Make IELTS Fun Workshop

(TESOL Worksheets--IELTS, Workshop)

Google Drive Folder HERE

This is a workshop I gave at my school on how to make IELTS lessons fun.  (It's always an uphill battle trying to make IELTS interesting, but I believe that I've collected a few ideas and tricks over the years, so I thought I'd share this with teachers.)
If anyone wants to copy this workshop for their own use, the procedure is as follows:
All the activities are pasted around the room.
The participants are put into pairs, and given a task sheet--google: docs, pub .
They are then instructed to walk around the room and look at all the activities.  For each activity, they should discuss with their partner:
* What exam skill is this activity practicing?
* What other exam skills could this activity be adapted to?
* How educational is this activity? (scale 1-10)
* How fun is this activity? (scale 1-10)

* Would this activity work in your classroom?  

I use this slideshow to set up the activity: slides, pub

I started out the workshop by recommending IELTS Resource Pack by Jon Marks (A)--an invaluable resource for all IELTS teachers.  (We have it as one of our resources in our staffroom).  But then I announce that the purpose of today's workshop is to brainstorm even more ideas than what is contained in IELTS Resource Pack.

After 30 minutes or so of walking around the room and discussing the activities, we do an idea sharing session.  Participants are put into small groups and share their ideas with each other.  One person is nominated to be the recorder, and writes down all the ideas on the worksheet I provide--docs, pub

Then at the end of the workshop, the small groups read out their ideas to the whole class.

I write down all the new ideas from the participants, type them up, and then email them to everyone who attended.

The copy of the participant ideas from my workshop is here--docs, pub

Below are all the activities to post around the room.
In cases where there the activity consists of many pieces of paper, I often didn't print out and post everything, but just the pages that I thought were necessary to convey the general idea.
The activities are designed to give teachers ideas of the kind of activities and worksheets that they can create for their own classroom.

* Arrange test strategies in order: drive, docs, pub

* Board Race: docs, pub

* Find Your Partner: drive, docs, pub

* Hurricane: drive, docs, pub

* IELTS Speaking Part 2 Silly Questions Game: docs, pub

* IELTS Writing Task 2 Brainstorming Game: docs, pub

* Make Your Own IELTS Reading Test: docs, pub

* Running Dictation and Treasure Hunt for Task 1: drive, docs, pub
* Running Dictation Task 2: drive, docs, pub
* Scanning Race Game: drive, docs, pub
* Scrambled Essay Task 1: drive, docs, pub
* Silly Tips: docs, pub
* Slap the Board Game: drive, docs, pub
* The Talking Game IELTS Edition: drive, docs, pub
* Topic Lessons: docs, pub
* Treasure Hunt: docs, pub
* Vocabulary Games: docs, pub
* Write in the Data Writing Task 1: docs, pub
* Write Your Own Listening Part 1: docs, pub

Update: I did a version of this workshop for teacher coordinators (at my school, this is the title for the lead teachers who are responsible for helping new teachers plan).  I included some extra material for teacher coordinators

* Making IELTS Engaging Slideshow: slides, pub
* CELTA Staging: drive
* Staging an IELTS Lesson: docs, pub
* Task sheet for Teacher Coordinators: docs, pub