Activities according to the number of people it involves:

Open class, whole class adjective When the teacher leads the class and each learner is focusing on the teacher, rather than working alone or in groups. When learners respond, they do so in front of everyone in the class. For example, at the beginning of a lesson, the teacher puts a picture on the board and asks all of the learners to look at it. He/she then chooses individual learners to describe the picture while everyone else listens.

Plenary noun and adjective Part of a lesson when the teacher discusses ideas with the whole class; for example a plenary could be held at the end of a lesson when the teacher might assess learning by asking learners to review what has been learned.

Activities which influence our learners' state, motivation and involvement:

Introductory activity noun An activity which takes place at the beginning of a lesson. Introductory activities often include warmers and lead-ins which teachers use to get learners thinking about a topic or to raise energy levels.

Warmer noun, warm up phrasal verb An activity that often involves movement, which a teacher uses at the beginning of a lesson to give the class more energy. Warmers can also be used to introduce the topic of the lesson. For example, the topic of the lesson is Watching TV. The teacher asks learners who watch a lot of TV to move to stand near the door of the classroom, learners who watch a little TV to stand near

the board, and learners who don’t watch any TV to stand at the other side of the classroom. See energy levels, lead-in.

Lead-in noun, lead in verb The activity or activities used to prepare learners to work on a text, topic or task. A lead-in often includes an introduction to the topic of the text or task and possibly study of some new key language required for the text or task.

Ice-breaker noun An introductory speaking activity that a teacher uses at the start of a new course so that learners can get to know each other, e.g. a speaking activity which asks learners to find out about other learners’ hobbies.

Settler noun An activity used to quieten and calm children perhaps done after a more lively activity. For example, a piece of copying or quiet drawing or colouring in. See stirrer.

Stirrer noun A lively activity teachers use to activate children in class – for example, a mingle or an action game. See settler.

Filler noun A short activity between the main stages of a lesson used for reasons such as time management or to provide a change of pace etc. For example, learners do a word game after a difficult piece of reading before moving on to some grammar work.

Activitites according to the skill we want to develop:

Accuracy activity noun The ability to do something without making mistakes. Accuracy is the use of correct forms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. In an accuracy activity, teachers and learners usually focus on using and producing language correctly. See fluency.

Art and craft activity noun A classroom activity in which (younger) learners make something with their hands, such as an origami animal or a mini-book. Learners often follow instructions from a teacher or a coursebook in order to make the item.

Communicative activity noun A classroom activity in which learners need to talk or write to other learners to complete the activity, e.g. a role play.

Practical activity noun An activity which involves or simulates real events, situations, actions or experiences. For example, learners role-play taking something they bought, which doesn’t work properly, back to a shop.