Speaking activitiesConflict resolution role cards - an intercultural roleplay Korean: You are a Korean language teacher who lived

in the Philippines for two years and then moved to Japan where you lived for 5 years. You have just returned to the Philippines for a new teaching position and an old Filipino friend meets you at the airport. After you greet your friend (you bowed and then shook hands), your friend seems to get angry. You are not sure why your friend is angry, but you need to find out. Follow the cultural conflict resolution process:
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Filipino: You are picking your Korean friend up at the airport. You used to be great friends but you haven't seen him in 5 years so you expect a warm welcome. However, your friend arrives all you get is a cold bow and a quick handshake. You were expecting an embrace and then a little chat with your friends arm around your shoulders. Find out why your friend is acting so coldly. It may be a cultural conflict but then again, it may not be; your friend did live in the Philippines for 2 years. Try the cultural conflict resolution process:
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Teacher's notes An assessment rubric for this roleplay is available: Intercultural communication roleplay assessment rubric. 1. I use this at the beginning of a Catholic University EFL class called Intercultural Communication. I start with an introduction/discussion of the conflict resolution process for intercultural communication. The one given here was created from an American perspective. It is worth asking students if they think it needs to be modified in certain circumstances. For example would a Korean and a Filipino find this process useful? 2. Set the scene. Two friends haven't seen each other in 5 years. The one who moved away is returning and will be met at the airport by an old friend. Give students a few minutes to read their role cards, ask questions, and plan what they are going to say.

3. Students work in pairs. If necessary there can be one group of 3. I believe it's best for the teacher to circulate and listen to the language being produced and the way students negotiate the conflict resolution steps. 4. It is important to give and get feedback from students. I suggest a discussion after each round of roleplays in which one pair describes their exchange to another pair. Students can then try the roleplay again with a new partner or after trading roles). I've also had students write reports on what they said during each of the 4 steps. Students found this very difficult, and it showed me that they did not really understand steps 2, 3 and 4. 5. I make one student Korean because my students are Korea. Any nationality can be substitued. For example I've also done this roleplay where the student returning from Japan is an American English teacher. The nationality and the job can be changed for student A, but probbaly not for the Filipino student. Conflict resolution role cards (personal questions) - an intercultural roleplay Korean: You are the 60 year old manager of a US company's Korean office. A young executive has come from America to change the way you run your office. You're not sure that he is qualified to make any suggestions since he looks so young; you must have much more experience than he does. You also want to know how much money he makes to see if the US headquarters is treating Korean employees fairly. He refuses to answer your questions so you need to use the 4 steps to find out why.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

American: You are an American business person visiting your company's Korean office. After an unusual dinner the night before, you're looking forward to seeing how things work in the Korean office. The manager of the office greets you and announces that he will be showing you around today. He says that you look younger than he expected and asks your age. You would rather not say. Then he asks if you make a lot of money. You are not comfortable with these questions so use the 4 steps to solve this problem.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Teacher's notes

An assessment rubric for this roleplay is available: Intercultural communication roleplay assessment rubric. 1. I used this as one possible roleplay for the midterm exam during a Catholic University EFL class called Intercultural Communication. Students have already studied the conflict resolution process for intercultural communication. The one given here was created from an American perspective. It is worth asking students if they think it needs to be modified in certain circumstances. For example would a Korean approach conflict resolution differently from an American? 2. Normally you would want to set the scene in class. However because this was used for the midterm exam (students rolled a die on the day of their test to see which situation they would roleplay), students (one pair at a time) came to my office at the arranged time. I recorded the roleplays as I always do in case students wants to argue their grades. 3. Students work in pairs. A group of 3 should be possible with this roleplay. 4. It should be noted that this suggestion came from my Korean students and I then wrote the role cards based on their ideas.

Conflict resolution role cards (an American's first dinner in Korea) - an intercultural roleplay Korean: You are a Korean business person and you've invited an American from the corporate office in the US to have dinner with you and your colleagues. The meal of rice, side dishes, and daenjon arrives and you begin eating with your colleagues. However you notice that the American is not eating. When you ask him about this he says he's waiting for a plate and a bowl. Why does he want his own bowl? You'll need to use the 4 steps to find out.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

American: You are an American executive and you're in Korea to see how the Korean office runs and suggest improvements to the US headquarters. After arriving in Korea, the employees take you out to dinner. You're looking forward to trying some Korean food but when it arrives you're surprised to see everyone spooning soup out of the same bowl, eating fish off the same plate, sharing little bowls of vegetables, etc. The only thing you have to yourself is a bowl of rice, water, and liquor. You're

wondering why they don't give you a plate so use the 4 steps to get to the bottom of this.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Teacher's notes An assessment rubric for this roleplay is available: Intercultural communication roleplay assessment rubric. 1. I used this as one possible roleplay for the midterm exam during a Catholic University EFL class called Intercultural Communication. Students have already studied the conflict resolution process for intercultural communication. The one given here was created from an American perspective. It is worth asking students if they think it needs to be modified in certain circumstances. For example would a Korean approach conflict resolution differently from an American? 2. Normally you would want to set the scene in class. However because this was used for the midterm exam (students rolled a die on the day of their test to see which situation they would roleplay), students (one pair at a time) came to my office at the arranged time. I recorded the roleplays as I always do in case students wants to argue their grades. 3. Students work in pairs. A group of 3 should be possible with this roleplay. 4. It should be noted that this suggestion came from my Korean students and I then wrote the role cards based on their ideas. Conflict resolution role cards (first date between a Korean woman and Canadian man) - an intercultural roleplay Canadian: You are a Canadian man. You are having your first date with a Korean exchange student. You took her to a diner. Your hamburger and coke come to about 10 dollars so you take out 13 dollars. Your date ordered spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and a coke. That comes to 14.00 so you ask your date for 17.00. She should actually put in 17.50, but you want to seem like a nice guy, not a cheap guy. This should improve your chances of getting to kiss your date good night. When you ask her for the money, it seems to upset her. Use the 4 steps to solve this problem.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Korean: You are a Korean exchange student. You are on your first date in Canada. You've just enjoyed a great dinner, but the meals in Canadian diners are too big and you couldn't finish. Your date helped you by eating one of your two large meatballs and one of your 3 pieces of garlic bread. Now he's asking you for 17.00 but you don't understand why he asked you out on a date and is unwilling to pay for your meal, especially on the first date. He should pay for the meal and you should buy coffee afterwards. Plus he wants you to pay for everything you ordered, even though he had one of your meatballs and one piece of garlic bread. Is he cheap or is there some cultural conflict at work here? Use the 4 steps to solve the problem.
1. Both people explain what they find unusual about the other's behavior. 2. Each person realizes the other's cultural perceptions. 3. Each person learns how the problem would be handled in the other's culture. 4. Together, the two people develop conflict solutions.

Teacher's notes An assessment rubric for this roleplay is available: Intercultural communication roleplay assessment rubric. 1. I used this as one possible roleplay for the midterm exam during a Catholic University EFL class called Intercultural Communication. Students have already studied the conflict resolution process for intercultural communication. The one given here was created from an American perspective. It is worth asking students if they think it needs to be modified in certain circumstances. For example would a Korean and a Filipino find this process useful? My students have never had any suggestions, however. 2. Normally you would want to set the scene in class. However because this was used for the midterm exam, students (one pair at a time) came to my office at the arranged time. I recorded the roleplays as I always do in case students wants to argue their grades. 3. Students work in pairs. A group of 3 would be very difficult with this roleplay. I offered students several choices: for example a pair of two women could be a lesbian couple or one could pretend to be the man. In every case the students chose to pretend there was one man and one woman rather than roleplaying a gay or lesbian date. 4. It should be noted that this suggestion came from my Korean students and I then wrote the role cards based on their ideas.

Neighbors at odds role cards - a roleplay for ESL or EFL students

Resident of APT 202: It's 7:00 AM. You were up until 4:00 AM preparing for an important business meeting. You have to give your presentation at 9:30, and you really need another hour or two to sleep. You can't sleep because the person who lives downstairs is playing the drums. Resident of APT 102: It's 7:00 AM. You are a drummer, and a music major. Today is your senior recital. If you don't play well you can't graduate so you have to practice as much as possible. Teacher's notes 1. I would consider putting 102 residents and 202 residents together before the roleplay so that they can plan what they're going to say. 2. Set the scene. In Korea, everyone seems to live in apartments so I ask if they have good neighbors or not, which provides a nice warmer for this roleplay. 3. You may want to explain a bit about how music performance majors have to give a recital to earn a music degree from an American university. Also, see if students can perform the following functions in English: politely insist (202 resident); refuse a request (102 resident). 4. I often let the students have more than one go at it. Have all the drummers stand up and rotate clockwise or have students exchange role cards (you may want to let students have a few more minutes to plan if they're going to switch roles). If there are few students and an odd number of them I usually participate, having the students rotate so everybody has to talk to the teacher. 5. Try to provide feedback between role-plays so students can try to incorporate your advice when they do the roleplay with their next partner. I would focus more on the functions than on grammar here. Unbelievable story role cards - a roleplay for ESL or EFL students
In this roleplay, students have to express disbelief.

Taxi driver: Today, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were running away from paparazzi when they got in your cab. You took them to LAX (Los Angeles airport). Tell your friend about what happened. Driver's friend:

Your friend is always making up stories about meeting celebrities. Politely tell your friend that you're tired of hearing make-believe stories. Teacher's notes 1. I would consider putting drivers and friends together before the roleplay so that they can plan what they're going to say. If students object that the topic is too old, I would tell them that Tom and Nicole being together makes the story even more newsworthy (but I should probably just update the role cards - I don't becuase I don't feel like researching celebrity gossip at the moment). 2. Set the scene. It seems like every text book has a unit about movies, which could provide a nice context for this roleplay. You can use this one at any time; just make sure to provide a brief warmer, perhaps asking if any students have met celebrities or what they think about paparazzi (you may need to teach this word). 3. This is an opportunity for meaningful use of many past and present tenses. During the activity, monitor students to see if they are using the tenses correctly. Also, see if students can perform the following functions in English: politely tell someone you don't believe what they're saying (friend); tell a story (driver). 4. I often let the students have more than one go at it. Have all the friends stand up and rotate clockwise or have students exchange role cards (you may want to let students have a few more minutes to plan if they're going to switch roles). If there are few students and an odd number of them I usually participate, having the students rotate so everybody has to talk to the teacher. 5. Try to provide feedback between role-plays so students can try to incorporate your advice when they do the roleplay with their next partner.

While this is a made up story about taking Tom Cruise to LAX (Los Angeles Airport) normal people need to get to the airport as well. Airport transfer is normally less expensive than airport parking and less stressful than driving to the airport. Taxi court role cards - a roleplay for ESL or EFL students Judge: You are a judge in taxi court. A customer will complain about a driver, and the driver will be there to defend himself. You must decide if the taxi driver should be punished. If punishment is necessary, decide what is appropriate. Passenger:

You are complaining about a taxi driver because he took you to the wrong destination. You live on Mace Street in The Bronx, but he took you to Cadman plaza in Brooklyn. The driver wasted your time so you don't want to pay. Also, it was a bit dangerous it was late at night and you and your SO had been drinking. Cadman Plaza at night is not a very safe area but by the time you realized where you were the cabbie was already gone. You eventually walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and found another cab but it was very inconvenient and your SO is pissed at you so you are pissed at the driver. Cabbie: You do not think you should be in taxi court. Saturday night, you picked up a drunk man and his girlfriend. He was so drunk that you couldn't understand his directions. You repeated "Cadman Plaza?". The customer was already kissing his girlfriend and didn't answer. Teacher's notes I used to use this role card for the passenger but students were surprised when they were accused of drinking. This was the previous role card which some of you might like better - maybe the less students know the more they need to negotiate for meaning? For now I'm trying it with the more detailed card above but here is the less detailed one in case you like it better: You are complaining about a taxi driver because he took you to the wrong destination. You live on Mace Street in The Bronx, but he took you to Cadman plaza in Brooklyn. The driver wasted your time so you don't want to pay. Teacher's notes: 1. I always use this one after at least 8 weeks of class due to the "naughty" subject matter. I've done this with Korean college students (4 times), government employees (1 time), and with mixed classes of Korean college students and businesspeople (2 times). It has always been a big hit. 2. Set the scene. I use the Culture Watch video (chapter 3). Go over some New York City geography (The Bronx and Brooklyn are boroughs in NYC) and model the pronunciation of Cadman Plaza and all the other names. You can also adapt this activity so that it is based on another city. 3. I break the class into groups of three or four. If there is a group of 4, tell two students they are both passengers. There will be some snickering when the taxi driver accuses them of kissing, but I have never had a problem. In fact, the groups of 4 often seem to be having more fun. The passengers could be two men, two women, a man and a woman, whatever. It has always been a lot of fun. 4. This is an opportunity for meaningful use of the past continuous. Watch out for

"She was busy to kiss her boyfriend" and similar mistakes. Since you can have groups of three and four, there is no need for you to take on one of the roles. In fact students might get uncomfortbale arguing with the teacher. Instead, monitor the language that emerges. After 5-8 minutes get the judge to make a decision. At the end of the activity I always provide some error correction on the board. 5. If the activity is going well, let the students have more than one go at it. Have all the taxi drivers stand up and rotate clockwise, have each student pass his role card clockwise, or use a combination of the two. Restaurant interview role cards - a roleplay for ESL or EFL students Interviewer: You own a restaurant. You need a server (waiter or waitress). Decide if you will hire the interviewee. Interviewee: You have never worked in a restaurant before, but you really need a job (and the money)! Teacher's notes 1. Set the scene. It seems like every text book has a unit about jobs or careers. I've always used this to supplement texts, but you don't have to wait until you get to a relevant chapter in the text. Just make sure to provide a brief warmer, perhaps students talking about their jobs or perhaps talking about unique jobs (you may want to show students the snapshot for unit 2 of New Interchange 3. 2. I always put the interviewers together so that they can plan what they're going to say and ask. While the interviewers plan together, the interviewee's get together to discuss their strategy. What are they going to say to get the job? I suggested 10 minutes planning time with the teacher visiting each group to answer questions (my students always want to check their grammar). 3. This is an opportunity for meaningful use of the present perfect. During the planning stage, make sure that the interviewers are using it correctly. During the activity you should pay special attention to use of the present perfect. After 5-8 minutes get the interviewer to make a decision and congratulate students who get hired. 4. I always let the students have more than one go at it. Have all the interviewers stand up and rotate clockwise or have students exchange role cards (you may want to let students have a few more minutes to plan if they're going to switch roles though I don't find it necessary). If there are few students and an odd number of

them I usually participate, having the students rotate so everybody has to talk to the teacher. 5. Try to provide feedback after the activity. This may be a good chance to talk about style rather than grammar. Students might benefit if you tell them which bits of language you overheard are too informal for interviews and what is appropriate.

Going to restaurants is a very popular activity, so this directory of UK restaurants will be useful for anyone who needs to find a good place to eat in the UK. I'm told that Indian food, which is one of my favorites, is quite popular in the UK.

Teaching about Landmines

by Kip Cates (Tottori University, Japan)

Landmine Press Conference

One way to practice foreign language skills while raising awareness about the problem of landmines is to do a class simulation of a landmine expert press conference. Here's what to do: Pre-Teaching Ask the class if they know what the word "landmine" means, then pre-teach relevant vocabulary. Explain how landmines are a major world problem, how NGOs like the UN and Red Cross are working on this problem, and how one organization, ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines), won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its work. Press Conference Role Play Next, tell the class that today they will role play a press conference on landmines featuring landmine experts and world reporters. Choose three students from the class who are good actors to become "instant experts" on landmines. They will play the roles of:

Landmine Experts

a United Nations landmine expert a Red Cross landmine expert

a landmine expert from ICBL

Have these three students sit at the front of the class "press conference style" and give them the "instant expert" cards below to study for 5 or 10 minutes. While the three "land-mine experts" study their cards, tell the rest of the class that they will role play journalists from famous world newspapers. Have them get in pairs or groups to decide which newspaper they represent (e.g. Le Monde from France, The New York Times from the US, etc.). If they don't know many world newspapers, write a list on the board or make cards they can choose from. Once they've chosen their newspapers, ask them to write Wh- questions about landmines (Who, What, Where, When, Why, Which, How, How many, How much...) to ask the landmine experts.

World Journalists

Start When the experts and reporters are ready, start the role play with you, the teacher, serving as moderator.

SAMPLE ROLE PLAY SCRIPT

MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen. I'd now like to begin our press conference on landmines. We're very lucky to have with us today three international experts on this topic who will be pleased to answer all your questions. Let me introduce them to you now:

On the left is (student's name) from the United Nations. She has been involved with landmine research for 10 years, spent 2 years in Africa studying the situation there and has flown to Japan for this press conference from UN Headquarters in New York. In the middle is (student's name) from (imaginary Red Cross biodata as above) And on the right is (student's name) from (imaginary ICBL biodata as above)

Now let's begin our press conference. Please raise your hand if you have a question, stand up to identify your country and newspaper, and ask your question to the experts on our panel. First question, please.... MODERATOR: Yes, the reporter wearing the blue sweater in the back. STUDENT: My name is Junko Tanaka and I represent the Bangkok Post newspaper in Thailand. Here's my question: How many landmines are there in the world?
(continue in the same way with other "reporters" and their questions to the 3 experts)

After the reporters have asked all their questions, have each expert make a final comment about landmines. Follow-up Have students research and write reports about landmines, profile an NGO involved with landmines or write letters to an English newspaper.

Find someone who... had a good summer vacation! An ESL speaking activity I used this one at the beginning of the fall semester, right after summer break. I went over rejoinders and follow-up questions before we started. This is also when you get students to create their own for #13-15. They should be related to the summer vacation theme if possible. Watch out for the one about the swine flu rule - it's for Korean schools starting the fall 2009 semester. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Use rejoinders (cool, that sucks, really?, etc.) and follow-up questions. After the activity you will have to report some of what you learned to the class so take notes as you speak to your classmates.

__________________ visited a foreign country during summer break. __________________ visited an interesting place in Korea during summer break. __________________ did something wild this summer. __________________ is planning a trip for winter break. __________________ has gotten yelled at recently. __________________ has goals s/he needs to achieve this semester. __________________ recently found something new that s/he enjoys. __________________ got some new clothes this summer. __________________ had to wait before coming to campus because of the new swine flu rule. __________________ did a lot of work this summer. __________________ went to the beach or to a water park this summer. __________________ read a good book over the summer. 13. 14. 15. Check out James Trotta's travel blog for summer vacation plans, travel news and ideas, and more.
Rejoinders from Conversation Strategies :

Surprise:

Good news:

Oh really? Oh really! You're kidding

That's great! Terrific!

Express interest:

Bad news:

I see. Oh yeah?

That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that.

Find someone who... likes and dislikes. An ESL speaking activity I use this exercise near the beginning of a high beginner class. It serves as a "get to know you" activity, practices talking about likes and dislikes (enjoy +"ing", like +infinitive, like +noun). Before the activity I make a cline with "hate on the bottom, "love" on the top, and "really don't like/dislike", "don't like/dislike", "don't mind", "like/enjoy", "really like/enjoy" in between. Then I give students a chance to plan the questions, including the follow-up questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question for a follow up question) before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Please note that if you're not in Korea you may want to change most of these questions or find a different ESL speaking activity. Use follow up questions! 1. ________________ enjoys cooking. What...? Do you enjoy cooking? What do you like to cook? 2. ________________ doesn't enjoy cooking. How often...? Do you enjoy cooking? How often do you cook? 3. ________________ likes to listen to music. What kind...? Do you like to listen to music? What kind of music do you like? 4. ________________ doesn't mind studying English. Why...? 5. ________________ doesn't like studying English. Why...? 6. ________________ likes pizza. How often...? 7. ________________ hates pizza. Why...? 8. ________________ loves animals. Why...? 9. ________________ really likes to watch TV. What...? 10. _______________ really dislikes watching TV. How often...?

11. _______________ is thinking about a TV show right now. Which...? 12. _______________ likes his or her job. Why...? 13. _______________ doesn't like to exercise. Why...?

FSW vacations like you! An ESL speaking and CALL activity This find someone who activity is actually a brief (about 10 minutes) warm-up for an internet activity in which partenrs plan a vaction for two online. Planning a vacation requires a lot of discussion, making this a highly communicative task. I've found that it takes about two 50 minute classes in a computer lab to complete this lesson. 1. ______________ has been to Australia. 2. ______________ has been to a country in North America. 3. ______________ has been to a country in South America. 4. ______________ has been to a country in Europe. 5. ______________ has been to another country in Asia. 6. ______________ enjoys flying. 7. ______________ enjoys traveling by train. 8. ______________ enjoys being a passenger in a car. 9. ______________ enjoys driving cars.

Write down three places you'd like to visit. These should be places that you have never been to before. 1. 2. 3.

Internet search and vacation planning task With your partner, choose one vacation spot to research on the web.

Where do you want to go? When will you go there? From ______________ to ________________. Available flights: cost, time, and date departing/ arriving. Record the URL of the website from which you get your information.

Acommodations: Type: Name: Cost/ night: URL:

What will you do for fun? What are the special attractions? Make sure to write down the URL of any websites from which you get information! Find someone who... is like Indiana Jones! An ESL speaking activity This one places a heavy emphasis on the present perfect. I usually do it after watching some (or all) of Raiders of the Lost Ark with the class. All of these questions are things that happened in the movie. With most classes, you'll want to go over how to form the follow up questions ("Extra:" is written after each initial question) and possibly how to form questions in the present perfect ("Have you ever...?"). Note that 16 requires present perfect continuous (of course it can be omitted). During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Of course, if you're in America, Germany, or Mongolia, you will need to change question 6,9, or 10. Use rejoinders and follow up questions!

1. ________________ has ridden a horse. Extra: 2. ________________ has fired a machine gun. Extra: 3. ________________ has been in a cave. Extra: 4. ________________ has been in a desert. Extra: 5. ________________ has been in a jungle. Extra: 6. ________________ has been to America. Extra: 7. ________________ has kissed an American. Extra: 8. ________________ has touched a snake. Extra: 9. ________________ has been to Mongolia. Extra: 10. _______________ has been to Germany. Extra: 11. _______________ can speak French. Extra: 12. _______________ can speak German. Extra: 13. _______________ has gone on an archaeological dig. Extra: 14. _______________ has dug a big hole in the ground. Extra: 15. _______________ has played with a monkey. Extra: 16. _______________ has been preparing for something special his/her whole life.
Find someone who... is continuously progressing! An ESL speaking activity by James Trotta

With most classes, you'll want to go over the meaning of 'SO' (significant other) and how to form the follow up questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question) before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation and past and present perfect continuous/progressive) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Before using this activity, look at #5 and either replace my name with yours or omit the question. #8 won't be appropriate for learners who aren't being assigned grades.
Use follow up questions!

1. ________________ has been dating his/her SO for more than a year. How long? 2. ________________ was not sleeping at midnight last night. What? 3. ________________ was going to school when s/he fell in love for the first time. Who? 4. ________________ has been playing a sport for more than 5 years. Which? 5. ________________ was doing English homework when s/he realized that Jim is a great teacher. Why? 6. ________________ is thinking about something other than English. What? 7. ________________ has been studying English for more than five years. How long? 8. ________________ is getting good grades in his/her classes. How good? 9. ________________ has been planning something special for a long time. What? How long? 10. _______________ was out drinking Saturday night. Where? Who? 11. _______________ has recently been studying English very hard. Why? 12. _______________ has been playing a computer game for more than three years. Which?
Find someone who... is continuously progressing! An ESL speaking activity by James Trotta

This is mostly the same as the original Find someone who... I rephrased #5 (which you will want to edit to reflect your name). I got rid of the question about grades because it can be an awkward topic for Koreans to discuss (though many students don't seem to mind I'm told that some might). That was #8, which now works well after returning from a holiday. It could be changed to "recovering from the weekend" for a Monday class or something. I changed #7 from 5 years to 15 years. With most classes, you'll want to go over the meaning of 'SO' (significant other) and how to form the follow up questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question) before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation and past and present perfect continuous/progressive) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Before using this activity, look at #5 and either replace my name with yours or omit the question.

Use follow up questions!

1. ________________ has been dating his/her SO for more than a year. How long? 2. ________________ was not sleeping at midnight last night. What? 3. ________________ was going to school when s/he fell in love for the first time. Who? 4. ________________ has been playing a sport for more than 5 years. Which? 5. ________________ has already realized that Prof. Trotta is a great teacher. Why? 6. ________________ is thinking about something other than English. What? 7. ________________ has been studying English for more than fifteen years. How long? 8. ________________ is still recovering from vacation. What? 9. ________________ has been planning something special for a long time. What? How long? 10. _______________ was out drinking Saturday night. Where? Who? 11. _______________ has recently been studying English very hard. Why? 12. _______________ has been playing a computer game for more than three years. Which? Find someone who... is interested or interesting. An ESL speaking activity I use this after unit 13 of New Interchange 2. Some of the participle adjectives are not presented in the text so you might want to review the vocabulary and how to form the questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question for a follow up question) before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation, use of vocabulary from the chapter, participle adjectives, and relative clauses) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Please note that if you're not in Korea you may want to change #5 and #6.
Use follow up questions!

1. ________________ thinks that action movies are boring. What? Do you think that action movies are boring? What kind of movies do you like? 2. ________________ knows someone who is really fascinating. Who? Why? 3. ________________ was surprised recently. Why? 4. ________________ knows what the movie Titanic is about. What? 5. ________________ knows a Korean person who speaks English very well. Who? 6. ________________ is shocked that Korea sent troops to Iraq. Why? 7. ________________ thinks studying English is terrific. Why? 8. ________________ has read a novel that was written in English. What? 9. ________________ has watched an English movie that didn't have subtitles. What? 10. _______________ knows someone who is dating more than one person. Who? 11. _______________ was doing something boring at midnight last night. What? Why? 12. _______________ has been playing an exciting sport or game for more than three years. What? How long? Find someone who... thinks about Korea. An ESL speaking activity I use this after exercise 4 of unit 15 in New Interchange 3. I give students a chance to plan the questions, including the follow-up questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question for a follow up question) before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear (especially regarding question formation, use of passive modals, and phrases for expressing opinions) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Please note that if you're not in Korea you may want to change most of these questions or find a different ESL speaking activity. Use follow up questions!

1. ________________ thinks that the process of entering a Korean college has to be changed. What? Do you think that the process of entering a Korean college has to be changed? What kind of changes should be made? 2. ________________ thinks that selling dog meat shouldn't be allowed. Why? How do you feel about selling dog meat in Korea? Why do you think so? 3. ________________ thinks that people should be required to recycle. Why? 4. ________________ thinks that Korean troops shouldn't be sent to Iraq. Why? 5. ________________ thinks that Korean men shouldn't be forced to join the military. Who? 6. ________________ thinks that Korean students shouldn't be required to study English. Why? 7. ________________ thinks that murderers should be executed. Why? 8. ________________ thinks that something has to be done about North Korea's nuclear weapons. What? 9. ________________ thinks that homeless people should be given apartments to live in. Why? 10. _______________ thinks that public schools in Korea have to be improved. How? 11. _______________ thinks that children shouldn't be allowed to watch a lot of TV. Why? 12. _______________ thinks that the coach of the Korean soccer team should be fired. Why? Who? 13. _______________ thinks that Roh shouldn't have been impeached. Find someone who... uses time wisely! An ESL speaking activity about time management With most classes, you'll want to model how to complete the activity. I ask students to use each person's name only one time to ensure that they circulate and talk to as many students as possible. You may also want to model the initial and follow up

questions if you're focusing on accuracy. Then during the activity, you can participate, listen and write down mistakes for later review, or do some of each. Find someone who... uses time wisely! Use follow up questions! 1. ________________ writes down how s/he spends time. How long/ (you) write/how you spend your time? (present perfect continuous) 2. ________________ is very punctual. Why/be/you punctual? (present simple) 3. ________________ is disoraganized. Can you/give/me an example? (present simple) 4. ________________ uses a planner to organize his/her time commitments. How long/use/a planner? (present perfect continuous) 5. ________________ studies in between classes. What subjects/do/you study? (present simple) How much time do you/spend/studying between classes? (present simple) 6. ________________ went out during midterm week, even though s/he knew it would be better to saty home and study. What/ (you) study/for? 7. ________________ is too busy. Why/be/you busy? (present simple) 8. ________________ usually has to cram the day before a test. What/happen/when you take the test? (present simple) 9. ________________ has pulled an all nighter to study for a test. Which test/ (you) study/for? (past continuous) 10. _______________ recently had to make an excuse for not doing his/her homework. Why/ (not) (you) do/your homework? (past simple) 11. _______________ often feels tired. Why/ (you) feel/tired? (present simple) 12. _______________ doesn't sleep enough. Why/ (you) sleep/enough? (present simple) Find someone who... converses with you! An ESL speaking activity With most classes, you'll want to go over how to form the follow up questions (a one or two word clue is given after each initial question) and when to use rejoinders before beginning the activity. During the activity I usually circulate, participate a little bit (to encourage students), and listen a lot. I write down the mistakes I hear

(especially regarding question formation and using rejoinders) so that I can put them on the board and go over them with the entire class after the activity. Use rejoinders and follow up questions! 1. ________________ has been to Japan. Where? 2. ________________ likes to hike. How often? Favorite mountain? 3. ________________ wants to go to America. Why? 4. ________________ likes ice cream. How often? Favorite Flavor? 5. ________________ loves his or her job. Why? 6. ________________ dislikes his or her job. Why? 7. ________________ is afraid of flying. How often? 8. ________________ eats dog meat. How often? 9. ________________ had a good vacation. Where? What? 10. _______________ is a vegetarian. Why? How long? 11. _______________ has a dog. What kind? 12. _______________ has relatives in another country. Which one?

Rejoinders from Conversation Strategies :

Surprise:

Good news:

Oh really? Oh really! You're kidding

That's great! Terrific!

Express interest:

Bad news:

I see. Oh yeah?

That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that.

Find someone who...? An ESL speaking activity This is a good activity for a new class. I normally use it for the second lesson. Normally you will need to model the use of rejoinders and follow up questions before asking students to do this activity. Use rejoinders and follow up questions! 1. ________________ has been to Japan. Where? 2. ________________ likes to hike. How often? Favorite mountain? 3. ________________ wants to go to America. Why? 4. ________________ likes ice cream. How often? Favorite Flavor? 5. ________________ loves his or her job. Why? 6. ________________ dislikes his or her job. Why? 7. ________________ is afraid of flying. How often? 8. ________________ eats dog meat. How often? 9. ________________ had a good vacation. Where? What? 10. _______________ is a vegetarian. Why? How long? 11. _______________ has a dog. What kind? 12. _______________ has relatives in another country. Which one?

Rejoinders from Conversation Strategies :

Surprise:

Good news:

Oh really? Oh really! You're kidding

That's great! Terrific!

Express interest:

Bad news:

I see. Oh yeah?

That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that.

Award interviews This ESL speaking activity is good practice with question formation fluency, provides the teacher a good opportunity for error correction, and gives students meaningful interaction. I used it as a 'getting to know you' type activity on the first day of class, but I think it would also work with a familiar class.
1. Students come up with award ideas and the teacher puts them on the board. I did this as a think pair share (students think alone for a minute, talk to a partner, then share with the class). Awards must not be based on appearance (no Miss Universe and no Mr. Olympia). Possibilities include most likely to succeed, the most sociable award, the best listener award, the most charitable award, etc. In my college classes students came up with 'the biggest drinker' and 'the biggest party animal' which I allowed. They also suggested 'The laziest' and 'the worst student' which I did not allow. Try to keep it positive while letting your students have fun. 2. In groups (3-6) students choose 1 or 2 awards they would like to give out. Students then decide what questions they should ask (at least 3) in order to determine who deserves the award. I give students time to compose their questions and then check them for accuracy - this allows for some error correction which can help students with their questions (students tend to get little practice and no feedback when it comes to question formation since it's usually the teacher asking questions). 3. Groups take turns conducting interviews while the class looks on. One group interviews all the members of the group next to them and then decides which person in the other group gets the award they are giving out. Each person must answer at least questions before an award may be given. Continue until all groups have interviewed and given an award and all groups have been interviewed.

Raiders of the Lost Ark information gap - An ESL speaking activity for communicative classrooms I generally put As and Bs together to form the necessary questions before pairing them up to fill out the worksheet. This information gap can be the last 15 minutes of the Raiders 1 lesson plan. A 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark was directed by Steven Spielberg. 2. It was produced by _____________. 3. It was released in 1981. 4. The movie script was written by ___________________. 5. The music was composed by John Williams. 6. It cost _______________ to make. 7. It had earned $384,000,000 by 2002. 8. _____________ tickets were sold in the US and Canada.

9. It's an action/adventure movie. 10. It's ____________________ long. B 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark was directed by _____________. 2. It was produced by Frank Marshall and George Lucas. 3. It was released in ________. 4. The movie script was written by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman, and Lawrence Kasdan. 5. The music was composed by ________________. 6. It cost $20,000,000 to make. 7. In 2002 it had earned ______________. 8. 88,141,855 tickets were sold in the US and Canada. 9. It's an _________________ movie. 10. It's 1 hour 15 minutes long. Do you want to return to ESL go'com's speaking activities? Tiger information gap - A communicative ESL activity I generally put As and Bs together to form the necessary questions before pairing them up to fill out the worksheet. This information gap activity is really a warmer for the retelling of a Korean folk story. If you're not in Korea, you should change this activity. Also, I give the homework as optional work for extra credit. You might want to make it mandatory or eliminate it. A 1. Tigers sleep around ____ hours a day. (How many...?) 2. Tigers never have exactly the same stripes. (Do tigers...?) 3. Tigers (like/dislike) the water and (know/ don't know) how to swim. (Do tigers...?)

4. There are no wild tigers in Africa. 5. There are about _____________ tigers in Asia. (How many...?) 6. In 1800 it is estimated that there used to be 100,000 tigers in Asia. Group work Think of a Korean folk tale that involves a tiger. As a group, write the story in the past tense. When you're finished read it to the class. Learn at home Extra practice (and extra credit): Post your story on the nature forum (www.eslgo.com/forum/nature/index.cgi). Alternatively, you can write about anything related to nature. Extra practice (no extra credit): Read about tigers on the web. A good place to start is http://www.tigerfdn.com/

B 1. Tigers sleep around 16 hours a day. 2. Tigers (somtimes/never) have exactly the same stripes. (Do tigers...?) 3. Tigers like the water and know how to swim. 4. There are __________ wild tigers in Africa. (How many...?) 5. There are about 5,000-7,000 wild tigers in Asia. 6. In 1800 there used to be ___________ tigers in Asia. (How many...?) Group work Think of a Korean folk tale that involves a tiger. As a group, write the story in the past tense. When you're finished read it to the class. Learn at home Extra practice (and extra credit): Post your story on the nature forum (www.eslgo.com/forum/nature/index.cgi). Alternatively, you can write about anything related to nature.

Extra practice (no extra credit): Read about tigers on the web. A good place to start is http://www.tigerfdn.com/