5 Activity Examples with [Prompt Cards]

1. Mingles

Level and Learning:

Mingles encourage the repetition and practice of language by creating a space for learners to use the same language, repeatedly, with multiple speakers. Using card prompts in Mingle activities provides excellent scaffolding for language reinforcement for learners at all levels of language ability, from A1-C2.

TPACK for Example Activity Content Knowledge:

Lexical sets, grammar structures, skills development for ELLs

Technological Knowledge:

VR prompt cards, Student Manager, Dynamic Display screen, Student Notepad

Pedagogical Knowledge:

Drilling language through large group interchanges creates deeper connections to language and promotes long-term fluency development.

Objective*:	Can use brief, everyday expressions to ask for and give personal details. Speaking, A2 (32)
1. Review questions with Ss. Prepare first day of class questions. Use the presentation screen to review with students. Group Ss in partner pairs. Each pair will interview others during the mingle activity. Tip The Networking Event location is a large virtual space perfect for language learning activities.
2. Ss mingle and ask questions of others. Use notepad to keep track. Have Ss mingle and ask questions to others. Ss can use their student notepad to write who they talked to or keep track of how many others they spoke with during the activity. Allow Ss to mingle and interview others as time permits.
3. Think-Pair-Share Have Ss reunite with their partner. Have pairs share what they learned about others during the mingle activity.

Objective*:

Can use brief, everyday expressions to ask for and give personal details. Speaking, A2 (32)

1. Review questions with Ss.

Prepare first day of class questions. Use the presentation screen to review with students. Group Ss in partner pairs. Each pair will interview others during the mingle activity.

Tip

The Networking Event location is a large virtual space perfect for language learning activities.

2. Ss mingle and ask questions of others. Use notepad to keep track.

Have Ss mingle and ask questions to others. Ss can use their student notepad to write who they talked to or keep track of how many others they spoke with during the activity.

Allow Ss to mingle and interview others as time permits.

3. Think-Pair-Share

Have Ss reunite with their partner. Have pairs share what they learned about others during the mingle activity.

2. Match

Level and Learning:

Matching helps improve comprehension and promotes making connections between types of information. Matching activities can work in any context and are useful for learners are all levels of language ability from A1-C2.

TPACK for Example Activity Content Knowledge:

Lexical sets, grammar structures, skills development for ELLs

Technological Knowledge:

Prompt Cards

Pedagogical Knowledge:

Language learners require multiple opportunities to explore word and phrase meaning, using phrases and clauses to ask questions and share answers with others.

Objective*:	Can describe dreams, hopes and ambitions. Speaking, B1 (48)
1. Introduce language to learners Arrange Ss in groups of three or four. Prepare the prompt cards with relevant phrases for describing hopes and ambitions. Tip Learners can draw cards and place them upside down on a virtual table to turn over and match.
2. Have Ss match words to definitions Have Ss match phrases with words to clauses to create questions and statements relevant to asking about and discussing hopes and ambitions. Review and clarify as necessary with Ss. Tip Use the Student Manger to enable team audio, letting pairs work together without hearing the other group.
3. Interview others using language. Have each Ss in the team choose a phrase card. Have Ss interview teammates using the phrase in the question form. Repeat with additional teammates. If time permits, jigsaw and repeat interview with others. Note Have Ss write a short paragraph about their hopes and ambitions, using language from the VR class, and post to a class forum or LMS.

Objective*:

Can describe dreams, hopes and ambitions. Speaking, B1 (48)

1. Introduce language to learners

Arrange Ss in groups of three or four. Prepare the prompt cards with relevant phrases for describing hopes and ambitions.

Tip

Learners can draw cards and place them upside down on a virtual table to turn over and match.

2. Have Ss match words to definitions

Have Ss match phrases with words to clauses to create questions and statements relevant to asking about and discussing hopes and ambitions. Review and clarify as necessary with Ss.

Tip

Use the Student Manger to enable team audio, letting pairs work together without hearing the other group.

3. Interview others using language.

Have each Ss in the team choose a phrase card. Have Ss interview teammates using the phrase in the question form. Repeat with additional teammates. If time permits, jigsaw and repeat interview with others.

Note

Have Ss write a short paragraph about their hopes and ambitions, using language from the VR class, and post to a class forum or LMS.

3. Game Prompts

Level and Learning:

Prompted games help learners synthesize language and promote creativity and fluency with vocabulary and grammar structures. Prompted games are useful for learners at every stage of language development, from A1-C2.

TPACK for Example Activity Content Knowledge:

Lexical sets, grammar structures, skills development for ELLs

Technological Knowledge:

Prompt cards, Student Manager

Pedagogical Knowledge:

Using games for learning can improve learner motivation and engagement. Well designed learning games can reinforce meaning of words, formalize control of grammar structures, and prompt spontaneous communication between learners.

Objective*:	Can ask others if they can do everyday activities using simple language, given a model. Speaking, A2 (32)
1. Arrange students in pairs or teams Have Ss choose a partner or assign a partner for the activity. Explain that today Ss will complete a picture drawing game using verbs on cards. Tip Use the Student Manager to automatically assign teams for the activity.
2. Take a card and draw the picture Ss take turns working in teams. Set a timer for 30 seconds. One person takes a card. On the White Board, Ss draw an image of the picture. Teammates guess the answer before the time is finished. Tip Spawn a scoreboard to keep score during the game, if appropriate
3. Have Ss interview others Once finished playing the game, have Ss choose a card and ask other students if they can or can’t perform the action. Continue as time permits. Note Convert this activity to a mingle activity. Have Ss take two cards and mingle around the space to meet other Ss and ask can/can’t questions using the verbs on the cards.

Objective*:

Can ask others if they can do everyday activities using simple language, given a model. Speaking, A2 (32)

1. Arrange students in pairs or teams

Have Ss choose a partner or assign a partner for the activity. Explain that today Ss will complete a picture drawing game using verbs on cards.

Tip

Use the Student Manager to automatically assign teams for the activity.

2. Take a card and draw the picture

Ss take turns working in teams. Set a timer for 30 seconds. One person takes a card. On the White Board, Ss draw an image of the picture. Teammates guess the answer before the time is finished.

Tip

Spawn a scoreboard to keep score during the game, if appropriate

3. Have Ss interview others

Once finished playing the game, have Ss choose a card and ask other students if they can or can’t perform the action. Continue as time permits.

Note

Convert this activity to a mingle activity. Have Ss take two cards and mingle around the space to meet other Ss and ask can/can’t questions using the verbs on the cards.

4. Information Gaps

Level and Learning:

Information gap activities promote critical thinking skills, encouraging learners to communicate even when there are gaps in knowledge. Information gap activities are a valuable language teaching activity useful at all levels of language ability from A1-C1.

TPACK for Example Activity Content Knowledge:

Lexical sets, grammar structures, skills development for ELLs

Technological Knowledge:

Prompt cards, VR Locations

Pedagogical Knowledge:

Information gaps are a common type of task-based activity where success in the task can only be demonstrated when students have overcome a gap in information using language being learned.

Objective*:	Can handle common everyday transactions (e.g. buying a ticket). Speaking, A2 (32)
1. Use the graphic organizer to share a schedule and times. Bring Ss to the virtual airport. Have Ss review the graphic organizer to see times and locations for flight. Arrange Ss in pairs or groups for the activity.
2. Find the details about each flight Ss must arrange the flight times and locations on the graphic organizer. Have one learner from each team take a card and review the information. Ss return to partners and discuss together to find the correct flight to match the time. Continue as time permits.
3. Ss role play buying tickets and passing through security. Change your avatar to that of a ticket agent. Have Ss review the flights and times and choose one trip. Ss line up in front of the counter and take turn purchasing tickets. When finished, have Ss take and scan the passport to collect their ticket and navigate through security. Note Have the first Ss change into a security avatar to role play passing through security with others.

Objective*:

Can handle common everyday transactions (e.g. buying a ticket). Speaking, A2 (32)

1. Use the graphic organizer to share a schedule and times.

Bring Ss to the virtual airport. Have Ss review the graphic organizer to see times and locations for flight. Arrange Ss in pairs or groups for the activity.

2. Find the details about each flight

Ss must arrange the flight times and locations on the graphic organizer. Have one learner from each team take a card and review the information. Ss return to partners and discuss together to find the correct flight to match the time. Continue as time permits.

3. Ss role play buying tickets and passing through security.

Change your avatar to that of a ticket agent. Have Ss review the flights and times and choose one trip. Ss line up in front of the counter and take turn purchasing tickets. When finished, have Ss take and scan the passport to collect their ticket and navigate through security.

Note

Have the first Ss change into a security avatar to role play passing through security with others.

5. Topical Prompt

Level and Learning:

Topical and thematic prompts can be used to help learner discover knew language or prompt learners to use language to share with others. Topical and thematic prompts can be used to facilitate a variety of discussion activities with learners at all levels of language ability from A1-C2.

TPACK for Example Activity Content Knowledge:

Various lexical sets, pronunciation

Technological Knowledge:

Prompt Cards, VR Locations

Pedagogical Knowledge:

Prompts can be used to serve questions, words, or grammar structures for students do use in communicative practice to reinforce concepts and further develop internalization of language.

Objective*:	Can ask and answer questions about past times and past activities. Speaking, A2+ (40)
1. Introduce context and discussion Bring Ss to the Talk Show location. Explain that today everyone will be interviewed by the talk show host and asked to talk about a time they learned to do something. Tip Use the Graphic Organizer to introduce language for describing past events.
2. Have Ss take a card to select the topic they will speak about. Create prompt cards with question stems related to past activities (e.g. learned to ride a bike, learned to drive a car, learned to cook a recipe, etc.)
3. Jigsaw and compare ideas. Role play bringing a guest onto stage. Great students and conduct a talk show style interview. Have Ss take the cards and answer questions about the time they learned to do the thing. After 2 questions, invite a new student to the stage and continue as time permits. Note Have Ss choose on of the topics to describe in a paragraph. Have Ss write and share their experience in a class LMS or forum.

Objective*:

Can ask and answer questions about past times and past activities. Speaking, A2+ (40)

1. Introduce context and discussion

Bring Ss to the Talk Show location. Explain that today everyone will be interviewed by the talk show host and asked to talk about a time they learned to do something.

Tip

Use the Graphic Organizer to introduce language for describing past events.

2. Have Ss take a card to select the topic they will speak about.

Create prompt cards with question stems related to past activities (e.g. learned to ride a bike, learned to drive a car, learned to cook a recipe, etc.)

3. Jigsaw and compare ideas.

Role play bringing a guest onto stage. Great students and conduct a talk show style interview. Have Ss take the cards and answer questions about the time they learned to do the thing. After 2 questions, invite a new student to the stage and continue as time permits.

Note

Have Ss choose on of the topics to describe in a paragraph. Have Ss write and share their experience in a class LMS or forum.