The lesson ended early.
Good.

How to run it

1. Write “3 – 2 – 1” on the board and explain: three things you learnt, two questions you still have, one opinion.
2. Give 60 seconds of thinking time — silent, no talking.
3. In pairs, students share all six items with each other.
4. Take one “question you still have” from two or three students and answer them on the spot — it doubles as your exit check.

Variations

• Target-language version: the two questions must use a question form you taught today.
• Whole-class relay: go round the room, each student adds one item, no repeats.
• Written exit ticket: collect the 3-2-1 on paper to plan tomorrow's warmer.

How to run it

1. Ask each student to write ONE sentence that uses today's target language correctly and means something true about them.
2. Give two minutes of silent writing.
3. Invite three or four volunteers to read theirs aloud.
4. Polish each one with the class — a tiny bit of live error correction with real, personal sentences.

Variations

• Longest correct sentence: who can correctly extend theirs the most using connectors?
• Funniest true sentence: adds a competitive, low-pressure hook.
• Sentence chain: each student's sentence must link to the previous one's idea.

How to run it

1. During the lesson, quietly jot 3–4 errors you hear — grammar, word choice, pronunciation written phonetically.
2. In the last five minutes, write the sentences on the board, errors and all, with no names.
3. Pairs find the mistakes and write the corrected versions.
4. Go through them together; let pairs explain WHY each was wrong.

Variations

• Include one correct sentence as a trap — they must decide if there's an error at all.
• Student-sourced: pairs submit a tricky sentence for the next class to fix.
• Pronunciation focus: errors are about word stress or sounds, drilled after fixing.

How to run it

1. Everyone stands up. Name the topic or word set in play (e.g. “words from today's reading”).
2. Going round, each student says one valid word — no repeats, a few seconds to answer.
3. Repeat a word, say an invalid one, or freeze, and you sit down.
4. Keep going until one student is left standing.

Variations

• Category version: only verbs, only words with a prefix, only collocations.
• Sentence stakes: say the word AND use it in a sentence to stay in.
• Team version: rows compete; a wrong answer eliminates the row's turn, not the student.

How to run it

1. Pose one “Would you rather…?” tied to today's theme (or a fun general one if energy is low).
2. Students choose a side instantly — no fence-sitting.
3. In pairs, each gives a full-sentence reason for their choice.
4. Take a quick show of hands for each side and hear one reason from each camp.

Variations

• Target-structure version: reasons must use a conditional or comparative you taught.
• Line up: students physically stand on a spectrum from “strongly A” to “strongly B.”
• Persuade-to-switch: can anyone change a partner's mind in 30 seconds?

How to run it

1. Split the class into 2–3 teams in lines facing the board; give each a marker.
2. Set a category from the lesson (words in a field, verbs in past tense, collocations).
3. On “go,” the first student writes one correct item, runs back, hands over the pen; the next goes.
4. After ~3 minutes, stop and count only the correct, non-repeated items per team.

Variations

• Correction race: write sentences with errors; teams race to fix them.
• Pictionary hybrid: one teammate draws, the line guesses and writes the word.
• Build-a-sentence: each runner adds one word to make a grammatical sentence.

How to run it

1. Put five topic-related items on the board and a ranking criterion (most important, most useful, most surprising).
2. Pairs agree an order from 1 to 5, ready to justify each placement.
3. Pair up with another pair; compare orders and argue the differences.
4. Hear two or three contrasting top choices from the room and why.

Variations

• Diamond nine: rank into a diamond shape for more nuance.
• Forced reduction: they must drop one item entirely and justify cutting it.
• Cross-class: compare your class's ranking with another section's.

How to run it

1. Students write three sentences about themselves using today's target language: two true, one false.
2. In small groups, one student reads their three aloud.
3. The group asks follow-up questions to probe before guessing which is the lie.
4. Reveal, then the next student goes.

Variations

• Topic version: statements about the reading/listening, not themselves.
• Whole-class: a few brave volunteers face questions from everyone.
• Tense focus: all three must use a specific tense (e.g. present perfect).

How to run it

1. Set a chair at the front facing away from the board; pick a “hot seat” student.
2. Write a target word on the board so the team sees it but the hot-seat student doesn't.
3. The team describes or defines it — without saying the word or spelling it — until the student guesses.
4. Swap the hot-seat student and continue with new words.

Variations

• Synonyms only: describers may use single synonyms/antonyms, no full sentences.
• Reverse: the hot-seat student asks yes/no questions to find the word.
• Definitions race: teams write a definition; others guess the word.

How to run it

1. Take a moment from today's material with an open ending (a story, a case, a “what would you do” scenario).
2. Pairs predict what happens next — and must give a reason rooted in what they already know.
3. Each pair shares their prediction and the evidence behind it.
4. If the real outcome exists, reveal it and compare; if not, vote on the most convincing prediction.

Variations

• Alternative endings: pairs invent two different endings and pick the better one.
• Role-play it: act out the predicted next scene in 30 seconds.
• Write the next line: a one-sentence continuation, read aloud and compared.

How to run it

1. In groups, students write five questions on today's content, with an answer key on a separate slip.
2. Groups swap question sheets (keeping their keys).
3. Each group answers the quiz they received, in writing, within a few minutes.
4. Return the answers to the authoring group to mark against their key, and announce scores.

Variations

• This is the in-class cousin of the corridor Door Challenge — run it across sections for rivalry.
• Target-language only: every question must use today's structure.
• Live game show: read the best questions aloud for a whole-class buzzer round.

How to run it

1. Give each pair a simple situation that demands today's target language or function.
2. Allow 4–5 minutes to plan and rehearse — spoken, not scripted word-for-word.
3. Pairs perform their 60-second scene to another pair, or a few to the whole class.
4. Highlight two or three strong uses of the target language you heard.

Variations

• Twist card: midway, hand them a complication they must improvise around.
• Genre swap: perform the same scene as a soap opera, news report, or thriller.
• Freeze-frame: pause the scene and ask the “audience” what each character is thinking.

How to run it

1. Divide today's material into as many chunks as you have groups; assign one chunk per group.
2. Each “expert” group spends a few minutes agreeing the key points of their chunk.
3. Re-form into new groups containing one expert from each original group.
4. Each expert teaches their chunk to the new group; together they reassemble the whole lesson.

Variations

• Expert cards: experts may bring three notes only — forces summarising, not reading aloud.
• Quiz finish: after teaching, a quick quiz covers all chunks to reward listening.
• Visual jigsaw: each expert group makes a mini diagram to teach from.

How to run it

1. Arrange students in two facing rows (or inner/outer circles).
2. Display a discussion question tied to the lesson.
3. Pairs talk for two minutes; on your signal, one row shifts one seat along to a new partner.
4. Change the question every couple of rounds; finish by asking what the best answer they heard was.

Variations

• Role rotation: one row asks, the other answers, then swap roles on the shift.
• Escalating questions: each round's prompt is a little more demanding.
• Report-back: after the last round, students report something their final partner said.

How to run it

1. List 8–10 target words on the board. Put students in small groups.
2. One student starts the story with a sentence using one target word; cross it off or mark it used.
3. Each student in turn adds a sentence using another target word, keeping the story coherent.
4. Groups read their finished story aloud; vote on the funniest or most creative.

Variations

• Genre constraint: it must be a horror story, fairy tale, or news report.
• Written relay: pass one sheet round the group, each adding a line.
• Picture start: begin from an image to seed the setting.