Building connection through conversation
Level: A1, A2, B1 Handout: free Google docs Language focus: modal auxiliaries, daily actions, action verbs Media: video Can kindness make you happy? Altruism was a hotly debated topic in my philosophy classes. For instance, if we do something nice, and it makes us happy, are we doing it for…
ESL and EFL discussion on what questions lead to great conversations.
Level: A1, A2, B1 Handout: Google slides prompts. Free on TPT Media: none Language focus: wh-questions, open-ended questions Asking questions is an integral part of conversation. When I prepare an ESL lesson, I can spend quite a lot of time composing just the right question. Not too hard, not too…
Level: A2 B1 B2 Handout: TPT 0.99$ Media: article Language focus: body, should and shouldn’t (modals), emotions When you speak, do you think of your body language? Or when you listen, do you think of what your face looks like to the person who is talking? If you are a…
Level: A2, B1, B2 Discussion questions: in the post Media: Video Language focus: environment, action verbs, household items Can you live a zero-waste life? I know I can’t…not yet anyway. But every year I try to incorporate a new environmentally friendly practice. For example, I switched my paper napkins for…
Level: A1, A2, B1, B2 Handout: on TPT Media: Video Language focus: action verbs, causal linking words Do you like independent films? I think it’s a good habit to break away from mainstream films and explore some of the messages in indie films. Often I find myself conditioned by an…
Level: A1-A2 Handout on TPT Media: Video Language focus: food, verbs, cooking, imperative How do you poach an egg? Yes, that is my discussion question for today. Easy right? In my humble experience, poaching an egg is one of the harder cooking skills I have ever had to master. It’s…
Are you looking for language activities for your kids? Perhaps even an activity that could get them out of your hair for a bit (not judging). In these unprecedented times of social distancing, keeping your kids busy or better yet, engaged is challenging to say the least. Generally speaking, eslconversation.ca…
Why are bad habits so hard to break? First, let’s clarify that a bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern–perhaps one that causes bodily harm. So if your daily glass of wine is not causing you harm then it can stay (yay!)? However, if you drink a whole bottle, text…
Can you describe what emotions you are experiencing right now? This is the question Tiffany Watt Smith asks her TED audience to sensitize them on how easy or how hard it is to put words on our emotions. This is a fantastic presentation to conjure the vocabulary of emotions and…
