scripts/activity_picker.py reads the table below; keep one activity per row and the column order unchanged.
Levels are CEFR ranges; Minutes is a typical run time including setup; Min Ss is the smallest class it works with;
Online says whether it works in a video call with breakout rooms.
| Activity | Skills | Levels | Grouping | Min Ss | Minutes | Prep | Online | Language focus | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Find someone who | speaking | A1-B2 | mingle | 6 | 15 | low | no | questions, any tense, experiences, habits | Each S has 8-10 prompts ("Find someone who has been to Asia"); mingle asking full questions; write a name and one follow-up detail; report the most surprising answer |
| Spot the difference | speaking, vocabulary | A1-B1 | pairs | 2 | 10 | low | yes | there is/are, prepositions, present continuous | A and B have similar pictures with 6-8 differences; describe without showing; list the differences; compare pictures at the end |
| Split timetable | speaking, listening | A1-B1 | pairs | 2 | 15 | medium | yes | times, days, can/could, future arrangements | A and B each have half a schedule (trains, cinema, doctor); ask to complete it, then agree a time to meet |
| Picture story sequencing | speaking | A2-B1 | groups | 4 | 15 | low | yes | past simple, sequencing linkers | Each S in a group holds 1-2 pictures from a story; describe without showing; agree the order; tell the story |
| Jigsaw reading | reading, speaking | A2-C1 | groups | 6 | 25 | medium | yes | summarising, reported speech, topic lexis | Text split into 3-4 parts; expert groups read one part; regroup with one expert per part; share to answer questions on the whole text |
| Ranking task | speaking | A2-C2 | groups | 3 | 15 | low | yes | comparatives, giving reasons, agreeing, disagreeing | Rank 6-8 items (survival items, qualities of a teacher); justify; agree a group ranking; compare with another group |
| Desert island | speaking | B1-C1 | groups | 3 | 20 | none | yes | conditionals, would, persuasion | Group can take five items; each S argues for an item; agree on five |
| Balloon debate | speaking | B1-C2 | groups | 4 | 25 | low | yes | persuasion, conditionals, hedging | Famous people in a sinking balloon; each S defends one; group votes who stays |
| Role play with cards | speaking | A2-C1 | pairs | 2 | 15 | medium | yes | functional language: complaining, booking, requesting | Role cards with goal and hidden information (A wants a refund, B can only offer an exchange); reach an agreement; swap roles |
| Guess who / 20 questions | speaking | A1-B1 | groups | 3 | 10 | none | yes | yes/no questions, present simple, descriptions | One S thinks of a person or object; others ask up to 20 yes/no questions |
| Taboo | speaking, vocabulary | A2-C1 | groups | 4 | 15 | medium | yes | paraphrase, relative clauses, definitions | Describe the word on the card without saying it or the taboo words; team guesses within a time limit |
| Back to the board | vocabulary, speaking | A1-B2 | groups | 4 | 10 | none | yes | vocabulary revision, definitions | One S per team sits with back to the board; teammates define the word written there; first to guess wins a point |
| Two truths and a lie | speaking | A2-C1 | groups | 3 | 10 | none | yes | past simple, present perfect, question forms | Each S tells three facts, one false; group asks follow-up questions and guesses the lie |
| Survey and report | speaking, writing | A2-B2 | mingle | 8 | 25 | low | yes | question forms, quantifiers, reporting results | Pairs write 4 survey questions, interview classmates, then report findings using most of us, a few, nobody |
| Information gap crossword | vocabulary, speaking | A2-C1 | pairs | 2 | 15 | medium | yes | definitions, relative clauses | A has the across words, B the down words; define words to complete the grid |
| Running dictation | listening, writing, speaking | A1-B2 | pairs | 4 | 15 | low | no | spelling, short-term memory, any text | Text on the wall; runner reads and dictates to the writer; swap roles halfway; first pair with an accurate text wins |
| Dictogloss | listening, writing, grammar | A2-C1 | groups | 3 | 25 | low | yes | target grammar in a short text, discourse | T reads a short text twice at normal speed; Ss note key words; groups reconstruct the text; compare with the original |
| Disappearing dialogue | speaking | A1-B1 | pairs | 2 | 15 | low | yes | functional exponents, memorisation of chunks | Dialogue on the board; pairs practise; T erases words gradually; Ss reproduce the whole dialogue from memory |
| Opinion continuum | speaking | B1-C2 | whole class | 6 | 15 | none | no | opinions, agreeing, disagreeing, hedging | Statement read out; Ss stand on a line from strongly agree to strongly disagree; explain position to neighbours; may move |
| Speed dating discussion | speaking | A2-C1 | pairs | 6 | 15 | low | yes | any topic, question forms, fluency | Inner and outer circle; 2-minute conversations on a prompt card; outer circle moves on |
| Problem page | reading, writing, speaking | B1-C1 | groups | 3 | 25 | low | yes | advice: should, ought to, if I were you | Groups read a problem letter, agree on advice, write a reply; compare replies |
| Describe and draw | speaking, listening | A1-B1 | pairs | 2 | 10 | low | yes | prepositions, shapes, imperatives | A describes a picture, B draws without looking; compare and discuss differences |
| Mystery / murder mystery | speaking, reading | B1-C1 | groups | 4 | 30 | high | yes | modal deduction, past tenses, alibis | Each S has clue cards; share clues orally; deduce the culprit with must have / can't have |
| Class consensus poster | speaking, writing | A2-C1 | groups | 4 | 30 | low | yes | suggestions, imperatives, topic lexis | Groups create a poster (class rules, eco tips, city guide); present; class votes |
| Interview the expert | speaking | B1-C1 | pairs | 2 | 20 | low | yes | question formation, topic lexis | S chooses a field they know; partner prepares and asks questions; then report the most interesting fact |
| Chain story | speaking | A2-B2 | groups | 3 | 10 | none | yes | narrative tenses, linkers | Each S adds one sentence starting with a given linker (Suddenly, Unfortunately, Luckily) |
| Board race | vocabulary, writing | A1-B1 | groups | 6 | 10 | none | no | spelling, word categories | Teams race to write words in a category on the board; one pen per team; points for correct spelling |
| Mingle with role cards | speaking | A2-B2 | mingle | 8 | 20 | medium | no | small talk, introductions, past tenses | Each S gets a character card; mingle at a "party"; find people with something in common |
| Picture prompts debate | speaking | B2-C2 | pairs | 2 | 15 | low | yes | speculation, opinion, contrast | Pairs get a provocative photo; speculate what happened; argue opposing views on the issue it raises |
| Problem-solving case | speaking, reading | B2-C2 | groups | 3 | 30 | medium | yes | recommendation, hedging, cause and effect | Short business or community case; groups agree on three recommendations; present and defend |
| Pyramid discussion | speaking | A2-C1 | pairs | 4 | 20 | low | yes | justifying, compromising | Ss choose top 3 alone, agree in pairs, then fours, then whole class |
| Questionnaire swap | reading, speaking | A2-B2 | pairs | 2 | 15 | low | yes | habits, frequency adverbs, present simple | Pairs complete a lifestyle questionnaire for each other and read the result key aloud |
| Story from objects | speaking, writing | B1-C1 | groups | 3 | 20 | low | yes | narrative tenses, imagination | Groups get 4 random objects or pictures and make a story connecting them; tell it to another group |
| Error auction | grammar, speaking | A2-C1 | groups | 4 | 20 | low | yes | accuracy, error awareness | Teams bid fake money on sentences (some wrong) from Ss' work; win money for correct sentences |
| Grammar mingle with answers | grammar, speaking | A1-B1 | mingle | 6 | 10 | low | no | target structure | Each S has a question card with the answer on the back; ask, check, swap cards, find a new partner |
| Video narration | listening, speaking | A2-C1 | pairs | 2 | 20 | low | yes | present continuous, narrative tenses | One S watches a silent clip and narrates to a partner facing away; swap for the second half; partners retell the whole clip |
| Phone call simulation | speaking, listening | A2-B2 | pairs | 2 | 15 | medium | yes | telephone language, spelling, numbers | Back-to-back call with role cards (booking, complaint, enquiry); listener takes notes and confirms details |
| Elevator pitch | speaking | B2-C2 | individual | 4 | 20 | low | yes | persuasion, concise language | Each S prepares a 60-second pitch (product, idea, themselves); class gives feedback with criteria |
academic-english-eap-course-planner
Plan English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses: pre-sessional, in-sessional, foundation, IELTS preparation and discipline-specific EAP, with syllabus strands (academic reading, lecture listening and note-taking, essay and report writing, paraphrase, summary and synthesis, referencing and plagiarism, seminars and presentations, academic vocabulary, critical thinking), a 10-week pre-sessional outline, exit assessment, IELTS-CEFR alignment and academic style (formality, hedging, cohesion, reporting verbs). Estimates study hours and weeks to close an IELTS gap from overall or per-skill scores (IELTS rounding, minimum per skill, priority skills, feasibility before a deadline), and checks learner texts for contractions, informal words with academic alternatives, unhedged claims, 'you', And/But/So starts, rhetorical questions and missing citations.
actfl-proficiency-curriculum-mapper
Map world language curricula to the ACTFL framework: proficiency levels (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished with sublevels), functions, contexts, text types and accuracy, proficiency vs performance, the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, presentational), the 5 Cs World-Readiness Standards, backward-designed thematic units with Integrated Performance Assessments, typical programme targets and FSI time estimates. Looks up approximate ACTFL-CEFR-ILR equivalences with what each level can do, and checks a unit map for missing modes, rehearsed skits mislabelled as interpersonal, translation or word lists as interpretive tasks, and units without an integrated performance assessment.
adult-literacy-esl-lesson-builder
Build lessons for adult ESL learners who are developing literacy (LESLLA learners: pre-literate, non-literate, semi-literate, literate in a non-Roman script): learner profiles and sensitive initial assessment, principles (oral language first, known to new, systematic phonics with adult-relevant text, repetition, classroom skills, respect for experience), a lesson routine (oral warm-up, review, new grapheme, blending, segmenting, decodable text, writing, functional literacy, Language Experience Approach), a phonics sequence for adults, sight words, functional literacy targets (forms, signs, medicine labels) and portfolio assessment. Checks whether a reading text is decodable with the letter-sound patterns and sight words taught so far, catching untaught digraphs, listing non-decodable words with the untaught part, and suggesting the most useful next patterns.
authentic-material-lesson-adapter
Turn authentic material (news articles, podcasts, videos, songs, menus, timetables, adverts, social media posts, forms, infographics) into language lessons by grading the task rather than the text. Selects texts for interest, relevance, exploitability, coverage, cultural load and rights; finds the 4-6 words to pre-teach, words to gloss on the page and words learners can ignore, plus names and cultural references to explain, with reading time by level; and builds a lesson shape (lead-in, pre-teach, gist or scanning, graded detail task, language focus on chunks and register, response) with task ideas per material type and level from A1 to C1. Covers copyright, fair dealing and fair use, Creative Commons and attribution.
can-do-statement-writer
Write and review can-do statements for language courses, units, lessons and learner self-assessment, CEFR or NCSSFL-ACTFL style: action (observable verb) + text or situation + level-specific conditions, learner ('I can') and descriptor ('Can') versions, progressions of one activity from A1 to C1, and coverage of reception, production, interaction and mediation. Includes a verb bank by mode and level and condition and text-type banks. Lints statements for teacher-centred phrasing, knowledge instead of use (learn, know, understand the passive), missing context, two skills in one statement, vague quality words, grammar items as outcomes, overlong statements and missing modes in a set.
cefr-aligned-syllabus-builder
Build language course syllabuses aligned to the CEFR (A1-C2, plus levels, Companion Volume 2020): entry and exit levels, guided learning hours and course length (with an L1-distance adjustment), syllabus type (topic, functional-notional, task-based, skills-based, multi-strand), unit-by-unit can-do outcomes, grammar from a core inventory by level, vocabulary, functions, pronunciation, balance of reception, production, interaction and mediation, recycling and assessment points. Checks a syllabus for units without can-do statements, core grammar for the level not covered, items above the course level, skills missing from most units and units with no vocabulary or functions.