Who said there’s no time for fun activities in the ESL writing class? I like to use spacer activities to give my ESL students a mental break and a creative challenge at the same time. Here are six images that I like to use as ESL writing prompts. Great fun and awesome sponge activities.
1 Couple
Ask students to describe the picture and then innocently ask, “What is the couple thinking about?”
2 Tree
Ask students to describe the picture. A fun ESL writing prompt that gets students thinking
3 Maze
A fun challenge that gets the guys in the back of the classroom pumped up. Secretly, it’s a drill to practice imperatives. Outwardly, it’s an ESL writing prompt that looks like a puzzle.
Ask students to write the answer that describes how to get from the start to the finish. Be sure to follow the rules: no left turns and no U-turns.
4 Correlations
More useful, perhaps, for an intermediate+ class. Present this chart and explain that the data are real (trust me, I made this chart). Now challenge the student to:
- describe the relationship between Chicago murders and ice cream consumption, and then
- explain how the two possibly related
5 Wolf
An awesome piece of art by Johannes Stötter. Ask students to look at the writing prompt and describe what they see.
6 Family picture
A family-friendly ESL writing prompt with a twist. Ask students to look at the picture and find 12 mistakes. The output should be 10-12 sentences.
Looking for more fun ESL writing prompts and ideas?
Click the link to get 11 word games and short sentences.
The secrets to the ESL writing prompts
- Look at the branches. They form the outline of a baby.
- The man is not leaning against the tree. The street is uprooted and on the ground. The main is lying on top of the tree and looking at the sky.
- Answers vary, but most require about 10-12 sentences.
- Ice cream sales increase in the hot summer. During summer, people spend more time on the sidewalks and streets. With more people outside, there is a greater chance of gun violence. So the connection between ice cream and murder is the hot weather.
- This is body art, and in fact, there are several people in the picture. Click to see the video.
- Sentences can vary.
I enjoyed these activities. Question. What are the answers to “The Family Picture”? What are the 12 deliberate mistakes? Thanking you in advance!