As we all know, English can be a tricky language to master, with all of its grammar rules and exceptions, not to mention the vocabulary and how different it can be, depending on which country you are in. When I was teaching, a lot of my adult clients wanted to improve their conversational skills, and I was forever telling them that even if they were shy, they should talk to new people in English, because even if your grammar is wrong, you don’t learn until you try, and if people can understand what you are saying, you have succeeded in your learning.
Here are a few of my tips and tricks for you to try with a bunch of friends to build on those all-important conversational skills!
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If you have a pack of cards at home, give them a shuffle and head onto Google to type in ‘Talking Cards’. Each card in a deck represents a different question which you must take in turns in your group to answer. Once everyone has answered, the next player takes a card. This is a great game to get to know others or even improve in the simplest ways, and you can take as long as you like or as short as you like to play the game.
2. Describe the picture
Sitting in a small group, one person takes a picture which could be from anywhere- a magazine, a photo, google etc. and must describe it in detail to other members in the group. The other members must draw what they hear on a piece of paper, and once the player telling the details is finished, everyone shows their picture to see who was closest to the original. This game provides a lot of laughter and is a great way to practise vocabulary.
3. Simon Says
This is a great old classic to play which will help improve your listening skills and to practise body part vocabulary. Again, in a group, one person says a command such as “Simon says touch your nose with your left hand” and everybody must follow this. However, if the person speaking says “Touch your nose with your left hand” and doesn’t say “Simon says” then the people who follow this action are out of the game! These are just a few ways to help improve your vocabulary and conversational skills, so if you ever have a few spare hours in the day or even just a few minutes, then give them a try with adults or even children and I am sure you will be laughing by the end of each game!