A six picture sequence with speech bubbles and writing lines for conversation practice.

Free Conversation Worksheet for Language Teachers – To Download, Click the Folder in the Upper Right Corner.

General Lesson Plan

This is a general lesson plan that can be used with any of these conversation worksheets for English Language Learners (ELLs). This lesson uses a task-based learning format. For best success, arrange students in groups or small pairs to complete the worksheets.

Have students present to small groups, rather than the whole class, to keep all students active and engaged.

TBL Lesson Plan Template for ‘Picture Story’ Worksheet

Objective: By the end of this activity, students will be able to role-play a conversation they create based on a series of pictures, working in pairs or small groups.

Functional Objectives: Specific language objectives can be indicated if you intend to focus on specific vocabulary or grammar. These objectives can be informed by your current curriculum. For functional language objectives I highly recommend referring to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), or using the Global Scale of English Teacher Toolkit (GSE) which includes skill, grammar, and vocabulary information aligned to the CEFR.

Materials: The worksheet, or a projection of the worksheet (if you do not have a printer), pencils, paper (if worksheet is projected students can draw their own pictures as part of the planning task).

Classroom Management: For task-based learning, students are arranged in pairs or small groups. The teacher is moving around the classroom supporting group work. Even when students are speaking and presenting, this work should be group to group, rather than one group to whole class, to allow all students to remain engaged, and provide the maximum amount of time for student talk time, or student to student interaction with language.

Pre-Task:

• Students review the pictures and brainstorm ideas for the story.
• In pairs or small groups, students fill in the speech bubbles and write the story on the provided lines.

Planning:

• Students prepare a short presentation or role-play based on their story.
• Encourage them to think about the flow of the conversation, voice intonation, and body language.

Perform:

• Groups or pairs present their story to the class through role-play or storytelling.
• Encourage other students to ask questions or give feedback.

Post-Task:

• Reflect on the activity. Discuss what went well and what could be improved.
• Optionally, introduce a related grammar or vocabulary exercise based on the stories created.

Teacher’s Note for Customization:

Please remember to tailor these worksheets to the specific needs of your students. As the teacher, you should determine the functional language focus, whether it’s vocabulary or grammar, based on your students’ prior knowledge and the objectives of your current curriculum. Additionally, incorporate dialogue examples that are relevant to your students’ experiences and previous learning. This customization is crucial to maximize the effectiveness of these worksheets in your classroom.

From Sara to Teachers

These worksheets have been a part of ELL classrooms for over twenty years. Originally created during my time as a classroom teacher, they’ve continued to be a reliable resource for educators of all levels.

Use these worksheets to supplement your existing lessons or as independent activities to enhance conversational skills. Simple, adaptable, and time-proven, they’re designed to fit seamlessly into various teaching styles and classroom scenarios.