Conversation Cards: A Warm-up Activity
Questions are the springboard for most conversations in English, whether they be “What do you do?” “Are you from around here?” or “How was your day?” These questions are a great way to open or extend a conversation. In my low-level English class we practice and recycle these questions regularly. Here’s how:
Conversation Cards
- At the end of every class I write any new questions we practiced that day on cards- one question per card.
- At the beginning of the following class , I place piles of the cards facedown on tabletops around the room.
- As students come in, they meet in pairs and take turns picking up a card and asking their partner the question.
- The activity lasts about 5 minutes.
Notes:
- The piles of cards grow over time. If you have open enrollment, change the color of the cards occasionally so you can easily sort out old questions.
- Students can also write these questions for their own set of cards.
- This is a great way to absorb late-comers without disruption, as they can quickly join any group and take a turn without direction or transition.
Sample questions:
-
What do you do?
-
Where do you work?
-
Where are you from?
-
How was your day?
-
How was your week-end?
-
What are your plans for the week-end?
-
Do you have family here?
-
Where do you work?
-
How’s the family?
Advertisement
- Posted in: Collaborative Learning ♦ Listening and Speaking
I have done the same thing for a number of years in my Spanish and ESL classes and it’s one of the things my students regularly comment on in evaluations. On one set I usually add a sample answer (often for myself) on the back in case they’re stumped. The one asking the question can use the answer to help the partner if necessary. After they’ve practiced for awhile, they use the answerless sets. I encourage them to make their own cards by providing a stack of 3×5 cards early on, a hole punch and rings.
Another way to use the cards is to give each student a card and have them work in pairs asking each other the questions. Then they trade cards and move on to another partner. They can go on for a long time actively speaking while I just sit back and enjoy the moment.
Whenever I substitute a class, I take my answerless cards and give one to each student. I make up answer cards with my personal information. When I show a piece of my information, the person with the appropriate question asks it. I respond and ask that person the same question. I often have them ask one or two other students the same question. It’s a great ice breaker.