What Do People Do for a Living?

What Do People Do for a Living? A Fun ESL Activity. Engaging Students in Descriptive Language Through Job Roles– Free Printable PDFs

What Do People Do for a Living?

What Do People Do for a Living?

Are you looking for a fun and interactive ESL activity that enhances students’ ability to describe people and their characteristics? What Do People Do for a Living? is a great exercise that helps students learn job-related vocabulary while practicing descriptive adjectives.

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Step-by-Step Procedure for the Activity

1. Prepare the Materials

Before class, print a copy of the jobs worksheet for each group and cut out one set of picture cards for each group. The picture cards should depict various professions.

2. Explain the Objective

Tell students that they will work in groups to describe and characterize people in different jobs. The goal is to use adjectives to define the appearance, personality, and characteristics of different professions.

3. Group Work and Brainstorming

1. Divide the class into groups of four or five students.
2. Give each group a jobs worksheet and ask them to list adjectives that describe the type of person suited for each job.
3. Run through an example with the class, such as:
   • Lawyer: Neat, well-dressed, hard-working, intelligent, 40 to 50 years old, etc.
4. Each group should brainstorm and write down their ideas, assigning one student as the writer.

4. Matching Descriptions to Picture Cards

1. Distribute cut-up picture cards to each group.
2. Instruct students to match the descriptions they created to the pictures of different professions.
3. Encourage students to explain their choices, considering the overall appearance and impression they get from the images.
4. Once all groups have completed their matching, have them compare answers with other teams.

5. Class Discussion and Correct Answers

• Go through the correct answers as a class and discuss any surprising or interesting choices.
• The correct answers should include jobs such as:
  • Computer Programmer
  • Tour Guide
  • Pharmacist
  • Student
  • Teacher
  • Shop Assistant
  • Manager
  • Designer
  • Photographer
  • Policeman
  • Doctor
  • Chef

6. Extension Activity: Writing Practice

To reinforce the learning, ask students to write a short paragraph describing their dream job. Encourage them to use the adjectives and vocabulary they practiced during the activity.

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Why This Activity Works

✅ Enhances Vocabulary – Helps students learn job-related words and adjectives.
✅ Encourages Collaboration – Promotes teamwork and group discussion.
✅ Improves Descriptive Writing Skills – Reinforces the use of adjectives in context.
✅ Interactive and Fun – Engages students in a hands-on learning experience.

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Final Thoughts

What Do People Do for a Living? is a fantastic ESL classroom activity that allows students to explore professions while expanding their vocabulary and improving their descriptive skills. By combining group work, visual aids, and discussion, this lesson provides a dynamic and engaging way to learn English.

Try it out in your next class!

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💬 What other grammar topics would you like? Drop your ideas in the comments!

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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