Group writing activities for English learners are few and far between. Choose your own adventure is one of them, and adding to that is Freeze. Students have to work collaboratively in order to create a story in a certain amount of time. Keep on reading for all the details you need to know about Freeze, a fun ESL writing activity.
Freeze, a fun writing activity for TEFL classes
Freeze ESL Group Writing Activity
Skills: Writing/reading/listening
Time: 5-20 minutes
Level: Intermediate-advanced
Materials Required: Nothing
This is a group writing activity that you can have a lot of fun with. The way it works is that you think of a story starter. For example, “Tom decided to _____.” Students have to start the story off, and after 30 seconds or a minute, you can say, “Freeze.”
Then, students pass their paper one to the right/behind/etc., depending on how the classroom is arranged. That student has to read the story and then continue it. You can repeat the freeze and pass as many times as you like, but I usually give a warning when it’s the last round so students can finish up the story.
Circulate around the class and make sure that each story is staying on track well. Make some small error corrections if necessary to clarify the meaning. For kids of a certain age and maturity level, check to see that nothing vulgar is being added!
Read the stories out loud to the class and see which one the students like best. As I’m reading, I generally make grammatical corrections on the fly in order to make it easier to understand.
Procedure for Freeze:
- Write a story starter on the board. For example, “Amy had a terrible day! She _____.”
- Each student has to continue the story for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then say, “Freeze!”
- Students pass their papers in an organized fashion and continue the story. Repeat as many times as you like, but warn students when it’s the last round so they can finish it off.
- The teacher can loosely monitor the stories, only correcting errors if the meaning is impeded.
- Read the stories out loud with the class and discuss things grammar or vocabulary errors, as well as discourse skills.
Did you like Freeze, a Group ESL Writing Activity?
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 96 Pages - 12/08/2019 (Publication Date)
Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book that you can easily find on Amazon: ESL Writing Activities, Games, and Teaching Tips. The key to even better English writing classes is a wide variety of interactive and engaging activities, including Freeze.
You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Consider keeping a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference when doing lesson plans. Or, take the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some serious lesson planning on the go.
Whatever the case, get ready for some ESL teaching awesome in your life. It really is that easy! Pick up a copy today:
What are some more Fun ESL Group Writing Activities?
There are numerous fun group writing activities that can engage ESL (English as a Second Language) learners and enhance their writing skills. Here are a few examples:
Collaborative Story Writing
Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a starting sentence or a picture. Each student takes turns adding a sentence or a paragraph to continue the story. They can pass their writing to the next student after each turn, building on what others have written. In the end, the groups can read their completed stories aloud.
Round Robin Writing
Similar to collaborative story writing, this activity involves passing a piece of paper around the group. Each student writes one sentence or a paragraph, then folds the paper to conceal their writing and passes it to the next student. This process continues until each student has contributed several times. The final result is a surprising story that can be read aloud and shared.
Newspaper Article Creation
Assign each group the task of creating a newspaper article. Provide them with different headlines or news topics, and ask them to write an article with a headline, introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Encourage creativity and authentic language use. They can present their articles to the class or create a classroom newspaper.
Picture Prompt Writing
Show a visually stimulating picture to the class or give each group a different picture. Instruct the groups to collaboratively write a story, description, or dialogue based on the image. This activity encourages creativity and helps students practice descriptive language and storytelling.
Debate and Persuasive Writing
Divide the class into teams and assign them different debate topics or controversial issues. Each team prepares arguments and writes persuasive speeches to present to the class. They can take turns presenting their arguments and engaging in a class debate. This activity promotes critical thinking, research skills, and persuasive writing.
Vocabulary Story Relay
Provide each group with a list of vocabulary words or idioms. Each student takes turns writing a sentence or a short paragraph using one of the given words. The group aims to create a coherent and entertaining story using all the vocabulary words. They can then share and compare their stories with other groups.
Freeze Writing Activity: Join the Convo
Did you like Freeze? Or, do you have another group writing activity for TEFL classes that you’d like to recommend to us? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Also, be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself find this useful resource.
Freeze writing activity
Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
