Make Discussion Questions Using the Target Vocabulary

(TESOL Ideas--Any Vocabulary Set)

Sample: docs, pub

A good freer practice activity for vocabulary sets is to put the vocabulary words into discussion questions, and then have the students discuss those questions with a partner or group.

Sometimes the textbook provides these discussion questions for students.  Otherwise the teacher has to make the questions.  Needless to say, it's a bit more work to make the questions.  (Sometimes not all the words in a vocabulary set lend themselves to a discussion question).  But I usually find that after thinking about it for a while, I'm able to think of something. 

It's also possible to do this activity in two steps.  In the first step, the students have to match the vocabulary to the blanks in the questions.  In the second step, the students discuss the questions.

Below is an example of a materials I made for this activity.  This using the vocabulary set from Q: Skills for Success: Listening and Speaking 5, Lesson Unit 5 Listening 2: What Your Stuff Says About You p.127-130.  As is usually the case, the target vocabulary was pre-selected by the textbook, so I was doing the best I could to make questions out of a pre-determined vocabulary set.

The students first match the vocabulary to the blanks in the questions.  Then, we do all class feedback to confirm the correct answers.  Then, the students discuss these questions with a partner or group  Then, after they've had time to discuss, we do some all class feedback where I ask individual students for their answers.

Match the words to the blank.  You may have to change the form. Some words will be used more than once.

clarify, clue, crucial, domain, extrovert, framework, introvert, modify, profile, propose, tentatively, trait

1. What are your personality _____________?  What are the personality _____________of the people in your group?

2. Are you an _____________or an _____________?  What about the other people in your group?

3. Can you think of any famous characters who are in the public _____________?

4. Is there any place that you consider your _____________?

5. Make a brief _____________of someone in your group.  Ask them if they agree with it.

6. When was the last time you had to _____________your plans?

7. How did you _____________ your last assignment?

8. Think of something you’ve had _____________for you on this course.  What was it?

9. What was a _____________decision that you have made?

10. Think of a tangible object in this classroom.  Don’t say the name.  Give _____________ to your classmates until they can guess it.

11. If you forget your student ID card, what is the _____________for resolving the situation?

12. What changes would you like to _____________for the university?

13. Think of something that you did _____________.  What was it? 

1. What are your personality traits?  What are the personality traits of the people in your group?

2. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?  What about the other people in your group?

3. Can you think of any famous characters who are in the public domain?

4. Is there any place that you consider your domain?

5. Make a brief profile of someone in your group.  Ask them if they agree with it?

6. When was the last time you had to modify your plans?

7. How did you modify your last assignment?

8. Think of something you’ve had clarified for you on this course.  What was it?

9. What was a crucial decision that you have made?

10. Think of a tangible object in this classroom.  Don’t say the name.  Give clues to your classmates until they can guess it.

11. If you forget your student ID card, what is the framework for resolving the situation?

12. What changes would you like to propose for the university?

13. Think of something that you did tentatively.  What was it?