Speaking Warm-Ups for an Engaging Start to English Lessons
The first few minutes of a lesson are a great opportunity to help students switch to English, recall familiar vocabulary, and start communicating without being afraid of making mistakes. You don’t need complicated materials or extensive preparation. All it takes is a short speaking activity that gets every student involved.
Oxford University Press highlights the value of warm-up activities that help engage students, encourage interaction, and prepare them to work in English. The British Council also recommends using questions about students’ lives and interests to encourage communication.
Three Ideas for Starting a Lesson
1. Question of the Day
Ask students a question related to their everyday lives, interests, or the topic of the previous lesson.
For example:
• What do you like doing in your free time?
• If you could visit any country, where would you go?
• What makes a perfect weekend?
Students can discuss their answers in pairs before sharing their most interesting ideas with the class. Alternatively, invite a few students to briefly share something interesting they learned about their partners.
2. This or That?
Ask students to choose between two options and explain their preferences.
For example:
• Summer or winter?
• Books or films?
• City life or country life?
The key is to encourage students not only to make a choice but also to explain it: I prefer winter because… or I would choose… because… This simple activity provides practice in expressing opinions, giving reasons, and constructing sentences.
3. Ask Your Partner
Put students into pairs and ask them to interview each other on a particular topic, such as hobbies, travel, food, or language learning.
For example:
• What do you usually do at weekends?
• Have you ever travelled abroad?
• What would you like to learn in the future?
After the conversation, invite a few students to share something interesting about their partners with the class. This helps students practise not only speaking but also active listening.
How to Make Speaking Warm-Ups Effective
Create a comfortable atmosphere. Not every student feels ready to speak in front of the whole class. Pair work allows learners to organise their thoughts and practise in a smaller, less intimidating setting.
Adapt questions to students’ levels. Beginners benefit from language prompts and model answers, while more advanced learners can explore open-ended questions, discussions, and hypothetical situations.
Don’t turn the conversation into a grammar test. During the activity, give students the opportunity to express themselves. Common mistakes can be discussed after the speaking task is complete.
Connect the warm-up to the lesson topic. If students are learning about travel, start with a question about their favourite destinations. If the topic is food, invite them to discuss their culinary preferences. This helps the warm-up lead naturally into the main lesson.
A Small Activity with Big Benefits
Regular speaking warm-ups help make spoken English an integral part of the lesson. They give students opportunities to recall vocabulary, express their thoughts, and gradually become more comfortable communicating in English.
There is no need to prepare a complicated new activity every time. Sometimes, one well-chosen question is enough to spark students’ interest and set the tone for an engaging lesson.
A tip for teachers: Prepare a few questions in advance and alternate between individual responses, pair work, and short whole-class discussions. This makes the beginning of each lesson a familiar yet engaging part of the learning process.
