What Should I Do?

What Should I Do? A Fun and Engaging Activity for Practicing Advice-Giving in English. Enhance your students’ communication skills by practicing real-life problem-solving and advice-giving in a collaborative, competitive group setting.

What Should I Do?

What Should I Do?

One of the most useful and practical language skills students need to develop in English is the ability to give advice. Whether it’s about a problem with friends, work, or everyday life, being able to offer helpful suggestions in English is essential. The What Should I Do? activity is a fun, interactive way for students to practice giving advice while engaging in a group setting. Through a competitive card game, students not only work on their advice-giving skills but also improve their ability to listen and evaluate solutions.

Materials Needed:

• A worksheet for each group of four students (with cards already cut).
• Pen or pencil for writing.

Activity Overview:

1. Introduce Advice-Giving Phrases: Begin by writing the following phrases on the board:
   • You should…
   • I think you should/ought to…
   • Why don’t you…?
   • If I were you, I would…
   • You might try (verb + ing)…
   Go over these structures with the class and explain how they can be used to give advice in different situations. Make sure to clarify the differences between them (e.g., “If I were you” is a more personal, empathetic suggestion, while “You should” is more direct).
2. Give an Example: Tell the class a problem, such as, “I have a lot of homework to do and I feel stressed.” Then ask students to give you advice using the structures on the board. For example:
   • “You should take breaks while studying.”
   • “I think you should organize your work into smaller tasks.”
   • “Why don’t you ask for help if you need it?”
   • “If I were you, I would try to get some rest.”
   • “You might try listening to calming music while working.”
   Write their ideas on the board to reinforce the structures.
3. Divide the Class into Groups: Now, divide the class into groups of four students. Give each group a set of problem cards (one for each student). Ask them to place the cards face down in a pile in the middle of the group.
4. Card Game Procedure: Students take turns picking a card from the pile and reading the problem on it aloud to the group. The other students in the group listen to the problem and then take turns offering advice based on the structures they learned earlier. Each student must offer a different piece of advice, and they should try to make their advice relevant and helpful. After each round, the student who presented the problem will decide which piece of advice was the best and hand the card to the student who gave it. The student who collects the most cards by the end of the game wins.
5. Report Back to the Class: After all students have had a chance to give and receive advice, ask them to report back to the class on the best or worst piece of advice they received for each situation. This allows students to reflect on the advice-giving process and to share what they learned.

Why This Activity Works:

The What Should I Do? activity provides a great opportunity for students to practice the language of advice in a low-pressure, enjoyable environment. By focusing on real-life problems, students are able to relate the activity to their own experiences, which makes it more engaging and meaningful. The competitive element adds fun to the process, motivating students to participate actively while using the language they’ve learned.

The group setting also encourages peer interaction and helps students develop listening skills as they carefully evaluate the advice given by others. Additionally, students improve their critical thinking as they reflect on which advice they find most helpful and why.

Free PDF Download for ESL Teachers:

This engaging activity is available as a free PDF download, making it easy to implement in your ESL classroom. You can adapt the game to suit different levels by adjusting the complexity of the problems on the cards.

Conclusion:

The What Should I Do? activity is an effective way to improve your students’ ability to give and receive advice in English. It provides a structured yet fun environment for practicing real-world communication skills. Whether you are teaching beginners or more advanced students, this activity will enhance their confidence in using advice-giving language.

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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