ESL Teacher Blog: I like you because...

This is the time of year when classmates must say goodbye to each other, either for the summer or in some cases permanently.  It’s always a bittersweet time.  On the one hand, students are happy that they’ve successfully completed their course; but on the other hand, they also feel sad to say good-bye to their friends. 

 

One activity to do in class that allows students to say good-bye and create a lasting memory is the “I like you because….” activity.

 

To complete this activity, prepare one sheet of paper for each student in the class.  At the top of each sheet write each student’s name and the beginning of the sentence “I like you because….”

 

Explain to the class that each student is going to complete that sentence for everyone in the class except themselves.  If the class has 30 students, each student will write 29 comments.  Write the following example on the board to illustrate what the paper will look like and what kind of comments are appropriate.