Tag Archives: speaking

No Screens, Just Smiles: Icebreaking with “If I Were…” with a Little Twist

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I’ve honestly lost count of how many Septembers this little blog has come back to life after the long, deserved 🙂  summer rest. But here we are again—new school year, and yes… another bunch of students I get to welcome into my classroom!

This time, though, there’s a twist. After years and years of teaching C1 students, I’m stepping into B2 territory. And let me tell you, it feels both exciting and a little bit like moving into a new neighborhood. Same language, different rhythm!

The first days are always a bit awkward, right? Everyone is nervous. Students don’t know me yet, I don’t know them, and there’s that extra pressure of speaking English and hoping people understand. And of course, on my side, there’s the little voice saying: “I really want them to like my classes.” I am sure you have all been there.

This year I’ve prepared a nice little activity to break the ice. You know me—I’m always the “techy” one, the teacher who loves mixing AI, gadgets, and good old tradition. But this time? Surprise! No technology at all. Just the students and me. A real, human moment. Honestly, it feels like a nice break after so much AI talk everywhere. Here we go.

Title: The Definition of Me

This activity invites students to think in a creative way about who they are. It makes them play with language, stretch their vocabulary, and build longer, more complex sentences to share a bit about themselves—just the kind of challenge a B2 learner needs.

Step 1: Warm up with the second conditional.

Before we jump into the activity, let’s do a quick review of the second conditional “If I were…, I would…”. So, I write on the board

If I were a country, I would be… 

  1. Spain
  2. Great Britain
  3. Norway

and ask them to guess which one is true for me. Once they’ve made their guesses, I tell them the real answer—and then, I explain why my choice is Spain. I share a few personal reasons and show them how to build a longer answer with the second conditional: they see the structure in action, but also get a little glimpse of me as a person, which is the point.

“If I were a country, I’d be Spain because….”

Do a second example, if necessary

If I were a kind of shoes, I would be…

  1. Boots
  2. High-heeled shoes
  3. Flip-flops

Can you guess which one is true for me?

Step 2.Their turn.

On the board write or display a few starters and ask students to choose two (see below). They will have to complete their sentences using the second conditional and giving three options; only one of them is  true for them. Allow them some time to write their sentences and think about how to explain their choices.

“Pedro , spot on. If I were a kind a shoes, I’d be flipflops because I value comfort above everything else, especially in the summer. I hate anything that makes me feel restricted or overheated, so I prefer something light, simple, and easy to wear.

Step 3: Sharing and having fun

Now comes the best part—they share their sentences in groups of 4.  Each student reads their sentence, and the others try to guess which option is the “true” one. Then the student explains their choice, using the second conditional to give reasons and add detail. Each student does two rounds, covering both of their sentences.

These are some examples of sentence starters

  • If I were a superhero, I would be…
  • If I were a dessert, I would be…
  • If I were a song, I would be…
  • If I were an animal, I would be…
  • If I were a movie character, I would be…
  • If I were a colour, I would be…
  • If I were a weather type, I would be…
  • If I were a piece of furniture, I would be…
  • If I were a type of shoes, I would be…
  • If I were a social media app, I would be….
  • If I were a vegetable, I would be…
  • If I were a cartoon character, I would be…
  • If I were a holiday, I would be…
  • If I were a school subject, I would be….
  • If I were a type of weather, I would be…
  • If I were a city, I would be…
  • If I were a book, I would be…
  • If I were a language, I would be…
  • If I were a season, I would be…
  • If I were a sport, I would be…
  • If I were a type of music, I would be…
  • If I were a time of day, I would be…
Follow-up: The Little Twist Game

Once the groups have finished, I like to add a little twist to bring the whole class together. Here’s how it works: each group writes the letters A, B, and C on three separate pieces of paper.

Now, one brave volunteer from a group stands up, reads their sentence, and gives the three options. The other groups listen carefully debate a little, and when I say the magic word… everyone has to raise their card—A, B, or C—to show their guess.

If a group guesses correctly, they score a point. Then, the volunteer reveals the answer and explains their choice (which always leads to some fun and unexpected stories!). We keep going round by round so every group has a turn, and then I usually throw in a second round.

I hope you have enjoyed this icebreaker! It is simple and  it is fun.  It is nice to be blogging again!

 

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?

But Wait! Classes are Over. Who Helps you Practise Speaking Now?

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Oral exams are coming fast, and while nothing replaces good old-fashioned studying, AI can seriously level up the way you (or your students!) prepare. We’re talking instant feedback, personalized practice, and support that’s available 24/7.

It’s like having a private tutor in your pocket—but way cooler. And no, it won’t do the talking for you (sorry!). But it will help you speak more confidently, sound more natural, and feel way more prepared.

DESIGNING AN APP THAT HELPS THEM PREPARE THE MONOLOGUE

And just like that!

Who would’ve imagined that I, someone with zero experience in coding, could actually design my own app? Honestly, it still surprises me! Artificial Intelligence has completely transformed the way I teach, and the support I can now offer my students is truly next-level.

So, my students are currently preparing for an oral exam that includes two key parts: a monologue and an interactive task. In this case, I decided to focus on helping them tackle the monologue—and I created an interactive app designed specifically for that. Yes!! Me! And if I can do it, believe me, anybody can!

Link to the app and instructions.

APP de cristina.cabalWhat Does the App Do? It’s simple but super effective:

  1. Practice Simulations: The student starts by choosing a topic from a list (think: work, crime … you name it!). And as soon as they select one, the app automatically displays 3 prompts related to that topic. Just like the real exam!
  2. Vocabulary & Grammar Boost: Before jumping into the speaking task, students do some brainstorming—in the space provided, they write C1-level topic-related vocabulary and advanced grammar structures that can really impress the examiner. This gives them a chance to reflect and retrieve useful language before speaking.
  3. Time Management: There’s a built-in 3-minute timer, so they get used to managing their time, just like in the real exam.
  4. Continuous Practice: Once they finish one topic, they simply move on to the next. It’s all about practice, practice, practice.

And because I’m all about using free tools (yes, still flying the Free App Teacher flag!), I used Google’s Gemini  (the free version) to build the app (you just need to start  with the prompt” I want to create an interactive app that… (purpose)” and then, iterate until you get what you want. I then embedded the code on Google Sites, another totally free and user-friendly platform.

I’ve been experimenting with app design for quite a while now, but this particular app was inspired by one shared by the brilliant Eli Gozalo, who used a similar structure for a speaking task. Her work sparked the idea, and I adapted it to suit my students’ exam prep.

 

BUT WAIT—WHO’S CORRECTING THEIR SPEAKING? USING CHATGPT ADVANCED MODE.

Okay, so if you’re thinking, “Wait, ChatGPT can actually listen to my students speak and give feedback?!”—The answer is YES. It totally can. But only if you’re using the mobile app (yep, the magic happens on your phone!). This is where ChatGPT’s advanced voice function comes in! It’s like having a private tutor available 24/7. I ask my students to practise their monologues out loud and then use ChatGPT to give them corrections and suggestions.

Here’s a simple set of instructions I give ChatGPT:

  1. ChatGPT acting as a tutor , correcting mistakes and giving feedback

 “Hi ChatGPT, I need your help! I’m going to practise a monologue for my speaking exam. Please listen carefully and, when I finish, give me:

  1. Corrections for any grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation mistakes

  2. Suggestions for using more advanced vocabulary or grammar

Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll begin!”

2. ChatGPT modelling asnwers to inspire you.

Hi ChatGPT, please respond to the following prompt as if you were a C1-level English learner (adult, non-native). Your answer should  be about 45 seconds long and demonstrate advanced vocabulary, accurate grammar, and complex sentence structures. This is the prompt … ”   “

And just like that, students get instant feedback. It’s targeted, it’s specific, and it helps them grow fast. Perfect??? Of course, not!  Only teachers are perfect!! hahahah!

Revising, Teaching and Consolidating Different Crimes, Cristina’s Style

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I have some awesome activities to share with you today! From traditional pen-and-paper tasks to the most advanced AI possibilities and more… I hope these fun ideas inspire you to create something exciting of your own. And if nothing else, I hope they make you smile when you see me dressed up as a police officer. 😄

When you’re teaching a C1 class and introducing a big topic like Crime and Punishment, jumping straight into phrases like “contest a verdict” or “beyond reasonable doubt” can be overwhelming. It’s just too much too soon—and nobody wants cognitive overload!

So instead, we took a step back. We began with the basics: different types of crimes. Just the vocabulary. A total of 25. Now, C1 students already know quite a few, so this was more of a review… with a little something extra. Like I always say, “just un poco más.” Once the crime words are clear—burglary, fraud, arson, and the rest—then it’s much easier to explore the more complex collocations and legal language. One step at a time, building confidence as we go.

Let’s hop into it!

FIRST CLASS: REVISING AND INTRODUCING VOCABULARY

Step 1: Preparation: A paper, a Bag and 10 crimes

Here’s a fun little activity we did using just some paper and a bag. I cut 10 small pieces of paper and wrote a different crime on each one. Then, I popped them all into a bag. I split the class into two teams so that each team would end up with five crimes total.

Let’s say Team A goes first. I pull a paper from the bag and read the crime aloud. Now, here’s the twist—any student on Team A who thinks they know the meaning of the crime in Spanish must stand up. The number of students standing becomes the number of potential points they could win—or lose!

How do they win or lose those points? A student from Team B chooses one of the standing students and challenges them to give the correct meaning in Spanish. If the answer is right, Team A gets all the points (equal to the number of students who stood up). If the answer is wrong, they lose those points instead.

Then it’s Team B’s turn.

The crimes in the bag were: burglary, harassment, shoplifiting, squatting, smuggling, hijacking, mugging, blackmail, bribery, forgery

Step 2. The Song "City of Crime": A Fill-in-the-gçGaps Traditional Exercise with a Personalised Twist
Time for more crimes —but hang on a sec!  Because there’s a world of difference between giving students  a boring list of offences … and, turning it into a full-blown musical experience. A song (yes, made with AI), sung by none other than me—in full police officer gear. Don’t I look very pretty?
Print the activity here
Now

City of Crime de cristina.cabal

SECOND CLASS: CONSOLIDATING VOCABULARY

Step 3.  An Interactive Personalised  Taboo Game

Yes, they’ve learned the crimes and offences—but if we want that vocab to stick, we have to  help them use it! So, it’s game time: an  AI-powered Taboo, totally personalized and right on trend with the whole vibe coding movement.In just minutes, I created an interactive crime-themed Taboo Game that’s fun, fast, and super effective.

Do I know how to code? Nope.
Do I need to? Not with AI!

Game

Step 4: Speaking

Now it’s time to put this vocabulary into action!  Students have learned the words and now it’s their chance to talk and share opinions.

Speaking: Crimes de cristina.cabal

 

THIRD CLASS:  SPACED PRACTICE: Poetry and Song (yes, again)

Let’s face it—our brains aren’t always great at holding onto new vocabulary after just one try. That’s where spaced repetition comes in! By reviewing content at regular intervals, we help our memory lock it in for the long term.

This time, we’re making it a little more creative (and a lot more fun) by revisiting this vocabulary through poetry and a song. Yes, but a different song.

Step 5: Poetry. Flipcards

No, I am not a poet, but it seems ChatGPT is. And hey, if when asked to create a song, he gives me lines that rhyme, who am I to say no to a good verse?  So, students read the lines with the correct entonation and try to guess the crime.

There are seven crimes. You might need to register to see all of them. Here

Step 6: Freeze that Crime

And  finally, we revise spelling. How??? With a song and some challenge.

I asked ChatGPT to create a song using some of the trickiest crime-related words to spell ( 8 words), placing each one at the end of a verse.

Here’s how it worked:

  • I told students I’d play the song and pause it 8 times. They numbered their papers from 1 to 8, and each time I stopped the music, they had to write down the last word they heard. The song is only played once.
  • Then, they swapped papers with a partner, and we corrected the answers together on the board. For every correctly spelled word: 1 point. Final scores were written on the paper before giving it back to the original student to check their mistakes.

Song Lyrics here. In red, the words where I stopped the audio,

Freeze that Crime de cristina.cabal

And of course—what’s a challenge without a prize? hahahahThe winner got a big round of applause and a sweet.

A super engaging way to lock in spelling and make it stick!

Gender Stereotypes in Fashion

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Fashion is one of those topics that can turn a simple conversation into a lively debate—because let’s face it, we all see style a little differently! Some people love experimenting with bold trends, while others stick to their tried-and-true favourites. One person’s “effortlessly cool” might be another’s “what were you thinking?” And don’t even get started on the age-old question: “Why do you need so many shoes?

But, do men and women see fashion the same way? Or is there actually a difference in how they approach style—and even a whole day of shopping? Some are all about the thrill of the hunt, while others might just want to get in and out. Let’s watch a fun video and spark some thoughts on this. Ready for a good laugh and a fresh take on the entire fashion thing?

Let’s get started.

Warming-up: Choose and explain your choice
  1. I plan my outfits carefully, always thinking about how they show my personality and fit with the latest styles, avoiding quickly passing fads.
  2. I like to stay updated on fashion and try out new, unusual combinations to show off my style.
  3. I prefer to buy clothes that will last and not go out of style quickly. Good quality and usefulness are most important to me.
  4. I usually stick to a style I like, focusing on being comfortable, but I sometimes add a special piece to make it interesting.
  5. I choose clothes that work well for my life. I avoid things that are too flashy or uncomfortable.
  6. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to fashion. As long as my clothes are clean and look okay, I’m happy and focus on other things.
Ready for a healthy laugh? Watch the video. I bet you'll want to watch it more than once.

Speaking: a more serious analysis of the ad
  • The video compares the women’s reaction to the walk-in closet with the men’s reaction to the beer fridge. What do you think the creators of the ad were trying to communicate with this contrast?
  • What assumptions about the target audience do you think the advertisers were making when they created these two scenarios?
  •  If you had unlimited resources? What is your equivalent of a walk-in closet fantasy? A garage full of tools? A high-tech entertainment system?

I hoped you liked this little thing I did for my student. We certainly had some fun!