Good Speaking Activities

Speed Dating - I love this speaking activity for every level. Lower levels are very literal and need time to prep, but my upper levels get a shorter prep time and often use alter-egos instead of their true personality. It makes it hysterical. I set up the room with long tables with girls on one side and boys on the other so they are facing each other. *Side note - if you don't have equal numbers, make sure you choose those students that are up for anything to be on the opposite team. For example, if you have 18 guys and 12 girls, you will need 3 guys to be on the girl side. Here is the super basic form that I used with Spanish I to plan their answers and questions.

Random Stories - This is not fancy, but is a wonderful way to get the kids speaking. I divide the students into different groups and give them each a photograph. The photos are usually of landscapes, street scenes, etc. Students then work together to come up with stories about the picture. Each student creates a sentence, and the others need to build on it. I get some truly crazy stories, but they all stay in the target language!

Board Games - I use the game Clue with my students. I couldn't find a Spanish version, so I had to adapt an English version. The kids love playing, and since they do this at the end of the Detective Story Unit, they know the vocabulary. It is great watching them implement all they have learned. I also have Scrabble, Bananagrams, and Apples to Apples.

Picture Pages - This is great as a starter or as a wrap-up after a tough class. Students work in pairs. One student faces the screen in the front of the room and the other has their back to it. I put a picture up and the student that sees the pictures describes the picture in the target language to the other student who draws what is described to them. The drawing student is able to ask questions, but all communication must take place in the target language. Here is an example of the pictures I show the students. I use this activity to not only practice new vocabulary, but to review older vocabulary.