The Best Advice

The Best Advice: A Fun Activity for Practicing Problem-Solving and Giving Advice. Help your students improve their English communication skills with this interactive advice-giving class activity.

The Best Advice: A Fun Activity for Practicing Problem-Solving and Giving Advice

The Best Advice: A Fun Activity for Practicing Problem-Solving and Giving Advice

In every ESL classroom, one of the most valuable skills students need to master is the ability to give and receive advice. Whether it’s about everyday situations, personal problems, or professional challenges, knowing how to offer helpful suggestions in English is essential. The Best Advice activity is a dynamic and engaging way to practice these skills in a fun and collaborative environment.

Materials Needed:

• One situation card for each student.
• One advice card for each student.
• Pen or pencil for writing.

Activity Overview:

1. Introducing Advice-Giving Structures:
   Begin by writing some useful structures for giving advice on the board:
   • You should…
   • You ought to…
   • My advice is to…
   • You could try…
   • I would advise that…
   • If I were you, I’d…
   These structures will guide your students in offering appropriate advice throughout the activity.
2. Class Example:
   To introduce the activity, tell your students that your computer has a virus. Ask for advice, making sure to use the structures you’ve written on the board. For example, “You should try running an antivirus scan,” or “I would advise that you restart the computer and check for updates.” Write their suggestions on the board and ask the class which advice they think is the best and why. This discussion helps students understand how to assess advice and how to give it in a clear, practical way.
3. Distribute Situation and Advice Cards:
   Next, give each student a situation card and an advice card. Explain that each student has a different problem written on their card. They will practice giving and receiving advice from their peers. Students should write their problem at the top of the advice card.
4. Pair Work and Time Limit:
   Divide the class into pairs and tell them that they have two minutes to explain their problem, offer advice, and write down the advice on their advice card. Encourage them to use the structures from the board. After two minutes, students should find a new partner and repeat the process until they have spoken to eight different people.
5. Choosing the Best Advice:
   Once all students have had the chance to give and receive advice, ask them to choose the best piece of advice they received during the activity. They should explain why they think it was the most helpful and why it stood out to them. This helps students reflect on the quality of the advice they gave and received.
6. Class Discussion:
   Finally, ask each student to share their problem and the best piece of advice they received with the class. This gives students the opportunity to practice speaking and listening in a group setting, while reinforcing the importance of constructive advice-giving.

Why This Activity Works:

The Best Advice activity is an excellent way to help students practice real-world problem-solving and communication skills. It encourages them to listen actively, think critically, and express themselves clearly in English. Additionally, the time limit adds a sense of urgency and excitement, while the variety of partners helps students become more comfortable with different speaking styles and perspectives.

By involving the whole class in the process, students not only practice giving advice but also develop their ability to evaluate advice critically. This is an important skill for both academic and everyday communication in English.

Free PDF Download for ESL Teachers:

This activity is available for download as a free PDF, making it easy to implement in your ESL classroom. Whether you’re teaching beginners or advanced students, this activity can be tailored to different levels by adjusting the complexity of the situation cards.

Conclusion:

Engage your students in a dynamic and interactive way with this Best Advice activity. By encouraging them to practice giving and receiving advice in a structured, time-limited setting, you’ll help them build valuable communication skills that will serve them in a variety of situations.

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More ESL Classroom Games & Activities

Looking for more fun grammar activities for your English class? Check out these ideas:
✅ ESL Speaking Games to improve fluency
✅ Grammar Board Games for practicing sentence structures
✅ Interactive Writing Activities for ESL learners