Activity 27- What Did They Say?

Are you teaching Reported Speech? Learn how to connect students with this grammar topic in a very meaningful way!

Level: beginning/low internediate/intermediate
Language skills: speaking and/or writing
Grammar Topic: Reported Speech
Device needed: a tablet or a smartphone (students' own mobile devices) 
Number of devices needed:  one per student or one per group of students
Internet connection: on
App: Twitter
Price: free
Operating System: iOS or Android

Instructions:

Ask your students to enter Twitter and check what some of the celebrities they follow are saying. Ask them to report what they have said recently using the Report Speech structure. The students can write down their sentences or simply sit in small groups and orally report their findings.

Ex: 
Justin Bieber said that he loved music.
On October 13, Oprah Winfrey said that she had just finished a delightful meeting with her 8th graders.
In July, Michael Phelps said that airports might be the best people watching place ever.
Katy Perry said that she was really excited to share those songs with her fans and that she was proud of them. She asked if they would let her know what they thought and how they made them feel. 

Source: Vinicius Lemos
Picture credits: Twitter

Activity 26- Relative Clauses Practice

Here is a fun and simple way to work with Relative Clauses through digital photography!

Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Language skills: speaking
Grammar Topic: Using Relative Clauses to describe people and things
Device needed: a tablet 
Number of devices needed:  one per student or one per group of students
Internet connection: on/off (on if students need to search for an image/off if students decide to use their device to take a picture)
Apps: PS Express, Be Funky or Mega Photo
Price: free
Operating System: iOS

Instructions:
First model the activity by showing the students some samples of images that have been modified by a special effect. Show them the images and tell them that they have to guess the famous person, place or object. Before eliciting their guesses, give them some hints using Relative Clauses. Here is an example:

Hint 1: This is a man who works as an actor.
Hint 2: He is a famous Hollywood actor who has a twin brother.
Hint 3: This is a man whose ex-wife is also a famous Hollywood star.

After the three hints, ask students to write down their guesses or just elicit them orally. Then, later, show them the original picture to check if their guesses were correct. 

After modeling the activity, divide students into small groups and set up the time that they have to prepare their material. Then, ask groups (one at a time) to show the whole class their images and read their hints. Students can write down their guesses individually and compare them later or simply say them orally right after they hear the hints. 

Source: Vinicius Lemos
Picture Credits: profimedia.cz/edited by Vinicius Lemos (PS Express/effect: obscure)

Activity 21 - This is Me

As teachers we know how good it is to share and exchange ideas with workmates. The post today was inspired by one of those moments! The idea belongs to my colleague Maria Cristina and I added a little flavor to it based on an idea suggested by blog visitor Denise Özdeniz. Thank you ladies!

Level: intermediate/advanced

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

Number of devices needed: one per student
App: Pic Collage (iOS and Android)
Price: free

Instructions: 

Explain that the purpose of this warmer is to get students to know a bit more about each other by having very informal conversations about meaningful things to them. Ask them to select some of their pictures in their mobile devices. Reinforce that they should pick pictures that they feel comfortable showing to everyone and that, in a way, reveal a bit more about who they are, what they like to do, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, etc. Sit them in small groups and let them show their pictures and talk freely about them. As a follow-up, invite some volunteers to show some pictures and talk about them or invite classmates to report interesting things they have learned about each other.

Tip: You can ask students to select their images and use the app Pic Collage to put all the images together in only one. 

Sources: Maria Cristina and Denise Özdeniz

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 19- Odd One Out!

Does everyone in your class have a mobile device? If so, here is a 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 libraryNumber of devices needed: one per student

Instructions:

Sit students in groups of 3/4 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 group members. Then, they should discuss which image should be considered the odd one out and provide a reason for that.  Remind them that there is no right or wrong answers, anything is possible as long as they explain it properly! Have students do it a few times so that they can use different images. Be ready to witness how creative your students can get!

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

Activity 17- He Said, She Said

Here is another simple idea using the app POPPLET, but this time to practice Reported Speech

Level: Low-Intermediate/ Intermediate
Language skills: writing, reading and speaking
Grammar Topic: Reported SpeechDevice needed: a tablet
Number of devices needed: one per student
Internet connection: on (only for the photo search part)
App: Popplet Lite
Price: free/ $4,99 (Full Version)
Operating System: iOS

Instructions: 

Explain that students are going to create a poppet using the picture of a famous person and that they need to type in sentences of what that person is saying. Show them a model poppet and ask them to report what the famous person said (Ex: Se said  she had gone to the mall the night before/ She said she was going to eat chocolate that night/ She said she loved Ian/ She said she was beautiful.) Remind them to backshift all verbs since that is the main objective in this practice. Allow them some time to search for/take a picture and prepare the sentences. Ask them to work in pairs and report their partner`s sentences.

Tip: In case the internet connection at the school is not reliable, turn this project into a homework assignment. Another alternative is to have students take pictures of their classmates and make up interesting sentences to be reported. 

Source: Vinicius Lemos

*If you are not sure how POPPLET works , check out this YouTube video posted by Taylor Ness: