write up an example question on the board. You can use one from the PowerPoint or make one up. For example, would you rather get up early or stay up late? Ask students what they would rather do and why. ‘+ You can play the game together as a class or pair up students. It’s up to you. As a class | would suggest projecting the PowerPoint slides on the board if you can. You can go through the slides asking the whole class the questions and asking students to put their hand up for their choice. You could record the figures to see how many people choose what. | would ask students from each answer why they chose they particular response. 39ESL Conversation Lessons WOULD yd) RATHER? Would you rather.. be able to fly or be invisible? be talented at all musical instruments or be talented at all sports? ‘work mare hours per day but less days or work less hours per day, but more days? forget who you are or forget who everyone else is? If you won $1 billion, would you rather keep it all and share none of it or give it to people who don’t have much? only be able to whisper or only be able to shout? have no arms or no legs? cdo the laundry or the dishes? be telepathic or be psychokinetic? meet your great grandchildren or your ancestors? 40ESL Conversation Lessons ... have a cup that has a never-ending drink (of your choice) or have a briefcase that can change into any machine of your choice? «be able to end all hunger and disease or be able to make world peace happen forever? «be able to talk with animals or be able to speak all foreign languages? follow your dreams, work hard, and achieve your dreams later in life or would you rather get rich now? e in a simpler time without electricity, plumbing, medicine or live in a polluted, crowded future without disease or hunger? .winter every day of your life or summer everyday of your life? =-have the ability to read minds? (You will be illiterate) or have just have the ability to read? be the richest person on the planet or be immortal? know the date of your death or cause of your death? 41ESL Conversation Lessons Would you rather... Would you rather... ..be able to fly or be invisible? Would you rather... Would you rather... ..be talented at all musical instruments or be talented at all sports? Would you rather... ..work more hours per day but less days or work less hours per day, but more days? Would you rather... forget who you are or forget who everyone else is? If you won $1 billion, would you rather......keep it all and share none of it or give it to people who don’t have much? Would you rathei ..only be able to whisper or only be able to shout? ‘Would you rather... .-have no arms or no legs? Would you rather... .-do the laundry or the dishes? Would you rather... -.be telepathic or be psychokinetic? Would you rather... meet your great grandchildren or your ancestors? Would you rather... .. have a cup that has a never-ending drink (of your choice) or have a briefcase that can change into any machine of your choice? Would you rathei ...be able to end all hunger and disease or be able to make world peace happen forever? Would you rather... be able to talk with animals or be able to speak all foreign languages? Would you rather... ..follow your dreams, work hard, and achieve your dreams later in life or would you rather get rich now? Would you rather... .nlive in 2 simpler time without electricity, plumbing, medicine or live in a polluted, crowded future without disease or hunger? aESL Conversation Lessons Would you rather... winter every day of your life or summer everyday of your life? Would you rather... Have the ability to read minds? (You will be illterate.} or have just have the ability to read? Would you rather... ..be the richest person on the planet or be immortal? Would you rather... .-know the date of your death or cause of your death? 43ESL Conversation Lessons Week 16 Past simple questions ‘The past simple should not be underestimated, There are many topics people can talk about in the past simple. ‘The worksheet can be used in pairs or to discuss as @ class if your group is small enough. Warm up, ‘Ask students to think of something they did last weekend. It can be anything, even something simple such as “I watched the football game” or “I went out to eat”. Give your own example. | would write up the above examples on the board. | now ask students to question me about these two events. You could write up some What, Where, When, Why and How words on one side of the board to help them think of questions. Write up the questions on the board and answer them as they are being asked. Now you are going to repeat the procedure but with a student writing up what they did, Tell them to write something simple. The rest of the class are going to ask questions about it. If you want students to practise their writing you could ask them to write up their questions on the board. If you feel you want them to concentrate on speaking then they don’t have to do that. Afterwards continue to questioning exercise from worksheet below. 4aESL Conversation Lessons Talking about THE PAST What was your country like when | Describe your experience of having you were a child? children? What advice would you give to new parents these days? How is life today different from life | Talk about your best holiday if you have 100 years ago? hadone, Give examples. Think of a major news story of the _| Think of three things that didn’t exist 25 recent past. years ago. What did people do without Tell itin your own words. them? Talk about your last birthday. Think about the first job you ever had. What did you do? Did youhavea__| What wasit? party? Talk about this experience Talk about an important event in | Talk about a hobby you used to have your life. What happened? when you were younger. Do youthink the past was better | What did you do last weekend? than the present? Why? Ifyou could travel in time, to what _| Talk about a big historical event in your time would you go and why? country. What type of games did you play When was the first time you used the when you were a child? internet? How was it? What was your best memory from | Have you ever performed in public? (Sing when you were 2 child? on stage, play music, act ina play, speak in public, etc.) 45,ESL Conversation Lessons Week 17 How honest are you? This lesson looks at honesty and asks students how honest would they be in certain situations. While it is @ bit of fun some students may have strong opinions about it. | start the lesson by introducing the topic with a few warm up questions below. ‘+ What do we mean when we say a person is honest? © Whyis honesty important? + When have you had times when people have been dishonest with you? ‘+ How do feel when you have been dishonest with someone? ‘+ Howdo you feel when someone has been dishonest with you? Then hand out a question sheet with questions to discuss as a class (or in pairs if you have a large eroup). 46Talking about HONESTY ESL Conversation Lessons IF you found a wallet with £200 would you return it? If someone gave you too much change would you tell them? IF you accidently left a store without paying for one item, would you return and pay? If you received someone else's mail by accident would you open it? IF your best friends new clothes look really bad on them and they ask if they look ok, would you say what you really think? Have you recently called in sick to work/school but not really been ill? Have you recently told someone you didn't do something you really did? Ifyou were caught speeding would you lie to the officer if you knew the lie would work? IF you got drunk one night and kissed someone you didn't mean to, would you tell your partner? Your partner buys you new shoes and asks if you like them. You can see that they are excited about them but you don’t like them, Would you be honest with your answer? a7ESL Conversation Lessons Week 18 Fear worksheet Everyone has experienced fear in their life and this lesson looks at this emotion, This lesson focuses on ‘questions relating to fear. You may use any of the questioning methods to present this lesson. Warm up, ‘Asa warm up write up the word ‘fear’ on the board. Ask students to name some common things people fear and write them up. Ask them why people fear these things 48ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about FEARS What are you scared of? What's your biggest fear in life? Are you afraid that it might come true? ‘Are you afraid of going to the dentist or the doctor? What were you afraid of when you were a child? Do you ever have nightmares (bad dreams)? What are they about? ‘Are you afraid of ghosts or monsters? ‘Why or why not? What animals do you think are scary? Why? How do you react when you see something frightening? What's the most frightening experience you've ever had? How can you overcome your fears? Do you like horror movies? Do you think children should be allowed to watch horror movies? Were you afraid of the dark as a child? Some people are terrified of speaking in public. Are you? Have you ever seen a TV show where people face their fears for money? (e.g. Fear Factor) Would you do this? Are you afraid of speaking English? Are you afraid of dying? Explain why or why not. What things make you nervous? Are you afraid of getting sick? What diseases are you most afraid of? 49ESL Conversation Lessons Week 19 Smoking A lot of people have opinions about smoking. Some think it should be banned while others say that people have the right to choose. This lesson focuses on an article about smoking in cars with children which the British government banned in 2015. There are sone warm up questions and activities with this too. This lesson could be used over two classes if students get involved enough. You may decide to include or exclude certain parts of the lesson depending on your time arrangements. ‘* Draw a cigarette on the board and elicit vocabulary about smoking. Ask the students if they smoke and why or why not. Tell them that we are going to discuss smoking in cars. Some examples: tobacco, smoke, cigarette, ash, inhale, breathe, cough, cancer, relax, lungs, give up / quit, lighter, cigar, butt, addictive, puff ete ‘© Ask the students to discuss the statements below about child health briefly In pairs for 5 minutes. Bring back the class together to discuss. CHILD HEALTH: Which of these are the unhealthiest for children? ‘Passive smoking * Fiey / soft drinks * Television Pollution ‘* Not enough exercise «Arguing parents ‘Junk food = Bullying 50ESL Conversation Lessons As a class read the article (provided at end of this lesson) asking different students to read a different sentence aloud. Then ask the class this question, “Should people be allowed to smoke in their car if they want to?” Discuss the article briefly with the class to find out people's general opinion to smoking in cars. ‘Ask students the following questions after reading the article. If you have a larger class put students into pairs or threes to discuss the questions. Questions Do you agree with the new law? What is your opinion on smoking? Why do people like to smoke? What can the government do to stop smoking? Should people be free to smoke without government interference? Should smoking be banned in all public areas? Are cigarettes similar to drugs? What smoking laws are there in your country? Will people stop smoking eventually one day? What else should we ban from cars? For example, mobile phones. sESL Conversation Lessons Britain bans smoking in private cars — 1 October 2015 A recent law introduced in England has made it illegal to smoke inside enclosed cars in the company of minors (under 18). Many studies suggest that smoke exhaled from tobacco products could be almost as harmful to children as smoke inhaled directly. The aim of the new law is to reduce occurrences of this passive smoking by children. Such second-hand smoke contains a cocktail of harmful chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens. The British Government, which has examined the relevant research, believes that transporting children in smoke-filled family cars could be storing up health problems for the future. Prime Minister, David Cameron, in support of the bid to reduce harm to children, noted that the relatively small space inside most private cars fills up with smoke all too quickly. However, not everyone has welcomed the new legislation. Smoker's groups claim that ged unnecessarily, and that the tobacco smokers’ freedoms have once more been in list of public places in which smoking is already banned is becoming ever more prohibitive. Some lawmakers are worried about the extent of future bans, which might prevent smokers lighting up, even when alone in their own cars. However the Government's health minister stood firm, telling reporters, “The liberty to smoke in your car in front of a child doesn’t seem to me that important and protecting a child’s health does seem to me to be incredibly important.” The ban does not apply to e-cigarettes or other vapour produ ig products. 52ESL Conversation Lessons Week 20 Read all about it! “Read all about it!” is a lesson that gets students talking about current affairs and stories in the newspapers. | think reading newspapers is a great way to get students not only learning English but to gain an understanding of a culture by seeing what people are reading about in that country and what is of general interest. This lesson aims to get students to use their imagination, read and summarise what they have read. | love this lesson as it's a lesson that you can repeat each week and is great if you run short of ideas or need a lesson at the last minute. It involves you finding some newspaper articles. These can be from real newspapers or online newspapers. You will need to first search for articles that are appropriate for your students’ level of English and interests or needs. Quite often | use unusual stories that the students can have a laugh about. If you are teaching in a country that doesn't have good access to English language newspapers then using online news source is your best bet. | have listed some good resources for articles below. Ideally you need an article with a picture, You can start by showing the group each of the images from the articles. Explain to the students that the images are from newspaper articles. For each image ask all students what they think is the story behind the image. Ask them where they think it is, why something is happening, when it happened, etc. Tell students that you are going to give them different articles relating to the images that they have lust been shown. Next hand out the articles to pairs so that each pair is reading something different. The pairs can read together and help each other with vocabulary. When students have finished reading ask pairs to tell people about what they have read and give their opinion on it. You can discuss the article with the class. Resources http://web.orange.co.uk/p/news/quirkies http://www.guardian.co.uk; http://www.independent.co.ul http://edition.cnn.com/ 53ESL Conversation Lessons Week 21 Social Issues ‘Ask students what social issues are. Tell them that “asocial issue refers to an issue that influences a considerable number of individuals within o society”. Ask students about the social problems in their home countries? Hand out the question sheet to pairs and let them discuss as many as they can for thirty minutes. Call the class back together and discuss the questions if there is time. 5410, 4L. 12, 13, ESL Conversation Lessons Social Problems Are there many homeless people where you live? In your country? Are there welfare benefits in your country? Are they similar to the UX? Who takes care of the elderly when they are no longer able to care for themselves? Are nursing homes a good idea? Do you agree that teachers should use corporal punishment (hitting students) to discipline students? What are some reasons people use illegal drugs? Should we limit the number of new immigrants to this country? Have you ever experienced discrimination? Talk about it. What are some things people can do to eliminate discrimination and prejudice? |s drinking alcohol a social problem in your country? Should drinking be allowed outdoors (parks, squares, and streets)? Do you think people should be allowed to smoke in public buildings? What is graffiti? Where do you see it? Why do some people think graffiti is a problem for society? Why are some countries poor? How can the rich countries help the poor countries? Should parents be allowed to hit their children? Should a woman have the right to end an unwanted pregnancy? 55.ESL Conversation Lessons Social Problems 14. Are police or politicians corrupt in your country? How? 15. What can we do to fix and possibly prevent social problems? Who can help fix social problems? 16. Which is better? * Ahigh tax economy which distributes money to education and health. or + Alow tax economy where people pay for private services. 17. Do you believe in the individual's right to own guns? Do people own guns in your country? 18. How can the rate of crime be reduced? 56ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about SOCIAL PROBLEMS Are there many homeless people where you live? in your country? Are there welfare benefits in your country? Are they similar to the UK? Who takes care of the elderly when they are no longer able to care for themselves? Ara nursing homes a good idea? Do you agree that teachers should use corporal punishment (hitting students) to discipline students? What are some reasons people use illegal drugs? IMMIGRATION Should we limit the number of new immigrants to thie country? Have you ever experienced discrimination? Talk aboutit What are some things people can do to eliminate discrimination and prejudice? Is drinking alcohol a social problem in your country? Should drinking be allowed outdoors (parks, squares, and streets)? Do you think people should be allowed to smoke in public buildings? What is graffiti? Where do you see it? Why do some people think graffiti is @ problem for society? Why are some countries poor? How can the rich countries help the poor countries? Should parents be allowed to hit their children? 57ESL Conversation Lessons ABORTION Should a woman have the right to end an unwanted pregnancy? Are police or politicians corrupt in your country? How? What can we do to fix and possibly prevent social problems? Who can help fix social problems? Which is better? * Ahigh tax economy which distributes money to education and health. ‘+ Alow tax economy where people pay for private services. Do you believe in the individuat’s right to own guns? Do people own guns in your country? CRIME How can the rate of crime be reduced? 58ESL Conversation Lessons Week 22 Money Money can bring such pleasure and such pain too. It can also be @ sensitive subject and might be best avoided in some cultures so before using this lesson be sure to check local customs about money and the do’s and don'ts of talking about money. Give the questions to the students and use a method from “How to use questions in your conversation class” mentioned earlier in the book. 59pen awa w 12. 13. 14. 15, 16. 17. 19. 20. 2. 22. ESL Conversation Lessons Money doesn’t grow on trees! Is money important to you? I you had to choose between wealth and no love; or love with no wealth which one would you choose? Why? Can money buy love? What's the average salary in your country? Is it enough? Do you ever give money to charity? Ifso, how often and how much? Have you ever given money to a beggar or homeless person? What do you like spending money on? What don't you like spending on? Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? Are they a waste of money? If you won the lottery and won lots of money, what would you do with it? In a marriage, do you think one person should handle the finances, or both? ay Should children get pocket money from their parents? ‘When you buy something, do you "shop around" and go to many stores to compare prices? Do you think that riches can have a bad effect on a person? How? Do you think taxes in your country are too high/low? What about taxes here in the UK? ‘What do you think the best way to save money is? Can you give me some tips? How much does it cost to get a haircut in your country? In the UK? - Have you ever been in debt? . What do you think is the quickest legal way of making a lot of money? Do you ever gamble? How? Have you ever been robbed or had money stolen from you in some way? What happened? Do you generally give tips? Who receives tips in your country? Hf you were richer, do you think you would be happier? 60ESL Conversation Lessons Talking about MONEY Is money important to you? If you had to choose between wealth and no love; or love with no wealth which one would you choose? Why? Can money buy love? What's the average salary in your country? Is it enough? Do you ever give money to Have you ever given money to a begear charity? If so, how often and | or homeless person? how much? What do you like spending Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? money on? What don't you Are they a waste of money? like spending on? If you won the lottery and Ina martiage, do you think one person won lots of money, what should handle the finances, or both? would you do with it? Should children get pocket When you buy something, do you "shop money from their parents? around” and go to many stores to compare prices? Do you think that riches can Do you think taxes in your country are have a bad effect ona too high/low? What about taxes here in person? How? the UK? What do you think the best How much does it cost to get a haircut way to save money is? in your country? in the UK? Have you ever been in What do you think is the quickest legal debt? way of makinga lot of money? Do you ever gamble? How? | Have you ever been robbed or had Money stolen from you in some way? What happened? Do you generally give tips? Ifyou were richer, do you think you ‘Who receives tips in your would be happier? country? 61ESL Conversation Lessons Week 23 Moral Dilemmas “Moral Dilemmas” looks at delicate situations students could find themselves in and asks them what they would do in that situation. If you are familiar with the game ‘Scruples’ then this is very similar. 1 would even recommend using that game as a good alternative to this class for higher level English language learners. Write Moral Dilemmas on the board. Ask your students if they know what a moral dilemma is and ask them for an example. Write the one below up as an example. You find a mobile phone in the public library. Do you hand it in to a member of staff or keep it? Why? ‘Ask students what they would do in this situation and why. Tell students that “a moral dilemma is a conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action” Hand out the cards to groups of 4 students to discuss. Ask them to justify their answers, Moral Dilemmas can be a fun lesson that get people thinking about what they would really do in a certain situation and stimulate conversation among your students. 62ESL Conversation Lessons Would you give information about a close friend to the police if they asked you about them? Would you recommend a friend for a position at your work if you felt they were not qualified enough? You find a mobile phone in a library. Would you keep it? If someone you didn’t lke invited you for an expensive meal, would you go? When you pick up your car from the mechanics, you see that other repairs, not from the accident, were made and charged to your insurance. Do you tell your insurance company? A friend who needs a job applies at your business. Someone who is more qualified also applies. Do you hire your friend? Ifyou broke an expensive vase at 2 friend’s home, would you tell them? Your child has missed the age deadline for nursery school by one week. You feel the child is ready to start. Do you lie about his, age? Would you drive though a red light late at night if no-one wes around? You're not physically ill, but emotionally, you feel exhausted. Do you callin sick to work? Ifyou accidently dented someone's cer ina car park with your car would you leave a note or wait for the owner to return? You've accepted a date when someone you really like calls and asks you out for the same night. Do you try to cancel the first date? 63,ESL Conversation Lessons Your business fails and you owe your bank £15,000. Do you pay? You are selling your car for £1000. A friend finds you a buyer for £2000. Do you give your friend some money for their help? Would you read your son or daughter's, personal diary? Your bike is stolen. At the police station, you are shown a similar one that isn't yours. Do you claim it? ‘Would you lend money toa friend and charge interest on it? On the street you meet a foreign homeless couple who want to stay in the country illegally. They look very poor. Do you help them? You're unemployed and enjoy the freedom. To collect unemployment benefit, you are expected to look for a job. Do you take the money if you're not looking for work? Would you ever admit to your children that you have smoked marijuana? Would you leave a tip in arestaurant if the food was awful but the waitress gave you fantastic service? You arrive early to your window seat on en airplane. An old man asks you if you can change your seat so that he can sit next to his wife. Do you move? You and your partner expect loyalty and honesty from one another. One night, out of town, you have a fling. Do you confess? You are a doctor and have diagnosed a terminal illness to a family and they ask you to not tell the patient. Do you tell him the truth? 64ESL Conversation Lessons Would you return a wallet you found with £500 if you knew the owner was very wealthy? While out eating in a restaurant, you see a friend's spouse having a romantic private conversation. Do you mention it to your friend? A friend wants to copy and swap some expensive computer software. You know it's illegal. Do you swap? You own a restaurant. In the kitchen, you witness a cook drop some chicken on the floor, then wash, reheat and replace it on the plate. Do you give him warning? Aclose friend will be interviewed for a job with your employer. He asks you for a list of the questions in advance. Do you supply it? Your neighbour in an adjacent building insists on doing yoga nude, in full view. Do you complain? You are a house guest. You leave a tap dripping and cause a flood which damages the floors and ceilings. Do you offer to pay towards the damage? You're ina restaurant. You must use the toilet. It's closed for repairs. Would you use the toilet for the opposite sex instead? Would you park in the disabled parking area if all other spaces were taken and you were in a hurry and wouldn't be there long? You buy your boyfriend/girlfriend an expensive gift, but one month later you break up. Do you ask for it back? Your friend gets a new hairstyle which looks terrible. Do you tell them, this? You know that you have drunk more than the legal limit but you feel ok to drive. Do you take the risk and drive? 65,ESL Conversation Lessons Week 24 The Expert Game ‘The expert game is a fantastic way to get students talking to each other about topics they are knowledgeable about. Use this when you have @ good turnout and want to give your students the chance to really get to know each other. Onan Aé piece of paper | would write in large letters the topics listed below (which | have an interest in and can talk about) and fold it in half to prop it up on my desk. | then tell students that these are the topics | am interested in and invite students to ask me questions about them. ‘+ Mexican food ‘+ English Premier League Football ‘Marvel superhero characters Give students a plain A4 sheet of paper. Ask them to fold it in half so that they can prop it up like a sign. Students have to write down in large letters three topics that really interest them. Tell them that they should be able and willing to talk about these topics with the others in the class. They might need a little help coming up with topics but | usually ask them what they do at the weekend or during their free time to get ideas from them, Label students ‘A’ and ‘B’. Tell ‘A’ students to sit down while ‘3’ students walk around asking ‘A’ students about their topics. At half-time the students reverse roles. 66ESL Conversation Lessons Week 25 Where in the World “Where in the World” is an activity that uses images to spark conversation. The teacher brings in enough images from magazines, newspapers, the internet (see below) or anywhere else for the students. Students are given images without a title or any description. In pairs students discuss the following questions (write up on board). ‘+ What’s going on in this picture? + What do you see that makes you say that? © What do you think is the story behind the picture? Ask students to discuss what they think the story could be about. After discuss as a class and the teacher gives or explains to students the actual story about the image. Here isa list of useful links where you can find good thought provoking images, + http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/ ‘+ http://www huffingtonpost.co.ul/news/pictures-of the-da © http://www.theguardian.com/news/series/24hoursinpictures © http://www. theguardian.com/news/series/picture-desk-live ¢ http://lightbox.time.com/category/closeup/ © http://www. telegraph .co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday 67ESL Conversation Lessons Week 26 Board Games Ihave found board games to be a fun way to question students. Rather than simply asking students questions from the front of the class room you can turn questioning into a game. You can easily create your own board game here =>Board Game Templates, where you insert your own questions to use. You can base the board game on topics such as, family life, work, movies ete. | recommend having no more than four students per board game. You want to ensure that each student has enough talk time for them to practise and maintain interest. ‘An example of a board game | use is this one below. The questions start off easier and progressively get harder as you approach the finish. Students roll a dice and have to successfully answer the question they land on to keep their place on the square. If they can’t then they move back to where they were before they rolled the dice. A printable version is available at http://eslconversationelub.com/2016/03/es!-conversation-lessons-instant- lesson students-talking-esoltefleflesoles roved 68ESL Capversation Les ( v, ~Y your job Yast your the a your town | music you Y ask the /studies | weekend | family weather |hobby/free| /village | like teacher a AN AN a happier would it be? A travel to? anery, ‘your home bo you a great Board Game [= mo |__ J a . had you learned | the planet? universities have ? visited =r yeu ek on ote you wantto aes the most something talk about ee ee in your life’ important ‘you want to a good park ‘J holiday you don’t getting to relax like a favourite’ Do youread | Do you like | Do you like | Howto How have a pet memory? Arewonen |poyou | yourideact] something | What Iscrimea | What best cure What 3 these lusethe | aperfect expensive | makes you] big frightens | forabad | habits wil ers? | internet? | weekend | youbought | cag? iprobeerne’ [yout day ee ( ssESL Conversation Lessons Week 27 Justa minute Just a minute is based on a popular British comedy show. The aim of the game is to get students speaking for a set amount of time about the chosen topic. This can be played as an individual or group activity. You can use topics you feel your students would be able to talk about or choose slightly more difficult topics to give your students a challenge | divide students into small groups of three or four. Each team has a speaker for the round. Each group is given a topic to talk about for one minute. They have to talk about the topic without hesitation, deviation or repetition. If they don’t, then the other groups can say “just a minute” and continue talking about the topic until the minute is up. At the end of the minute the group that is talking gets a point. You play as many rounds as you want but set it out so everyone gets to speak at least twice st of topics Food you like Music you like Your home Public transport Your family The Internet Your hobbies Sports Holidays Marriage Films you like Learning English Smoking Having children Shopping Gun control Festivals you celebrate Your country 70ESL Conversation Lessons Week 28 20 Questions This is a well-known game also known as 21 questions that can be used with a conversation class. The aim of the game is to guess what thing (a NOUN) the other student is thinking about using only 20 closed questions {yes or no questions).It is great practice for asking questions which sometimes students may lack practise at Ask for a volunteer to think of something. It has to be a noun The game starts with the first question, “Is it an animal/vegetable/mineral? Write that on the board for the whole class to see as the first question. You could write the headings, animal, vegetable and mineral on the board too with starter questions beneath each to get students started. For example; Anirnal “are you human?" Vegetable Do you grow in summer? Mineral “Are you metal/plastic/stone/wood?" Go around the class allowing students to ask questions, A "yes" answer earns the questioner another chance to ask. A “no” answer passes the asking on to the next player. If no one guesses the answer after 20 tries, the answer is revealed. 1ESL Conversation Lessons Week 29 The Debate This is a debating lesson where students have the chance the look at reasons for and against something. This is aimed at higher level students. When you need to get your ESL students speaking, sometimes having a debate class can be a good way to get students speaking. It may evoke strong views which in turn motivate your students to speak. Of course getting the right topics will help and knowing your students backgrounds and personalities will help with selecting topics. Conversation classes, including debating lessons can be some of the hardest classes to give which is why it is essential that you prepare beforehand. With a concrete lesson plan and good moderating skills your students will be able to fully participate in a good debate, Topic First you need to select a good topic for your students. It should be something that they can relate to, that affects their lives perhaps such as ‘should childcare be free for all’ if your students are mothers. If your students are teenagers than that topic might not be appropriate so using one such as ‘should the voting age be lowered?’ would be better. Of course the more you know about your students the easier you will find 2 suitable topic. You may include less serious topics such as ‘homework is harmful’ and more serious topics such as ‘Is obesity a disease” A list of some topics | have used include ‘* Smoking in public places © Alcohol should be illegal ‘© Marriage is outdated ‘+ Foreigners shouldn’t be allowed to vote ‘+ Legalise soft drugs ‘+ Euthanasia should be legal ‘* Testing on animals helps people ‘Women can never be equal to men in the workplace ‘© Voting age should be lower 2ESL Conversation Lessons Divide class up ‘There are various ways to divide your students up to prepare for the debate. You will need to set up groups for and against the resolution. You could randomly assign students to each group or ask for a show of hands for the students actual opinions about the motion and divide that way. It is entirely up to you. You know your students best! Group leaders may be appointed to make notes during discussions. The debate Once groups have had time to discuss among themselves it’s time for the actual debate. First give a few minutes for the affirmative side to present their ideas, Then let the other side present their ideas. Groups then get a few minutes to prepare a summary and argument. Let the groups discuss their argument. Remember the aim is to let the students talk and this can be a great way to get them talking. You can pick a winner either through a vote or the teacher decides. Noting down the arguments to appoint the winning group might be useful. Remember the aim of the exercise is to get students speaking and any variation of suggested format is completely fine. 3ESL Conversation Lessons Week 30 Employment Most people at some point in their life will work. | have a warm up activity and set of questions for students. Warm up To start we play a guessing game related to jabs. Students take turns coming to the front of the class. Sit them down on a chair facing the students. Write up a job on the board. The student has to ask the class yes/no questions to find out what the job is. For example, “do I work in an office? Do I use a uniform? Do | earn a lot of money?” After the warm up exercise, hand out the questions for students to discuss. Jobs Policeman Doctor Dentist Builder lawyer Teacher Shop Assistant Farmer Footballer President Scientist Ubrarian chef 74ESL Conversation Lessons Employment Is unemployment a great problem where you live now? Is unemployment a great problem in your country? Isit easy to find a job in the UK? How about in your country? What are the best ways to look for a job? Do you know people who have lost their jobs recently? How should the government help people who have lost their jobs? Can you remember what your very first job was? Can you tell us about it? How many jobs have you had? What were the interviews like? What are you trying to do in order to find a job that you really like? How do you write 2 CV to attract attention of the employer and get him give you to a job interview? What should you do in an interview? What should you NOT do? Do you feel nervous or relaxed and confident at job interviews? What are some questions you have been asked in an interview? Have you ever been cheated by an employer? At what age do people usually begin to work in your country? ‘At what age do people usually retire in your country? Can you talk about what a typical day at your current job is like? Do you like your job? If you don’t have a job, talk about a job you liked or disliked in the past. What job do you wish to have in the future? Do you think it is more important to make a lot of money or to enjoy your job? If you could own your own business, what would it be? Whatare some jobs that you think would be boring? What are some jobs that you think would be fun? What would be the most satisfying job for you? Do you think a person’s job determines who they are? When is the best time for a person to start looking for a job? 75,