Speaking Game - Four Square Improv Icebreaker - ESL or Native Speakers
Speaking Game - Four Square Improv Icebreaker - ESL or Native Speakers
The speaking game your students will ask to play again! Fast paced. Drama inspired. Easy to run…
Looking for an engaging speaking game that gets students talking, reacting, thinking and laughing without putting all the work on the teacher?
Four Square is an easy, fast paced improv speaking activity inspired by drama techniques and designed for learners from A2 and A2+ upward.
No scripts. No long preparation. No perfect answers.
Once students understand the simple rotation system, the activity practically runs itself. You control the pace, clap to switch pairs, and step in only when students need a little help.
How does Four Square work?
Four students form a square. Two students improvise a scene until the teacher claps, then the square rotates and a new pair takes over with a different prompt. When a pair comes back to the front, they must pick up their original conversation exactly where they left off. That’s when the magic happens! This simple twist is what makes the game fast, unpredictable and highly addictive for students…
Full instructions, classroom tips, timing suggestions, and more are included in the Teacher Guide.
One of the biggest advantages of Four Square is how little teacher intervention it requires once students understand the rules. You supervise, they improvise!
What is included?
42 ready-to-use speaking prompts (school based, relatable everyday situations as well as funny and imaginative scenarios)
Creative writing guided worksheets
A PowerPoint version with specific relaunch lines to help students
A quick-start guide and a complete Teacher Guide with more tips!
Not just for ESL learners
Although the prompts are designed to be accessible from A2 and A2+ upward, Four Square also works very well with native English speakers as a drama, improvisation, communication, or classroom community activity. With fluent speakers, the challenge comes from thinking quickly, developing the scene, reacting naturally, and keeping the improvisation alive.


