1. Vocabulary story
“Do you have a vocabulary list of English words you’re learning? If you do, great! If you don’t, grab one from here or here.

“Now, write a story using as many of the words on the list as you can. Aim to include 10-20 words in your story, depending on how much time you have for this exercise. Have some fun with it and try to get the finished story to make sense.

“What you’ll learn: This exercise will help you understand and remember vocabulary words better for a number of reasons. Here are a few:

Using words in a sentence ensures you understand how to use them.
It’s easier to remember words in context (with some other words around them). The sillier your story, the more easily you’ll remember the words you used. (Memory experts use this method to remember the order of hundreds of playing cards!)
Writing things down activates a different part of your brain, helping you remember vocabulary words even better.
“When your story is finished, you can share it with friends or on a blog. Encourage readers to point out any mistakes you made.

2. Picture story
“Grab the closest magazine to you and choose a random picture. Describe it in as much detail as you can. Don’t just write what you see. Imagine you’re in the picture. Think about what you would smell, feel or even taste.

You can also use this random image generator or browse Pinterest for ideas.

“What you’ll learn: We use descriptions in our daily life all the time: “I’m tired.” “Her dress is so stylish.” “This mocha tastes amazing.” Descriptions like these are used often in conversational English! Through this exercise, you’ll learn more about adjectives, feelings, and perceptions (how we see and experience the world).

3. Structured summary
“Think back to the last book you read or movie you watched. Summarize it (say what happened briefly) using this formula:

“[Somebody] wanted…but…so…”

Confused? Here’s what it looks like in action:

“Bruce Wayne wanted to save Gotham but supervillains were trying to destroy it, so he trained hard and became Batman.”

“Recognize that story? That’s a summary of “Batman Begins.” To use the formula in the same way, just fill in the blanks:

Somebody: Who is the main character of the story? This character’s name can replace [Somebody] in the sentence above.
Wanted: What is the character’s motivation? (In other words, what does he or she want?) This should come after the word “wanted.”
But: What stands in the way of the character and what he or she wants? Put whatever it is after “but.”
So: What does the character do to overcome this obstacle? Follow “so” with whatever they do.
“You can also add another part:

Then: What happens after the character overcomes the obstacle (how is everything resolved)?
Here’s another example:

“Little Red Riding Hood wanted to visit her grandmother but when she got there she found a wolf instead, so she yelled for help and a passerby came to her rescue. Then everybody lived happily ever after!”

“What you’ll learn: This method can help you summarize almost anything. You might find it difficult to explain an entire story or book in just one sentence. That’s the great thing about it: You learn to explain a complex idea in a simple sentence. This skill will be useful whenever you need to explain something concisely (in a simple and short way). For example, if you’re writing an email about a party, it will be easier for you to pick out the most important parts.

“You can also improve your reading comprehension with this summarization method. Every time you read a book or a story in English, you should summarize it to yourself, to make sure you understood it. If you can’t write a good summary, you might want to re-read the book or story more carefully.

4. Devil’s advocate
“Is there something you feel strongly about? Let’s say, for example, that you believe every person should learn a second language. Take this belief, and write about it from the opposite point of view. In this case, you would write about why everyone should not learn another language.

“In English, this is called “playing devil’s advocate.” That’s when you take a side you don’t actually believe in, just to see an issue from a different point of view.

“What you’ll learn: Aside from teaching an English skill, this exercise teaches a life skill, empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else feels, even if you don’t feel the same way. This skill is important to have, and writing can help you develop it.

“Aside from that, doing this exercise is a great way to learn how to express opinions in English. It might also get you using words you would not normally use since you’re speaking from a different perspective. You might even learn something new about yourself!

5. Idiom soup
“An idiom is a saying that doesn’t actually mean what it says. For example, “it’s raining cats and dogs” don’t mean animals are really falling from the sky (it just means it’s raining very hard).

“A cliché is an extremely overused saying or phrase that’s used so often it’s not original anymore.

“Clichés are like idioms that have been used so often they’ve stopped being special, like saying “only time will tell” or “easy as pie.”

“Write a story that uses as many clichés and idioms as you can!

“You can find a list of clichés here and a list of idioms here.

“What you’ll learn: Sometimes learning English feels like you “bit off more than you can chew” (took on a task that’s too big). A great way to build confidence is to know phrases and sayings you can use in many situations. Using clichés and idioms will build your vocabulary and ensure that when you hear them spoken by a native, you’ll know exactly what they mean.