Speaking activity (B1 level)

This PowerPoint is a speaking activity for students at CEFR B1 level. Students discuss statements in a speed-dating format. They have 2 minutes to discuss each statement before the person sitting opposite of them gets 2 minutes to share their thoughts.

A 1-minute version is also included in the download for groups for which 2 minutes is too long.

Important
The PowerPoint slides contain a built-in timer that starts after a click. Although this is a useful feature, it does mean that the presenter cannot leave PowerPoint; otherwise, the timer will stop. Remove the timer if necessary.

The statements are:

• Students should have an hour of PE class every day (for a practice round)
• Mobile phones should be prohibited at school.
• Students shouldn’t learn about climate change and environmental issues in school.
• Should teenagers have part-time jobs while they’re in school?
• Schools should teach more about mental health and emotional well-being.
• Smoking should be prohibited throughout society, regardless of a person’s age.

Instructions

Students start by writing down their opinions for each statement. They get five minutes to do this. This is done deliberately to give students the opportunity to write down some ideas but to avoid having them write down entire scripts.

Then, the speed dating starts. After each round, one person moves a spot so that new pairs are formed. This goes for each statement.

Duration: this can take around 30 to 35 minutes, including a practice round and rearrangement of a classroom. Include more preparation time for larger classrooms.

Copyright Mr Henriquez (Leontes Henriquez) 2023. Freely adjustable following the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Creative Commons licence.

Feedback? Please contact me at mrhenriquez_en@outlook.com.