Worksheets - EFL Ideas

Prefixes Worksheet for ESL: Conversation Practice

As ESL teachers, we’re always on the lookout for resources that can truly make a difference in our students’ language learning journeys. That’s why I’m excited to share a resource that has not only enriched my classroom but has also contributed significantly to my students’ language skills: the “Prefixes Worksheet for ESL: Conversation Practice.”

Negative prefixes, such as “un-“, “dis-“, “in-“, and “im-“, often pose a challenge for ESL learners. These tiny word elements can drastically change the meaning of a word, and mastering them is crucial for achieving fluency in English. This prefixes worksheet, however, takes a different approach to teaching negative prefixes, one that’s focused on engagement and genuine communication.

Engaging Gap-Fill Exercises: The heart of this prefixes worksheet lies in its carefully crafted gap-fill exercises. Instead of dull, disconnected vocabulary drills, students are presented with sentences that have missing words. Their task? To fill in the gaps with the appropriate negative prefix. This approach transforms what might be a monotonous exercise into an interactive puzzle, piquing students’ curiosity and challenging them to think critically.
Conversation Catalysts: What truly sets this worksheet apart is its dual functionality. Each sentence, in addition to being a gap-fill exercise, serves as a conversation starter. After completing the sentence, students are encouraged to discuss the meaning of the word or phrase in the context of the sentence. This not only reinforces their grasp of negative prefixes but also equips them with the ability to use these prefixes naturally in real-life conversations.
Improved Comprehension: By encountering negative prefixes within sentences and conversations, students gain a deeper understanding of how these prefixes work and influence word meanings. This comprehension goes a long way in helping them become effective communicators in English.
Enhanced Retention: The combination of active exercises and discussion-based learning not only helps students remember the correct usage of negative prefixes but also ensures that this knowledge sticks. They’re not just memorizing rules; they’re internalizing language patterns.
Teacher’s Ally: As teachers, we value resources that align with our teaching philosophy and seamlessly integrate into our lesson plans. This worksheet is not just beneficial for students; it’s a teacher-friendly tool that enhances the overall classroom experience.

So, fellow ESL educators, I invite you to share in the success I’ve witnessed in my classroom. Consider using and sharing our “Prefixes Worksheet for ESL: Conversation Practice” within your teaching community. It’s a practical and effective resource that can empower both you and your fellow educators, fostering confident, fluent English speakers.

Exercise 1

In each sentence below, there is a missing negative prefix. Fill in the gaps with the correct prefix (un-, dis-, in-, ir-, im-, il-, etc.) to complete the sentences.

Can you recall a time when you felt __________(estimated) or __________(valued) in a professional or personal setting? How did you prove your worth?
Have you ever encountered a situation where someone was __________(fairly) discriminated against? What actions can society take to combat discrimination?
Describe a moment when you found yourself in a __________(comfortable) or even __________(bearable) situation. How did you handle it?
Share a story of someone who was initially __________(understood) but later gained recognition or respect. What can we learn from their experience?
Can you think of an occasion when you felt __________(connected) or __________(engaged) from a group or community? How did you address this feeling?
Discuss a time when you observed an action that you considered __________(ethical) or __________(moral). How did it affect your perception of the person involved?
Have you ever experienced an __________(usual) or __________(expected) phenomenon that left you feeling uneasy or __________(oriented)?
Share a situation where you or someone you know had to deal with an __________(cooperative) colleague or team member. How was it resolved?
Can you describe a moment when you felt __________(valued) as a consumer or customer? How did you respond to the situation?
Discuss a time when you observed an __________(ethical) or __________(moral) action that you believe should be discontinued. What alternatives would you propose?
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt powerless or __________(able) to influence the outcome? How did you cope with it?
Share an example of a __________(just) law or policy you believe should be discontinued. What alternatives would you propose?
Describe a situation where someone exhibited __________(healthy) or detrimental behavior patterns. How can they be encouraged to change?
Can you think of a time when you were __________(prepared) for a significant life event or challenge? How did you adapt and learn from it?
Discuss an instance when you witnessed an __________(effective) or __________(productive) meeting or discussion. What improvements would you suggest?
Share a story of a project or endeavor that initially seemed __________(feasible) but was eventually successful. What contributed to its success?
Have you ever had to deal with an __________(responsive) or neglectful service provider? How did you seek resolution or compensation?
Can you recall a situation where you felt __________(appreciated) in a personal relationship? How did you address the issue with the other person?
Describe a time when you encountered an __________(dated) or __________(moded) practice or technology. What innovations could replace it?
Discuss the concept of an __________(certain) future and the role it plays in making long-term plans and decisions.

Exercise 2

In each sentence below, there is a missing prefix. Fill in the gaps before the words with removed prefixes to complete the sentences.

Have you ever encountered an ____ (efficient) system or process at work or in daily life? How could it be improved?
Can you think of a situation where someone acted ____ (responsible)? What were the consequences?
What are some examples of ____ (tolerant) behavior you’ve observed, and how can we promote more tolerance in society?
Describe an experience when you found a book or movie to be ____ (interesting) despite high expectations. What went wrong?
Share a story of a ____ (conventional) or ____ (orthodox) solution to a problem. Did it prove effective in the end?
Share an instance when someone’s comments or actions were ____ (sensitive). How did it affect you or others involved?
Do you believe there are any ____ (possible) tasks or challenges, or is it always a matter of perspective and determination?
Discuss a time when you had to deal with an ____ (convenient) situation while traveling. How did you handle it?
Can you recall a moment when you witnessed a dispute escalate into an ____ (controllable) argument? What could have been done differently?
Describe a situation where someone displayed ____ (reasonable) behavior. How did you respond, and what did you learn from it?
Have you ever faced an ____ (expected) setback that temporarily disrupted your plans? How did you adapt and move forward?
What do you think about the idea of a ____ (known) or ____ (charted) future? Does it excite or worry you, and why?
Have you ever encountered someone who was completely ____ (interested) in your favorite hobby, and how did you handle it?
Have you encountered any ____ (desirable) consequences of technology in your life? How do you mitigate them?
Can you think of a situation where someone was ____ (fairly) underestimated, only to prove themselves later on?
Discuss a time when you had to confront your own ____ (securities) or ____ (uncertainties). How did you overcome them?
Can you think of a time when you found yourself in an ____ (hospitable) or unwelcoming environment, and how did you cope with it?
Have you ever encountered a ____ (functioning) device or piece of equipment, and how did you address the issue?
Share a personal experience where you felt ____ (understood) or ____ (represented). How did you clarify the situation?
Do you believe there’s such a thing as an ____ (reversible) mistake, or can most errors be rectified in some way?

Prefixes worksheet:

Download: Negative Prefixes Conversation Questions

Future Conversation Questions for Engaging Student Discussions: Future Perfect, Future Continuous, Future Simple in the ESL Classroom

If you’re an ESL teacher, you know that getting students to practice speaking is a top priority. One way to do this is by using future conversation questions that focus on future tenses (future simple, future perfect, and future continuous). In this blog post, we’ll dive into why using these types of questions can be a game-changer for ESL students and the overall importance of speaking activities.

Practicing the future tenses, especially in conversation, can do wonders for students’ ability to express their plans and predictions and understand what others are saying. Using conversation questions in class gives students the chance to put their knowledge of the tenses into practice in a natural setting. This helps them improve their fluency and confidence when speaking.

Another perk of using conversation questions is that it helps with vocabulary acquisition. As students discuss their future plans, they’re exposed to new words and phrases that they can add to their vocabulary. Plus, it’s a great way for students to see the tenses in action and understand how they’re used in real-life situations.

Using future conversation questions also promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students have to think about their plans and predictions and make decisions about what they’ll say. This type of practice helps prepare them for real-life conversations where they’ll need to think on their feet and respond to new information.

But the benefits of speaking practice go beyond just the future tenses. When students are speaking, they’re actively using the language and this helps solidify their understanding of grammar and vocabulary. Plus, speaking activities give students the chance to hear native speakers, which can improve their listening skills and accent.

Overall, using the worksheet Future Conversation Questions is a fantastic way to get students to speak and improve their language skills. But it’s important to remember that speaking activities should be used in combination with other methods like reading, writing, and listening activities. And it’s important to create a comfortable and safe environment for students to speak in, where they feel encouraged to take risks and make mistakes.

Looking for more conversation activities? Try 120 Conversation Starters!

What are some of the things you hope to have accomplished by the end of this year?
How do you think your life will be different once you have completed all of your goals?
How do you think your relationships will have evolved by the time you reach a significant anniversary?
What do you think will be humanity’s greatest achievements in the future?
What new places will you be visiting next week?
How do you think your perspective on life will have changed by the time you turn 30?
What do you think will be the biggest challenges facing companies in the future?
How do you think people’s lives will have been impacted by major construction projects by the time they are finished?
What do you think will be the most important issues facing politicians in the future?
How do you think music will have evolved by the time the next concert season starts?
How will you be spending your summer vacation?
What do you think will be the most exciting developments in your field of work in the future?
How do you think people’s leisure time will be spent in the future?
What topics will you be discussing with your friends tomorrow?
What do you think will be the most talked-about events in the world in the next few years?
How do you think our economy will be performing in the next decade?
What will you be doing at this time next year?
What do you think will be the most significant challenges facing society in the next decade?
How do you think technology will have impacted the way we live our lives by the end of this century?
How do you think you will feel once you have reached a certain milestone in your career?
What are some of the things you think will have changed in the world by the time you’re ready to retire?
How do you think education will have evolved in the future?
What do you think will be the biggest breakthroughs in science and medicine in the next 20 years?
How do you think travel will have changed by the time you’re ready to retire?
What will you be doing this time on Sunday?

Download the worksheet: ESL Future Conversation Questions

Other useful resources:

Conversation Questions: Future Tenses

Online ESL Video Lesson : Can Sci-fi Predict the Future?

Travel ESL Conversation Questions

Conversation Questions Conditionals: ESL Speaking Activity

Conversation Questions: Present Perfect and Past Simple

Modal Verbs Conversation Questions, Use, and Examples

Halloween Vocabulary Activity: ESL Video and Speaking Activity

It’s almost here! Our students’ favorite holiday! Halloween!

Ok, not everyone loves Halloween, but it’s a perfect opportunity to have a little fun in the classroom. There are plenty of various activities online and for those who don’t like crafts and are not particularly artsy (as myself) I’ve put together this cute Halloween vocabulary activity based on even cuter video by TedEd, which is by the way one of my favorite sources for educational videos.

Despite the animated video, the topic and vocabulary are perhaps not suitable for younger students (younger than 12). Watch the video beforehand to make sure it’s appropriate for your class.

Halloween activity based on video from TedEd.

WARM UP

1. What is your favorite holiday/festival?

2. Do you celebrate Halloween?

3. What traditions do you celebrate in your country on Halloween?

4. Do you like scary stories?

5. What costume would you like to wear for Halloween?

VOCABULARY

1. Match the halves of the expressions

1) spindly a) grounds

2) rusted b) gardens

3) crumbling c) tops

4) solitary d) trees

5) blooming e) catacombs

6) burial f) grounds

7) head g) gate

8) crowds h) stone

9) mountain i) yard

10) subterranean j) water

11) church k) mourner

12) ground l) of people

VIDEO

1. Watch the video and check your answers.

2. Complete the sentences with the expressions from Ex. 1

1. The ________________________are very extensive and hold numerous galleries and graves of different types.

2. Adding a ___________________ to a gravesite or memorial is one of the most common ways to commemorate a loved one once they are gone

3. The old ____________________ is bent and battered, but it holds a lot of memories for our family.

4. Large parts of the northern _______________________ were destroyed in order to make space for the basements of the new building

5. There are fears that _____________________ might become contaminated

6. The fate of endemic birds of eastern Brazilian _________________ in the face of climate change.

7. __________________________ watched the fireworks.

8. Americans had always buried their dead, but did so in churchyards, town commons, or municipal __________________

9. Seven years before our story begins Scrooge is seen, as a _________________, at the funeral of his business partner Jacob Marley.

10. Making sure that no one was looking, I touched the ___________________. Sand grains accumulated in my hand.

11. The island’s west side slopes into terraces and cultivated __________________.

12. Some tall, _____________________need to be cut at the top in order to produce new twig or branch growth.

DISCUSSION

What information from the video surprised you the most?

Would you be scared if you were in a graveyard at night? Why?

How did people bury their dead in the past?

How do you think people will bury their dead in the future? Why?

Download:

Halloween Worksheet: Video ESL Vocabulary and Speaking Activity SW

Halloween Worksheet: Video ESL Vocabulary and Speaking Activity TN

Bonus for your entertainment, a comic by Oatmeal.

Other resources:

Halloween ESL Video Lesson: Simone Giertz Made a Soup Robot

Online ESL Video Lesson Plans

15 Back to School Activities: Icebreakers, Warm-ups, and Energizers

Fun and easy-to-use back to school activities

1) Learn your students’ names

New class, new faces, new names – a mess. This back to school activity has saved me multiple times. You can learn 30 new names in minutes, kids have fun and they painlessly learn new adjectives. Start by explaining how difficult it is for teachers to learn students’ names and that you need their help. At the end of the activity let them test you- they will be thrilled. Students need to introduce themselves by an adjective that starts with the same letter as their first name. You start by giving an example: My name is Al, so I am Artistic Al. The first student has to repeat your name after you – You are Artistic Al, and add their own – I am Hilarious Hannah. The second student repeats the previous names and adds their own, and so on. At the end of the round, ask the first student(who had the easiest task) to say all the names backward. Finally, say all their names quickly(with or without the adjectives). Congrats, you’ve learned your new students’ names!

2) Oh, really?

Put the students in pairs and tell them they will have a conversation. The first student has to start with a short sentence, like this:

Student 1: I play tennis.

The other student responds: Oh, really?, and adds extra information( a word or a phrase).

So it should be like this: Oh, really? I play tennis every day.

Student 1 continues: Oh, really? I play tennis every day with Serena Williams.

Student 2 responds: Oh, really? I play tennis every day with Serena Williams in Monaco.

Student 1 responds: Oh, really? I play tennis every day with Serena Williams in Monaco while feeding dolphins.

And so on. Can they keep up?

The student who will form the longest grammatically correct (and at least a little bit coherent) answer wins.

3) Questionnaire

Have your students write a questionnaire. Chose a subject(summer holiday, school, hobbies, general personality questions) or let them decide. After that, students circulate the classroom and ask their questions. They should talk to 4-5 people. When they finish, ask them to share any interesting answers, it usually leads to lively discussions.

Unfinished sentences ESL speaking activity is great for revising grammar, as a warm-up or a conversation starter.

It can be used with groups of various sizes as well as in one to one classes.

4) Unfinished sentences

Unfinished sentences ESL speaking activity is great for revising grammar, as a warm-up or a conversation starter. It’s a perfect back to school activity.

It can be used with groups of various sizes as well as in one to one classes.

Finish the sentence. Tell your story.

1. I was very surprised when__________________________________________________.

2. What I value most about my friends is_____________________________________.

3. I really regret_______________________________________________________________.

4. One of my favourite childhood memories is_______________________________.

5. I could never_______________________________________________________________

5) Find someone who

You can easily find tons of these worksheets online or just put together a couple of ideas.

Find somebody

-who doesn’t like chocolate.
-who is vegan.
-who has a tattoo.
-who speaks more than 2 languages.
-who’s never flown before.
-who wants to be famous.
-who has a special talent.

6) Vocabulary race

This is probably more suitable for younger kids. Put them into two teams, divide the board into two sections, give them a topic and let them run a relay with the marker to write as many words on the topic they know.

7) Get physical- Gordian knot

This activity doesn’t involve any language practice but it is great for kids who don’t know each other, to break the ice and create a positive atmosphere. It also shows you how the students communicate, who is a natural leader and how they deal with problems, so it’s quite useful.

You need an even number of students for this. The students stand in a tight circle. Tell them to close their eyes. Then they put their left hand in front of them and try to grab any free hand they can find. Eyes still closed. Repeat the same with the right hand. Eyes open. They should be intertwined – hence the Gordian knot. Without letting any hand go, they should untangle the knot and form a circle. Sometimes there are two or three smaller circles when they grabbed a hand right next to them. That’s ok, they will work it out after a couple of attempts.

8) Conversation questions

This speaking activity contains 50 ESL conversation questions for teenagers and adult learners. (16+, B1+). It is best for small groups or as a pair-work.

Conversation questions

9) One minute talk

This is a very simple, no-prep activity. In pairs, students give each other a topic to talk about and they have to talk uninterrupted for a minute. It is more difficult than it sounds, especially with dry topics such as door, socks, or air. If your students lack imagination, you can use these ideas: One Minute Talk Cards.

10) What do they have in common?

This is mostly an activity you can use with new students, but it can be also used in larger classes where the students don’t know each other that well. Put students who don’t know (or don’t know well) each other into pairs and tell them to find out 3-5 things they have in common and 1-2 things they don’t have in common. Let them talk to more people. After that, discuss with the whole class what surprising or interesting things they’ve found out about their classmates.

11) Online quizzes

If your students like technology, you can use some fun interactive activities. You can find a list of 10 great sites here: 10 Websites To Make Your Lessons More Engaging And Fun.

12) Hypothetical questions

These conversation questions are more suitable for more advanced students as the questions are hypothetical, so it requires a knowledge of conditionals and a certain level of creativity. These can be also used for online classes.

Click here.

13) Vocabulary: taboo

A timeless classic! If you have time, you can make your own, if not try these:

Media/Entertainment Taboo Cards,
Travel/Holiday Vocabulary Cards
Health Taboo Cards
Food Taboo Cards.

14) Get them to know each other

A timer, fifteen questions and a lot of fun. A classroom appropriate variation of speed dating. Arrange the desks so that two students sit at one desk facing each other. Give each a set of “speed dating” questions. You can download a set here. Set a timer for a couple of minutes, and when the time’s up one student moves and another sits in their place.

15) Mini presentations

ESL conversation topics for intermediate and upper intermediate students. You can use the slideshow and share your screen on Zoom or other app when teaching online. Just click on the full screen option in the top right corner of the slideshow.

Click here.

More ideas for back to school activities

Questions for ESL Conversation: 60 Questions Based on Vogue Interviews

If you’re an ESL teacher, you know that speaking is a difficult skill for students to master. Plus, speaking can be intimidating. It’s one thing to write and another thing entirely to perform in front of others. That’s why these 60 questions for ESL conversation based on Vogue’s 73 Question series, in which celebrities quickly answer random questions, is great for practicing speaking skills with your students.

You can start this activity by watching Adele’s take on 73 questions. After that, put your students in pairs so they can play out their version of the interview. To do that, download the worksheet 60 Questions for ESL Conversation.

The worksheet contains 60 questions divided into 2 sets. This is a pairwork activity, so students can both ask and answer the questions.

Allow the students 5 minutes to read the questions and to make sure they understand and look up any unfamiliar vocabulary.
Explain that they have to conduct the interview in the style of Vogue’s 73 questions, so they have to quickly ask and answer the questions.
Decide how long it should take and tell them, I would allow 5-10 minutes based on the level of the group.

As a variation of the activity, they can record each other’s responses to create a similar video to the one below.

60 Questions for ESL Conversation Activity

STUDENT A

What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?

2. What is something you’re tired of?

3. What is something that recently moved you?

4. If you could teach one subject in school what would it be?

5. What’s your favorite beverage?

7. What is your favorite cake?

6. What is your favorite movie?

7. What is something you can’t do?

8. What is one habit you wish you could break?

9. What makes you laugh no matter what?

10. What does creativity mean to you?

11. What are your favorite lyrics of all time?

12. What is something you’ve always wanted to try but you’ve been too scared to do?

13. What did you want to do with your life at age 12?

14. What is something you will not be doing in ten years?

15. What is an important life lesson for someone to learn?

16. What is one goal you are determined to achieve in your lifetime?

17. Would you ever live anywhere besides where you live now?

18. What is your favorite dessert?

19. Is there a dessert you don’t like?

20. It’s brunch! What do you eat?

21. Who is your favorite artist?

22. Favorite Disney animal?

23. What is a book you are planning on reading?

24. What did you read most recently?

25. Favorite solo artist?

26. What’s your favorite board game?

27. What’s a city you wish to visit?.

28. Where does one go on a perfect road trip?

29. What do you do on a rainy day?

30. What’s your favorite exercise?

STUDENT B

1. What is your worst subject in school?

2. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

3. What do you usually eat for dinner?

4. Favorite baked good?

5. What is something you wish you could be good at?

6. Skiing or Surfing?

7. Cooking or Baking?

8. Most recent celebrity crush?

9. What’s your favorite clothing brand or store?

10. How do you manage stress?

11. What do you do to relax?

12. Favorite fashion trend of all time?

13. Best fashion advice you’ve ever received?

14. Trend you would like to see disappear forever?

15. What is your spirit animal?

16. Television show you’ve binged on recently?

17. Who do you turn to when you’re sad?

18. Name one thing you’ve learned the hard way?

19. If you could make a documentary about anything, what would it be?

20. What is your Kryptonite?

21. What are you most enchanted by?

22. What is your biggest strength?

23. What is your biggest weakness?

24. What are 3 words to describe living where you live?

25. Cutest thing on planet earth?

26. Most important advice you’d give your future children?

27. Best first date idea?

28. What do you first notice about someone when you meet them?

29. What’s your guilty pleasure?

30. Plans for the weekend?

Download 60 Questions for ESL Conversation

Other Resources:

English Speaking Practice: 20 Conversation Topics

Balderdash: ESL Speaking Game

Storytelling Cards: Imaginative Speaking and Writing Activity

Funny Conversation Starters: 60 Questions

Taliban Take over Afghanistan: Dare to Educate Afghan Women(UPDATED)

If you don’t live in a cave you know what’s happening in Afghanistan right now. If you don’t know, you can find out here.

No matter what your political preferences are, or what do you believe in, I’m sure you agree that education is important. What is happening in Afghanistan right now will have tremendous negative consequences on the education of Afghan girls. Watch the Ted Talk. Discuss it with your students. You can also help here, or here.

This Ted Talk education ESL video lesson is based on a talk by Shabana Basij-Rasikh. She is an educator from Afghanistan, humanitarian, and women’s rights champion. She grew up under the rule of the Taliban, which banned education for women so she had to dress as a boy to attend a secret school.

This is her story.

Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate

Time: 45min.(video 10min.)

Skills: speaking, listening, reading

Topic: education, human rights

Taliban Take over Afghanistan | Ted Talk Education Lesson Plan | Dare to Educate Afghan Girls | Shabana Basij-Rasikh

WARM-UP

Discuss the questions

1. Do you think education should be free? Why? Use arguments to justify your opinion.

2. What was your parents position on your education? How do you think it has influenced your life? What is your position on your education?

3. Can you imagine being denied higher education based on your gender or religion? How would it influence your life?

Write three reasons why education is important.

1.__________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________

VOCABULARY

1 Read the sentences and try to work out the meaning of the underlined words/phrases.

1. I dressed as a boy to escort my older sister, who was no longer allowed to be outside alone, to a secret school.

2. A total maverick from a remote province of Afghanistan, he insisted that…

3. …had my family not been so committed to my education…

4. …the one exiled from his home for daring to educate his daughters,

5. And I see their parents and their fathers who, like my own, advocate for them despite and even in the face of daunting opposition.

6. …this is something that is often dismissed in the West…

7. …they’re often the initial and convincing negotiators of a bright future for their daughters…

8. I fear that these changes will not last much beyond the U.S. troops’ withdrawal.

2 Match the words/phrases (a-p) to their explanations(1-16).

a)escort(v.) 1)demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal.

b)allow 2)without being influenced or prevented by

c)maverick 3)a person who helps other people to come to agreement

d)remote 4)difficult to deal with

e)insist 5)accompany (someone or something) somewhere

f)commit 6)the process or action of a military force moving out of an area

g)exile(v.) 7)let (someone) have or do something.

h)dare 8)of or at the beginning

i)advocate(v.) 9)able to make you believe that something is true or right

j)despite 10)to think or say that something is not important

k)daunting 11)to send someone away from their own country, village, etc

l)dismiss 12)far away, distant

m)initial 13)to promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to something

n)convincing 14)an unorthodox or independent-minded person

o)negotiator 15)have the courage to do something

p)withdrawal 16)publicly recommend or support

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Watch the video and answer the questions.

1. Why do you think the Taliban made it illegal for girls to go to school?

2. Why was Shabana’s grandfather special?

3. What would have happened if the Taliban had found out that Shabana and her sister were going to school?

4. How many women in Shabana’s age have made it past high school?

5. What were Shabana’s parents prepared to do in order to pay for her school fees?

6. How many girls went to school in Afganistan under the Taliban, and how many are in school now?

7. What is SOLA?

Discuss the questions

1. What would you change about your school if you could?

2. Some people say that schools are useless for life. Do you agree?

3. What do you think are the most important life skills?

4. Do you need education if you want to be successful?

5. What are the most useful things that you learned at school?

6. What are the most useless things that you learned at school?

7. Besides school, where and how can you learn something new?

8. What talent or skill would you like to improve?

Download Ted Talk Education Lesson Plan:

Ted Talk Lesson Plan: Dare to Educate Afghan Girls SWDownload

Ted Talk Lesson Plan: Dare to Educate Afghan Girls TNDownload

Other resources:

ESL Exam Speaking Picture Description and Questions

Online ESL Video Lesson : Can Sci-fi Predict the Future?

Food and Travel ESL Lesson: Interactive Online Lesson

Improvisation Cards: ESL Speaking Activity

Phrasal Verbs Activity and Exercises, Conversation Questions and PDF Worksheet

I sometimes watch, or more accurately, watched (because Covid) Netflix with friends. We always use English subtitles, as my friends want to improve their English. Sometimes they ask me to translate a word or a phrase, sometimes I don’t mind and sometimes it bothers me. But my lack of patience with my friends is not the point.

The point is, I’ve noticed one thing all my friends had in common. They often didn’t understand the meaning of a certain phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are tricky, because they seem to be two separate words. Sometimes the same phrasal verb can have a few different, totally unrelated meanings and that’s very confusing for English learners.

They are very common, especially in informal context, so it’s often recommended to learn essential phrasal verbs to sound more natural.

Here are a couple of phrasal verbs activities and exercises.

Phrasal Verbs Activity: Definitions

back down: to resign your position in a fight, argument, plan, etc.

bump into: when you meet someone by accident or unexpectedly

burst out: to suddenly and unexpectedly say or do something

call off: to cancel something

carry on: to continue doing something

chicken out: to stop doing something because you’re afraid

clam up: to refuse to speak or share your feelings

come up with: to think of a solution, idea

deal with: to handle something, to solve a problem

drag on: to last longer than expected

figure out: to find the answer

get along: to have good relationship with someone

get rid off: to remove something or somebody

hang out: spend time with people, socialize

look up to: to admire someone

polish off: to eat or drink something quickly

rip off: to ask for a very unreasonable price, to cheat financially

run out of: to have no more of something

stick up for: to defend someone or something

talk into: to convince someone to do something

Phrasal Verbs Activity: Exercise with Flashcards

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Discussion Questions

When was the last time you had to back down in a situation?
Who was the last person you bumped into? How did it happen?
Can you remember the last time you burst out something inappropriate?
What was the last event you had to call off? What happened?
Have you ever chickened out of something?
When something surprises you, can you carry on and pretend nothing happened?
What would you do if you were talking to a friend and they suddenly clammed up?
What’s the last brilliant idea you’ve come up with?
How well can you deal with interruptions when you work/study?
What do you do when you are in a meeting that just drags on?
What is the last thing you didn’t understand first, but then you figured it out?
Describe three people you get along with.
What 3 things would you like to get rid of in your life? (material and abstract)
What do you do when you hang out with friends?
Who do you look up to in your family?
What meal do you usually polish off?
Can you think of a time when someone ripped you off?
Have you ever run out of patience when talking to someone? What happened?
What ideas can you imagine sticking up for?
What was the stupidest thing anyone has ever talked you into?

Phrasal Verbs Discussion Questions PDF Download

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Present Simple and Present Continuous

ESL Speaking Activity: Conditional Discussion Questions

ESL Conversation Topics: 12 Mini Presentations

Halloween ESL Video Lesson: Simone Giertz Made a Soup Robot

A girl made a soup robot. How is this an ESL video lesson? Wait and see.

Simone Giertz is amazing. What? You don’t know her? She does some crazy stuff and is super funny.

Check out some of her stuff.

So, among other crazy things, Simone created a robot which fed her pumpkin soup.

Sounds weird? Messy? It definitely is and your students are going to love it.

I don’t usually teach younger students, so I don’t do Halloween lessons much. But I love Simone Giertz and I thought this short, funny video would be great as a video lesson. That is the maximum of Halloween themed lesson I can bear.

It’s a simple, one-page PDF worksheet with warm-up questions, vocabulary matching exercise and discussion questions.

Have fun, and don’t forget to share if you like it. Thanks!

Halloween ESL Video Lesson: Simone Giertz Made a Soup Robot

Warm-up Questions

1. What kind of Youtube videos do you usually watch?

2. Do you have a favorite Youtuber or a channel?

3. Do you need any special skills or education to be a Youtuber?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Youtuber?

5. Would you like to be a Youtuber? Why?

Vocabulary

dire

feat of bravery

spooky

peel

bug

claw

fine-tuning

spiteful

disaster relief

a) cruel

b) financial of physical help

c) curved part of a machine used for picking objects

d) serious or urgent

e) make small changes to get the best results

f) act of great courage

g) mistake in a computer program

h) strange and frightening

i) remove the outer skin from fruit or vegetable

Watch the video and discuss the questions

1. Who sponsored the video? What is Simone going to do with the money she gets?

2. Why does Simone dislike soup? Do you like soup? Can you cook any?

3. According to Simone, what is Halloween about? Do you like Halloween? Why?

4. Why was she saying Hey, Google? What was that about?

5. When is Simone’s birthday? When is yours? What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

6. Would you like to have a robot at home? What would it do?

Halloween ESL Resource: Simone Giertz Made A Soup Robot Video Lesson Download

ESL Communication Activity: Science Role-Plays

Can we teach communicative competence without critical thinking? Is the topic of vaccination or chemtrails too controversial? Try this ESL role-play on science and let me know what you think.

Continue reading ESL Communication Activity: Science Role-Plays

ESL Video Lesson Based on Netflix Docuseries “The Mind, Explained”

This ESL Netflix video lesson plan is based on “The Mind, Explained” docuseries that answers the questions about our brains. What is going on inside my head? How does memory work? Why do I dream?

The show has six episodes: Memory, Dreams, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Psychedelics. Each twenty-minute episode explains the mysteries of our brains in an engaging, fun way, with plenty of real-life examples, graphics, and experts. Students like this format, many of them already know Vox and their videos and each episode is the right length for a video lesson with warm-up questions, vocabulary, and after-video discussion.t

Download

The Mind, Explained (Anxiety) SW Download

The Mind, Explained (Anxiety) TN Download

“The Mind, Explained” ESL Netflix Video Lesson (Anxiety) Students’ Worksheet

Warm-up Questions

What are you afraid of?
How do you relax when you feel stressed?
What was the biggest challenge you overcame?

Discussion

What are the symptoms of a panic attack?
When in danger______________________________instinct kicks in. What does it mean and how does the body react?
What fears and phobias are mentioned in the video?
According to the video, what did people in the past do to relax?
How do modern people relax?

Matching

Match the words 1-10 to their definitions a-j

tingling
blurry
warthog
wallowing
vigilant
dilate
hallmark
squinch
culprit
rigorous

an African wild pig
someone who has done something wrong
a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing
to press together the features of the face or the muscles of the body
to have a feeling as if a lot of sharp points are being put quickly and lightly into your body
extremely thorough and careful
to become wider or further open
difficult to see
to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water
always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger

Other video lessons:

TEDtalk: What Makes Something Go Viral

TEDtalk: How to Grow New Brain Cells

ESL Video Lesson: Standup Comedian Shayne Smith