Daily Appointments - A Conversation Activity

Purpose: This activity gets students out of their seats and helps them interact while practicing speaking and listening skills.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

Materials: If desired, prepare a half sheet with three times on it; otherwise, ask students to create their own.

Preparation: Decide on three level-appropriate topics for students to talk about; make copies of the half sheet if needed.

Procedure:

1. Give students a schedule with three times on it that occur during class time. Alternatively, write an example on the board and ask students to create a schedule themselves. 
2. Give students five minutes to make three appointments to talk to other students during those times. If at all possible, appointments should be with students who speak a different first language!
3. When the time comes for the first appointment, ask students to pair up and give them a topic or question to discuss.
4. Students have five minutes to talk before returning to their seats.

Beginning-level topics: Daily routines, shopping lists, likes/dislikes, can/can’t.

Intermediate-level topics: Purchasing decisions, jobs you might want, first experiences (driving, buying a car, school, coming to Minnesota or the U.S.).

Advanced-level topics: Comparisons, associations, argue for or against something.