Conversation Class File

STUDENT A HAPPIN E S S
PART 1 PART 2
1. Describe your photo to your partner for 1 minute Discuss these questions with your partner. Ask for
2. Listen to your partner’s description more detail if necessary. AGREE or DISAGREE!
3. Think of 3 differences between the photos
1. Why is the person in your photo so happy?
2. What makes you happy?
3. What time of day are you happiest?
4. What do you think is the secret to happiness?
5. What makes you unhappy?
6. Describe a time when you were really happy?
7. Do you think people are happier now than in
the past? Why / why not?
8. If someone you care about is feeling sad, what
4. Now look at your photos. Identify 2 or 3
can you do to help them feel happy?
differences each. Use CONNECTORS:
Firstly However Moreover
Secondly On the other hand Furthermore
Finally Whereas In addition

STUDENT B HAPPIN E S S
PART 1 PART 2
1. Listen to your partner’s description Discuss these questions with your partner. Ask for
2. Describe your photo to your partner for 1 minute more detail if necessary. AGREE or DISAGREE!
3. Think of 3 differences between the photos
1. Why are the people in your photo so happy?
2. What is something that makes you happy?
Why?
3. Can money buy happiness?
4. When did you last feel very happy? What
happened?
5. Do you think people will be happier in the
future? Why / why not?
6. In your country, what is the happiest time of the
year?
4. Now look at your photos. Identify 2 or 3
differences each. Use CONNECTORS: 7. What is something you can do to make others
Firstly However Moreover happy? Why does this thing make them happy?
Secondly On the other hand Furthermore 8. Do you agree that “Laughter is the best
Finally Whereas In addition medicine?” Why or why not?

© 2018 FingerTips Resources. All rights reserved.

Heading graphics courtesy of www.freepik.com
www.fingertips-resources.com 79
 CCoonn
vve resrast a
i otni oCn
l a sFsi lFei l e

Teacher’s Instructions
PART 1: Photo Description

STEP DESCRIPTION TIME

Working with a partner with the same photo (student As with As, Bs with Bs),
students attempt to identify the vocabulary in their photo.
1
Teacher boards new vocabulary. 2-5 minutes
(optional)
(alternatively, for low-level students, the teacher can provide students with a
vocabulary list and the students label the photo).
2 Change pairs to AB
Student A describes photo.
3 Encourage Student B to listen carefully. 1 minute
Teacher monitors the pairs and records errors for post-activity error correction
Student B describes photo.
4 Encourage Student A to listen carefully. 1 minute
Teacher monitors the pairs and records errors for post-activity error correction
Still without looking at each other’s photos, students attempt to identify 3
5 differences between their photos. 3 minutes
Teacher monitors the pairs and records errors for post activity error correction
Students may now look at each other’s photos and describe 2-3 differences each.
6 Encourage use of CONNECTORS 5 minutes
Teacher monitors the pairs and records errors for post activity error correction
CLASS FEEDBACK.
7
Ask each student in turn to report a difference to the class 5 minutes
(optional)
(dependent on class size)

An example of STEP 6:
“Firstly, in your photo the people are outside whereas in my photo the people are inside.
Secondly, in your photo the weather is sunny, however, in my photo the weather is cloudy
Finally, in my photo the people seem happy. On the other hand, the people in yours seem sad”

“In your photo there are two children whereas in my photo there are five.
Moreover, in your photo there are trees, however, in my photography there are no trees
Furthermore, my photo looks professional. On the other hand, your photo looks amateur”

Gamification Alternative: Before activity, the teacher writes 4 differences between the photos.
Replace STEP 6 with: Students look at the photos and write 6 differences
together.
• 1 point for every difference which matches the teacher’s!

© 2018 FingerTips Resources. All rights reserved.

 CCoonn
vve resrast a
i otni oCn
l a sFsi lFei l e

Teacher’s Instructions
PART 2: Discussion Questions

STEP DESCRIPTION TIME

1 Change pairs (but maintain AB)
Students ask each other the discussion questions. Encourage students to:
• Extend their answers 10-20 minutes
(hugely dependent
2 • Elicit more information on the age/level/
personality of the
• Agree / disagree with their partners class!)
• Justify their arguments
3 Change pairs (but maintain AB)
1 minute
(optional)
Students try and report to their new partner everything they can remember
4
which their old partner has just told them. 5-10 minutes
(optional)
Encourage students to use the questions to guide their memory.

Optional Homework Task: • Teacher sets one discussion question as a writing activity (e.g. discursive
essay question)
• Students must write a short answer for every discussion question.

Gamification Alternative: Replace STEP 4 with:

Students have 5 minutes to write complete sentences about what their
partner has told them.
• 1 point for correct fact!
• 1 point for correct grammar!

© 2018 FingerTips Resources. All rights reserved.

 Conversation Class File

Other Topics
1 Advertising 26 Humour 51 Accomplishments 76 Gender
2 Animals 27 Internet 52 Advice 77 Government
3 Art 28 Inventions 53 Africa 78 Habits
4 Buildings 29 Languages 54 Age 79 Happiness
5 Business 30 Love 55 Artificial Intelligence 80 Heroes
6 Celebrations 31 Media 56 Asia 81 Intelligence
7 Childhood 32 Money 57 Australasia 82 Law
8 Cities 33 Music 58 Books 83 Medicine
9 Colour 34 Nations 59 Charity 84 Memory
10 Countryside 35 Neighbours 60 Choices 85 The Mind
11 Crime 36 Nature 61 Communication 86 Nationality
12 Education 37 Numbers 62 Controversies 87 Natural Disasters
13 Entertainment 38 Personality 63 Death 88 North America
14 Environment 39 Politics 64 Debates 89 People
15 Fame 40 Religion 65 Drugs 90 Pets
16 Family 41 Routines 66 Economics 91 Philosophy
17 Fashion 42 Science 67 English 92 Racism
18 Feelings 43 Shopping 68 Ethics 93 Restaurants
19 Food 44 Sport 69 Europe 94 Skills
20 Future 45 Technology 70 The E.U. 95 Social media
21 Geography 46 Television 71 Experiences 96 Society
22 Health 47 Transport 72 Extreme sports 97 South America
23 History 48 Travel 73 Films 98 Stereotypes
24 Hobbies 49 Weather 74 Friends 99 Supernatural
25 Homes 50 Work 75 Games 100 War

IMAGE RIGHTS
Front cover images, heading graphics and all other graphics courtesy of www.freepik.com
All photographs within this document are creative commons / labelled for reuse
© 2018 FingerTips Resources. All rights reserved.