1, 2, 3, Speak!

Purpose:  Free speaking can be challenging for learners of all levels. This activity helps learners to develop comfort with speaking for longer periods, and to improve their ability to add details and information to a story.

Preparation Time:  None

Materials Needed:  None

Procedure:

1. Tell the learners the speaking prompt. This can be a personal experience, what they’ve learned in class, describing a picture, or talking about a current event.
2. Give the learners a few minutes to think about what they are going to say.
3. Break the learners into two equal groups. Have the two groups line up facing one another.
4. Explain that one side of the line is going to speak first, and the other side will listen first.
5. Have the speakers respond to the prompt for 30 seconds.
6. Direct the learner at the end of the speaking line to move to the other end. Everyone else in the speaking line moves down one person so that each speaker has a new partner.
7. Have the speakers respond to the same prompt, this time for 60 seconds. They should add more details and expand on what they said during the first round.
8. Direct the learner at the end of the speaking line to move to the other end. Everyone else in the speaking line moves down one person so that each speaker has a new partner.
9. Have the speakers respond to the same prompt, this time for 90 seconds. They should add more details and expand on what they said during the first and second round.
10. Switch roles so that the speakers become listeners, and repeat steps 5-9.

Modification: For lower level learners, use shorter increments of time (e.g. 10-20-30 seconds).