These three listening and speaking activities come from the book Speak, Listen and Learn – Teaching resources for ages 7-13, published by Routledge.
Each will improve children’s listening and speaking skills, self-confidence and motivation to learn.
Each lesson worksheet includes learning objectives, guidance on preparation and organisation, an activity guide, and follow-up suggestions. These are all presented clearly and simply to lead you step-by-step through the session.
Pupils will practise persuasive language and debate skills, as well as develop their command, use and articulation of English. The activities link naturally with other areas of the curriculum, and you can easily incorporate topics you’re already studying.
Three listening and speaking activities to try
Leaky balloon
In this thought experiment, teams of pupils represent famous characters and personalities travelling aboard a hot air balloon that’s rapidly losing height.
If the passengers are to survive, someone has to jump out – but who will it be? Which team can make the best argument for why it shouldn’t be them?
Learning Objectives
- Make a simple argument
- Respond to an argument
- Encourage teamwork
Changing our school
Pupils put forward a series of ideas for how they can improve the school. Allocate the most interesting ideas to one set of teams who must argue their idea’s merits against a set of opposing teams who have to argue against them.
Learning Objective
- Introduce the notion of speaking for or against a statement or idea
Good cop, bad cop
In this language interpretation and manipulation exercise, you divide the class in two. Half the pupils assume the role of ‘Good Cop’ and the other half ‘Bad Cop’.
Give both halves a series of neutral statements, such as ‘London is the largest city in the UK’; ‘We live on an island’ and ‘There are lots of books in the library’.
Working in teams, the ‘Good Cops’ and ‘Bad Cops’ prepare a short class presentation in which they explain why the statement they’ve been given is a positive or negative one…
Learning Objective
- Use language effectively
Browse more English games KS3 ideas. Look at GCSE English speaking and listening topics.
