FIFTY

SPEAKING &
LISTENING
ACTIVITIES
Beginner-Advanced
Children & Adults

ESL
Resources

Canadian Edition

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50
SPEAKING

&

LISTENING
ACTIVITIES

Deb
Scott

ESL
Resources

Introduction
Lessons in this book are designed to be used in a regular classroom with
small groups of students or in an E.S.L. class or withdrawal situation. All
activities are tested in North American classrooms as well as in E.F.L. classes
in several other countries. The students found them fun and educational. All
the activities are ready-to-use. You may require a few additional items such as
die for some activities. The activities can be easily adapted to the vocabulary
being taught in class or with a course textbook being used.

Getting Started
Suddenly one or several students arrive at your classroom door and they
cant speak any English! Dont panic use this book to begin introducing
essential vocabulary. Start with basic objects, food, clothes, colours and move
on to verbs. Youll find the exercises ready-to-go and easy-to-use. This book is
appropriate for children, teen and adult ESL students. The levels vary from
beginner to advanced. You will be able to use the lessons as they are, or easily
adapt them to specific needs of your students .

About the Author

Deb Scott has 25 years experience in education. She is an elementary
teacher in Winnipeg, Canada, and has taught grades 1 through 9. She has had
many E.S.L. students in her classes over the years. She has also given a
number of E.F.L. in-services to teachers in Thailand.

Dedication
Dedicated to my students in Winnipeg, Canada and Bangkok, Thailand. Many
thanks to my friends Jock McKeen and Ben Wong for all their love and support.

Deb Scott

Also by Deb Scott, 50 Reading and Writing Activities.

Beginner - B
Intermediate - I
Advanced - A

ACTIVITY INDEX
ACTIVITY

#1 Verb Bingo

PAGE

TOPIC

TIME

GROUPING

LEVEL

Past Tense Verbs

15-20

up to 20 players

15-10

any size

30

partners

#2 Students, Please

13

Verbs & Parts of the Body

#3 Back to Back

14

Shapes & Position

#4 Listen & Draw

16

Adjectives & Prepositions

10-15

any size

B-I

#5 The Zoo

18

Animals, Shapes & Directions

15-20

any size

#6 Roll the Dice

21

A Face, A Dog & A House

5-10

2, 3 or 4

#7 Make the Number

22

Numbers 0-100

10

any size

All

#8 Listen & Colour

24

Nouns, Prepositions & Colours

10

any size

# 9 Line Them Up

27

Food

10

whole class

#10 Here, There, Both

30

Sorting

any size

#11 Shapes

32

Shapes & Location Words

10-15

any size

#12 Listen & Sequence

34

Sequencing

30-45

pairs/small groups

#13 Make a Sentence

38

Verb Tenses

20-30

2-5 students

#14 Demonstrate

41

Following Instructions

10-15

any size

#15 Detective

42

Questions

15-20

any size

#16 Hello Doctor

46

Illness & Parts of the Body

10-15

2-5

#17 Bizz, Buzz

49

Numbers 1-100

20

2 or more

#18 Paraphrase

50

Paraphrasing

10

partners

#19 Same/Different

52

Adjectives

15

partners

#20 Finish

56

Sentence Completion

20

1, 2, 4

#21 All Around Town

60

Community & Directions

#22 Where?

62

#23 Dear Debby

All

I-A

B-I

I-A

10-15

any size

Prepositions

10

partners

B-I

66

Giving Advice

20-30

partners/small group

I-A

#24 Whats My Sentence?

68

Parts of a Sentence

15-20

partners

B-I

#25 Where Does She Live?

70

Prepositions & Directions

15-20

partners/small groups

B-I

ACTIVITY

PAGE

TOPIC

TIME

GROUPING

LEVEL

#26 Concentration

73

Antonyms & Sports

20

partners

B-I

#27 Tic Tac Word

76

Adjectives, Verbs, Classroom

Objects & Opposites

10

partners

All

#28 Fast Food

78

Ordering Fast Food

20-30

2-5

B-I

#29 Unique Answer

82

Categories

15-20

3 groups of 2-5

All

#30 Describe It

84

Adjectives & Varied Nouns

partners

All

#31 Traveller

86

Questions/Compound Words

6+

All

#32 Pick A Sentence

88

Colours & Transportation

#33 Four in a Row

90

Adjectives

#34 Differences

92

#35 Dont Name It

96

#36 Fast Draw

100 Noun Recognition

#37 Truth or Consequences

102 Sentences

#38 Horse Race

104 Signs, Sports, Animals &

Household Objects

#39 Funny Fill-Ins

10
10-15
10

any size

20-30

partners

I-A

Prepositions & Themes

10

partners

I-A

Adjectives + Varied

20

partners

All

20

partners/teams

All

any size group

I-A

20

B-I

110 Parts of Speech

15

any size

I-A

#40 Use That Word

112 Vocabulary Review

20

2-5

All

#41 Meet My Family

114 Relatives & Adjectives

30

partners

#42 Calendar

118 Calendar of Activities

20

partners

#43 My Schedule

120 Days, Times & Activities

5-15

partners

#44 My Trip

122 Transportation & Places

10-20

Partners

#45 Disguised Voice

124 Pronunciation

10-15

4+

#46 Fruit or Veggie

126 Fruits & Vegetables

15

partners

#47 Classroom Stuff

128 Classroom Items & Adjectives

10

partners

B-I

#48 Same or Different

130 Clothing

20

partners

#49 20 Questions

132 Question Format

20

partners or groups

#50 Categorize

134 Nouns & Categories

134

any size

10-20

All

STUDENTS, PLEASE
TOPIC Verbs and parts of the body
OBJECTIVE To listen to and follow oral instructions.
TIME NEEDED 5 to 10 minutes.
GROUPING Whole class or a small group.
LEVEL Beginner.
MATERIALS None.
STRUCTURES Phrases.
PRE-TEACHING Teach the students a series of
instructions such as those listed on the right.
DIRECTIONS
Tell the students to only do the
actions when they hear the phrase Students Please
before they hear the instruction. For example,
Students, please touch your toes. If they do not hear
Students Please, then they do not do the action.
Students who do the action when they shouldnt are
eliminated from the game. Remember to speed up the
pace as the game gets going. Play continues until only one
student remains.
VARIATIONS 1. Add many more verbs that require
charades or acting out, such as - blow, buy, catch, choose,
call, cut, dig, drink, drive, eat, fall, fight, fly, freeze,
give, hang, hear, hit, hold, hurt, lay, leap, make, meet, pay,
read, ride, run, see, sew, sit, sink, stand, swim, tear,
think, throw, understand, wakeup, and write. 2. Give
multiple commands.

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2
VOCABULARY
touch your
toes.
jump up &
down.
turn around.
sit down.
stand up.
walk on the
spot.
reach for the
sky.
wiggle your
fingers.
bow your
head.
open and shut
your mouth.
touch your
knees.
wink.
dance.
shake your
head.
shake someones hand.
do the twist.
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3
VOCABULARY
upper
lower
middle
top
above
bottom
left
right
centre
corner
triangle
circle

BACK TO BACK
TOPIC Shapes and position
OBJECTIVE To give and follow oral directions. To copy
a partners picture.
TIME NEEDED 30 minutes.
GROUPING Partners.
LEVEL Intermediate.
MATERIALS Paper folded in half and a pencil.
STRUCTURES There is a ______ at the ______ of
the page. In the ________ corner is a _________.
PRE-TEACHING Try some simple variations as a class.
DIRECTIONS Students work in pairs and sit back to
back. Each student has a paper divided into two parts.
They are asked to draw several shapes or a simple scene
on one half of the paper. Student #1 tells his/her partner about his/her picture. Student #2 draws what they
hear on their blank part the paper. They then compare
pictures and reverse roles and the activity again. See the
example on the next page.
VARIATIONS 1.Use theme pictures, e.g., things in the
kitchen or things in the park. 2. Add colour and size.

rectangle
hexagon
square
lines
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4
ADJECTIVES
big
square
short
wide
small
round
long
fat
short
little
curly
pointed
tall
thin

LISTEN & DRAW

TOPIC Adjectives and prepositions
OBJECTIVE To follow oral instructions and draw a
monster, a weird animal, a scene and a neighbourhood.
TIME NEEDED 10 to 15 minutes.
GROUPING Any size group.
LEVEL #1 & #2 - Beginner, #3 & #4 - Intermediate
MATERIALS Paper, pencils and pencil crayons
STRUCTURES Simple sentences.
PRE-TEACHING Review colours and all vocabulary
words youll be using.
DIRECTIONS Students are asked to listen to
instructions and draw.
VARIATIONS 1.Try this activity with longer sentences. 2. Use directional words or prepositions. 3. Draw
maps of the school or the classroom.

PREPOSITIONS
#1 THE MONSTER
& DIRECTIONS
1. The monster has a big, wide head.
beside
2. She has one big eye.
in
3. She has many black teeth in her round mouth.
on
middle
4. She has a long neck and a small body.
left
5. She has short hair on her two long arms.
right
6. There are six little fingers on each hand.
front
7. Her three legs are short and she has big feet.
bottom
8. She has long red hair on her head.
top
other
below
far
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#2 WEIRD ANIMAL
1. This animal has a long body .
2. It has four short legs.
3. It has a fat curly tail.
4. The animal has a round head.
5. It has pointy ears and small eyes.
6. The animal is smiling.
7. It has spots on its body.
8. Its nose is long and pointed.
#3 A SCENE
1. There is a sun in the top left corner of the picture.
2. In the middle of the picture there is a tall tree.
3. A cat is up near the top of the tree.
4. On the right side is a thin man on a ladder.
5. A lady is standing on the other side of the tree.
6. Give her a speech bubble saying Come down Kitty.
7. A big dog stands below the tree.
8. Draw four flowers on the far right.
#4 A NEIGHBOURHOOD
1. In the middle draw a house with two big windows.
2. Draw a girl in one window.
3. Put a short tree on the left side of the page.
4. On the right draw a garage.
5. Draw a sidewalk and a road in front of the house.
6. Draw a dog beside the garage.
7. Two boys are playing at the bottom of the tree.
8. Put a cloud, a moon, and stars at the top of the page.

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THE ZOO

VOCABULARY

TOPIC Animals, shapes and directions

OBJECTIVE To follow oral directions and draw animals
in cages.
North
TIME NEEDED 15 to 20 minutes.
Northeast
GROUPING Any size.
South
LEVEL Intermediate.
East
MATERIALS Animal and zoo sheets, pages 19 & 20.
West
STRUCTURES Simple sentences.
PRE-TEACHING Animal words and directions on a map.
forwards
DIRECTIONS Hand out one zoo sheet per grouping.
backwards
Students listen to directions and draw animals in the
left
cages.
right
1. Enter the zoo by the south entrance and go to the
third building on your left. This is the monkey house.
2. The triangular building has butterflies.
monkey
3. In the northeast corner of the zoo are the elephants.
butterfly
4. The semi-circular building contains two deer.
elephant
5. Just south of the elephant youll find the dolphins.
deer
6. Between the elephants and the deer are the lizards.
dolphin
7. Go back to the entrance. On the east side is the
giraffe and on the west side is the kangaroo building.
lizards
8. Between the giraffe and the dolphins youll find the
giraffe
alligators.
kangaroo
9. North of the kangaroos are the leopards.
alligator
10. The camels are in the hexagonal (6-sided) building.
leopard
11. Make a cage in the middle full of birds.
VARIATIONS 1. Fill in the shops found in a shopping
camel
mall. 2. On a map of your school, fill in classes and
birds
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Animal & Direction Review

ANIMALS
dolphin
deer
lizard
butterfly
giraffe
leopard
elephant
monkey
alligator
kangaroo
camel
bird

N
E

W
S

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Welcome to the Zoo

W
S

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entrance
20

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ROLL THE DICE

TOPIC Parts of: a face, a dog and a house
OBJECTIVE To be the first to draw the picture.
TIME NEEDED 5 to 10 minutes.
GROUPING Groups of 2, 3 or 4.
LEVEL Beginner.
MATERIALS Scrap paper, a pencil and a die.
STRUCTURES Draw a ________.
PRE-TEACHING Review all word meanings.
DIRECTIONS Students work in groups of 2, 3 or 4.
They take turns rolling a die and drawing the part of the
picture that corresponds to the number on the die. If
they roll the number a second time they pass the die to
the next player. The object of the activity is to complete
the picture first.
VARIATIONS 1. Adapt for specific key vocabulary.
A Scene
1. mountains
2. car
3. road
4. trees
5. sun
6. birds

A Playground
1. swing
2. slide
3. climber
4. garbage can
5. water fountain
6. sandbox

Winter Clothes
1. coat
2. scarf
3. mitts
4. hat
5. snow pants
6. boots

2. Expand this game to include more vocabulary by using

two dice or using a 12 sided die.

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VOCABULARY
A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Face
head
hair
eyes
nose
neck
ears & mouth

A Dog
1. head
2. legs
3. body & tail
4. mouth & eyes
5. ears & tongue
6. fur & nose
A House
1. house shape
2. chimney
3. smoke
4. windows
5. door
6. flowers

21

7
VOCABULARY
plus
minus
times
divided by
equals

+
=

MAKE THE NUMBER

TOPIC Numbers 0 to 100
OBJECTIVE To practise numbers and solve mathematical equations in groups.
TIME NEEDED 10 minutes.
GROUPING Several groups (any size).
LEVEL All.
MATERIALS Two sets of cards for each group with
single digit numbers 0 to 9. The template on the opposite
page demonstrates the materials needed but I suggest
that the teacher write the numbers on sheets of paper.
STRUCTURES Equations.
PRE-TEACHING Review numbers, plus, minus, times, divided by, and equals. Practise some questions.
DIRECTIONS The class is divided into groups. The
groups stand at the front of the class. Each group is given
two sets of cards with the numbers 0 to 9 written on
them. The teacher calls out an equation. For example, if
the equation is 6 x 7 + 3, each group works to find the answer, 45. The students with the numbers 4 and 5 step
forward holding up their numbers in the correct order.
The fastest group is awarded a point and the teacher
calls out another equation.
VARIATIONS 1. Simple equations for younger students.
3 + 9 = 2 x 7 = 20 - 4 = 8 2 = 3 x 5 =
2. More complex equations for older students.
2100

3x4=

+=

x=

(2 x 8) + 12 =

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0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9
0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9
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