Access English Centre
Immigrant Centre Manitoba
Daily Conversational Skills – #1 “How was your week?”
Work-out Activity - Beginner Level
60 minutes
Facilitator Note: This activity requires the participants to work together to learn how to
engage in small talk about their daily life such as their weekday and weekend activities
with their family and friends. With the help of the pictures, this activity can be adapted
for the low beginner level as well. The frame sentences can be used as a guide for
participants to copy and practice while working with their partners. The purpose of this
activity plan is to get learners to practice the basic daily conversational skills. The key
frame sentences are “How was your week?” “How was your weekend?” “Did you have
a good weekend?” “What did you do?” “I went shopping” “I visited my brother.” “I
watched a football game.”
Work-Out:
Materials: Participants need a survey sheet and pen or pencil.
Facilitator needs white board, markers, and survey sheet
Introduction:
10 min.
Introduce commonly-used topics when initiating small talk such as the weather
forecast, weekend activities, family, hobbies, and sport events by asking “How was
your weekend? What did you do?” For low beginner levels, it will work better if you go
over the vocabulary first, and then practice the frame sentences before conducting the
survey.
On the whiteboard write:
Linda: “How was your weekend, Mary?” “What did you do?”
Mary: It was great. I went shopping and visited my friend. How was your weekend,
Linda?”
Linda: My weekend was wonderful. We went to a party at my friend’s house.
10 min.
10 min.
20 min
Procedure: Before you begin, lead the whole group by reading the dialogue aloud.
Activity one: After practising the dialogue a few times, ask the learners to work with
their partners to practice the sample dialogue together twice.
Activity two: Give each learner a survey sheet and call on a participant to read the
instructions aloud. When the participants are clear on the activity, ask them to go
around conducting the survey. Have the learners write the name of the person below
the picture of the activity that was done during the weekend. The one who finishes the
survey first, wins.
“How was your weekend? What did you do?”
Go around the room and find another participant who did one of
these activities. You must ask the question “Did you…?” And then,
the participant must answer the question with “Yes, I did.” or “No, I
didn’t.” If the participant did one of these activities then write his/her
name in the box. Try and fill in each box with a participant’s name.
Did you go to
church?
Did you go to a
restaurant?
Did you call
your home
country?
Did you go to a
birthday party?
Did you watch
news on T.V?
Did you speak
English?
Did you use a
computer?
Did you clean
your house?
Did you ride the
bus?
Did you visit your
friends or
relatives?
Did you cook
traditional food?
Did you go
shopping?