Tag Archives: C1

Tic Tac Toe Writing Challenge, Cristina’s Style

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This project is a perfect example of what I love most: blending the latest AI tools with good old-fashioned participation and creativity. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it gives every student a voice.

In class, we rarely have enough time for long writing tasks. Between listening activities, speaking practice, and vocabulary reviews, written expression often gets pushed to “maybe next week.” But what if we could sneak writing practice into something short, fun, and completely engaging? That’s exactly what we did this week!

I am currently working on personality adjectives, so I decided to create a Tic-Tac-Toe game using the Canvas option in Gemini.

Canvas option in Gemini?  Yes, this is an option where you create an app using natural language — no programming degree required! I simply typed something like, “Make a tic-tac-toe game I can edit,” and voilà! In seconds, we had our very own interactive Tic-Tac-Toe app, ready to play and personalize. I have made it editable, so you can easily adapt it to your own classes.( Aside note: I give webinars teaching all about it 😆 )

In my case, each square on the grid contained an adjective like embarrassed, confident….. If these words mean nothing to you, click on the Edit button,change the words and click on Save.

 

Tic-Tac-Toe Writing Challenge – Classroom Instructions
  1. Divide the class into two teams: Noughts (O) and Crosses (X). Within each team, students work in pairs, since they’ll be writing together.
  2. The Noughts team starts. They, as a team, choose one square on the tic-tac-toe board.

3. All pairs (from both the Noughts and Crosses teams) must write one sentence using the word in that square.

    • The sentence must be at least 12 words long.
    • Give them about 1–1.5 minutes to write

4.Divide the classroom board (whiteboard) into two halves: O and X.

5. When time’s up, choose one student from each team at random to come to the board and write their sentence on their side of the board. Remember, though they might be Os or Xs, they have been writing their sentence in pairs.

6. Next, ask the rest of each team to read their sentence on the board carefully and look for errors.

    • If someone finds a mistake on their team’s  sentence, they stand up, underline it on the board, and wait for the teacher’s confirmation.
    • Once confirmed, he/she corrects the error.

7. The teacher checks both sentences, gives final corrections if needed, and decides which one is better.

    • The “winner” can be the most accurate, complex, or creative sentence.
    • The winning team claims that square on the Tic-Tac-Toe board

8. Then, it’s the Crosses’ turn to choose a square and repeat the process.

9. Continue until one team wins the tic-tac-toe game or the board is full.

My tip: If you’re looking for a way to turn writing into an active, competitive, and collaborative task, this game is a gem. It keeps every student involved and sneaks in grammar, vocabulary, and peer correction all at once.

Speaking and Writing: Let’s Get these Personality Adjectives Moving

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Gallery walks must be one of my favourite dynamics. If we add speaking and writing, we have the whole package.

This activity takes something as simple as learning personality adjectives and turns it into an engaging speaking and writing task. The goal is for my students not just to memorize words like arrogant, generous, or shy—but to use them to express opinions and challenge ideas.

So in a nutshell, these are the steps to follow.

Materials: Posters (use mine if you wish), Functional language, Blue-tack or cello-tape, Optional post-it notes

  • REVISING: We start by revising personality adjectives. It’s the vocabulary we’re working on, so students already have a clear focus.

  • POSTERS. Posters with controversial statements, all using personality adjectives, are up on the walls. These are the ones I have used for this activity. You are welcome to use them.

  • Round 1. Gallery Walking. Students walk around the room in pairs or threes, reading the controversial statements and discussing whether they agree or disagree with each statement. You might want to write on the board some functional language to express opinion.(link to photocopy above)

  • Round 2: Write it down. Back at their seats, each student, individually, chooses one statement they agree or disagree with and writes about 70–90 words explaining why they agree or disagree — encourage them to use personality adjectives in their writing. They then stick it next to the poster.

  • First side note: ask them to use their best handwriting. You know what I am talking about, don’t you? Sometimes reading students’ handwriting is like trying to decode ancient hieroglyphics!
  • Second side note: yes, after this first round, you should walk around reading what they have written   and correcting mistakes. I am afraid this is our job, too.

  • Round 3: Writing. React and respond. Students go around again, this time reading their classmates’ post-its. Then, they add a response—agreeing or disagreeing with their peer’s opinion, explaining why. Note: a couple of sentences would be enough this time.

Note: For Round 3, I give my students post-it notes in different colours. It never hurts to add a bit of colour to life.

When Your Students Make YOU the Star of Their Halloween Story… with a Little Help from AI!

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Just imagine that you give your students a spooky Halloween writing task and you -their teacher – are the main star.  Have a look!

This is AI. Free and simple.  This little video is easy to make; Find a photo of yourself, choose a template , upload your photo and click Send. It only requires about 2 minutes, and the result is stunning. Just what we need to engage our students and make them think we are just geniuses at generating videos.

First, I will show you how to create the video clip and then, I will share how to use it in my class and with my students.

  1. Find a good photo of yourself to upload.
  2. The tool is PixVerse. It is Freemium and it gives 60 credits daily. With 60 credits, you can create two or maybe three video clips daily.
  3. Watch the video below to see how easy it is to create a video clip.Play around with other templates, it is a lot of fun.

 

Now, the writing task.

Activity: What Happens Next?

This is a traditional narrative writing activity where a short, dramatic video serves as the story’s “inciting incident.” Students will watch the clip and then write the rest of the story, focusing on plot development, descriptive language, and a clear resolution.

Learning Objective. Students will practice using past tenses (Past Simple, Past Continuous), sequence connectors, and descriptive vocabulary related to action and suspense.

Lesson Procedure

Step 1: Introduction & The Prompt (5 mins)

  • Tell your students: “We are going to watch the beginning of a Halloween horror story. As you’ll see, the main character is me, your teacher. Your mission is to write the rest of the story: what happens immediately after the clip ends, and how it all concludes.”
  • Play the video for the class. Play it a second time so they can absorb the details of the scene.

Step 2: Guided Brainstorming (10 mins)

  • Before students begin writing, project or write the following prompt questions on the board. Give them a few minutes to think and jot down some ideas. This will help structure their stories.

Guiding Questions:

    1. The Immediate Action: What happens in the five seconds after the video ends? Does she fight back? Does she scream for help? Is she dragged into the dark room?
    2. The Attacker: Who is under the Ghostface mask? Is it a student playing a prank, or is it someone truly dangerous? What is their motive?
    3. The Rising Action: How does she try to escape? Does she find a weapon (a book, a heavy pen)? Does someone else enter the scene (another teacher, the school janitor)?
    4. The Resolution: How does the story end? Does she get away and call the police? Does she manage to unmask the attacker, revealing a huge surprise? Or is it a tragic ending?

Step 3: Individual Writing Task (20-25 mins)

  • Instruct students to write a short story (around 200-250 words) that continues directly from where the video clip ends.
  • Remind them to use their brainstorming ideas to build a complete narrative with a beginning (the video), a middle (their rising action), and a clear end (their resolution).

Step 4: The Horror Gallery Walk & Peer Voting

Time Allotment: 15 minutes

Once they have finished, post their stories on the classroom walls to create a “Horror Gallery.” Students will stand up and move around the room to read the different creative endings their classmates have imagined. After reading them, they will vote for the story they liked the best.

Yes, don’t ask, we will need to collect their stories and give them feedback of their mistakes.

 

C1 Speaking Interaction? Let’s Make It Click!

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Lately, I’ve been on an absolute writing frenzy—you know that creative wave where ideas just won’t stop flowing? That’s me right now. Between lesson planning, AI experimenting, and a mild obsession with coding, I’ve been typing like there’s no tomorrow. And honestly? I’m loving every minute of it.

With exams creeping up on us (yes, already!), I know many of us are looking for ways to help our students feel ready—especially for that tricky interaction task in the speaking exam. You know the one: they’re given a role, a partner, a situation, and then… boom! Time to think fast and speak even faster.

Now, this little resource is designed specifically for C1 students. That’s the level I’m teaching this year, and honestly? Every idea I explore, every tool I create—it’s all with them in mind and thanks to Educastur, which kindly published last year’s real C1 interaction tasks, our students can now see exactly what the exam looks like.

And here’s where my latest obsession kicks in—yep, coding! I’ve totally fallen down the rabbit hole and I decided to use that new energy to create something useful. So, I built a simple, clean little app that puts all those tasks in one place. By the way, I have already mentioned that, but I now nothing about how to code. Nada.

So, scroll through, choose a topic, check out the roles, and let’s practice practice, reflect, and prepare like pros.
I built it with Google Gemini (amazing tool, by the way), and YES—it’s completely free. I’m the “free APP teacher,” remember?

Studying for Exams: How to Write a Letter to the Editor

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Writing a Letter to the Editor isn’t exactly the most exciting task on the writing syllabus. It doesn’t come with flashy visuals or dramatic plot twists. But here’s the thing—it’s a classic exam question, and with exams just around the corner, we can’t afford to skip it.

The good news? Once you understand the structure and purpose, this writing task becomes a lot more manageable—and even a little empowering. After all, a letter to the editor is your chance to share your opinion, raise awareness, and suggest solutions to real-world problems.

PDF Table format with Structure, Useful Sentence Starters and High-Impact Vocabulary. I have put in bold the most advanced structures, in case you want to go the extra mile 🙂

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Step 1: Understand the Purpose

A Letter to the Editor is your way of responding to a public issue, article, or event. You’re not just giving your opinion—you’re raising awareness, persuading others, and sometimes even suggesting action.

Typical prompts might ask you to:

  • Express your opinion about a recent news story
  • Respond to someone else’s opinion
  • Suggest improvements or solutions to a problem

Step 2: Structure Your Letter

Think of your letter as a mini-argument with a clear beginning, middle, and end:

1. Salutation

Use a formal greeting:  Dear Editor, To the Editor,

2. Opening Paragraph – Why You’re Writing

State the reason for your letter clearly and briefly. Mention the article or issue you’re responding to.
I am writing in response to your recent article on plastic pollution in local parks.

3. Main Body – Your Argument (1–2 Paragraphs)

Explain your opinion. Use clear points and examples. Stay polite, even if you strongly disagree.
Many people underestimate the damage plastic waste causes to wildlife. It’s time for local councils to take real action.

4. Conclusion – Wrap It Up

Restate your point and, if appropriate, suggest a solution or call to action.
I strongly encourage the community to support local clean-up efforts and reduce plastic use.

5. Sign-Off

Formal and polite, without using your full name in exams.
🖊 Yours faithfully,
Concerned Student

Step 3: Use the Right Language

  • Keep it formal but not stiff: no slang, contractions (like “I’m” or “don’t”), or emojis.

  • Use modals to sound polite and persuasive: should, must, could, would

  • Try linking words for clarity: Firstly, In addition, However, Therefore, In conclusion

Step 4: Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Don’t be too emotional—stick to reasoned arguments
🚫 Don’t forget the format (especially the greeting and sign-off)
🚫 Don’t use informal expressions or abbreviations

EXAMPLE

I have put in bold,

  • connectors
  • high-impact vocabulary
  • grammar structures

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the article “Why We Must Ban Mobile Phones in Schools,” published on 8 May in your education supplement. While I acknowledge the concerns raised regarding distractions and misuse, I believe that a complete ban would be both counterproductive and short-sighted.

In today’s digital world, mobile phones are no longer merely tools for entertainment; they enhance students’ engagement and autonomy. Many educational apps, cloud-based platforms, and AI-powered tools can significantly improve students’ engagement and autonomy. For instance, language learners can access dictionaries and pronunciation tools in real time. Additionally, augmented reality apps can be used  by science students  to visualize complex processes. To deny students access to such resources is, therefore, to deny them the opportunity to become digitally literate—a skill that is not just useful but essential in the 21st-century workplace.

Of course, clear boundaries must be set. Mobile phones should only be permitted for academic purposes, under teacher supervision. Schools must establish robust guidelines that mitigate misuse; however, they should also integrate the positive potential of technology into the classroom. Banning mobile phones altogether conveys the wrong message: that we are unwilling to adapt, innovate, and trust students to use tools responsibly.

In conclusion, rather than banning mobile phones outright, educators should integrate them meaningfully into teaching practice. With proper regulation, these devices can support learning, not hinder it.

Yours sincerely,

Cristina Cabal, Avilés, Spain