ESL Conversation

Welcome to week 10 of our class English conversation class. BTW, what do you see in the picture?

Plan for this Week

• review vocabulary
• logic puzzles – thinking and speaking logically
• Touchstone online listening files

ESL Conversation Activities

Hour 1

1 Vocabulary Review (10)

Change these sentences so that they use causative verbs.

1. The mechanic changed the tires on my car.
2. The handyman painted our house.
3. She arrived on time.
4. The teacher explained the lesson one more time.
5. The kids went to sleep early.
6. The students handed in their homework.
7. A Top Mart worker delivered the groceries.
8. I drove John’s car.
9. The twins turned off the TV.
10. Her car was washed in the underground parking lot.

2 Textbook, page  39  2A (10)

Part 1. Review concept: small phrases to express agreement. Keep the conversation going.

• You’re right.
• Absolutely
• Exactly
• Definitely.
• That’s true.
• That’s for sure.

Part 2. Listen to conversation. Number the answers.

3 Critical Thinking and Fluency (25)

This ESL thinking and speaking activity helps students develop 4 skills: 

1. expressing logical ideas
2. disagree politely
3. think quickly
4. speak faster

Step 1 Introduce Concept and Framework

How to sound smart? That’s the purpose of this activity. Use criteria when describing opinions or making conclusions.

Want to disagree with someone? Change the criteria.

Step 2. Describe activity

Student A reads a statement or question. Student A must agree or disagree  using the critical thinking sentence pattern:

• criterion + evidence+ opinion
• talk for 30 seconds. 

The next student DISAGREES with Student A. This is just for fun. Student B uses the critical thinking sentence pattern:

• polite disagree phrase + describe different criterion + evidence+ opinion

Activity Notes

Here is a list of statements or questions that can be used for this ESL speaking activity.

1. Who is a hero for you?
2. Who is the best actor today or in the past?
3. What is the best movie ever?
4. What is the best pizza topping?
5. Does technology make us more alone?
6. Can money buy happiness?
7. Video games are too violent.
8. The future looks bright.
9. Zoos should be banned

Hour 2

1 Timed Repeated Reading Exercise (20)

Step 1. Why Reading Fluency? (5)

Step 1 Reading Test (15)

Run the timed repeated reading activity. Get the detailed lesson instructions here. Use the story on page 40 for this reading activity.

2 Textbook, page 40 1 A (10)

Read the entire story on page 40. Answer the comprehension question in 1 C and 1 D. Check answers with class.

3 Textbook, page 41, 2 A (10)

Introduce family memories.

• Listen and number pictures.
• Listen again and write details.
• Quick pair work speaking activity with USED TO

Hour 3

1 Critical Thinking and Speaking Fluency Activity (15)

This is activity calls for quick thinking. It reviews and practices critical thinking by making decisions based on a criterion.

Student Tasks

• Make small groups with 3-4 students.
• Read a short story called Alligator River.
• Decide who is the worst person and explain with a criterion. 
• Speak for 30 seconds without stopping.

There is a twist.

In groups, one student chooses a character and explains why that person is the worst.

The next student must choose a different story character and explain why he or she is the worst.

This continues until every person in the group has spoken.

2 Dictogloss Exercise (15)

This is a fluency activity mixed with some critical thinking.

3 Logic Puzzles (15)

Here are two sets of logic puzzle worksheets.

• easy puzzles
• hard logic puzzles