activities | ESL Conversation Lessons

What’s the weather today?

I love talking about the weather. It is the easiest way to initiate a conversation with a stranger or acquaintance if you need to break the silence. Great for elevator rides, spontaneous waiting time and warm repartee.

It is also a ubiquitous element that can have multiple impacts on our lives. Indeed a rainy day, bright sun, or a snowstorm will change how we dress, the meals we eat, the activities we plan and perhaps how we get to work. Personally, I check the weather every morning because I take my bike to work–even in winter.

Moreover, I find weather phenomena fascinating. Tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, nature has a way of reminding us who is really in control. Beautiful, powerful, terrifying the planet is a person. She breathes, she aches and she speaks. Are we listening?

This particular discussion lesson goes from general to scientific to silly. The objective is to elicit the vocabulary around a familiar topic and add a level of complexity with either the science behind weather or weather-related expressions. I just couldn’t choose, so I put everything.

Pre discussion

What are the different types of weather or climate you can name?
What affects the weather?
How does the weather make you feel? When it rains, when it is sunny, when the snow falls…
Do you use the weather forecast to plan activities?
What activities do you do in spring, summer, fall and winter?
What are the seasons like in your country?

Option 1: The Video: The Science of Weather

Divide the video into 2 or 3 segments and do a Tell Back of the main themes and words
How do meteorologists sort through information, identify trends, and make predictions?
Why do they often get it wrong?
Why is it important to predict the weather?

Option 2: Weather idioms

For this, I made a handout and some flashcards. They are on Teachers Pay Teachers TPT. Click to go see.

Are you looking for language activities for your kids?

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 is a site devoted to ESL materials for adults. However, being a mother of young kids myself, I feel compelled to share what I am doing with my own girls.

Because I too worry that they get complacent. I too worry that their brains turn to mush. And I too need a break from being the hourly ringmaster. But there is no way that my conscience will let me plug them into a video game or television. So what do to?

Easy Comic Maker: by Mélanie L. Sisley

If you have other sites or apps, let me know. I would be more than happy to make a video and share it.

What do your hobbies do for you?

Do you knit, run, read, eat, garden? Hobbies are acticities that we do for the sheer pleasure of doing them. They help us take time for ourselves. Whether they are sports related or a more relaxing activity, a hobby is something to enjoy. In other words, when you have given them a bit of time, you feel recharged and happy–as opposed to guilty or tired.

Personnally, I have more hobbies than I probably should. I love relaxing. I knit, paint, garden, cook, take long walks with my dog, read and write blogs. In fact, my hobbies help me channel a lot of creative energy. My husband on the other hand uses hobbies like obsesive video game playing to expell his stress. I’m not sure that it works though.

Moreover, not everybody nutures hobbies. In fact, in many cultures hobbies can be viewed as lazy or a waste of time–something you do when you are children or you want to avoid ‘real’ work. What do you think? Are hobbies healthy or a waste of time? In this Huffington Post article, the author develops the idea that there are good and not so good hobbies.

Warm up

Do a Mind Map of the different hobbies.

The Artcle: Healthy Hobbies That Will Improve Your Life

Scan for words that describe the benefits of hobbies.
What hobbies do you have?
Out of the 11 hobbies listed in the article, which would you like to try?
What is it about that activities that sparks your interest?

If you were a car, which would you be?

For all you car lovers our there, this is the discussion for you. Business Insider presents one of the world’s largest car collection of cars, with over 45o cars, held by business man Roger Dubbing. So if you want to feast your eyes on plenitudes of chrome and leather, hop into this discussion…

First start by Mind Mapping some of the car related words. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to review colors, descriptive adjectives (e.g. fast, smooth, powerful, etc). Then ask your students to take the quiz. Why not make it interactive by getting your students into pairs so that one asks and the other answers. Reading out lound can be a great way to practice pronounciation…if it is not too difficutl or stressful. Finally, watch the video on the 45$ car collection.

Warm Up

Mind Map some of the car-related words
What is your favorite car?
If you were a car, which would you be? (you can even take a quiz)

The Video: Inside a $45 Million Car Collection

What did you see that stuck?
What are some of the strangest features?
If you were to rent a car from Dubbing, which would it be?
Why does Dubbing see himself as an art collector rather than a car collector?