Speak, Move, Engage: Fun Ways to Combine Movement and Speaking
Do you want to add more energy and excitement to your speaking activities? Combining speaking activities with movement can create a dynamic learning environment where students are more active, alert, and eager to participate. Below are some fun and effective activities that get students moving and talking at the same time.
Walk and Talk
Start by handing out pictures or questions to every student. When you say “walk,” students move around the classroom silently. When you say “stop,” they find a nearby partner and discuss their picture or question for a set amount of time, depending on their language level. This activity not only gets students on their feet but also encourages repetition and consolidation of any language structure or vocabulary. Peek into my classroom HERE!
Discussion Stations
Set up stations or posters around the classroom with different questions or topics. Students work in pairs or small groups, traveling from station to station. They discuss each question for two minutes before moving on to the next one. This activity allows students to engage with a variety of topics while interacting with different classmates.
Change Your Station!
Divide your students into groups of four or six and give each group a discussion question. After five minutes of discussion, one or two students from each group rotate to a different group while the others stay in the same place. In their new groups, they share key points from their previous discussion and continue with the same question. For the next rotation, the students who haven’t moved yet take their turn. This activity encourages idea-sharing and ensures everyone gets a chance to speak in different groups. Take a sneak peek at my class HERE!
Concentric Circles
Arrange your students into two circles, one inside and one outside. Each student in the inside circle faces a student in the outside circle. Pose a question and have your learners discuss for two minutes. When time is up, the students in the outside circle move one step to the right, creating new pairs. Then, pose another question. This activity allows students to practice speaking with multiple partners in a short amount of time.
Two Lines
Divide the class into two lines, with students facing each other. Each pair discusses a question or topic for two minutes. After the time is up, one line shifts to the right and the process repeats with a new partner. This format ensures that every student gets to speak to several classmates and practice the target language in different contexts.
Speed Debating
Pair students up and give each pair a topic or statement to debate. They have one minute to argue their point of view, then rotate to a new partner and debate a new topic. This rapid-fire format challenges students to think quickly, articulate their ideas, and engage with different perspectives in a short amount of time.
Text Retelling Relay! 🎶
To practice retelling, my students first re-read and rehearse in pairs the text we read in class. Then, we make a circle, and while music plays, they pass a ball around. When the music stops, the student with the ball shares something about the text. 🗣️ Then, I play the music again and when it stops, the student with the ball must repeat what was said and add something new before passing the ball. It’s a fun way to reinforce retelling skills and keep everyone engaged! See my class in action HERE!
Four Corners Debate
Label the four corners of your classroom with “Strongly Agree,” “Agree,” “Disagree,” and “Strongly Disagree.” Pose a statement or question, and have students move to the corner that best represents their opinion. Once they’ve chosen their corner, students discuss their views with others who have chosen the same position. Afterward, each group shares their ideas with the class, and students have the option to change corners if their opinions have shifted based on the discussion.
Incorporating movement into speaking activities is a way to boost engagement and create a lively classroom atmosphere. These activities not only help students practice their language skills but also make learning more interactive and fun. Try them out in your next lesson and watch your students’ participation soar!
