ESL Conversation (See Activities)

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While teaching in Japan and China, I saw the need for students to improve their communication skills.

Jump to ESL Conversation Topics

They desperately needed to work on conversation strategies, build confidence when speaking, and prepare for speaking English outside of the classroom.

Simple ESL conversation strategies are sometimes unknown to the students.

In Asia, conversation is similar to a bowling game allowing each person to take his or her turn while the others listen patiently.

Speaking English can be compared to playing a game of tennis. One person shoots off a question, and the conversation bounces back and forth.

Simple Conversation Strategies

• Use question words: Continue a conversation by using the 5 Wh question words and the one H question word (e.g., Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).
• Return the same question back: Answer the question and ask your partner, How about you? or And you?
• Give more information: Answer the question and then give more information.
• Ask follow up questions: Ask more questions about what you and your partner are talking about.
• Show interest. Use words such as Really, Wow, Right, Yeah, That’s great, Ok, and Got it to show you are interested in what your partner is saying.

How to Get Students Speaking

Free speaking or Free Talk activities can help build student confidence. It is an opportunity for students to use all of the English they have previously learned and put it together to just talk. Students enjoy using English to communicate, rather than studying it as an academic subject.

See the Downloads section for the Free Speaking Procedure and Partner Assignment Sheet. Each of the 20 printable topic worksheets below include conversation questions and can be used with the Free Speaking Procedure. 

See also:

The book Conversation Strategies has some great pairwork activities. The Internet TESL Journal has an extensive list of conversation questions.