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ESL Writing: Activities

Teaching writing in an ESL class can tend to get a little . . . boring. Here are some activities that will elicit a few smiles and maybe even some chuckles.

The Interactive Story: You can spend at least an hour doing this, and the kids will be reading, writing, laughing, and writing more. First, you hand out a writing prompt - a piece of paper on which the beginning of a story is already written (several examples can be downloaded below). Have the students read the introduction, then give them 5 or 10 minutes to continue writing the story.  After the predetermined amount of time has passed, yell, "Stop!" at which time the students pass their papers clockwise.  Each student now must read what has been written by another student, and they have another 5 or 10 minutes to continue the story.  Keep going, passing papers clockwise, until the student has his/her original paper back. The student can then provide his/her own conclusion to the story.

Sample creative writing prompts:

• Something is Very Different

• The Magic Hat

• Alien Among Us

• Million-Dollar Assignment

• The Broken Rainbow

• The Money Envelope

If you want to extend this, you can make each student rewrite the entire story that they began, correcting all grammar and punctuation mistakes.  Depending on the size of the class, you may need to alter the rules, or stipulate a 1 or 2 sentence maximum for each student. This exercise can take hours if you want it to, and the kids welcome taking a break from their usual writing books.

The Lying Game - This game is a lot of fun for intermediate or advanced students. It only involves a small amount of writing, but it also involves speaking and listening, and it's a great ice-breaker or time-killer. 

First, you, the teacher, write down three things about yourself, two of which are lies. (For example: a) I have been to Japan b) I have eaten a snail c) I have ridden a horse.) Read them to the students, who then write down a, b, or c, to guess which statement is true. After everyone has guessed, reveal the true answer, and give each student who guessed correctly one point. (If no one guesses correctly, then you, the liar, get the point.)

Then, everyone has 5 minutes or so to write down three things about themselves, of which two must be lies. Have the first student read his/hers, and have everyone guess which one is true, assigning points for correct guesses as before. Then go on to the next student, and proceed until everyone has read their three statements. Students tend to really enjoy this game.  I usually buy a tea or give a prize to the student or students who have the most points at the end.

To make this more fun and challenging, allow anyone to ask the "liar" one question - this way, the student will actually have to lie and be creative, and the students will get practice asking questions.

Idiom Advice: This is not exactly an "activity" or a "game" - it's really just a lesson, but as it uses idioms, it tends to be somewhat more lively and enjoyable.

I have several worksheets here with idioms (arranged alphabetically) and their meanings. Hand this out to the students and explain the idioms, giving them sample situations in which they can use them.

Next, give them the worksheet (on the same page as the idioms). They must read each situation and, using one of the idioms just learned, give appropriate advice. Alternatively, on some of the worksheets, I have provided the advice, and the students need to think of an appropriate situation that would elicit such advice.

Explain the Idiom: Perhaps more of a "thinking" activity than an actual writing activity, depending on how you play it. First, write an idiom on the board (the idioms below are fairly simple examples that tend to work well). On a piece of paper, have each student write what they think the idiom means.  Have them write a) the literal meaning of the idiom, and b) the broader meaning of the idiom, or what it actually means when we say it. 

After you review their (inevitably interesting!) guesses, explain what the idiom means. Then, have each student write a short dialogue using the idiom. 

Here are some good examples:

All that glitters isn't gold

Waste not want not

A penny saved is a penny earned

Every cloud has a silver lining

Two heads are better than one

Beggars can't be choosers

The early bird gets the worm

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

Children are best seen and not heard

Let sleeping dogs lie

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

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