I will be teaching English to high school students in France next year. I'm trying to compile a list of activities that focus on grammar and writing, culture, and conversational skills.

I want the activities to be fun and education. I know it can be done! Any ideas or activities you've taught/learned?

It can include games, learning about slang, incorporating music/art/pictures, or anything else you can imagine! Thanks in advance. :)

Start downloading newspaper articles to use in computer presentations. (or cut them out and xerox them) I would include Dear Abby columns, political cartoons/cartoons in general, local interest stories, etc.

analyzing song lyrics is always a great fun idea.

Grand conversations re books or movies watched. They must practice practice practice at every opportunity. Role model for them. You must model the correct use of the language. Show and tell, yeah, it sounds dumb for high schoolers, but have them bring things from home that mean something to them. Pictures of family, hobbies, even food. Have them tell the class about these things and encourage the class to ask questions. You start things going by being the first show and tell victim. Works! This technique, use concrete examples such as a real apple, a picture of an apple, and so on.

TPR (total physical response). You just start by talking to them, giving simple commands and you do the action of the command. For example: touch your head (you do it), sit down (you do it), pencil (hold up a pencil as you say the word), etc. Soon, they will begin to understand a lot of language and follow the commands.....

Just a couple of things I have used.

Interaction is the way to go (;

For example, maybe you can ask your students to find a song they really like in English, study the lyrics, and tell you, as well as the other students, about what the lyrics mean in class. Kind of like a project sort of thing.

Or maybe you could present them with a list of words you find fun to use in your daily vocabulary once you've taught them the basic structure of an English sentence, and tell them to pick their favorite and use it in a sentence correctly. Just a little class activity.

Now, I'm no English teacher here, but I am trying my best. Try to put yourself in your students' shoes and think about what you'd find both fun and effective if someone was teaching you another language.

Hope I could help in one way or another. Good luck with your teaching!