Information Gap Activities Handout

INFORMATION GAP ACTIVITIES
ProblemSolving
pages 4-8
Finding
Differences
pages 9-14
Meet the
Neighbours
Find the
differences
Ask questions in
MT and answer
in TL
Use objects
instead of
people
Use questions
instead of
statements
Have some of
the blanks
already filled-in
Use a particular
verb tense in
asking questions
Emphasize
prepositions
Solve a
Problem
Haunted House
Use statements
instead of
questions
Use menus with
different prices
and items
Family Tree
Use different
coloured sheets
Different
furniture in each
house
Types of Activities
Giving
Missing
Directions
Information
pages 15-18
pages 19-25
Example 1
Up, Down,
Complete the
Left, Right
Drawing
Variations
Use a larger or
Use pictures of
smaller grid
vocabulary
being learned
Use pictures of Dont include
objects being
vocabulary
learned
Use words
Use a more
instead of
complex picture
pictures
Have a 2nd set
of pictures to
reverse roles
Use faces (ie Mr
Potato Head)
Example 2
Trace the Route Lost and Found
Variations
Students can
Partners can
invent their
alternate roles
own routes
Can use a local Campsite
map
scenario
Can use a map
of a TL city
Restaurant
Scenario
Jigsaw
Questioning
pages 26-27
pages 28-33
Jigsaw Reading
Famous Artists
Omit the provided
dialogue
Use culturally
related artwork
Use music or film
Line Dance
Jigsaw
What did John

do?
Write a song
Use easy verbs

for beginners
Write a story
Cultural events
added
Use music
representative of
TL culture
Use students class

schedules
Example 3
20 Questions
Variations
Simple questions
for beginners
Students circulate
with unknown
word on their
backs
Use verbs
Example 4
Survey
Variations
Intermediate
students may use
info to write a
story
Teresa Bryanton, Jon Paul, Joanne Reschny
Beginner
LEVEL
Culture
Speaking
Listening
Writing
Reading
COMPREHENSION AND PRODUCTIONS GOALS
Meet the Neighbours

Solve the Problem
Find the Differences
Haunted House
Up, Down, Left, Right
Trace the Route
Complete the Drawing
Lost and Found
Jigsaw Reading
Line Dance Jigsaw
Famous Artists
What did John do?
20 Questions
Linguistic
Advanced
Intermediate
Music
Kinaesthetic
Auditory
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
MathematicalLogical /
Meet the Neighbours

Solve the Problem
Find the Differences
Haunted House
Up, Down, Left, Right
Trace the Route
Complete the Drawing
Lost and Found
Jigsaw Reading
Line Dance Jigsaw
Famous Artists
What did John do?
20 Questions
Survey
Visual / Spatial
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

Survey
INFORMATION GAP ACTIVITIES: OVERVIEW

An Information Gap is a lack of information between two or more people. In Information Gap
Activities, not everyone knows the same things and people dont always have the same
information in front of them, therefore communication is needed to complete the task.
Students work in groups of two or more. Each student has some, but not all, of the information
needed for the activity. As partners to each other to fill in the gaps of missing information, they
acquire communication skills in a way that is authentic and meaningful (Basturkmen, 1994). The
pair creates questions and /or statements and each individual responds in turn (Annenberg Media,
2005). Since each partner knows something that the other does not they must communicate in
order to attain complete understanding. These questions which seek unknown answers are known
as referential questions, which contrast with display questions, that is, those which seek obvious
answers. For example, rather than asking Do you sleep every day?, you could ask When do you
sleep? (Annenberg Media, 2005).
Information gap activities: (Raptou, 2001)
Are not scripted or rehearsed

Involve spontaneous learning and dialogue
Involve unique responses which require careful thinking and use of sentence structure to
communicate answers
Require more than regurgitated information
Involve the combination of information to merge ideas
Provide structure and guidelines for students to follow
Results in a more comfortable environment because communication is one-on-one, rather
than individual to class.
Give students a chance to practice what theyve learned
Create a need for comprehensible speech in order to accomplish the task
Do not necessarily involve evaluation during the activity thus increasing motivation and
participation without fear and pressure of marks
Help increase confidence in the language thus resulting in a greater likelihood of speaking
in the target language
Information gap activities are successful when: (Ur, 1996, taken from Raptou, 2001)
The students talk a lot
Participation is even
Motivation is high
Language is of an acceptable level
Problem - Solving Activity: Meet the Neighbours (Reschny, 2004)

Materials: handout (see example)
Goal: To improve reading, listening, and speaking skills in students. Students must read and
understand their own statements. Likewise, they must listen to the statements of others and
ask appropriate questions if necessary to complete their own understanding. The students
also get practice in establishing cognitive patterns that make sense in the target language; in
other words, they learn to think in their second language.
Procedure:
1. Put the students into pairs.
2. Each student is given a handout which includes a chart and a series of statements
which are an incomplete set of statements used to fill in their chart. (use pencil!)
3. Each student reads his or her own statements and fills in the applicable parts of their
chart.
4. The students take turns reading their statements to each other and using each others
information to fill in their charts.
Variations:
1. Ask questions in MT and answer in the TL to decrease level of difficulty.
2. Use objects instead of people to make relevant to unit.
3. Ask questions instead of reading statements to increase level of difficulty.
4. Have some of the blanks already filled-in to decrease level of difficulty.
Time:
Variation Worksheet for Meet the Neighbors (ESLgold.com, 2002)
As Information:
Persons Name
From
Occupation
1. Jill (female)
Doctor
2.
Professor
3. Jared (male)
Cincinnati
4.
Cleveland
5. Janet
(female)
Weekends
Movies
romance
go fishing
action
Banker
play cards
Occupation
Weekends
Dayton
Bs Information:
Persons Name
From
1.
Toledo
relax at home
2. Jason (male) Columbus

3.
horror
Mechanic
play baseball
4. Jenny
(female)
5.
Sample Questions:
Movies
drama
Lawyer
read novels
comedy
What is the first persons name?

How do you spell it?
Where is he/she from?
What is his/her occupation
What does he/she do on weekends?
What kind of movies does he/she like?
After completing the chart, discuss with your partner:
Which person would you like as a friend? Why?
Problem Solving Activity: Solve a Problem (Reschny, 2004)

Goal: To improve communication skills (including clear pronunciation) and increase ability
to think in the target language.
Procedure:
1. Put students into pairs (or they may work independently).
2. The students are given charts with certain logically exclusive possible facts about a set
of characters, and an incomplete set of statements about those characters
3. The students must then communicate their statements with their partner to produce a
complete set of statements, which allows them to solve the logic problem.
Variations:
Time:
10
11
Finding Differences Activities: Finding the Differences (Reschny, 2004)

Materials: handouts (see examples)
Goal: To ask and answer questions, and give information using the present continuous; thus
improving listening and speaking skills, while increasing understanding of the target language
culture. Students must communicate with each other to understand the differences between
the pictures, and understanding the pictures requires understanding of the culture that
generated them.
Procedure:
1. Put the students into pairs.
2. Copy the handouts according to the number of students in your class. (Half of the
class will get Student A handout, the other half Student B)
3. Divide the class into pairs A and B. Give each student a copy of the appropriate
handout.
4. They sit facing each other, making sure that their handout is hidden from their
partner.
5. Explain what is to be done and allow time for preparation. Everyone then starts at
the same time.
6. Set a definite time limit and stop the students at the end of it, whether they have
finished or not.
7. They now compare their drawings to see if they have found all the differences.
Variations:
1. Emphasize a particular verb tense in asking questions
2. Emphasize prepositions
3. Use statements instead of questions
4. Use menus with different prices and items (REEP, 2003)
5. Family Trees students use their own family trees to ask and answer questions.
(REEP, 2003).
Time:
12
13
14
15
Finding Differences Activities: Haunted House (Boggles World, 2002a)

Materials: handout: Haunted House pictures A and B (see example)
Goal: to encourage unscripted communication between two students; to use location
prepositions in a question and answer format.
Procedure:
1. Put students in groups of two.
2. One student has Picture A while the other has Picture B.
3. Student A identifies the whereabouts of a ghost in Picture A and asks Student
B if the ghost is in the same place in Picture B.
a. e.g. Student A: In my picture, there is a ghost in front of the desk in the
bedroom. Do you have the same?
4. Student B answers in a complete sentence, and then identifies a different ghost
in Picture B asks Student A if the ghost is in the same place in Picture A.
a. e.g. Student B: No, in my picture the ghost is behind the desk in the
bedroom. Also, in the bathroom there is a ghost in the bathtub. Do you
have the same?
5. Students converse back and forth until they have identified the whereabouts of
all the ghosts in the two pictures.
Variations:
1. If the objects on each of the two pictures were colored differently, the students
dialogue could be more descriptive (emphasizes use of adjectives or color
vocabulary).
2. If the rooms had different furniture, the students could also compare furniture and
its locations.
Time: 10 minutes
16
17
Giving Directions Activity: Trace the Route (Reschny, 2004)

Goal: To give directions (involving both speaking and listening) which will improve their
understanding of directional words and the use of the imperative verb form.
Procedure:
1. Put students into pairs.
2. Students are given a map, a starting point, and a destination. They must then describe
a route that can be taken to get from the starting point to the destination.
3. The students must then describe their routes to others, and have them find the
destination from the directions.
Variations:
1. Students can invent their own routes
2. Can use a local map
3. Can use a map of a TL city
Time:
18
19
Giving Directions Activity: Up, Down, Left, Right (Reschny, 2004)

Goal: To learn to give directions, practice numbers, and use prepositions.
Procedure:
2. Student A reads his statements to Student B. Student B follows these instructions and
draws what his partner tells him to.
3. When all statements have been read on Student As sheet, Student B reads his
instructions and Student A follows.
4. When Student B has read all his statements, the pair shows their completed chard and
compares then with the answer on their partners chart.
Variations
1. Use a larger or smaller grid (more or less squares).
2. Use pictures of objects being learned (current vocabulary).
3. Use words instead of pictures.
Time
UP?
DOWN?
LEFT?
RIGHT??
20

Missing Information Activity: Complete the Drawing (Reschny, 2004)
Goal: To practice comprehensible communication, prepositions, adjectives and vocabulary.
Procedure:
2. Student A describes what is in his picture to student B, including where to draw it.
Student B follows Student As instructions.
3. When finished, the pair compares pictures to check for accuracy.
Variations:
1. Use pictures of vocabulary being learned (ie. Shapes, clothes, etc)
2. Dont include vocabulary
3. Use a more complex picture.
4. Have a second set of pictures to reverse roles.
5. Use faces (ie. Mr. Potato Head)
Time:
21
22
23
Missing Information Activity: Lost and Found On cherche un ohjet perdu (Harris &
Roselman, year unknown)
Materials: handouts: Preparation Sheet (12) 2 copies, Tourists sheet (A12), Officer sheet
(B12) (see example)
Goals: to encourage communication between students in a realistic activity.
Procedure:
1. Put students into groups of two.
2. Both students get a copy of Sheet 12, but one student has Sheet A12 and one
student has sheet B12.
3. The pair first goes over Sheet 12 in order to prepare for the main activity and to
associate themselves with useful grammar, vocabulary and expressions.
4. For the main activity, one student is the tourist who has recently lost a personal
item, and the other student is a police officer who runs the local Lost & Found.
5. The tourist tells the Officer what was lost and where it was lost, and then asks the
officer if it has arrived.
6. The officer looks at the list on Sheet B12 which says what items have been found
and where, and then answers the tourists question.
7. This process should be repeated until each item on the tourists list has been
covered.
Variations:
1. Students could alternate between tourist and officer after each question, thus
getting to ask and answer questions.
2. Tourists arrive at a campsite and want to know whether they can stay according to
site availability, cost per night, length of stay, size of tent or trailer; one student
plays a tourist, the other the campsite manager. (see example)
3. Restaurant Scenario with incomplete menu.
Time: 15-20 minutes
24
25
26
27
28
Jigsaw Activity: Jigsaw Reading

Overview of Jigsaw Activities: Students will work on separate parts all related to a similar task
and will then come together with these separate parts and share information in order to learn
together. This can be a great way to learn since the students are actually learning themselves as
they teach each other. The information is more likely to be internalized this way. When students
teach each other it demonstrates they get it. It is also a method of improving communication
and social skills. Students are also more likely to complete the assignments with the pressure of
being responsible for contributing their unique part which is essential to the whole groups
understanding.
Materials: depends on task students are to puzzle together.
Goal: to decrease overall work by each student doing a smaller part and bringing this portion
to the larger group to share while collectively learning and teaching one another. Information
will be remembered longer term as it is taught to others
Procedure
1. Put students into groups
2. Assign parts each student will be individually responsible for
3. State when students expected to come back to the larger group to teach and share
their assigned portion
4. Students will work independently on task
5. Students will present their assigned information to the group as a whole (teacher
may assign a special order to do so or leave it up to the group members to decide
on their own)
6. Students will be expected to take notes and ask questions during each lesson
taught by their peers
7. This information can then be summarized to the entire class if assigned tasks
varied between groups
Variations
Time needed will depend on task length
Example: Each student is assigned a section of the readings and will join in a small group to
share and teach the information read and learned to all other group members. The whole reading
will be understood completely but each being responsible for smaller portions rather than the
work in its entirety.
29
Jigsaw Activity: Line Dance Jigsaw (Janzen, 2005)

Materials: music (personal choice)
Goals: to encourage spontaneous communication between students; to create a dance routine
by breaking it up into small chunks and then combining the chunks together.
Procedure:
1. Select, as a larger group, a melody or song to play during the dance routine.
2. Identify its rhythm/beat to figure out the time count (for example, you may find that
the music allows for actions done in fours).
3. Break up the classroom in 5-9 groups.
4. Each group is responsible for creating and arranging a series of dance moves; each
individual must come up with at least one dance move.
5. When each member has figured out her/his move, s/he must teach that move to the
entire group (this should be done verbally and with the actual dance moves; e.g. Clap
your hands to the rhythm 4 times or Take 4 steps to the left).
6. The group must then decide how to arrange the moves into a sequence.
7. Each group performs its dance move sequence and teaches it to the other groups
(again both verbally and physically).
8. The class then arranges the 5-9 sequences into a complete dance routine.
9. Turn up the stereo and have fun!
Variations:
1. Write a song or story based on a particular theme.
2. For the song, one group writes the chorus, another group writes the 1st verse,
another the 2nd verse, and so on.
3. For the story, provide the first and last sentences to the class and have each student
write a sentence in an arranged order.
4. Use music representative of the languages culture.
Time: Dance Jigsaw = 20-30 min; Song: 30 min; Story = 20-30 min.
30
Questioning Activity: Famous Artists (Boggle's World, 2002b)

Overview of Questioning Activities: Gives students a chance to think critically and
communicate responses to each other. This method creates dialogue which improves social skills
in the target language. This technique will increases motivation and participation since all
students are directly involved in the activity process and completion. Some guidance may be
necessary but room for spontaneous dialogue as questions and answers vary. Confidence in the
language will improve as students engage in this question- answer type model.
Materials: handouts: Famous Artists Sheets A and B (see example)
Goals: to encourage communication between two students; to highlight famous artists and
their work. Uses the past tense, active and passive voice.
Procedure:
1. Put students in groups of two.
2. One student has Sheet A while the other has Sheet B. (each worksheet has a dialogue
to guide the students along in their conversation).
3. Both students have all the titles of the works of art, but are missing information about
certain pieces. Student A has whatever information that Student B is missing, and
vice versa.
4. Student A asks a question to Student B in order to gain information that Sheet A is
missing.
e.g. Student A: Who sculpted The Thinker?
5. Student B answers in a complete sentence and then asks Student A for information
that Sheet B is missing.
e.g. Student B: Rodin sculpted The Thinker. What was David sculpted
from?
6. Students converse back and forth until their sheets are filled in.
Variations:
1. Handout Sheets A and B without the dialogue guide provided at the top so that the
students must create their own sentences.
2. Use artwork that is created by artists from a particular culture e.g. Spain / Lat.
America Dal, Picasso, Rivera, Kahlo
3. Use a music or film theme instead of a painting/sculpture theme.
Time: 10 minutes

Famous Artists
B Sheet
Use this dialogue to talk about famous works of art:

Who painted/sculpted _____?
When was it painted/sculpted ____?
What was it painted with/sculpted from?
Let me get this straight: It was painted/sculpted
by ____ in ______with/from _________.
It was painted/sculpted by _____?

It was painted sculpted in ______?
It was painted with/sculpted from ________?
Thats right/correct.
Name: Sunflowers
Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: The Thinker

Artist: Rodin
Date: 1882
Materials: Bronze
Name: The Ox
Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: The Scream

Artist: Munch
Date: 1893
Materials: Oil Paints
Name: David
Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: Mona Lisa

Artist: Da Vinci
Date: 1503-1506
Materials: Oil
Name: Guernica
Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: Mobius Strip

Artist: Escher
Date: 1963
Materials: Woodcut
31
32
Famous Artists A Sheet

Use this dialogue to talk about famous works of art:
Who painted/sculpted _____?
It was painted/sculpted by _____?
When was it painted/sculpted ____?
It was painted sculpted in ______?
What was it painted with/sculpted from?
It was painted with/sculpted
________?
Let me get this straight: It was painted by
Thats right/correct.
________ in _________
with/from _________.
from
Name: Sunflowers
Artist: Van Gogh
Date: 1889
Name: The Thinker

Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: The Ox
Artist: Joong-sup Lee
Date: In the 1950s
Materials: Oil paints
Name: The Scream

Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: David
Artist: Michelangelo
Date: 1501-1504
Materials: Marble
Name: Mona Lisa

Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Name: Guernica
Artist: Picasso
Date: 1937
Name: Mobius Strip

Artist:
Date:
Materials:
Questioning Activity: What did John Do?? (Mohamed, year unknown)

Materials: List of activities John did and on which days (daily schedule)
Goal: to get students asking and answering questions in target language
Procedure
1. Pair off students
2. Give one student Johns daily schedule for Mon, Wed, Fri
3. Give other student Johns schedule for Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun
4. Get students to ask each other questions about Johns activities
(What did John do at 10am?)
5. Students will engage in this question answer exchange until time is up
Variations
1. Use students class schedules.
2. Use cultural events.
3. Use easy verbs for beginners.
Time: depends on time available, may do as long as desired
33
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
8:00
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
9:00
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
10:00
Go to school
Go to school
Go to school
11:00
English Class
Social Studies
Class
English Class
12:00
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
13:00
Math Class
Break / Spare
Math Class
14:00
Break / Spare
Phys Ed Class
15:00
Science Class
Science Class
16:00
Go home
Visit Grandma
17:00
Eat dinner
Eat dinner at
Grandma's
18:00
Read a book
Go home
19:00
Do homework
Do homework
20:00
Tai Chi Class
Tai Chi Class
21:00
Go for a walk
Go for tea
22:00
Meditating
Meditating
23:00
Go to bed
Go to bed
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
34
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Break / Spare
Social Studies
Class
Basketball
Game
Goes for
victory dinner
with team
Friday Night
Bowling Club
Goes to a
friend's for a
sleepover
Go to bed
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
8:00
Wake up
THURSDAY
Wake up
FRIDAY
Sleeping
Sleeping
9:00
Eat breakfast
Eat breakfast
Sleeping
Sleeping
10:00
Go to School
Go to School
Wakes up
Sleeping
11:00
Art Class
Phys Ed Class
Eats breakfast
Wakes up
12:00
Lunch
Lunch
13:00
Home
Economics
Class
Btreak / Spare
14:00
Break / Spare
French Class
15:00
French Class
English Class
16:00
Basketball
Practice
Basketball
Practice
Eat dinner
17:00
Go home
Go home
Read a book
18:00
Eat dinner
Eat dinner
Has a nap
19:00
Do homework
Do homework
Yoga practice
Do homework
20:00
Go swimming
Yoga Class
21:00
Read a book
Read a book
Goes dancing
with friends
Read a book
22:00
Meditate
Meditate
23:00
Go to bed
Go to bed
Eats brunch
Goes to the
farmers' market
Hangs out with

friends
Plays guitar
Bakes a pie for
grandma
Takes pie to
grandma's
house
Eats dinner at
Grandma's
Goes home
Meditate
Goes to bed
Goes to bed
35
Questioning Activity: 20 questions

Materials: Pictures or names of person, place or thing on cue cards
Goal: to get students thinking critically and interacting in the target language
Procedure
1. Pair off students
2. Give students cue cards with pictures or words of people, places or things.
3. Tell students what categories the pictures are from (as a clue).
4. One student asks and the other answers until the correct answer is given and then
they switch roles
Variations
1. Use yes/no questions only
2. Kinaesthetic: students circulate with unknown words on their backs and ask each other
questions.
3. Use verbs.
Time: depends on time available
Questioning Activity: Survey (Bilash, 2006)

Materials: list of questions prepared by teacher or students
Goal: to get students speaking and thinking in target language
Procedure
1. Give students prepared questionnaire or get students to prepare their own
2. Students will walk around the room and ask one another their questions
3. Students may then be asked to present people interviewed to entire class or smaller
group
Variations
1. Intermediate students may use info to write a story
Time
36
REFERENCES
Annenberg Media. (2005). Teaching Foreign Languages K-12. Taken from
http://www.learner.org/channel/libraries/tfl/key_terms.html January 10, 2006.
Basturkmen, H. (1994). Using Learners Writing for Oral Information-Gap Activities. Taken
from
http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol32//no1/p50.htm January 10, 2006.
Bilash, O. (2006). In class discussion, January 10, 2006.
Boggles World. (2002a). ESL information gap exercises: Haunted house information gap.
Retrieved January 10, 2005 from http://bogglesworld.com/information_gap.htm.
Boggles World. (2002b). ESL information gap exercises: Famous artists. Retrieved January 10,
2005 from http://bogglesworld.com/information_gap.htm.
ESLgold.com. (2002). Information Gap. Retrieved January 10, 2006 from
www.eslgold.com/site.jsp?resource=pag_tea_speaking_lesson_info_gap.
Harris V., & Roselman L. (year unknown). Tu parles: Communicative activities in French.
Waterloo: The Resource Centre.
Janzen, C. (2005). Correspondent at Queen Elizabeth High School (Edmonton, AB) during IPT
experience.
Mohamed, J. (year unknown). Jeff Mohameds TEFL Classroom Clinic: General Methodology &
Terminology; Information Gaps In English Teaching. Retrieved January 10, 2006 from
www.geocities/bayinnaung/progexinfogap.html.
Raptou, V. (2001). Using Information Gap Activities in the Second Langauge Classroom.
Retrienved January 10, 2006 from www.caslt.org/Print/gapp.htm
REEP. (2003). Information Gap. Retrieved January 10, 2006 from
www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/ctae/adult_ed/REEP/reepcurriculum/informationgap.ht
ml.
Reschny, J. (2004). Repertoire of Second Language Monitor Program experience at
Polyvalente de Black Lake, Thetford Mines, QC.

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INFORMATION GAP ACTIVITIES

What did John

Use easy verbs

Use students class