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Real
Name, False Job
Type
of Game: chain game
Duration:
5-10 minutes
Skill:
speaking comprehension
Aims:
breaking the ice
Level:
from lower- intermediate upwards. Any group together for the first time.
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Procedure
Stand or sit with your students in a circle. Next, start the game by
giving your real name and a fictitious job, e.g. "My name's Mary and
I'm a nurse". Get the student sitting next to you to
repeat your name and job and then to say who he is and what fictitious
job he has ("Her name's Mary and she's a nurse and my
name's Sandra and I'm a teacher").
The student sitting next to Sandra continues in the same way, beginning
with the teacher; it turns out that the last person in the circle has
more than a dozen names and jobs to repeat before he/she says his/her
own name and fictitious job. At the end, to round the game off, you should repeat everybody's
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names and
jobs. It looks more difficult than it really is: when both teacher and
students help out with gestures, those at the end of the chain usually
manage to remember more names and jobs than they thought they would.
N.B.
If there is more than 15 students, have the game played in two groups.
Try and use jobs that weak students can easily remember to avoid
frustration and lack of confidence! |
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The "Popsy" Name Game
Type
of Game: chain game
Duration:
5-10 minutes
Skill:
speaking comprehension
Aims:
introducing one another and finding out names.
Level:
beginners. Any group of students whose members do not know one another
yet.
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1. Procedure
Standing in a circle, students and teacher
take turns throwing "Popsy" to one another.
Suggestions:
1st stage: Whoever has "Popsy" in his hands
says: "I'm/My name's..." and throws it to someone else.
2nd stage: The thrower asks: "What's your name?"
and the catcher answers accordingly.
3rd stage: The thrower singles out someone in the group
and says: "Your name's Robert!"/ "Catch
Robert!"/etc.
You should end the game after all the
students have had several turns.
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2. Variations
You can also use this game to review
structures dealt with in past lessons.
When throwing "Popsy" to one another, the students may ask
questions such as: "Do you like tea?" / "Where do you
work?" ... and answer accordingly: "Yes I do." /
"Very much" etc... They could also review whole dialogues or
full texts, each student saying one sentence or part of a sentence
at a time.
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Dumb
Interview
Type
of Game: Guessing game
Duration:
10 minutes
Skill:
Speaking comprehension
Aims:
warming up, getting to know one another, using gestures and mime.
Level:
from lower-intermediate upwards. Any group of students whose members
already know one another by name.
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1. Procedure
Tell the
students to work in pairs to find out as many things about each other as
possible -occupation, hobbies, family...- within a set time (approx. 3
minutes), but only by means of mime, gestures and/or sign-language and without
speaking a word. To
introduce the game, you should set an example by showing how non-verbal
information about yourself can be conveyed: -
Making swirling movements with your arms and nodding enthusiastically,
you signify: "I enjoy swimming".
- Pointing to your wedding-ring, you signify: "I am married."
- Swinging your arms from left to right then back again, with your hands
joined together, you signify: "I have a baby." |
There should be no talking at all during the "dumb interview".
At the end of the interview, the students should report to the class
what they think they have found out about their partners; any
misunderstanding can then be cleared up immediately.
2.
Objectives With weak
groups, you should define precisely the language functions (preferably
those you are sure the students can manipulate) you want to see used
during the interview (ability, likes and dislikes, possession...) to
avoid frustration and lack of confidence.
You should also make sure the students are properly paired up so that
each and every one can benefit from the game (do not leave two very weak
students work together, otherwise the game may run dry at report time!). |
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