By Gav & Em
You explain the task, say Go, and half the room starts asking, “Who goes first?” That’s a good moment to use an open pair. Let the class hear one short exchange, then switch to closed pairs so everyone can have a go.
The decision is simple. Model a move learners haven’t seen. Start pair practice as soon as they can make that move themselves. For a familiar routine, a quick reminder and a clear start cue may be enough.
Jump to the model dialogue · When to switch · Play the 30-Minute Meet-Up
Open pairs and closed pairs
- Open pair. Two people speak while the rest of the class listens. Use it to show who starts, how the other person responds and what counts as finished. Learners can demonstrate from their seats. Model with a willing volunteer or give two learners a moment to rehearse.
- Closed pairs. Everyone works with a partner at the same time. Use it once the routine is clear. You can listen in, note useful language and help individual pairs while the rest of the class keeps speaking.
What the tiger picture taught Em
In S06E06, Em describes a B1 picture task about choosing an action and an adverb. The prompt began How would you …? Learners understandably completed it as a question. Em had expected them to make a first-person statement, the kind of answer Gav gives when she talks him through the tiger picture.
Em says she should have demonstrated the task. Gav suggests doing it with a student and points out that a misunderstanding in the demonstration can tell you what will happen when the whole class starts. The classroom move to take from that exchange is to show the response you want to hear. If you want a statement, put a statement starter on the board and model a statement. If you want a question and answer, show both roles.
Read the video transcript
Just didn’t give clear instructions. I should have demoed it is what I should have done. With one of the students? Well yeah. And in which case you would have to choose the strongest student? Probably a good idea. And hope it doesn’t go wrong. But then I guess if it does go wrong then you know how the rest of the activity is going to go.
And that’s part of the lesson isn’t it? It’s going to flop! Yeah but if you don’t demo it right you continue until they understand what they have to do. I think that’s the point we’re at. We don’t just continue thinking oh they’ll pick it up.
Listen to the full S06E06 episode · Read more about recovering when a task goes wrong
A short model for making plans
Write Suggest → decline and offer another time → confirm on the board. Ask the class to listen for the time the speakers agree on. Model the complete exchange with a volunteer.
A Are you free on Thursday at five?
B I can’t do Thursday. How about Tuesday at five?
A Tuesday at five works. Shall we say five to half past?
B Yes, that works.
Ask, “Which day did we agree on?” Then make the handover explicit. “A suggests a time. B checks their own card. Agree a start and finish time. Write them down. You have two minutes. Go.”
When to switch
- Switch to closed pairs when learners can say who starts and what they’ll write down at the end. Ask someone who watched the demo, so you can check what the audience understood.
- Keep pairs talking if one pair is stuck. Point them to the relevant prompt or model their first line quietly. Monitor a few pairs before deciding whether the issue is widespread.
- Bring the class back briefly if several pairs hit the same snag. Show just that step with a fresh example, then restart. If everyone is negotiating successfully with different words, let the conversations run.
For a quieter group, give everyone 20 seconds to read their prompt. If public speaking is a barrier, model the exchange with a willing learner or read both parts yourself. Online, model in the main room, paste the three moves in chat and send A and B their own cards before opening breakout rooms.
Classroom game · The 30-Minute Meet-Up
A2–B1 · 12–15 minutes · Pairs · Information gap
Your mission You and a classmate need 30 minutes to plan a class event. Agree on a day, a start and finish time, and a venue. Each of you has a private diary and a requirement your partner needs to ask about. In Round 2, your availability changes and you’ll need a new plan.
Set up and play
- Prepare · 1–2 min. Display the venue table. Copy or send the two partner cards separately and ask learners to keep them private. Keep the teacher key for the debrief.
- Open pair · 2 min. Use the Tuesday and Thursday model above with a volunteer. Add a quick venue check: Is it free? Can we get in without using stairs? Ask the class what they need to confirm before they say yes. Then send everyone into pairs.
- Closed pairs · 3 min per round. A makes the first suggestion in Round 1. B starts in Round 2. Ask about each other’s availability and needs, suggest alternatives and record one complete agreement per round. Listen to a few pairs. If several are only checking the diary, pause and model one venue question before they restart.
- Debrief · 3 min. Ask one pair to read back an agreement and explain which venue they ruled out and why. Reveal the key and check whether both partners contributed.
Shared venue board
Use these venues for both rounds. The whole 30 minutes must fit inside the venue’s opening hours and both diaries.
| Venue | Opening times | Cost and access |
|---|---|---|
| Library meeting room | Sat 11:00–12:00 · Sun closed | Free · Step-free |
| Station café | Sat 11:00–13:00 · Sun 15:00–17:00 | £4 each · Step-free |
| Community room | Sat 11:00–13:00 · Sun 15:00–17:00 | Free · Stairs only |
| Park shelter | Sat closed · Sun 14:30–15:30 | Free · Step-free |
Language to keep on the board Are you free from … to …? · I can’t make … because … · Is it free? · Is there a step-free entrance? · How about … instead? · So that’s … at …, from … to …, right?
Private card · Partner A
You need step-free access. Tell your partner when you can meet, and check how you’ll get into the venue. In Round 1, make the first suggestion. In Round 2, explain why the first agreement no longer works for you.
Round 1 Saturday 10:00–12:00 · Sunday 14:00–15:00.
Round 2 Saturday 10:00–11:00 · Sunday 14:30–16:00.
Before you agree Ask about the venue’s access. Read back the day, time and place together.
Private card · Partner B
You can only meet somewhere free. Tell your partner when you can meet, and ask about the cost before you agree. In Round 1, respond to A’s suggestion and offer an alternative if needed. In Round 2, make the first suggestion.
Round 1 Saturday 11:00–13:00 · Sunday 16:00–17:00.
Round 2 Saturday 11:00–12:00 · Sunday 15:00–16:00.
Before you agree Check that both of you can stay for 30 minutes. Read back the day, time and place together.
Check your agreement
- We agreed on a day, a venue and an exact start and finish time.
- We checked both diaries, the venue’s hours, cost and access.
- We both asked or answered a question and confirmed the plan aloud.
Scoring Up to three points per round. Give one for a valid 30-minute time, one for a venue that meets both requirements and is open throughout, and one for a spoken confirmation in which both learners contribute.
Teacher key, support and challenge
- Round 1 Library meeting room, Saturday. Any 30-minute slot entirely between 11:00 and 12:00 works. The café costs £4 and the community room has stairs.
- Round 2 Park shelter, Sunday 15:00–15:30. Saturday’s diaries only touch at 11:00, and the park closes at 15:30 on Sunday.
- A2 support Keep the language frames visible, allow 30 seconds to read the cards, and play Round 1 first. Use Round 2 when pairs can confirm a full plan.
- B1 twist Announce that the park now closes at 15:15 on Sunday. Pairs should explain why there’s no valid slot and agree what to do next, such as asking for next weekend’s availability.
For more ways to ease learners into speaking, see how to encourage quiet students to speak. For a shorter follow-up, try the Question Ladder in Five-Minute Fillers and Coolers.