ESL Speaking Activities for Adults – Interactive Conversation & Fluency Practice

Learning any language gets easier when you speak it often and in different situations. That’s why this collection of ESL speaking activities is built around real conversations instead of textbook drills. Each task encourages adults to share ideas, react to new information, and keep a natural flow—skills they need outside the classroom.

You will find three activity types:

1. Warm-ups that break the ice and get everyone talking within the first five minutes.
2. Focused practice tasks that target specific functions such as giving opinions, clarifying, agreeing, or challenging politely.
3. Freer discussions where learners choose their own direction, negotiate meaning, and use whatever language they have to reach a goal.

Most activities come with a printable set of prompts or cards, plus short notes on timing, group size, and simple variations for mixed levels. Many can be adapted for online lessons by sharing slides or using breakout rooms. No special materials are required—just pens, paper, and a willingness to talk.

Use the index to jump straight to a theme, or mix tasks to build a complete lesson: start with a quick mingle, move on to a structured practice, and finish with an open discussion. However you combine them, the aim remains the same: more student talking time and better fluency every session. With these ESL speaking activities at your fingertips, your classes will stay fresh, practical, and engaging week after week.

ESL Conversation Starters

Explore hundreds of discussion questions, organized into themed cards for easy printing and cutting out. If you find this resource valuable, consider our photocopiable conversation classes book, featuring questions across 50 topics, along with supplementary exercises to introduce relevant vocabulary and idioms that enrich discussions.

ESL Speaking Activities

Expressing Opinions

Expressing Opinions: Ideal for first classes with advanced students, this fun mingling speaking activity encourages learners to exchange opinions and cards with classmates.

Question Time 

Question Time: In this easy-to-set-up group discussion activity, students take turns selecting a topic and gain confidence by moderating the conversation.

Old School vs New School

Students talk about school then and now. They share memories, compare old and modern subjects, decide which lessons children need today, and build a simple timetable together. Great for practising “used to” and easy modal verbs like “should” or “must.”

The World in 20 Years: Future Predictions

Using the simple future tense, students speculate about developments across various fields.

Show and Tell

Ask students to bring something that has a story— a souvenir, a photo, even a bus ticket. Brainstorm a few “object” words together, warm up with a quick picture-taboo round, then run a free “show and tell”: each learner explains why the item matters and answers classmates’ questions. Low-prep, student-led speaking that lets you mostly listen and feed in new language when needed.

Ask the Expert

Each learner writes 3 favourite topics on a folded name-card, then sits opposite a classmate who interviews them for 5–10 minutes. After a few rounds and a role-swap, everyone shares the most interesting facts they heard. Simple set-up, lots of real conversation.

Questionnaires and Surveys

Students create surveys and questionnaires, using them to interview their peers and foster interaction.

Other Activities

Outdoor Activities

Escape the hot, stuffy classroom and reinvigorate your students with outdoor activities they’ll enjoy.

Lying Games

Encourage laughter and fun in the classroom with speaking games that challenge students to keep a straight face.