Conversations based on photos
Dialogue writing can be difficult for many people. That's why it's a good idea to practice - these photos will help.
Use the photos on this page to imagine conversations between the people, characters or animals. Let your imagination run wild.
If you want, you can sketch or storyboard the conversations.
For beginners, this is a good exercise to read aloud and practice pronunciation, emphasis and phrasing. Perform the conversations with friends in your class.
Conversation or writing exercises with more context
With a little more context than a photo, students will find it easier to make up conversations. For homework, ask students to bring in their own photos to talk about and to give to others in the class to imagine the conversations that occured at the time the photo was taken.
A feathered conversation
The Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles are endangered, and live in the beautiful, temperate rainforest of the Tarkine in Tasmania, Australia. Their habitat is at risk of destruction from logging and open-cut mining. Eagles usually mate for life, and their young live with them as a family for 5-9 years, until they are mature enough to find a mate for themselves.
Write or compose a conversation between these two majestic and powerful birds, as they are sitting in their nest.
Bonus points: Write and perform what the seagulls on the beach are saying - act it out too!
Long time, no see!
You have just bumped into an old friend from school, that you haven’t seen for at least 5 years. What will you say to each other?
- Recent work and current workplace.
- Other people that you both know.
- Life changes or travels since you last spoke.
- Common hobbies and interests.
- What you are doing right now.
I did not say that!
They are probably the most famous monkeys in the world, with characters in all kinds of TV shows, movies, and comics copying them. These ones are carved into the Toshigi Shrine in Nikko, Japan - one of my favourite places in the world (apart from all the school tour buses!)
Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil … What are these monkeys talking about when our back are turned?
Misbehaving
Imagine a mother and her child. The child is misbehaving very badly.
How does the mother try to get the child to behave, to do homework, eat dinner, go to sleep, and get up for school?
Write or role-play the dialogue between the mother and the misbehaving child.
Be as creative and crazy as you want!