Agree and Disagree. Teaching Students How to Agree and Disagree in English. A Fun Speaking Activity for ESL Classrooms – Free Printable PDFs

Agree and Disagree

Agree and Disagree

Teaching students how to agree, disagree, and express surprise in English is essential for improving their conversational skills. This engaging classroom activity will help students practice natural reactions in discussions, making their speech more fluent and interactive.

Preparation

Before class, prepare a set of opinion cards by printing and cutting out statements. Each student should receive one card.

On the board, write the following expressions:

✅ Agreeing:

So do I.
So am I.
So would I.
Nor do I.
Nor am I.
Nor would I.

❌ Disagreeing:

Actually, I’m not that keen on… myself.
Actually, I don’t really like… myself.

😲 Expressing Surprise:

Really? Why’s that?
How come?
Do you really?
Are you really?
Would you really?

How to Run the Activity

Introduce the Expressions
- Explain the expressions on the board and model their use by expressing an opinion (e.g., “I love staying home at the weekend.”).
- Ask students to react naturally using the expressions on the board.
Opinion Card Practice
- Give each student an opinion card.
- Students pretend the statement is their opinion and share it with a partner.
- Their partner reacts appropriately, using one of the expressions from the board and asking a follow-up question.
- Example:
  Student A: I’m really into sports and fitness.
  Student B: So am I! What sports do you play?
Rotate and Repeat
- Students swap roles and continue the conversation briefly.
- After a few minutes, they exchange cards and find a new partner to repeat the process.
Personalized Opinions
- After about ten minutes, stop the activity and ask students to discuss which opinions they actually agree with.
- Then, have them turn over their card and write their own opinion.
- The activity is repeated using these personalized opinions.

Why This Activity Works

🔹 Encourages spontaneous conversation
🔹 Helps students react naturally in discussions
🔹 Builds confidence in using agreement and disagreement phrases
🔹 Promotes critical thinking through follow-up questions

Final Thoughts

Using this interactive ESL activity, students will gain confidence in expressing their opinions and reacting appropriately in conversations. Keep practicing, and soon they will sound more natural in discussions!

Agree and Disagree