Conversation Box Teaching Speaking in a Language Classroom: Creating a Conversation Box for your ESL or EFL Classroom

Creating Your Box You can use any type of box you want from tissue boxes to shipping boxes, whatever you have around. Two label sizes have been provided, but please feel free to decorate your box in your own way.

Conversation Box

Conversation Box

Filling Your Box You may want to fill your box with slips of paper. Each one having a discussion question about a random topic, or speaking prompt written on it. Here are a few other ideas that you might consider trying: An assortment of completely random words Amusing or interesting pictures Vocabulary to review “Would you rather” questions Writing prompts Quotations “Find the mistake in this sentence” activities Useful idioms Tips: You will need to decide whether to organize your questions or just toss them into the box together. If you choose to include more than one type of question, you may want to color-code them, put them into different envelopes or even make different themed conversation boxes. You also may want to consider laminating your questions so that they last through years of use. There are some questions provided below to get you started. There is also a blank template to type in your own questions, vocabulary words, paste pictures, etc.

Tell us about a funny experience you had with a family member. What do you want to be when you grow up? What are you going to do to make that happen? What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What makes you laugh? Tell us about a time when you were happy. What is the best field trip you’ve ever been on? What is the worst field trip you’ve ever been on? Tell us about a time you helped someone. Tell us about a time someone helped you. What is your favorite sport? What is better, traveling by plane or train?

What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen? How do you make toast? Tell us a joke. What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen? How do you make toast? What do you see while you are walking to school? What do you do on the weekend? Do you celebrate your birthday? If yes, what do you do to celebrate? Tell us about one of your grandparents. Who is your favorite person? Why? What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten? What is your favorite article of clothing? What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? What is your favorite place in the world?

Using Your Box Here are some ideas on ways that your box can be used in your classroom: Timed speaking exercises – Students take turns coming to the front of the room and pulling a slip of paper from the box. Giving them a set amount of time to think and speak is a good idea (perhaps 30 seconds to think and 2 minutes to speak). When a group of students has finished their work early they can work with the box, taking turns to pull out a slip of paper and everyone responding to the prompt. You could put pictures in the box. Students pull out several pictures and make up a story using all the pictures pulled out. This could be done both orally and written. Idioms could be pulled from the box and students could research the meaning and teach it to the class. They could also illustrate the idiom, perhaps two illustrations one literal meaning of the words in the idiom and one showing the meaning of the idiom. The box could also be used as a filler activity when you have a few minutes to spare.