We are surrounded by images, from our phones to the advertising we see around us. Using some of these images in our lessons is a great way to motivate students to revise the English they have learned and to challenge them to learn more. It is also a good break from the course book. Pictures in ads Ads are meant to grab your attention.  That’s perfect for the classroom. Start by using pictures students are familiar with, for example, I found this picture of a boy playing air guitar in the newspaper. It’s an ad from a local supermarket which many students would have seen. Bringing it to class raises immediate curiosity. Have fun with the picture, in this case, have your younger students (or young at heart), play the air guitar before beginning the activity. It will get their imagination going. Revising language There is no specific language for this picture so you’re free to use it to practice the language your students need, at any level:

• Personal information
• Describing his room
• What he likes or doesn’t like
• How he spends his weekend
• How he spent his summer

Your students can have fun creating a story for this boy and practice their English at the same time. There are no wrong answers, the more creative, the more fun; the funnier, the crazier, the better. The language becomes a way for students to share their creative abilities. Specific Language You can also use pictures to teach specific language structures at any level. Talking about his weekend is based on the present simple, his holiday will help students practise the past tenses. You can adapt the situation to focus on the target language. You can even be very specific, like adjective + preposition:

• He is interested in …
• He is worried about …
• He is afraid of …
• He is proud of …

There are no limits to the language you can practise once you have a picture that inspires your students. For practical activities to help your students learn naturally, go to ‘My Resources’ on my website – www.learningnaturally.co.uk