Do you need some new conversation activities for your English classes?
Understanding idiomatic expressions is one of the biggest challenges that second language learners face. Practicing idioms in the classroom can help students gain confidence when they use the expressions in real-life scenarios.
This article will highlight how you can improve conversation skills with love idioms that focus on romance and personal relationships.
In the list at the bottom of the page, there are 30 easy ESL conversation questions for adults using each idiomatic expression.
Read below for some tips on how to do the lesson.
Pre-Lesson and Introduction
First, review the list of 30 love idioms and phrases below. Print out the list so that you can board them and elicit their meanings at the start of class.
In addition, you may want to print out the list to give to your students. This way, they can follow along easier.
To start the lesson, have a brief conversation about love. Ask some open-ended questions to the class and elicit responses.
Next, pre-teach the love idioms from the list. Then, after pre-teaching the idioms and reviewing their meanings, you can move on to the discussion phase of the lesson.
See the details after the idiom list below for how to facilitate discussion with each idiomatic expression.
Love Idioms and Phrases List for Pre-Teaching
- apple of my eye
- ask out
- be an item
- be nuts about
- beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- blind date
- double dating
- drive someone crazy
- get hitched
- go steady
- have the hots for
- head over heels
- heart goes out to
- joined at the hip
- leave at the altar
- love is blind
- love rat
- lovey-dovey
- make love
- no love lost
- on cloud nine
- on the mend
- on the rocks
- pop the question
- puppy love
- through thick and thin
- tie the knot
- to fancy someone
- walk out on someone
- whisper sweet nothings
Main Lesson and Conversation Tasks
*Below this lesson summary are the 30 easy ESL conversation questions for adults using the love idioms from the previous list.
First, model the task first so that the students know what to do.
For example, pick one student ask you the first question. Try to encourage conversation with your initial response. See the dialog below for ideas on how you could lead the discussion.
Example Discussion Using the Idiom
Student: Who is the apple of your eye?
Teacher: Someone who I love very much is my daughter. How about you? Who is the apple of your eye?
Student: I love my goldfish.
Teacher: What’s your goldfish’s name and why is it the apple of your eye?
Student: Her name is Goldilocks. She is the apple of my eye because I don’t have any other pets. Plus, she is very low-maintenance.
Teacher: Very good. Excellent pronunciation.
After modeling an example conversation (or two), put the students in pairs or groups. Have them do the next 10 questions together. Encourage them to elaborate as much as they can while using the love idioms.
Elicit feedback after they have practiced for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, have them complete the next 10 questions. Continue in this manner until they have completed the majority of the conversation questions.
30 Easy ESL Conversation Questions for Adults
- Who is the apple of your eye?
- Did you ask anyone out last month?
- Is there any couple that you know who shouldn’t be an item?
- Who are you nuts about?
- Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
- Have you ever been on a blind date?
- What do you think about double dating?
- Does anyone drive you crazy?
- Who do you think should never get hitched?
- Has anyone ever asked you to go steady?
- Who did you have the hots for when you were in high school?
- Have you ever been head over heels in love?
- Does your heart go out to anyone who is struggling this month?
- Do you know any couples who are joined at the hip?
- What would you do if someone left you at the altar?
- Do you think that love is blind?
- Do you know anyone who is a love rat?
- What do you think of people who are lovey-dovey in public?
- Have you ever made love on a first date?
- Have you ever felt that there was no love lost in a previous relationship?
- Do you have any friends who are on cloud nine right now?
- What is the best way to repair a relationship that is on the mend?
- Are there any celebrity relationships that are on the rocks right now?
- Where would you pop the question?
- When you were a teenager, did you have puppy love?
- How do you love someone through thick and thin?
- Which celebrity would you like to tie the knot with?
- Did you ever fancy someone who you worked with?
- Have you ever walked out on someone?
- What was the funniest thing that someone has said when they whispered sweet nothings to you?
Post-Discussion and Review
Elicit answers from the remaining ESL conversation questions. Then, review any difficulties that students had with any of the expressions. Finally, correct pronunciation and any issues that students had with fluency or accuracy.
If time remains, you could have students ask you random questions using any of the love idioms from the list.
By the end of the lesson, everyone should have a better understanding of the idiomatic expressions and how they are used in conversation.
ESL Games Book
Do you need more lesson ideas?
Check out ESL Games for Kids and Adults on the ESL Expat website.
The book features 50 fun activities for teaching English as a second language.
Order your copy of the book on Amazon.
ESL Idioms Book
Do your students need extra help with English idioms?
Check out ESL Idioms and Worksheets on the ESL Expat website.
The book features over 400 idioms and several activities for students to practice using the expressions.
Order your copy of the book on Amazon.
More Idiom Activities and ESL Conversation Questions for Adults
For more information about teaching English idiomatic expressions in movies and TV shows, check out the Movie Idioms website.
Also, visit ESL Expat for a huge list of common English idioms and phrases.
Do you have an idiom activity to share?
Please leave a comment below if you have any activities or games that work particularly well with your students.
