Activity 24- Vocabulary Ping Pong

Here is another idea for a very dynamic activity that requires absolutely no preparation. Guess where the material for this activity will come from: students` own mobile devices! 

Level: any
Language skill: speakingFocus: vocabulary
Device needed: any device with a camera
Number of devices needed:  one per pair of students
Internet connection: off

Instructions:

Use ping pong to draw a metaphor to this activity: students are competing against each other and they have to think fast while they alternate their turn in the game. In pairs, they should choose a picture from their own mobile device's photo library. Explain that the challenge is to point out as many vocabulary words as possible from the picture they are looking at. Remind them that words do not need to be about concrete objects and that they can use words that describe feelings or abstract things (examples from the picture I took a while ago: Student A: statue, student B: church, student A: tired, student B:  family, student A:  money, student B: music, student A: shopping, etc). Each student should say a word at a time. If a student is unable to say any more words, then the opponent is the winner in this competition. Pairs can pick up another photo and compete against each other again. 


Tips:

-Model the activity before so that students understand how it works.
-You don`t need to set the time for each opponent to come up with a new word but remind them that common sense is a must. If  the student takes more than 15-20 seconds to think of a word, he/she should  admit the defeat.
-Since they are working on the activity in pairs and independently, set a 5-minute time limit and let them challenge each other as many times as time allows.
-It would be interesting to establish a rule: no naming body parts allowed in the competition. Otherwise, students might focus only on the body parts vocabulary. The idea is that they explore the picture as a whole. 
-This activity works better in tablets because the picture is larger and more details can be spotted.
-If the classroom has a projector and a VGA cable, you can project the photo on the board and turn this activity into a two-group competition. In this case, group members could raise their hand when it`s their turn to say a word.

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 20- Things in Common

Here is another speaking activity that requires zero preparation and a lot of critical thinking!

Level: intermediate/advanced

Language skill: speaking
Device needed: any device with images stored in the photo library

Number of devices needed: one per student

Instructions:

Pair up students and explain that for this activity they are going to be using the images from their photo library. They should randomly pick out any image from their device`s photo library (an object, a place, food, people, a situation, etc) and share them with their partner. Then, they should discuss what their chosen images have in common. Set up a time limit (2 minutes, for example) and check out what pairs were able to come up with. Have students do it a few times with different partners so that they can use different images and explore different ideas.

Tip: If you wish, you can turn it into a competition to see who can come up with more similarities faster. 

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Picture credits: Flickr (Loony Libberswick)

Activity 18- Caption Me!

Level: any
Language skill: writing
Device needed:  a cellphone or a tablet
Number of devices needed: one per student

Instructions:

Explain that  students can use an image from their photo library or they can use the camera in their devices to take a picture and then use it. The objective is that they look at their classmates` images and get inspired to write down a caption for it. After everyone has selected the image they want to use, allow them 10 minutes to mingle around and look at the images and write down the captions on their notebooks or digital notepads. Then, have students show their image to the whole group and elicit the captions they have created.
Examples of captions for the picture above (all coming from the little baby on the right):
" Oh god, give me patience!"
" Don`t stop the massage , it`s sooo relaxing..." 
" maybe if I keep my eyes closed I am going to keep everyone away from me."

Tips: 
a) Tell students to write down captions for 3 pictures only 
b) Instead of using an image from their photo library they use the internet and search for a celebrity picture
c) Suggest that students use a funny picture, creative and interesting captions may come more easily

Source: Vinicius Lemos
Picture credits: Flickr (@beyondrandom)

Activity 15- Present Continuous Practice

What is more meaningful than students producing their own material for language practice with pictures of people they really know? Here is an idea for a simple yet fun project to make students practice the Present Continuous in a contextualized way. Moreover, it's a great chance for the teacher and students to build rapport once they will get to know more about their family members and friends as well! 

Level: Beginning

Grammar topic: Present Continuous
Language skill: speaking
Device needed: any device with a built-in camera
Number of devices needed: one per student

Instructions:

Model the activity by showing students a picture of a family member performing an action and eliciting what that person is doing. Explain that they are going to do the same thing using their own devices.  Assign the task as homework: they should choose family members or friends and take pictures of them doing any action. On the following class students share their pictures and classmates describe what the people are doing using the Present Continuous (images can be projected on the board or be seen directly in the students' own devices). 

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 13- Past Continuous Dictation

How about turning a very traditional classroom practice into something more creative and engaging? Students will definitely have fun working on this different "dictation" that is totally created by them!

Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Grammar topic: Past Continuous
Language skill: writing
Device needed:  a digital camera (cellphone, tablet)
Number of devices needed: one per student

Instructions:
The objective of this activity is to have students practice the Past Continuous is a semi-controlled way. First, assign the task to be done at home: they should use a digital camera to record themselves performing any action. The video should last around 10 seconds and they should interrupt what they were doing to answer the telephone. Then, ask them to email their video to you. On the following class, tell them that they are going to watch all the videos and that each video corresponds to one sentence of the dictation. Write a sentence on the board so they have a model to follow (Ex: " John was dancing when the telephone rang" ). Show them the videos and have them write the sentences.
Here are some videos that my own students have produced for this activity:

Tip: turn it into a more challenging task by not establishing that their action should be interrupted by the telephone ringing, let them decide what is going to interrupt it!

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 12- What`s the Occasion?

This activity can be used to practice vocabulary related to clothing and the present continuous as well!

Level: beginning/intermediate
Vocabulary: clothingGrammar topic: Present Continuous
Language skill: speaking
Device needed: any device with a built-in digital camera
Number of devices needed: one per student
Internet connection: offline

Instructions: 

This is a class project that requires in-class and outside-class work.

Part 1: 
On the first day, give each student a slip with a particular situation written in it (EX: GOING TO SCHOOL/CHURCH/WORK/THE BEACH/THE CHURCH/THE MALL/THE GYM/A WEDDING/A JOB INTERVIEW/ A ROMANTIC DINNER/ A FAMILY PICNIC/A NIGHTCLUB/ETC...). Remind them that they should not reveal which situation they were given. Then, explain that they should go home, pick up in their closet the outfit they would wear for that occasion and take pictures of all items (clothes/shoes/accessories) and a picture of themselves wearing the outfit for that occasion.

Part 2:
On the second day, ask students to sit in small groups. Explain that they should show the pictures they have taken (and orally say the name of all clothing items) and other group members should guess where their classmates are going dressed like that. As a follow-up, ask students to show the picture in which they are wearing their outfit and have other classmates describe using the Present Continuous (ex: you are wearing a pink dress, high heels, a watch and a necklace). You can also have them vote on the student who was best dressed for the assigned occasion.

Alternative suggestion: In part 1, ask students to send you via e-mail their picture wearing the outfit. Then, in part 2, you can show the pictures of all students in a slide presentation and elicit from them the sentences in the Present Continuous (follow-up part).

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 9- The Alphabet Game

    

                                                               picture credits: @Jim Davies (Flickr)

Here is an idea for teens and young learners!

Level: any
Device needed: camera (cellphone, tablet,digital camera or any other device that has a camera in it)
Aim: vocabulary review/awareness

Instructions: 

Students can work individually or in pairs/groups in case not everyone has a camera. Set a time limit of 10 minutes and ask them to go around the school taking pictures of different objects. However, tell them that there is a very important rule: They should take pictures of objects obeying the alphabetical order (the first picture should be of something beginning with letter "A" , the second picture should be of something beginning with letter "B", the third picture with letter "C"...). When the time is up, students get back to class, sit in small groups and show their pictures to their group members. That is a great opportunity for them to practice pronunciation and learn new vocabulary words. The student with more pictures in the correct alphabetical order is the winner.

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 8- A Typical Week In My Life

                                          picture credits: corsa2012.blogspot.com

Here is a simple idea for a very communicative and meaningful activity.
 

Grammar point:Simple Present

 Level: Beginning
Language Skill: Speaking
Device needed: camera (cellphone, tablet,digital camera or any other device that has a camera in it)
Objective: Describing routine

Instructions:

This is a project that should be carried out outside the classroom for a period of a week. Explain that they should use their device to take pictures that can be used to illustrate their activities on a typical week (at school, playing sports, lunch, family, hanging out with friends, etc). Then, in the end of a week taking pictures, they should pick up 5 images that best represent their week. Reinforce the idea that those 5 images are the ones that are going to be used for the class activity.

On the day assigned by the teacher students should bring their devices with the 5 selected photos. Pair them up and ask them to show the pictures as they use the simple present to talk about their routine. Explain that they should not only make a sentence in the simple present as they show the picture but also give additional details about it. Partners should be encouraged to ask questions about details. After students have had a chance to show their pictures and talk to their partners invite some volunteers to talk about their routine to the whole group. As a follow-up students can write 3 new things they learned about their classmates`routine and share it with the whole group. 

Tip: Model the activity before students actually start working on it. A great way to do it is by showing students 5 of your own pictures to illustrate your weekly routine. 

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 5- Guess what it is!

Here is a nice idea for your students to practice the modals of deduction in an authentic way!

Level: Intermediate
Language Skill: Speaking
Device needed: camera (cellphone, tablet,digital camera or any other device that has a camera in it)
Objective: Guessing what the photo is by making sentences with modals of deduction

Instructions:

Students can work individually or in pairs in case not everyone has a device with a built-in camera. Explain that students have 5 minutes to walk around within the school premises, find an object or place and take 2 photos of it: one that shows the object or place clearly and another one that shows only a piece of it, like a close-up ,an angle or a detail. Then, in groups of 3 or 4, ask students to show their classmates their close-up picture and have the others guess what it is by making sentences using modals of deduction (ex: It might be a flower/ It can't be watch/ it must be a door/etc). Then, after listening to the sentences, classmates should show the other picture (the one that shows the object or place clearly) so that they know if they have guessed it correctly or not.

Here are some tips to make this a successful activity:

a) Model the activity before by showing the students some pictures previously taken. This way they are going to clearly understand how the pictures should be taken.
b) Write on the board sample sentences with all the modals of deduction you want students to use in their sentences
c) Establish a minimum number of sentences each student should make before classmates reveal what the object/place is.

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 4- A Special Gift

                                           picture credits: smallbiztechnology.com

This is an idea of a very simple yet meaningful and communicative activity that requires the use of a digital camera.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Language Skill: Speaking
Device needed: camera (cellphone, tablet,digital camera or any other device that has a camera in it)

Instructions: 

Part 1(to be assigned as homework) - Ask students to take a picture of a very special gift they have gotten.

Part 2 (the following class) - Ask students to sit in small groups and tell them that they should show the other classmates the picture they have taken of a very special gift they have gotten. They should tell an anecdote explaining why that gift is so important to them, who gave it to them, when they got it, etc. Encourage students  to ask their classmates some follow-up questions in order to get more details about the anecdote.

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Activity 2- Missile Attack

Here is a simple and fun activity for young learners learning the relationship between simple past and past continuous! The app used for this activity is very user-friendly and intuitive! 

Grammar point: simple past x past continuous

App: Action Movie FX 

Operating System: IOS (iphone or ipad)

Price: free

Internet Status: offline

Number of devices required : 1 or more, if available

Instructions:

 To get students in the mood, explain that they are going to produce some short video segments for the next Mission: Impossible movie. Students should work in pairs or small groups(assign roles: one student handles the camera, the other directs the scene and the other(or others)should perform the action). Explain that their videos are going to be very short (about 10 seconds) and that the recorded scene should be that of the students performing a single action (ex: dancing, singing, sleeping, etc). Tell them that the effect they are going to choose is :  "Missile Attack". After everybody has finished recording their scenes, write on the board:

_____________ was/were ___________ - ing, when the missile hit him/her/them.

Model it by giving an example (ex: Robert was dancing when the missile hit him./ Meggie and Sue were playing tennis when the missile hit them.) Then, explain that students are going to write down a sentence for each video produced by their classmates.

As a follow-up, students can vote on the best/funniest video.

Tip: Before students make their videos, it is a good idea to demonstrate how to use the app. This won`t take more than 2 minutes, since the app is very simple and easy to use.

Source: Vinicius Lemos

Watch a video made with the app Action Movie FX :

Activity 1- What Do They Look like?

                                             picture credits: blogs.seattleweekly.com

Level: Beginning
Language Skill: Speaking
Device needed: camera (cellphone, tablet,digital camera or any other device that has a camera in it)
Objective: Describing people

Instructions: 

Students can work individually or in pairs/groups in case not everyone has a camera. Set a time limit of 5 minutes and ask them to go around the school taking pictures of the school staff (teachers, secretaries, etc). When students come back to class, group them up and ask each one to show  the other classmates some of the pictures they have taken. Classmates should describe the appearance of the people in each picture.

Tip: Talk to the school staff before you conduct this activity, so that you can get their permission to be photographed. Also, remind your students to tell the people they approach that they are working on a class project and to ask for permission before taking the pictures.

Source: Vinicius Lemos