49 ESL Conversation Games & Activities - Jackie Bolen 2020

Bucket lists
English conversation games and activities for higher level students

Skills: Speaking/Listening

Time: 10-15 minutes

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Materials Required: Nothing

Optional Materials: Example bucket list poster or PPT

Give students about five minutes to create a list of three things they want to do, see, or accomplish before they die. Have them partner up to discuss this list for 2-3 minutes, then change partners.

Tips for Increasing Interaction:

In order to make the short conversation go more smoothly, remind students of the following conversational rules:

✵ Be sure to add 1-2 details to most statements.

✵ Use open-ended (W/H) follow-up questions liberally.

I also like to have students report about something they learned about their classmates to the entire class if small, or to a partner or small group they didn't talk to in larger classes. This is a nice review of reported speech.

Procedure:

1. Begin by asking students if they have heard the term “bucket list.” Then, show them an example, or simply tell them three things you want to do, see, or accomplish before you die.

2. Give students about five minutes to create their own bucket lists.

3. Divide students into partners to share their bucket lists, then have them change partners.

4. Encourage the students to ask each other some follow-up questions about the list.