If you’re looking for a fun writing activity for beginners to advanced, kids to adults, then you’ll want to check out postcards. If you have old postcards laying around or can find a large package for cheap, then consider trying it out. Of course, it’s a natural fit the the travel and holiday unit that you can find in many ESL textbooks.
Postcard English writing activity
Postcards: A Fun ESL Writing Activity
Skills: Writing/reading
Time: 15+ minutes
Level: Beginner-advanced
Materials Required: Postcards
If you can get your hands on some cheap postcards or have some laying around your house or teacher’s office, try out this simple ESL writing activity. It may just be the novelty factor, but students seem to love it. This activity is ideal for working on common greetings, the past tense (more ideas here: ESL past tense activities), using descriptive words, as well as using synonyms to avoid repetition.
Distribute the postcards to the students. You can do one per student, or put the students into pairs. They have to look at the picture on the front of the postcard and imagine that they went on this vacation. Then, they can write about their trip to a friend or family member. Students can include things like travel and transportation, foods, things they saw, etc.
Post Postcard Writing Activities
Next, the students trade postcards with another student or group. After reading them, they can write a response back of at least a few sentences. Finally, you may want to display them around the class as they’re colorful and fun and other students may enjoy reading them!
Procedure for this Postcards English Writing Activity:
1. Give each student or pair a postcard. They look at the picture and imagine what they did on that vacation, and then pretend that they’re writing to a friend or family member.
2. Exchange postcards and another student or group has to write a response to what they read.
3. Display the postcards around your classroom (optional).
Did you like this Postcard English Writing Activity?
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 84 Pages - 12/09/2019 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
Yes? Thought so! It’s one of our favourite writing activities that works with almost any level or age of student. It’s fun, engaging and student-centred too. If you like this ESL writing activity, then you’re going to love this book over on Amazon: ESL Writing Activities, Games and Teaching Tips.
The key to better English writing classes is a wide variety of interesting activities and games and this book will help you do just that, in style. Plus, there are a ton of teaching tips that’ll help you whether you teach writing to beginners or advanced students, kids or adults.
You can easily find the book in both digital and print formats. Consider keeping a copy on the bookshelf in your office and using it as a handy reference guide. Or, take the digital version with you on your phone or tablet with the Kindle reading app for a serious lesson planning session.
Yes, it really is that easy to have better English classes. Check out the book for yourself on Amazon, but only if you want a serious dose of ESL teaching awesome in your life:
What are some More Ways that ESL Teachers can Use Postcards in Class?
ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers can use postcards in various ways to enhance their classroom activities and engage students. Here are a few ideas on how to use postcards effectively in an ESL class:
Introduction to Culture
Postcards provide an opportunity to introduce students to different cultures and countries. Bring in postcards from various places, and have students discuss the landmarks, traditions, and customs depicted on them. It helps broaden their cultural knowledge and improves their understanding of the world.
Vocabulary Expansion
Postcards often feature unique vocabulary related to travel, tourism, and local attractions. Use postcards to introduce new words and phrases to your students. Ask them to identify and define unfamiliar words or expressions, or create vocabulary exercises based on the content of the postcards.
Writing Practice
Postcards offer a concise format for writing practice. Provide students with blank postcards or have them create their own, and ask them to write short messages describing a place they have visited, a favorite memory, or an imaginary vacation. Encourage creativity and use the opportunity to review grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
Reading Comprehension
Choose postcards with longer descriptions or stories on the back. Have students read and analyze the content, focusing on comprehension, inference, and critical thinking. You can create comprehension questions or discuss the main ideas, supporting details, and the writer’s perspective.
Speaking and Presentation Skills
Divide students into pairs or small groups and distribute different postcards to each group. Instruct them to discuss the location depicted in the postcard and present it to the class. This activity encourages students to practice their speaking skills, engage in discussions, and develop their presentation abilities.
Listening Activities
Record descriptions of postcards or stories related to them, and have students listen and respond to questions based on the audio. This helps improve their listening skills and comprehension abilities. You can also use the recordings to practice pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns.
Collaborative Projects
Assign a project where students create their own postcards. They can research a specific location, write descriptive texts, and design the visual elements. Encourage them to be creative and use various mediums, such as drawings, photos, or digital tools. Display the finished postcards in the classroom or create a bulletin board to showcase their work.
Have your Say about Postcards, a Simple ESL Writing Activity
What do you think about your students writing postcards in English as a fun activity? Is it a winner or do you have another activity that you’d like to recommend to us for ESL writing? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
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ESL postcards activity
Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
