ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
    • ESL Textbooks for Adults
    • ESL Textbooks for Children
  • Teacher Resources
    • Resources
    • Online TEFL Course

in Activities for Kids· ESL Games and Activities for Teenagers, University Students & Adults

Draw a Picture While Someone Else is Talking | Fun ESL Speaking Activity

draw-a-picture-esl-activity

Draw a Picture Game

If you want to have a bit of fun with your students, then considering using, “Draw a Picture” ESL speaking and listening activity. It makes an excellent warm-up at the beginning of a class. This listening drawing activity is also ideal for practicing descriptive words and numbers with beginners.

I’ve used this listen and draw activity with kids, teenagers, university students and adults and have had great results with all of them. And the best part? Very minimal materials and preparation are required for this ESOL draw a picture game. If that’s not some ESL teaching awesome, then I’m not sure what is!

Keep on reading for all the details you need to know about this listen and draw activity.

How to Do this Draw a Picture Activity

Skills: Speaking/Listening
Time: 10 minutes
Level: Beginner-Advanced
Materials Required: Blank Paper, plus the picture that students will be drawing.
Age: Kids, Teenagers or Adults

Drawing a picture is a fun way to practice body parts or descriptive words (big, small, long, etc). It’s also ideal for working on ESL prepositions. The students sit back to back and one person is the “talker” and the other one is the “drawer.” If you haven’t already guessed, it’s basically a partner drawing activity.

The person talking describes something that they’re looking at to their partner (a face, body, city, etc) and that person draws what they hear. Make sure that the student who is drawing doesn’t look at the original picture of this warm-up activity isn’t as fun.

The results from Draw a Picture are usually hilarious and I like to show a few of the best results to the class! It’s perfect for a quick warm-up game, or time-filler, and I find that it lends itself particularly well to the unit about describing people’s appearance that you can often find in beginner level textbooks.

You know what else I love about this listening drawing activity? It requires very little in the way of preparation or materials. Just a paper and pencil for the students, and a fun picture to draw from the teacher. It’s nice to have a few of these activities in your back pocket in case of last minute class or something similar.

Procedure for this Listen and Draw Activity

1. Two students sit back to back but close enough to talk to each other.
2. Give student A a picture of some kind, based on whatever you are studying. I usually put something up on the PowerPoint and have the drawer sit with their back towards the screen.
3. Student A describes the picture to student B who must draw it, without looking at the original picture. Student B can ask some questions to student A to clarify if necessary.
4. Compare the original picture with the drawing and laugh a lot!

Teaching Tips for this Partner Drawing Activity

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want this speaking and listening activity to run smoothly.

  • Remember that students are sitting back to back. This means that they’ll have to speak a bit more loudly to be able to hear each other. Because of this, I recommend only using it for smaller classes, or with larger classes when students are able to spread out over a large classroom.
  • Emphasize that the game isn’t fun if students cheat and look while they’re doing it! Wait until the end to reveal the results. I mention that it’s not a competition and mostly just for fun. Plus, speaking a little bit of English of course.
  • It’s often better to not draw someone in the classroom. This can very easily end up with some hurt feelings, particularly with teenagers or children so be careful with it. Adults can get hurt feelings too, so just avoid this! I generally choose an alien, cartoon character, monster, or something similar as the fun picture to draw.

An ESL Warm-Up for Advanced Students

Drawing a picture is a fun activity for just about any level of student. However, if you teach advanced students and are looking for something to start your class off with it, consider “Just a Minute.” Learn all about it in this short video below:

Did you Like this ESL Speaking Drawing Activity?

101-ESL-activities-kids

Yes? Thought so. Who doesn’t need more drawing warm-up activities, right? Then the book you’ll need to check out is 101 ESL Activities for Kids (6-13) over on Amazon.

Tons of Top-Notch ESL Activities

If you liked this partner drawing activity, then you’re going to love the rest of them.

You’ll have dozens of top-quality lesson plan ideas at your fingertips. It really is that easy to make your classes better.

Use a Variety of Activities in your Classes

The key to happy, engaged students who are learning lots of English is a variety of interesting activities. This book will help you do just that.

Easy to Find what You’re Looking For

It’s well-organized into various sections: reading, writing, listening, speaking, warm-ups/icebreakers, 4-skills, grammar, etc.

So, you should be able to find what you need in under a minute. It’s lesson planning made easier, guaranteed. If it’s not, get in touch and I’ll refund your money. It also is that easy.

Available in a Variety of Formats

101 ESL Activities is available on Amazon in both print and digital formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office as a handy reference tool.

Or, take the e-version with you to your favourite lesson planning coffee shop on your phone or Tablet. Yes, it really is that easy to have fun, creative English classes with engaged students who are learning a ton of English.

Get your Copy Today

Sounds like exactly what you need to help you plan for your ESL or EFL classes? Check it out for yourself over on Amazon, but only if you want some ESL awesome in your life:

—>101 ESL Activities for Kids<—

listen-and-draw-activity

ESOL listen and draw activity

Have your Say about this Listen and Draw Activities

Do you have a fun ESL warm-up activity that you like to use in your classes? What do you think about one of my favourite listen and drawing activities for ESL students?

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about it. We’d love to hear from you related to listen and draw activities.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. It’ll help other teachers, like yourself find this useful teaching resource.

Related posts:

show-and-tell-eslShow and Tell ESL Speaking Activity | English Speaking for Kids just-a-minute-game-eslJust a Minute Game | ESL Speaking Activity esl-speaking-activityDo You Like to _____? | ESL Speaking Activity english-speaking-activitiesThe Expert Speaking Activity | English Speaking for Advanced Students fortunately-unfortunately-esl-speaking-activityFortunately Unfortunately Speaking and Listening Activity

Games, Activities & ESL Teaching Tips

* indicates required

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 30 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at:
Facebook
Pinterest

« Do You Like to _____? | ESL Speaking Activity
Refusing to Participate in Class: How to Handle It »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What does this mean? I recommend products (only ones that I like) and if you purchase a product through that link, I earn some money.

101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas, Games, Activities & Tips...
101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas, Games, Activities & Tips...
Check Price on Amazon
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
Check Price on Amazon

Search ESL Speaking

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
Check Price on Amazon
101 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults
101 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults
Check Price on Amazon
Sale 1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
Check Price on Amazon
101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas for ESL/EFL Teachers (ESL...
101 Activities and Resources for Teaching English Online: Practical Ideas for ESL/EFL Teachers (ESL...
Check Price on Amazon
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
Check Price on Amazon
Advanced English Conversation Dialogues: Speak English Like a Native Speaker with Common Idioms and...
Advanced English Conversation Dialogues: Speak English Like a Native Speaker with Common Idioms and...
Check Price on Amazon
Business English Vocabulary Builder: Idioms, Phrases, and Expressions in American English (Tips for...
Business English Vocabulary Builder: Idioms, Phrases, and Expressions in American English (Tips for...
Check Price on Amazon
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities and Games: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Grammar...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities and Games: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Grammar...
Check Price on Amazon
ESL Listening Activities for Teenagers and Adults: Practical Ideas for English Listening for the...
ESL Listening Activities for Teenagers and Adults: Practical Ideas for English Listening for the...
Check Price on Amazon

Online TEFL Courses

Get Certified Entirely Online

Jackie Bolen

Disclosure Statement

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
  • Teacher Resources

Our Top-Seller

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
Check Price on Amazon

Search

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More ESL Activities

is-teaching-esl-abroad-worth it

Should I Teach English Abroad? | Teaching ESL in a Foreign Country

there-is-there-are-activities

There Is There Are ESL Games, Activities, Worksheets & Lesson Plans

grammar-learning-games

Interactive Grammar Games and Activities

sentence-building-game

Sentence Building Activities & Games ESL | Sentence Structure Games

About, Contact, Privacy Policy

Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL speaking since 2014 and the goal is to bring you the best recommendations for English conversation games, activities, lesson plans and more. It’s your go-to source for everything TEFL!

About and Contact for ESL Speaking.

Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Email: [email protected]

ESL Speaking on Facebook

ESL Speaking on Pinterest

Address: 2436 Kelly Ave, Port Coquitlam, Canada

Copyright © 2021 Jackie Bolen + ESL Speaking. All Rights Reserved.