A Fresh Start for the New Year: Meaningful Speaking from Day One

 The first lessons after the Christmas break are always a delicate moment.

Students are still half in holiday mode, routines feel distant, and motivation can be fragile. At the same time, the New Year offers something powerful: a natural reason to reflect, evaluate, and look ahead.

That’s exactly where Happy New Year – Mini e-book with ideas for the first lessons after Christmas break comes in.

      

This compact ebook was created with one clear goal in mind: to help teachers turn those first post-holiday lessons into meaningful speaking opportunities, rather than predictable small talk or filler activities.

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More Than “So… How Was Your Holiday?”

What I appreciate most about this ebook is that it avoids surface-level conversation. Instead of asking students to simply describe their holidays or list resolutions, the activities encourage them to:

• explain reasons and purposes

• compare intentions with reality

• evaluate choices and priorities

• collaborate and negotiate meaning with others

In other words, students are speaking with purpose, not just producing language to fill time.

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Ready-to-Use, Low-Prep, High-Impact

One of the strengths of this ebook is its practical design. Each activity is clearly structured, classroom-tested, and ready to use immediately. You can display the materials on a screen, print them, or laminate them for repeated use — perfect for busy teachers who want quality without extra preparation.

The activities are flexible enough to work with:

• mixed-ability groups

• teenagers and adults

• general English and exam-focused classes

Levels range from B1 to C1, with built-in opportunities to push stronger students further.

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A Strong Focus on Speaking Skills That Matter

Rather than isolated speaking drills, the ebook focuses on skills that teachers know students actually struggle with:

• extending answers

• giving reasons

• reacting to others

• prioritising and making decisions

• speaking collaboratively under time pressure

There is also a clear awareness of exam needs, especially for more advanced learners. One section is directly inspired by Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking Part 3, giving students structured practice in collaborative discussion without the stress of a full mock exam.

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A Calm, Reflective Way to Start the Year

What makes this ebook particularly suitable for January is its tone. The activities invite honesty, reflection, and personal engagement — but without forcing students to share anything uncomfortable. Learners can choose how much to reveal, while still practising sophisticated language and interaction.

It’s the kind of material that helps rebuild classroom rapport after a break and sets a thoughtful, communicative tone for the months ahead.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a way to:

• ease students back into English

• prioritise speaking from the first lesson

• avoid repetitive New Year clichés

• and still keep lessons structured and purposeful

this mini ebook is a very solid place to start.

It doesn’t try to do everything — and that’s its strength. Instead, it offers a small collection of well-designed speaking activities that you can rely on year after year.

A fresh year deserves a fresh conversation.

It can be yours for 35zl. If you are interested, just contact me.

Bye 2025, Hello 2026

 Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Simple New Year Reflection Activity

Every year, around the turn of December and January, I return to a reflection activity that has become a quiet tradition in my classroom and in my own life. I’ve been using this worksheet for a couple of years now—only the years change, but the purpose stays the same: to pause, reflect, and set intentions for what comes next.

This free PDF  Bye 2025, Hello 2026  helps students (and adults!) say goodbye to 2025 by revisiting their best memories, achievements, and things they’re grateful for. It also gently guides them into welcoming 2026 by thinking about hopes, goals, dreams, and new skills they would like to learn. The prompts are open-ended and visual, which makes the activity accessible, creative, and perfect for discussion or quiet individual work.

I especially like using this as a speaking or writing warm-up at the beginning of January. It encourages meaningful language use, personal connection, and reflection—without pressure. Students enjoy looking back at how much they’ve grown, and teachers get a rare glimpse into what really matters to them.

If you’re looking for a calm, thoughtful way to close one year and begin another, this reflection activity is a lovely place to start. 

Scaffolding the comparatives with adults

 I created these comparison cards (I know, nothing revolutionary!) for my adult group at A2+ level. They’re designed to practice comparatives and the as…as structure in a fun, visual, and interactive way. Although I made them with adults in mind, you can easily adapt them for teenagers as well. The cards are flexible and can be used at different stages of a lesson — from controlled practice to freer speaking tasks.

There are three types of cards:

1. Cards with two things, adjectives, and pre-filled stars (guided practice).

2. Cards with two things and adjectives, but blank stars for students to decide (semi-guided).

3. Cards with blank spaces for students to choose the two things and adjectives themselves, and colour in the stars (freer production).

Here’s how you could use them step by step with adult A2 learners:

Cards with Provided Stars (Controlled Practice)

Purpose: introduce/reinforce structures, lower cognitive load.

• Activity Idea – Sentence Builders
  Give each student/pair a card with two things (e.g., Pizza vs. Salad).
  Students read the stars and make at least 3 sentences:

  • Pizza is more delicious than salad.

  • Salad is not as expensive as pizza.
    Teacher monitors accuracy.

• Variation – Race to Compare
  Split class into teams. Show a card on the board.
  Teams take turns making correct comparative sentences. Each correct one = 1 point.

Why it works: Controlled input → clear visual support with stars → helps low-level students build accuracy before moving to freer tasks.

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Cards with Blank Stars but Pre-Chosen Adjectives (Semi-Guided Practice)

Purpose: encourage choice, personalization, and discussion.

• Activity Idea – Rank & Talk
  In pairs, students decide how many stars each side gets (e.g., Is salad healthier than pizza?).
  They must then explain and compare:

  • We think pizza is not as healthy as salad, because…

• Variation – Class Survey
  Each pair ranks their card, then compares with another pair. Do they agree?
  Quick plenary discussion: Who thinks pizza is more popular than salad? Hands up!

Why it works: Semi-controlled → still guided by provided adjectives, but requires decision-making, negotiation, and justification (key for adults).

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Cards with Blank Things + Blank Adjectives (Freer Practice)

Purpose: free production, creativity, personalization, fluency.

• Activity Idea – Create & Compare
  In small groups, students choose two things (e.g., Netflix vs. Cinema) and 4–5 adjectives (fun, expensive, relaxing).
  They decide the stars and present their comparisons to the class:

  • The cinema is more expensive than Netflix.

  • Netflix is not as social as the cinema.

• Variation – “Challenge the Class”
  A group presents their card without saying the stars. Other groups guess how they ranked it by asking comparative questions:

  • Is Netflix as interesting as cinema?

  • Is cinema more expensive than Netflix?

Why it works: Freer task → promotes autonomy, creativity, and student-centered learning. It also taps into adults’ experiences and opinions, which increases motivation and engagement.

Extra Tips for Adults:

• Encourage opinions: “Do you agree with the stars?” → sparks authentic speaking.

• Allow pair/group negotiation: Adults like reasoning, not just drills.

• Extend to mini-debates: e.g., “Living in the city is better than in the countryside” — agree/disagree.

If you want, you can download my cards here: CARDS

A TWISTER CHALLENGE REVISION GAME

 Looking for a way to make grammar and vocabulary revision more exciting? I bought a pack of jelly beans and that gave me the idea to turn them into a revision game for my students. Of course not eating or playing with jelly beans themselves :) The result was the Twister challenge revision game – a mix of knowledge, luck, and a little bit of fun competition that turned a routine review lesson into one of the most engaging classes of the semester.

Why This Game Works

Revision lessons often risk becoming repetitive. Students practise the same grammar structures, phrasal verbs, or idioms, but without much energy. By adding a game element and a touch of surprise, the Twister Challenge makes revision interactive and memorable.

• Revision in disguise – Students spin the arrow, choose a category, and answer a task. They’re revising phrasal verbs, idioms, or word formation – but because it feels like a game, the pressure is off and participation goes up.

• Points = motivation – Instead of just being “right or wrong,” students earn (or lose!) points through fun prompts: “Double your score!”, “Lose 3 points!”, or “Swap with the other team!”. The randomness keeps everyone on edge.

• Collaboration – Teams work together to solve language tasks, explain grammar rules, or invent examples. This strengthens not just their language skills, but also their teamwork.

• Relationships & atmosphere – The silly “penalties” (like starting from zero or losing points to the other team) often lead to laughter, which builds a positive group dynamic and lowers the fear of making mistakes.

What Students Practise

The game can easily be adapted to any level, but at B2 it’s especially effective for:

• Phrasal verbs – e.g. come up with, break down, set off

• Grammar structures – conditionals, passive voice, cleft sentences, inversion

• Vocabulary – collocations, topic-based words, tricky synonyms

• Idioms & expressions – the last straw, cost an arm and a leg, bite the bullet

• Word formation – exam-style transformations (base word → correct form)

• Functions / communication – polite requests, giving advice, agreeing/disagreeing

Teachers can use all six categories or select the ones most relevant for their group.

Takeaway

Games like this remind us that learning is social. When students laugh, compete, and collaborate, they remember language better. The Jelly Bean Challenge transforms a simple revision class into a shared experience – one that students actually talk about afterwards.

So next time you need to revise grammar or vocabulary, try mixing it with a spinner, some point prompts, and (optional) jelly beans. You might find it’s the sweetest way to learn.

Game Instructions

Teams compete to earn the most points by answering English questions correctly. Points are won or lost through the combination of categories, tasks, and jelly bean point prompts.

What You Need

• A spinner (to choose the category). Or you can use th eonline one.

• A set of task cards for each category.

• A set of point prompt cards (rewards & penalties).

• A scoreboard (whiteboard, paper, or digital).

• Optional: Mr Twister jelly beans for the “fun twist.”

Categories (6 total)  

1. Phrasal Verbs 

2. Grammar Structures

3. Vocabulary

4. Idioms & Expressions

5. Word Formation

6. Functions / Communication

How to Play

1. Spin the Arrow

   • A team spins the arrow to choose their category.

2. Pick a Task 

   • The teacher (or another team) draws one task card from that category.

   • The team has 30–60 seconds to answer or as the promts says.

3. Check the Answer 

   • If the answer is correct → the team earns the chance to draw a Point Prompt card.

   • If the answer is wrong → the other team may try to “steal” by answering.

4. Draw a Point Prompt 

   • Good flavors = rewards (e.g. “+5 points,” “double your score”).

   • Weird flavors = penalties (e.g. “lose 3 points,” “start from zero”).

5. Record Points 

   • Keep track of points on the scoreboard.

6. Continue Play 

   • Teams take turns spinning, answering, and drawing prompts.

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Winning the Game

• The game continues until:

  • all categories are played through, OR

  • a set time limit is reached (e.g. 30 minutes).

• The team with the highest number of points wins.

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Extra Variations

• Double Trouble: A team can risk answering a harder question for double prompts (two draws instead of one).

• Steal Mode: If the first team fails, the second team gets both the task AND the point prompt if correct.

• Speed Round: In the last 5 minutes, all tasks are worth double points.

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This way, the game mixes knowledge (tasks) with luck (prompts) — keeping it fair, fun, and full of surprises.

I have created a ready-to-use set for B2 level students. It contains:

- 2 pdf files of a category cirlce (BW and colour)

- 20 tasks for each category = 120 tasks alltogether

- 20 rewards/penalties prompts

It can be yours for 30PLN

AUTONOMY IN ACTION: TEAR-OFF FLYERS

 

What It Is

Tear-off flyers are classroom posters with small strips (tabs) at the bottom. Each strip contains a question, word, or task. Students rip off a strip and use it to speak, write, or complete a mini-challenge.

This activity is interactive, flexible, and motivating because it combines movement, choice, and surprise. Learners don’t just get “given a task” — they choose their own tab, which provides a sense of autonomy and ownership over learning. This makes them more engaged, less anxious, and more willing to speak.

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Why It Works

• Autonomy & Choice → students select their own question/topic.

• Personalization → topics are varied, surprising, and easy to connect with.

• Movement & Energy → students move around the room, adding fun and novelty.

• Flexibility → one set of flyers can be used for warmers, fluency practice, pair work, or homework.

• Reusability → once created, flyers can be reused with different groups.

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What’s Included in the pack?

🔹 Tear-Off Flyers – B2 Level

• 6 Topics × 9 Questions each (54 questions total)
  Examples: Travel, Food, School

• Students speak for 1–2 minutes, using examples and extended answers.

🔹 Tear-Off Flyers – A2 Level

• 6 Topics × 9 Questions each (54 questions total)
  Examples: Travel, Food,  Daily Life

• Students answer in at least 2 sentences (answer + reason/explanation).

🔹 Story Chain Strips

• 27 strips with random words/phrases.

• Students continue one big class story, each time including their strip.

• Great for fluency and creativity.

🔹 Find Someone Who Strips

• 27 surprising/funny prompts (e.g., Find someone who has sung in the shower).

• Students mingle, ask questions, and collect mini-stories.

• Fun icebreaker or energizer.

🔹 Homework Extension Strips

• 27 creative homework ideas (e.g., make a comic, record a 1-minute podcast, teach a new word at home).

• Students choose one to extend their learning after class.

• Promotes autonomy and different learning styles.

🔹 Blank Flyers

• Editable, ready-to-print templates with empty tear-off strips.

• Teachers or students can create their own sets of questions, vocabulary, or challenges.

 

         

How to Use in Class

1. Preparation

   • Print flyers by topic (e.g., Food, Travel, Hobbies).

   • Each flyer has 6–12 tear-off tabs with different prompts.

   • Stick the flyers on the classroom walls.

2. Activity

   • Students walk around the classroom, choose the flyer/topic they like, and tear off one question.

   • They speak individually, in pairs, or in groups.

   • Peers or the teacher can ask follow-up questions to extend speaking.

3. Correction / Feedback

   • Teacher listens and gives quick feedback on grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation.

   • Peers can also give supportive feedback (e.g., “I liked your example,” “You used new words well”).

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With this pack, you can:

• Energize your speaking lessons.

• Differentiate tasks easily across levels (A2 vs. B2).

• Reuse flyers as warmers, fluency tasks, or homework.

• Give students choice and make learning feel less like “schoolwork” and more like play.

It can be yours for 25PLN.

FIRST WEEK MAGIC

The beginning of the school year is always stressful – new classes, students full of energy after the holidays, and a long list of organizational tasks on the teacher’s shoulders. On top of that, coming up with creative activities to break the ice and build classroom atmosphere can feel overwhelming.

That’s why I created the eBook “First Week Magic – 15 Creative Activities for the Start of the School Year” 

Inside you’ll find ready-to-use ideas not only for the very first lesson but also for the first few classes – so you can start the year calmly, with tried-and-true activities at your fingertips.

It includes, for example:
✅ Human Bingo – a great way to get everyone talking
✅ Speed Dating – Summer Edition – quick and fun introductions
✅ Puzzle of Us – a visual activity to build group identity
✅ Class Recipe and Island Survival Contract – creative ways to make a class contract together

Many activities come with printable materials – in both a colorful and a black-and-white version, so you can choose what works best.

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Why is this eBook worth the investment?

✔️ Save time – no need to search for or prepare activities yourself.
✔️ Get 15 tried and tested activities that engage students and create a positive classroom atmosphere.
✔️ Clear step-by-step instructions – no stress, just results.
✔️ Use the ideas not only in the first week, but also later in the year for integration, substitute lessons, or energy breaks.
✔️ The ideas stay with you forever.

Special launch price: 49 PLN until September 12th!
After that, the price will rise to 69 PLN – so don’t miss the chance to get it cheaper now.

Let your first lessons be full of conversations, laughter, and energy – not stress and last-minute searching for ideas. 

Summer Bingo Chart

 

The first days back at school are a mix of excitement, nerves, and endless stories to share. One of the easiest (and most fun) ways to break the ice and get your students talking is with a Summer Bingo Chart. I got the idea from some website (Polish version), I just changed the content abit and the design.

What Is a Summer Bingo Chart?
It’s exactly what it sounds like—a bingo-style grid filled with prompts about summer activities. Instead of numbers, each square has a lighthearted statement such as:

• “Went swimming in a pool or lake”

• “Ate ice cream for breakfast”

• “Read a book just for fun”

• “Traveled to another city or country”

• “Watched a movie more than once”

The goal? Get students up, moving, and talking as they find classmates who match each square.

How to Use It in Your Classroom

1. Hand Out the Bingo Cards
   Give each student a Summer Bingo sheet and a pen or pencil.

2. Set the Rules
   Students walk around and talk to each other, asking questions to see if someone fits a square. When they find a match, that person writes their name in the box. (You can decide if they can sign their own square!)

3. Encourage Conversation
   The magic isn’t in shouting “Bingo!”—it’s in the chatter that happens along the way. Students will share fun facts, swap summer stories, and make new connections.

4. Wrap Up with Sharing
   Once the activity winds down, gather everyone together and invite them to share the most surprising, funny, or unique things they learned about their classmates.

Why It Works

• Breaks the ice naturally—no forced “stand up and introduce yourself” moments.

• Encourages movement—students mingle, which eases first-day jitters.

• Fosters community—kids find common ground they didn’t know they had.

Whether your students spent the summer traveling the globe or just perfecting the art of the perfect popsicle, the Summer Bingo Chart gives everyone a reason to smile and connect from day one.

Help yourself to the chart: Summer Bingo Chart