Oh my... This challenge really should be addressed during the school year. Even though my last day with students was less than a week ago, their exams were more than a week ago and those last days were spent "cleaning house"... Finishing up overdue assignments, submitting last minute extra credit :-\ , studying for exams in other classes.
That being said, one of my favorite semester activities (and one my students initially dread) is a series of 20 conversation topics. For just the past 2 years in my French classes, students in all but French I are given this assignment at the beginning of the second semester. This gives them 18 weeks to sit with me & have a CONVERSATION using the 20 topics. I learn so much about the lives of my students during these conversations, and I hope they learn not just some conversational French, but also that I truly care about each of them! We sit at a café table in my classroom, on comfy chairs, look each other in the eye and simply chat. While the first 2-3 are painful and awkward, by the time they complete 10-12 conversations, they have demonstrated remarkable improvement with their interpersonal language skills, have relaxed into the activity and are learning 21st Century Skills (and in a second language!).
Of course, a small group of students start right away on completing the assignment. The vast majority, however, were scrambling in those final weeks, days (and hours!) to finish. Students in French II show the biggest growth, and begin French III much more confidently than my classes before I began this
assignment.
The image below is a game I also provide for students in order for them to do some interpersonal speaking with one another.
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