21 Best ESL Speaking Activities for Young Learners

When it comes to helping young learners practice speaking English, engaging activities are key. Young children are often eager to participate but may struggle with traditional methods. Incorporating fun and interactive speaking activities can make a big difference. These activities are designed to build confidence, improve pronunciation, and encourage creativity.

Many young learners face challenges with expressing themselves clearly in English. Limited vocabulary and shyness can make speaking practice difficult. By using engaging and playful methods, teachers can create a supportive environment where students feel comfortable practicing their speaking skills.

In this post, we’ve compiled 21 exciting speaking activities specifically tailored for young learners. Each activity focuses on different aspects of speaking, from pronunciation to creative storytelling. These activities are designed to be both fun and educational, helping students develop their language skills in an enjoyable way.

Implementing these activities in your classroom will not only make learning English more enjoyable for your students but also help them build essential speaking skills. Dive into these creative ideas and watch your young learners grow in their confidence and ability to speak English.

Who Are Young Learners?

Young learners are typically children and early adolescents who are just beginning to learn English or are at an early stage in their language development. Here’s how you can identify if your learners are considered young learners:

1. Age Range: Young learners are usually between 3 and 12 years old. This can include preschoolers, elementary school students, and early middle school students.
2. Language Development Stage: They are often at the beginning stages of learning English, which means they may have limited vocabulary and basic understanding of grammar. They might be working on forming simple sentences and understanding basic concepts.
3. Learning Style: They benefit from playful, interactive, and visually engaging activities. They often need activities that are hands-on and involve movement, games, and stories.
4. Attention Span: They generally have shorter attention spans compared to older learners. Activities should be short, dynamic, and varied to keep them engaged.
5. Classroom Environment: If your classroom is filled with younger students who are still developing basic literacy and numeracy skills, they are likely young learners.

If your students fit into these categories, they are considered young learners. Tailoring activities to their developmental stage will help make learning English more effective and enjoyable for them.

Why Are These Activities Helpful for Young Learners?

These activities are helpful for young learners because they make practicing English fun and interactive. Young children learn best when they are engaged and enjoying themselves. By using games, role-plays, and creative exercises, these activities help students practice speaking in a way that feels natural and exciting.

They also help build confidence. When students are having fun, they are more likely to try speaking English without feeling afraid of making mistakes. These activities encourage students to use new words and phrases in a supportive environment, which helps them improve their speaking skills.

Overall, these activities make learning English enjoyable and effective, helping young learners feel more confident and capable when they speak.

Now let’s dive into the 21 most exciting speaking activities specifically tailored for young learners.

Also read: 20 Speaking Activities for ESL Beginners

1. Telephone Game

Description: The Telephone Game is a fun classroom activity where students whisper a sentence around the circle. This helps students practice listening and speaking clearly. It’s enjoyable because the sentence often changes in funny ways, showing how small mistakes can change the meaning.

Objective: Improve students’ listening and speaking skills by focusing on clear communication and correct pronunciation.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Have students sit in a circle.
2. Whisper a simple sentence to the first student.
3. The first student whispers the sentence to the next student, and so on.
4. The last student says the sentence out loud for everyone to hear.
5. Compare the final sentence with the original to see how it has changed.
6. Talk with students about how the sentence changed and why clear pronunciation is important.

Follow-Up: Ask students to make their own sentences and play another round. Discuss how different words and pronunciation can change the final message.

Variation: Use different themes for the sentences, like animals or favorite foods, to make the game more fun and interesting.

2. Role-Play Puppets

Description: Role-Play Puppets is a fun activity where students use puppets to act out simple dialogues. This activity helps students practice speaking and builds confidence in a playful way. It’s enjoyable because using puppets makes speaking less stressful and more engaging.

Objective: Improve speaking skills and build confidence by using puppets to act out dialogues.

Materials Needed: Puppets or simple paper hand puppets.

Instructions:

1. Provide each student with a puppet or have them make simple paper puppets.
2. Assign a simple dialogue or scenario for the puppets to act out.
3. Let students practice their dialogue with their puppets.
4. Have each pair or group perform their dialogue in front of the class.
5. Give feedback on their pronunciation and clarity.
6. Encourage students to create their own dialogues and perform them.

Follow-Up: Allow students to come up with their own puppet shows. Discuss how using puppets can make speaking practice more fun and less intimidating.

Variation: Change the scenarios or dialogues based on different themes like animals, school, or family to keep the activity fresh and interesting.

3. Rhyming Words

Description: Rhyming Words is an activity where students take turns saying a word, and the next student must respond with a word that rhymes. This activity helps students practice pronunciation and learn new vocabulary. It’s fun because creating rhymes can be like playing a word game.

Objective: Practice pronunciation and build vocabulary by creating rhyming words.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Start by saying a word aloud.
2. The next student must quickly say a word that rhymes with the first word.
3. Continue around the circle with each student adding a new rhyming word.
4. If a student cannot think of a rhyming word, they can say “pass” and the next student continues.
5. Keep the game going for several rounds.
6. Review the rhyming words and their meanings after the game.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to create their own rhyming word lists and practice them in pairs or small groups. Discuss how rhyming can help with pronunciation and memory.

Variation: Introduce themes for the rhyming words, such as animals or objects, to make the game more engaging and relevant to students’ interests.

4. Choral Speaking

Description: Choral Speaking involves students speaking in unison as a group. This activity helps build confidence and improve pronunciation by practicing speaking together. It’s enjoyable because it allows students to work as a team and hear how their voices blend.

Objective: Build confidence and improve pronunciation by speaking together as a group.

Materials Needed: Texts or short passages for students to read aloud.

Instructions:

1. Choose a short text or passage for the students to read.
2. Have all students read the text aloud together.
3. Repeat the reading several times to practice fluency and pronunciation.
4. Pay attention to rhythm and intonation as students speak together.
5. Discuss any difficult words or phrases and practice them as a group.
6. Encourage students to choose their own texts and practice choral speaking.

Follow-Up: Have students practice choral speaking with different texts or poems. Discuss how speaking together can help with pronunciation and confidence.

Variation: Try choral speaking with different themes or in different languages to make it more exciting and relevant to students’ interests.

5. Mirror Speaking

Description: Mirror Speaking is an activity where students mimic each other’s movements and speech. This helps improve pronunciation and articulation by focusing on synchronization. It’s enjoyable because students get to practice speaking while also moving, which makes it interactive and fun.

Objective: Improve pronunciation and articulation by mimicking each other’s speech and movements.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Pair up students and have them stand facing each other.
2. One student starts by saying a simple sentence or phrase slowly and clearly.
3. The other student repeats the sentence, trying to mimic the speaker’s mouth movements and pronunciation.
4. Switch roles and repeat the process.
5. After several rounds, discuss the importance of clear pronunciation and how mirroring can help.
6. Practice with different sentences or phrases to keep the activity engaging.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to practice mirroring each other’s speech with new sentences or vocabulary. Discuss how this activity helps with clarity and articulation.

Variation: Incorporate gestures or simple actions into the mirroring process to make it more dynamic and fun.

6. Story Starters

Description: Story Starters is an activity where the teacher provides the beginning of a story, and each student adds a sentence to continue it. This helps students practice speaking creatively and building on ideas. It’s fun because each story becomes unique and surprising based on the students’ contributions.

Objective: Practice creative speaking and story-building by adding sentences to a shared story.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. The teacher starts with a simple sentence to begin a story.
2. Each student takes turns adding one sentence to the story.
3. Continue around the group until the story reaches a satisfying end.
4. Review the completed story and discuss how different sentences contributed to the final result.
5. Encourage students to create their own story starters and share them with the class.

Follow-Up: Have students write and share their own stories using the story starters. Discuss how building on each other’s ideas can make stories more interesting.

Variation: Use different themes or genres for the story starters, such as adventure or mystery, to keep the activity fresh and engaging.

7. Pass the Picture

Description: Pass the Picture is an activity where students describe a picture in one sentence and then pass it to the next student to add more details. This helps practice speaking descriptively and improves vocabulary. It’s fun because students build on each other’s descriptions, creating a more detailed and imaginative picture.

Objective: Practice descriptive speaking and expand vocabulary by building on each other’s descriptions.

Materials Needed: Pictures or images (one for each student or group).

Instructions:

1. Provide each student with a picture or image.
2. The first student describes the picture in one sentence.
3. The student then passes the picture to the next person, who adds another sentence to the description.
4. Continue until each student has contributed to the description.
5. Read the final description aloud and compare it to the original picture.
6. Discuss how the description changed and how each student contributed.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to create their own pictures and descriptions. Discuss how adding details can make descriptions more vivid and interesting.

Variation: Use pictures related to different themes or subjects, like animals or places, to keep the activity engaging and relevant.

8. Pair Up and Speak

Description: Pair Up and Speak is an activity where students are paired and given a random topic to discuss for one minute. This helps improve speaking fluency and confidence by practicing spontaneous conversation. It’s fun because students get to talk about different topics and interact with different classmates.

Objective: Enhance speaking fluency and confidence by discussing various topics with a partner.

Materials Needed: A list of random topics or prompts.

Instructions:

1. Pair up students randomly.
2. Give each pair a topic or prompt to discuss for one minute.
3. Set a timer for one minute and have students start talking about the topic.
4. After one minute, switch pairs and provide a new topic.
5. Repeat the process with different topics and pairs.
6. After the activity, discuss with the class which topics were most interesting and why.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to use new vocabulary and phrases learned from the discussions in future conversations. Discuss how practicing with different topics can help with fluency.

Variation: Introduce themed topics or prompts based on current lessons or students’ interests to keep the activity relevant and engaging.

9. Mouth Movements

Description: Mouth Movements is an activity where students practice exaggerated mouth movements while speaking. This helps improve clarity and articulation. It’s enjoyable because students can be playful and creative with their mouth movements, which makes learning to speak more fun.

Objective: Improve clarity and articulation by practicing exaggerated mouth movements.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Have students stand or sit in a circle where they can see each other.
2. Choose a simple sentence or set of words for students to practice.
3. Model exaggerated mouth movements while saying the sentence slowly and clearly.
4. Have each student practice saying the sentence with exaggerated mouth movements.
5. Repeat with different sentences or words, focusing on clear pronunciation.
6. Discuss how exaggerating mouth movements can help with speaking clearly.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to practice mouth movements with new sentences or vocabulary. Discuss how clear articulation improves understanding in conversation.

Variation: Incorporate tongue twisters or fun sentences to make the practice more engaging and challenging.

10. Rhyme Time

Description: Rhyme Time is an activity where students create and say rhymes together as a group. This helps improve pronunciation and rhythm while making learning enjoyable. It’s fun because students get to play with language and create rhymes that often lead to laughter.

Objective: Enhance pronunciation and rhythm by creating and speaking rhymes.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Start by saying a simple rhyme or word to the class.
2. Have each student come up with a word that rhymes with the given word.
3. Students say their rhyming words out loud.
4. Continue around the group, encouraging students to create and say their own rhymes.
5. Group students into pairs or small groups to come up with short rhyming poems or verses.
6. Share the rhymes with the class and discuss the different ways rhyming words can sound.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to create their own rhymes or rhyming poems at home. Discuss how rhyming helps with pronunciation and vocabulary building.

Variation: Use rhyming songs or Games to add more variety and fun to the activity.

11. Sound Stories

Description: Sound Stories is an activity where students use a series of sounds (like animal noises or everyday sounds) to create and tell a story. This helps practice speaking creatively and improves listening skills. It’s fun because students get to invent stories based on sounds, which sparks their imagination.

Objective: Practice creative speaking and listening by creating stories inspired by sounds.

Materials Needed: Sound clips or recordings (optional).

Instructions:

1. Play a series of sounds or noises for the class (e.g., animal sounds, doorbells).
2. Ask students to listen carefully and think about how these sounds could be part of a story.
3. Have each student come up with a short story inspired by the sounds.
4. Students take turns sharing their stories with the class.
5. Discuss how different sounds were used to create unique stories.
6. Encourage students to use sounds from their environment or imagination in their stories.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to listen for different sounds around them and think about how they could use those sounds in storytelling. Discuss how sounds can add detail and atmosphere to a story.

Variation: Provide sound effects or create a sound story as a class, with each student contributing a sound or part of the story.

12. Dialogue Balloons

Description: Dialogue Balloons is an activity where students fill in dialogue balloons for cartoon characters and practice reading them aloud. This helps with speaking practice and reading comprehension in a fun and interactive way. It’s enjoyable because students get to use their creativity to create dialogues for characters.

Objective: Practice speaking and reading comprehension by creating and reading dialogues for cartoon characters.

Materials Needed: Cartoon images with empty dialogue balloons (printed or digital).

Instructions:

1. Provide students with cartoon images that have empty dialogue balloons.
2. Ask each student to write a sentence or two in the dialogue balloons to create a conversation for the characters.
3. Students take turns reading their completed dialogues aloud to the class.
4. Discuss the different ways students created dialogues and how they used language creatively.
5. Encourage students to create their own cartoon images and write dialogues for them.

Follow-Up: Have students create their own comic strips or dialogue balloons for different characters. Discuss how practicing dialogues helps with both writing and speaking skills.

Variation: Use dialogue balloons from popular cartoons or create a collaborative comic strip as a class, with each student contributing a part.

13. What’s the Word?

Description: What’s the Word? is an activity where students describe a word without saying it, and the class guesses what it is. This helps with vocabulary practice and improves descriptive speaking skills. It’s engaging because it turns learning into a fun guessing game.

Objective: Improve vocabulary and descriptive speaking by describing and guessing words.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Choose a student to describe a word from a list without using the word itself.
2. The student gives clues about the word, focusing on its characteristics, uses, or related ideas.
3. The rest of the class listens and tries to guess the word.
4. Once the word is guessed, discuss the clues and how they helped identify the word.
5. Rotate roles so each student gets a chance to describe and guess words.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to use new vocabulary words in sentences or conversations. Discuss how giving clear clues can help others understand and guess words.

Variation: Use themed word lists (e.g., animals, food) to add variety and relevance to the activity.

14. Mystery Box

Description: Mystery Box is an activity where students describe an object hidden in a box using only spoken clues. This activity enhances descriptive speaking and listening skills while adding an element of mystery and fun. It’s exciting because students have to use their imagination to describe and guess the hidden object.

Objective: Develop descriptive speaking and listening skills by describing and guessing objects.

Materials Needed: A box, various objects to place inside.

Instructions:

1. Place an object inside a box and make sure students cannot see it.
2. Have one student reach into the box without looking and feel the object.
3. The student then describes the object using only spoken clues, avoiding naming it directly.
4. The rest of the class listens and tries to guess what the object is based on the description.
5. Once the object is guessed, reveal it and discuss the clues that led to the correct answer.
6. Rotate the role so different students get a chance to describe and guess objects.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to use descriptive language in their everyday conversations. Discuss how detailed descriptions can help others understand what they are talking about.

Variation: Use themed objects (e.g., school supplies, kitchen items) to make the activity more relevant or challenging.

15. Word Tennis

Description: Word Tennis is an activity where the teacher says a word, and students must quickly respond with an associated word. This helps improve vocabulary recall and quick thinking. It’s fun because it turns vocabulary practice into a fast-paced game.

Objective: Enhance vocabulary recall and quick thinking by responding with associated words.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Start by saying a word aloud to the class (e.g., “apple”).
2. The first student must respond with a related word (e.g., “fruit”).
3. The next student continues with another related word (e.g., “banana”).
4. Continue the game, with each student responding quickly with an associated word.
5. If a student hesitates or repeats a word, they are “out” for that round, and the game continues until only one student remains.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to play Word Tennis at home with family or friends to keep practicing. Discuss how associating words helps with vocabulary development and quick thinking.

Variation: Use specific categories (e.g., animals, foods) to guide the associations and make the game more focused.

16. Sound Bites

Description: Sound Bites is an activity where students listen to short sound clips and describe what they think is happening. This helps improve listening skills and descriptive speaking. It’s engaging because it combines audio stimuli with creative thinking.

Objective: Enhance listening and descriptive speaking skills by describing sounds.

Materials Needed: Short sound clips or recordings.

Instructions:

1. Play a short sound clip for the class (e.g., a dog barking, a doorbell ringing).
2. Ask students to listen carefully and think about what the sound might be.
3. Have students describe what they think is happening based on the sound they heard.
4. Discuss each description and play the sound again if needed to check accuracy.
5. Rotate different sounds and have various students describe what they hear.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to listen for different sounds around them and describe them. Discuss how different sounds can suggest different scenarios or actions.

Variation: Use sound clips from various themes (e.g., nature sounds, city sounds) to add variety and challenge.

17. Colorful Questions

Description: Colorful Questions is an activity where students pick colored cards, each representing a type of question they must ask their partner. This helps practice questioning techniques and speaking skills in a structured and engaging way. It’s fun because students get to interact and ask different types of questions.

Objective: Improve questioning techniques and speaking skills by asking various types of questions.

Materials Needed: Colored cards with different question types written on them (e.g., “yes/no,” “wh-questions”).

Instructions:

1. Prepare colored cards with different types of questions or prompts (e.g., “yes/no questions,” “questions about hobbies”).
2. Have each student pick a card from the pile.
3. Based on the color of the card, the student must ask their partner a question that fits the card’s category.
4. After asking and answering, students switch roles and repeat with new questions.
5. Discuss the different types of questions asked and how they can be used in conversations.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to think of their own questions and practice asking them in everyday situations. Discuss how different question types can lead to different types of conversations.

Variation: Use different sets of cards for various themes (e.g., daily activities, favorite foods) to add variety to the questions.

18. Time to Mime

Description: Time to Mime is an activity where one student mimes an action, and others guess and describe what’s happening. This helps with non-verbal communication and descriptive speaking. It’s enjoyable because it turns language practice into a fun guessing game.

Objective: Improve non-verbal communication and descriptive speaking by miming and guessing actions.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Have one student choose an action to mime (e.g., brushing teeth, cooking).
2. The student performs the action silently for the class.
3. The rest of the class guesses what the student is miming and describes it aloud.
4. Once the action is guessed, discuss how different actions were described and why.
5. Rotate roles so each student gets a chance to mime and guess actions.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to use miming as a way to practice describing actions and activities. Discuss how body language and gestures can help convey meaning.

Variation: Use themed actions (e.g., sports, household chores) to make the activity more specific and challenging.

19. Whisper Relay

Description: Whisper Relay is an activity where teams whisper a sentence down the line, and the last person says it out loud. This activity helps improve listening and speaking accuracy. It’s fun because it often results in humorous miscommunications as the sentence changes.

Objective: Enhance listening and speaking accuracy through a relay of whispered sentences.

Materials Needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Divide the class into teams of about 4-6 students.
2. Have each team form a line or circle.
3. The first student in each team whispers a sentence to the next person.
4. Each student whispers what they heard to the next person until the last student receives the sentence.
5. The last student says the sentence out loud to the whole class.
6. Compare the final sentence with the original to see how much it changed.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to focus on listening carefully and speaking clearly. Discuss how small changes in communication can affect the final message.

Variation: Change the type of sentences or use different themes (e.g., instructions, jokes) to vary the activity.

20. Flip the Sentence

Description: Flip the Sentence is an activity where students take a given sentence and change its order or structure while keeping the meaning. This helps with understanding sentence structure and improving creativity in speaking. It’s engaging because it challenges students to think about language in different ways.

Objective: Improve understanding of sentence structure and creativity in speaking by modifying sentences.

Materials Needed: Sentences written on slips of paper or displayed on a board.

Instructions:

1. Provide each student with a sentence (e.g., “The cat is on the mat”).
2. Ask students to rewrite the sentence by changing its order or structure while retaining the original meaning (e.g., “On the mat is the cat”).
3. Have students share their modified sentences with a partner or the class.
4. Discuss the different ways sentences can be structured and how it affects meaning.
5. Repeat with different sentences to practice various structures.

Follow-Up: Encourage students to create their own sentences and practice flipping them. Discuss how changing sentence structure can be used for emphasis or clarity.

Variation: Provide sentences with specific structures (e.g., questions, commands) for students to modify and practice different types of sentence forms.

21. Emotion Charades

Description: Emotion Charades is a fun activity where students act out different emotions without using words, and others guess the emotion. This helps students practice expressive speaking and understand emotional vocabulary. It’s enjoyable because it combines physical movement with language practice.

Objective: Enhance expressive speaking and understanding of emotional vocabulary through acting and guessing.

Materials Needed: Emotion cards or slips of paper with different emotions written on them.

Instructions:

1. Prepare cards or slips of paper with various emotions written on them (e.g., happy, sad, surprised).
2. Divide the class into small groups.
3. One student from each group picks an emotion card and acts it out without speaking.
4. The other students in the group guess the emotion being acted out.
5. Rotate roles so each student has a chance to act and guess.

Follow-Up: Discuss how different emotions are expressed and how they can be described using words. Encourage students to use the new vocabulary in sentences.

Variation: Include a “story” element where students act out an emotion in the context of a simple scenario (e.g., “You lost your toy” for sad).

Conclusion

Using fun speaking activities in your lessons makes learning English enjoyable for young learners. These activities help kids practice speaking in a way that keeps them interested and motivated. They also help build confidence and improve their language skills.

By choosing activities that match their age and needs, you make learning easier and more fun for them. As students join in, they will get better at speaking English and feel more confident.

Try these activities in your classroom and see how they make learning English a positive experience for your young learners.

FAQs on Speaking Activities for Young Learners

Question 1: What are speaking activities for young learners?
Answer 1: Speaking activities for young learners are interactive exercises designed to help children practice speaking English. These activities use games, role-plays, and creative tasks to make speaking fun and engaging.

Question 2: Why are speaking activities important for young learners?
Answer 2: They help young learners improve their English speaking skills, build confidence, and expand their vocabulary. Fun activities keep children motivated and make learning more enjoyable.

Question 3: How can I choose the right speaking activity for my students?
Answer 3: Consider your students’ age, language level, and interests. Choose activities that are interactive and age-appropriate to keep them engaged and help them practice effectively.

Question 4: How long should each speaking activity last?
Answer 4: Activities should be short and engaging, usually between 10 to 20 minutes. Young learners have shorter attention spans, so keep activities focused and lively.

Question 5: What materials do I need for these activities?
Answer 5: Materials can vary depending on the activity but may include props like flashcards, puppets, and sound clips. Some activities may require simple items like cards or pictures.

Question 6: How can I ensure all students participate in speaking activities?
Answer 6: Use structured activities and clear instructions. Encourage participation by creating a supportive environment where every student feels comfortable speaking.

Question 7: Can these activities be used with mixed-age groups?
Answer 7: Yes, but you may need to adjust the difficulty level to suit different ages. Choose activities that can be easily adapted to fit the needs of all students in the group.

Question 8: How often should I include speaking activities in my lessons?
Answer 8: Regularly incorporating speaking activities is beneficial. Aim to include them in most lessons to give students consistent practice and keep them engaged.

Question 9: What if some students are shy and don’t want to participate?
Answer 9: Gently encourage participation by pairing shy students with supportive classmates or using activities that involve gradual speaking. Create a positive and non-judgmental environment.

Question 10: How can I assess my students’ progress with these activities?
Answer 10: Observe students during activities and provide feedback on their speaking skills. You can also use simple assessments like speaking checklists or informal assessments to track their progress.