Taking and giving directions in a foreign language is a basic but necessary skill to master, especially for students planning to spend time in a country or environment where the target language is exclusively spoken. Fortunately, many worthwhile activities can be done in the ESL classroom to develop these skills.

Using Maps For Giving Directions
Obtain copies of local street maps. These can be easily downloaded from the Internet and printed out. Select and highlight several locations on the map as reference points to be used in the activity. For example, you can choose the nearest post office and the local library. Ask students to think about what they would say, using key vocabulary phrases, to describe how to get from one place to another on the map. They can write their directions down and then verbally practice giving them to another student in a role play.

Using Maps for Taking Directions
You can vary the activity by having one student give directions from a local map while the other traces the path onto a blank version of the same map. Avoid physically showing the listener how to draw the path on her map. However, if you notice a mistake being made, you can offer corrections in English so the listener gets back on track and arrives at the planned destination.

Role Play With Maps
Have students work in pairs for this activity. Pretend one of them is a taxi driver and the other a passenger. The passenger should have to explain to the taxi driver how to get to a destination using the key vocabulary phrases provided for giving and taking directions. Another simulation would be for students to pretend they are strangers meeting on a public street and one of them needs help finding a location. Additional courtesy phrases such as introductions, greetings and small talk can also be included in this scenario.

Using Your Immediate Physical Location
Whether you are learning English in a home or a large school building, you can practice giving and taking directions in the area around you. For example, in a school, ask students to tell other students how they get from one class to another in the building using the key vocabulary phrases for the lesson. You can also make a game of it by having someone give directions from the class to another place in the building and see who can guess the location first. Whichever activity you choose to practice in an ESL class, always be sure to identify key vocabulary words and phrases beforehand and to include them, along with all possible variations, in the activities.