My students know will and going to are both used for future tenses. But it’s often a challenge for them to choose the best one when speaking.

Rather than focusing on forms, I’ve found it more important to focus on functions (when to use them). When the function of a form is clear, students will really feel the difference between will vs. going to.

For example:

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Function	Example
pre-made plans	We’re going to have a beach party.
spontaneous decisions	I’ll bring the snacks.

When students understand these functions, future forms will occur much more naturally in their speech.

Bringing Real-World Communication into the Classroom

As teachers, one way we can help ELLs is by bridging the gap between classroom English and real-world English.

Classroom English is slow, guided, and abstract. The real world is full of planning, problem-solving, and pressure. The real world happens in real time.

That’s exactly what this group presentation activity provides.

So How Does It Work?

Students will be working in groups to plan the perfect party using will vs. be going to. They will have to

• plan events
• make decisions
• present their plans
• and then…

Did I mention there’s a very special trick at the end of this activity? I won’t give away too much, but this added feature will turn a simple grammar lesson into one of the most memorable and funniest activities of the semester.

• Yes! You will be putting pressure on them during their presentation. 
• Yes! You will be encouraging them to heckle each other (just this once!). 
• Yes! Your students will be completely and totally engaged in this activity!

Here’s a sneak peek of what this resource includes:

Practicing Contractions With Will vs. Going To

Another benefit of this activity is pronunciation practice.

Future forms appear constantly in contracted speech, which students need to recognize and produce confidently. During the lesson, students practice forms like:

They also explore how “going to” often becomes “gonna” in casual spoken English.

Understanding these patterns helps students feel more comfortable both speaking and listening to natural English conversations.

Try a Quick Pre-Assessment

Before starting the full lesson, let’s check how comfortable your students already are with will vs. going to.

I’ve created a free pre-assessment worksheet you can use to quickly gauge students’ understanding of these future forms.

It’s a simple way to see what students already know before introducing the full activity.

This worksheet is free for everyone. But if you’d like more teaching ideas and classroom activities like this, I’d love for you to join the email list.

Subscribe here!

Just here for the worksheet? No problem.
Download it here.

A Speaking Activity They’ll Always Remember

Some grammar lessons are quickly forgotten.

But when students collaborate to create something fun—like planning the perfect party—the language practice becomes much more memorable.

This activity blends:

• grammar
• pronunciation
• creativity
• collaboration
• speaking practice

And once the presentations begin, students often get completely invested in their party ideas.

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For more ESL teaching ideas and classroom resources, visit
talkintownenglish.com

And as always:

Be the best teacher you can be. I’ll do the same. 🙂