Adjectives around the classroom [Adult Learners] [Young Learners]

Simple but powerful activity for lower levels.

Have your students come up with a bunch of adjectives in pairs. Have them write the adjectives down on bits of paper. Collect the pieces of paper and put them all together in the middle of the classroom, on a desk. Throw in a few you'd like your students to learn or practise more. It doesn't matter if there are doubles.

Ask your students to take each an adjective and stick it (with blue-tac) to something in the classroom that could be described using that adjective. This works best if you've got some posters around (alternatively, bring in magazines). Why not, encourage them to stick adjectives on other students as well.

At the end of the activity, ask them to find a combination of adjective+thing that they agree with and one they don't agree with.

Rorschach inkblots [Speaking] [Adult Learners]

There's a set of very sensible activities you can use to teach there is/there are to adult lower levels. But sometimes you've given it all your best shots and you realise your students still need some practice with it. But if you use your old activities they'll feel like they're not making any progress , plus maybe they just need a bit of practice and a whole thing based on it might just be too boring for them.

Or maybe you just wanna be original.

Pretty straightforward: use Rorschach inkblots. If you don't know what they are, check here. Have students work in pairs and give each pair a different inkblot. Give them a couple of minutes to describe what they see using there is/there are. When the two or three minutes are over, ask them to give their inkblot to the pair next to them, clockwise; and have them discuss the new picture.

What I like to do is focus on the structure for the first two, then let them speak more freely, allowing them to ask you "how do you say..." questions.

It's always nice to finish off the activity with a bit of feedback on what the pictures mean. So find out about the test on Wikipedia, but be very very general! E.g. this is the card of love! This is the card of money! You don't want your class to turn into a shrink session.