This fun and easy-to-modify conversation lesson lets young students speak, draw and have fun at the same time.

It can be modified to teach or review different sentence structures or vocabulary words depending on what you’re already learning in class. The lesson can be made longer or shorter by spending more time on reviewing the language the students will need and spending more or less time on the initial drawings.

What’s a drawing dictation?

A usual drawing dictation is when the teacher has a picture that he or she does not show to the class. The teacher describes the picture to his or her students. The students must try to draw the picture based on what the teacher says, being as accurate as possible. While this activity can test students’ listening abilities, it’s definitely not a conversation lesson.

In order to make this into a conversation lesson, you can do drawing dictations in partners. 

Step 1: Model a drawing dictation

First, you’ll need to model a drawing dictation. Before class, draw a quick simple sketch about a topic your students know well. For example, if you’ve been reviewing toys in class, you could draw some children playing in the park with toys. When you get to class, draw a rectangle on the board. Call a student up and tell him one element of your drawing using language the students have been studying. For example, “On the right there is a tree.” When he has drawn a tree, let him go sit down, choose another student, and say, “Under the tree there is a scooter.” Encourage everyone to repeat the sentences you say to help them remember and practice pronouncing the language they’re going to need later. Continue calling students up and describing the picture until it’s finished. (10-15 minutes)

Now that the picture is done, show them your original drawing. Let students point out if there are any differences between your drawing and the one on the board. (5 minutes)

Step 2: Drawing time

Now tell students that they’re going to get the chance to do this. First, remind them of the topic, such as, “You need to draw toys in the park,” “Draw animals in the jungle,” or whatever else you’ve been studying. Give each student a blank paper and a little bit of time to draw. Remind the students not to show their drawings to their neighbors. It needs to be a secret.. (10-15 minutes)

When time is up, tell students to put their drawings face down on their desks. Quickly review any necessary language with the students, such as, “At the top/bottom there is…” and “On the right/left there is…” (5 minutes)

Step 3: Partner drawing dictation

Finally, give all the students a second piece of paper. Put students into partners. Tell students that one person is going to describe their picture and the other person is going to try to draw it. Quickly assign partners by pointing at students and saying, “Speaker, drawer,” or whatever else you need to say to let students know their roles. Make sure all of the “drawers” have their new blank papers and a pencil ready. Make sure all of the speakers have their original drawings ready and angled away from their partner. Say go, and let them describe! The teacher should walk around the room and gently correct mistakes as you hear them. (10-15 minutes)

When students have finished, let them compare their partners’ drawings and their own drawings. (5 minutes)

Step 4: Switch!

Now switch roles. The speaker becomes the drawer and the drawer becomes the speaker. Repeat, letting the new students describe their picture. Walk around the room and gently correct mistakes as you hear them. (10-15 minutes)

Step 5: Extra time?

At the end of class if you have any extra time leftover, you can have a few students present their drawings to the class, and of course you should correct any common mistakes together as a class.

Note: How to make this lesson easier for little kids

Note: To make the language in this lesson easier for lower level students, you can divide the blank papers into four quadrants and label them 1, 2, 3, 4. So instead of having to describe where their drawings are on the page, younger students can simply say, “1 is a rabbit/train/doctor.”

How to make this lesson last 2 hours

Depending on how long you want this lesson to last, this activity could easily be stretched into two lessons instead of one by spending more time on introducing and reviewing the necessary language and allowing students more time to draw.

Once you’ve done this activity once, it’ll be easier to repeat in the future with different topics.

If you want more fun childrens’ lessons, check out 6 Online Games like Kahoot and How to Use Them in Class.