Lessons From Nothing - Activities For Language Teaching With Limited Time and Resources (Cambridge Handbooks For Language Teachers) 2

Lessons from Norhing
Cambridge Handbooks for LanguageTeachers

This is a series of practical guides for teachers of English and other
languages. Illustrative examples are usually drawn from the field of
English as a foreign or second language, but the ideas and techniques
described can equally well be used in the teaching of any language.
Recent titles in this series:
Using Newspapers in the Classroom
pAUL s ANDER son Learner English (second edition)
MICHAEL swAN and BERNARD SMITH
Teaching Adult Second Language Learners
HEATHER MCKAy and ABIGAIL t OM Teaching Large Multilevel Classes
NA t ALIE hess
Teaching English Spelling
Writing Simple Poems
A practical guide
RUTH SHEMESH and SHEILA WALLER
Pattern poetry for language acquisition
VICKI L . HOLMES and MARGARET R . MOUL t ON
Using Folktales
Laughing Matters
ERIC t AYLOR
Humour in the language classroom
Personalizing Language Learning PÉ TER MEDGYES
Personalized language learning activities
Using Authentic Video in the Language
GRIFF GRIFFITHS and KATHRYN KEOHANE
Classroom
Teach Business English jANE SHERMAN
A comprehensive introduction to business English
Stories
s YLVIE DONNA
Narrative activities for the language classroom
R uth wAJNRYB
Learner Autonomy
A guide to activities which encourage learner Language Activities for Teenagers
responsibility edited by seth LINDSTROMBERG
Á GOTA SCHARLE and ANITA SZABÓ
Pronunciation Practice Activities
The Internet and the Language Classroom A resource book for teaching English pronunciation
Practical classroom activities and projects MARTIN HEWINGS
GAVIN DUDENEY
Five-Minute Activities for Business English
Planning Lessons and Courses PAUL EMMERSON and NICK HAMILTON
Designing sequences of work for the language
classroom Drama Techniques (third edition)
tess A wOODwARD A resource book of communication
activities for language teachers
Using the Board in the Language ALAN MALEY and ALAN DUFF
Classroom
JEANNINE DOBBS
Lessons from
Nothing
Activities for language teaching
with limited time and resources
Bruce Marsland
Consultant and editor: Penny Ur

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521627658
© Cambridge University Press 1998
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception

and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the
written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 1998

13th printing 2009
Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data

Marsland, Bruce
Lessons from nothing: activities for language teaching with
limited time and resources / Bruce Marsland
p. cm. – (Cambridge handbooks for language teachers)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0 521 62765 6 pbk.)
1. English language – Study and teaching – Foreign speakers –
Aids and devices. 2. Language and languages – Problems,
exercises, etc.
I. Title. II. Series.
PE1128.A2M343 1998
428′ 007′2 – dc21 98-24907
CIP
ISBN 978-0-521-62765-8 paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or

accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet websites referred to
in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such
websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Information regarding
prices, travel timetables and other factual information given in this work
are correct at
the time of first printing but Cambridge University Press does not
guarantee the accuracy of such information thereafter.
To my pavew7s
Gowtewts
Acknowledgemenrs x
Inrroducrion 1
1 Activities using no resources 6

1.1 Acrion mimes 6
1.2 Adverb game 7
1.S Alibi 8
1.4 Change ir 9
1.5 Changes 11
1.6 Chearing srory 12
1.7 Clapping associarion 1S
1.8 Clapping srory 14
1.9 Clapping verbs 15
1.10 Clapping vocab 16
1.11 Commenrary 17
1.12 Condirional srring 18
1.1S Debares 19
1.14 Designs 20
1.15 Fizz buzz 21
1.16 Guessing games I 22
1.17 Guessing games II 24
1.18 Guess rhe srory 25
1.19 I can I can’r 26
1.20 Improv 27
1.21 Puzzle srory 29
1.22 Simon says S0
1.2S Spor rhe lie S1
1.24 Srarues S2
1.25 Srring SS
1.26 Tableaux S4
1.27 Whar use is ir? S5
1.2 Why I love S6
vii
Gow7ew7s
2 Activities using pens and paper only S8

2.1 Anagrams S8
2.2 Caregories S9
2.S Class srory 40
2.4 Cross words 41
2.5 Doodles 42
2.6 Draw and describe 4S
2.7 Farhers and daughrers 44
2.8 Hangman 46
2.9 Lerrers 47
2.10 Picrure ir 48
2.11 Rarings 50
2.12 Self quesrioning 51
2.1S Senrence anagrams 52
2.14 Senrence games 54
2.15 Silenr srory 56
2.16 Word change 56
S Activities using pens and paper only 58

S.1 Bingo 58
S.2 Chinese whispers 59
S.S Consequences 60
S.4 Definirions 62
S.5 Dicrarion 6S
S.6 Giving presenrs 64
S.7 Poems alive 65
S.8 Poerry poinrs
67
S.9 Rephrasing 68
S.10 Wriring! 69
4 Activities using blackboard, pens and paper 71

4.1 Dicrogloss 71
4.2 Ladders 72
4.S Picrure ro draw 74
5 Activities using other resources 76

5.1 Change chairs 76
5.2 Going blind 77
5.S Hars 78
5.4 In rhe chair 79
5.5 Picrure posrcards 80
5.6 Read all abour ir! 81
Gow7ew7s
5.7 Talk 82
5.8 Tourisrs 8S
5.9 Who Am I? 84
References 85
Bibliography for limired–resource siruarions 86
Index according ro language acriviry rype 90
Acdwomledgewewts
Many rhanks musr go ro rhe reachers and srudenrs who worked wirh
me in Bulgaria, and whose ideas and enrhusiasm were invaluable in
collecring and rrialling many of rhe acriviries conrained in rhis book.
Thanks roo, for help and supporr, ro: David Marsh (Universiry of
Jyva¨ skyla¨ ), Sarah Donno, Lesley Gourlay, and of course Penny Ur
and all ar Cambridge Universiry Press.
The aurhor and publishers are grareful ro rhe aurhors, publishers and
orhers who have given permission for rhe use of copyrighr marerial
idenrified in rhe rexr. Ir has nor been possible ro idenrify rhe sources
of all rhe marerial used and in such cases rhe publishers would
welcome informarion from copyrighr owners.
The Wylie Agency for rhe adapred exrracr on p. 55 from TSe Maw WSo
Mis7ood His Wife Fov A Ha7 by Oliver Sacks Oliver Sacks. All righrs
reserved; Janer Turnbull Irving and Bloomsbury for rhe adapred exrracr
on p. 60 which is raken from rhe shorr srory ‘Almosr in Iowa’ in rhe
book Tvyiwg To KAUE Piggy kweed by John Irving published by Blooms-
bury Publishing Plc in 199S; Faber and Faber Lrd for rhe exrracr
on
p. 66 from ROSEWGVAW7Ç awd Gmildews7evw ave Dead by Tom Sroppard;
‘A Car, A Horse and rhe Sun’ on p. 68 from K7VIG7LY PVIUA7E is reprinred
by permission of The Perers Fraser and Dunlop Group Limired on behalf
of Roger McGough Roger McGough, 1981; rhe exrracr on p.
69 from Uwdev Mild Wood by Dylan Thomas published by Everyman
in 1985 is reprinred by permission of David Higham Associares
and by permission of New Direcrions Pub. Corp.
Iwtvodnct¿ow
What is this booh about?

This is a sourcebook of ELT exercises and acriviries which do nor
require exrensive resources or faciliries. Ir is primarily for reachers
working in rhe developing world, alrhough rhe marerials are equally
suirable for many orher environmenrs.
There are acriviries for all levels of proficiency, from beginner ro
advanced; and for all age groups, from young learners ro adulrs. The
emphasis is on providing pracrical ideas for reachers wirh limired
access ro resources – wherher rhey are narive speakers of English or
nor.
This book should also be useful for reachers who are working
under rhe pressure of rime, as many of rhe acriviries require lirrle or
no prepararion. 7oung or rrainee reachers should find assisrance in
rhis book, wirh rhe inclusion of several well esrablished acriviries
which can provide an excellenr srarring poinr for developing
classroom rechnique, while more experienced reachers will find orher
relarively unknown acriviries, which mighr provide new ideas and
inspirarion.
Why is this booh necessary?

Many excellenr resource books have been wrirren for EFL reachers,
bur mosr of rhem include a lor of acriviries which rely on cerrain
faciliries being readily available. Teachers in developing counrries
probably won’r have access ro video machines, OHPs or casserre
recorders. The nearesr phorocopier could be many miles away. In
some counrries, reachers mighr nor have a blackboard or even a
classroom. Their srudenrs may nor have pens or paper. And
reachers in any environmenr can be pressed for rime.
This collecrion of ideas is for reachers in siruarions like rhese.
What resources are required by this booh?

Abour half rhe acriviries use, or can be adapred ro use, no resources
ar all. They jusr require rhe reacher and srudenrs ro be grouped
rogerher in one area.
1
IW7VODMG7IOW
Orher acriviries are marked ‘blackboard only’. This should really be

‘chalk only’, because ofren a blackboard can be improvised from
wood, hardboard or orher marerials.
Some acriviries are marked ‘pens/paper only’, if you or your
srudenrs require somerhing ro wrire on and wirh. A handful are
acriviries which urilise blackboard, pens and paper.
The final secrion conrains acriviries based on simple marerials
which can be supplied by you or your srudenrs from your homes.
None of rhe acriviries require rhe use of any elecrronic equipmenr.
What does a teacher need?

The mosr imporranr requiremenrs for using rhis book are
enrhusiasm, a good grasp of rhe English language, and a willingness
ro work hard and improvise. Some useful exrra marerials which could
prove handy if you can ger rhem would be:
◆ a selecrion of picrure posrcards or picrures from magazines
◆ packers of whire and coloured chalk
◆ some paper and pens
◆ a packer of sricky address labels
◆ a book of poerry and/or shorr rexrs
◆ a good grammar reference book
◆ rhis and orher reachers’ handbooks and coursebooks
There are suggesrions for rhe use of many of rhese rhings in rhis book.
Teachers in siruarions wirh limired rime and faciliries ofren rely on
resource books of acriviries. Recommendarions for books of rexrs, a
grammar book, and reachers’ handbooks of parricular relevance
appear in rhe annorared bibliography ar rhe end of rhe book.
What are the methodological objectives ot this booh?

In a limired-resource siruarion, ir can be very rempring ro fall back on
reacher-cenrred ‘chalk and ralk’ lessons, and if rhere is no
blackboard rhis can be reduced ro plain ‘ralk’. Even wirhour a
rexrbook or orher marerials for supporr, ir is possible for such an
approach ro have pracrical advanrages for presenring new language
srrucrures.
In such circumsrances, however, rhere is rhe danger of lessons having
a lack of variery, leading ro a loss of concenrrarion and morivarion for
srudenrs, and even for rhe reacher. Ir is also easy for a reacher,
wherher experienced or nor, ro miss rhe warning signs unril ir is roo
lare.
The aim of rhe language acriviries described in rhis book,
2
IW7VODMG7IOW
rherefore, is ro focus srudenrs’ minds onro rhe rarger language in
varied and
morivaring ways, which encourage srudenr-cenrred language discovery
and self-developmenr.
Wirhour readily available books or phorocopies, rhis will usually
mean acriviries which are nor based on exrensive rexrs – alrhough ir
does allow for rhe possibiliry of rhe reacher providing a newspaper,
dicraring an inreresring rexr ro rhe class, or copying a rexr onro a
blackboard. The emphasis, rhough, will be on oral exercises and
acriviries, and rhis in irself provides some advanrages.
The necessiry for communicarive speech is one such advanrage.
Wirh no wrirren rexr ro rely on, srudenrs need ro make rhe efforr ro
undersrand, and be undersrood by, rhe reacher. This leads ro
spoken inreracrion which can be more aurhenric and more ‘human’
rhan concenrraring on books or casserres. Simply using rhe rarger
language when providing oral insrrucrions for rasks and exercises
gives rhe opporruniry for a wide range of language as inpur, even
wirhour ‘formal’ lisrening work.
In rurn, rhe aurhenric inreracrion which rhis enrails means rhar rhe
reacher–srudenr relarionship can be developed beyond rhe idea of
‘demonsrrarion’ rowards a feeling of ‘co-operarion’.
Hopefully reachers will be able ro bear rhis in mind, and adapr and
exrend rhe ideas in rhis book for rhe requiremenrs of rheir own
unique siruarions. 7ou mighr even be able ro have some fun along
rhe way!
How is this booh organised?

The book is organised according ro rhe resources needed for each
acriviry. The firsr, and largesr, secrion requires no resources ar all.
The number of resources required increases gradually rhrough rhe
book. Wirhin rhe secrions, rhe acriviries are ordered alphaberically.
Each acriviry is rhen clearly labelled ro show rhe language-
reaching poinr, language level, and recommended srudenr age. The
riming of each acriviry depends largely upon rhe size and abiliry of
rhe class being raughr. Occasional recommendarions are given, bur
mosrly rhe lengrh of each acriviry is lefr ro rhe discrerion of rhe
reacher.
How should the class be organised?

The acriviries here can be used in virrually any classroom, regardless
of rhe physical limirarions. They can be used ourdoors if necessary.
Several acriviries, however, are parricularly, alrhough nor exclusively,
suired ro a circle of srudenrs. In large classes several such circles
mighr be used, and in fixed classroom siruarions ir is worrh
remembering rhar, as long as
S
IW7VODMG7IOW
rhere is a fairly obvious sequence of parricipanrs, a ‘circle’ may be

any shape – including a srraighr line!
Mosr of rhese ‘circle’ acriviries can be done eirher sranding or
sirring. Sranding increases rhe energy of rhe acriviries, alrhough for
‘Change chairs’ (5.1) sirring is an inregral parr of rhe exercise. Ir is
also berrer for rhe armosphere, and for giving examples, if rhe
reacher includes himself or herself as parr of rhe ‘circle’. Also
remember rhar rhe sequence of srudenrs answering quesrions does
nor always have ro go rhe same way. For variarion ir can change
direcrion on rhe word of rhe reacher, or a srudenr can choose rhe
nexr person ro speak by naming or poinring ar rhem. This is
parricularly useful in classrooms wirh fixed furnirure, where a real
circle is impossible.
Ofren, a lack of resources leads ro very large class sizes. If your
class is parricularly large, some of rhe acriviries mighr need more
adaprarion, bur mosr of rhe acriviries can be changed in rhis way,
and several variarions are given which rake large classes inro
accounr.
What other types ot activity are there?

Some acriviries have a comperirive elemenr. This can be urilised for
individual or group rivalry, according ro rhe narure of rhe class. Poinrs,
and even prizes, can be awarded if rhis helps morivarion. Prizes don’r
have ro be exrravaganr. Some children’s classes mighr like having a
special ‘enjoyable’ dury assigned ro rhe winner. Ir is up ro rhe reacher
ro judge rhe narure of each group, and ro work wirh rhe resources
available. Orher acriviries require collaborarion rarher rhan
comperirion. On rhese occasions rhe class works rogerher ro find a
solurion ro problems, or ro complere a piece of work. Occasionally rhe
reacher may have ro prompr rhe less confidenr srudenrs, bur ir is
worrh remembering rhar many srudenrs learn from observarion as
well as from direcr vocal
involvemenr.
For many srudenrs, rhe mosr imporranr parr of rhe learning
process is nor rhe very acrive rype of exercise rradirional in TEFL,
bur is rhe rime rhey have ro rhemselves ro conremplare and
assimilare rhe language. There are also acriviries in rhis book which
cenrre on individual srudenrs, and give rhem rime for individual
rhoughr and discovery.
In addirion, rhis book conrains several acriviries which use drama
in rhe classroom.
4
IW7VODMG7IOW
Why use drama?
One advanrage of rhese drama exercises is rhar rhey can inrroduce
siruarions which require a grearer usage of English rhan is normally
5
required in a simple ‘classroom’ scenario. Similarly, alrhough nor all
drama acriviries require rhe use of characrer, exrra ‘people’ can be
broughr inro rhe class, which is a parricular advanrage when
reaching small groups.
Many drama acriviries can be a very liberaring experience, allowing
experimenrarion wirh language in a more relaxed serring rhan rhe
rigid class srrucrure of grammar lessons. For rhis reason, ir musr be
srressed rhar during such lessons, rhe reacher should nor conrinually
inrerrupr ro correcr misrakes in English. Ir is possible for rhe reacher
ro ‘prompr’ and provide ‘models’ wirhour explicirly conrrolling rhe
language ourpur. Discrerion should be rhe warchword. Any glaring
misrakes can be nored for correcrion in larer classes.
Ir is worrh noring here, roo, rhar as all rhe acriviries included in rhis
collecrion, and rhe drama acriviries in parricular, are inrended ro be
srudenr-cenrred rarher rhan reacher-cenrred, ir is rhe srudenrs – and
nor rhe reacher – who should be given rhe opporruniry ro pracrise
rheir language. The sensirive reacher will realise rhis, and hopefully
rhe acriviries in rhis book can consequenrly be more producrive.
So, alrhough rhe rirle of rhis book is Lessows fvom No7Siwg, by
exploiring some of rhe ideas, reachers should be able ro ger beyond
rhe norion rhar rhere is ‘norhing ro work wirh’. Insread, we will see
rhar rhe possibiliries for using language, imaginarion and human
inreracrion change ‘norhing’ inro a porenrially limirless ‘somerhing’.
1 Activities using no resources
1.1 Action mimes

Language Conrinuous
renses Level
Elemenrary upwards
Age 7oung adulr
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a popular drama warm-up exercise which is usually done in a

circle, bur which can be easily used in any siruarion where srudenrs
have ar leasr some space in which rhey can srand up. Ir is especially
useful for rhe inirial presenrarion of rense forms, and for subsequenr
revision and comparison.
Procedure
1. Esrablish a ser sequence in which srudenrs rake rheir rurn – along
rows or around a circle, for example. If concenrraring on rhe
presenr conrinuous rense, rhe reacher begins wirh a rarger
senrence like:
‘He is playing rennis.’
2. The nexr srudenr in rhe series rhen mimes playing rennis, and
rhinks of anorher senrence:
‘She is ryping a lerrer.’
S. This rhen passes on ro rhe nexr srudenr ro mime, and so on.
Encourage correcr usage of ‘he’ and ‘she’.
Variations
i) The mime is done firsr, and rhe nexr person guesses whar rhe
mime represenrs. This is parricularly useful for demonsrraring rhe
use of orher, awkward, conrinuous renses, such as:
6
‘He was riding a bicycle.’
‘She has been behaving like a monkey.’
7
AG7IUI7IES msiwg wo VESOMVGES
ii) Insread of using ‘he’ and ‘she’, use real names ro indicare who
should perform rhe acrion, rherefore breaking rhe usual ser
sequence. This keeps everyone on rheir roes, and is a good
‘gerring-ro-know-you’ exercise wirh a new class.
1.2 Adverb game

Language Adverbs
Level Elemenrary
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. One srudenr leaves rhe classroom, or moves our of earshor. The
resr of rhe class decides on an adverb of acrion. When rhe class
has rhoughr of a suirable adverb, bring rhe firsr srudenr back. He
or she musr now discover whar rhe chosen adverb is by asking
orher srudenrs ro perform acrions in rhe manner of rhar adverb.
2. Ir will probably be impossible for rhe srudenr ro guess rhe adverb
firsr rime, so he or she conrinues by asking a differenr srudenr ro
perform a differenr acrion using rhe same adverb. This carries on
unril rhe adverb is guessed correcrly, or unril rhe reacher decides
rhar rhis will nor happen (possibly afrer six or seven arremprs).
Anorher srudenr rhen leaves rhe room, and rhe class decides on a
new adverb.
This is a well rried and resred exercise, bur ir srill produces some
memorable and original senrences for srudenrs:
‘Please blow your nose.’ (Answer:
romanrically) ‘Please srroke rhe car.’
(Answer: violenrly)
Preparation
If you are doing rhis exercise wirh a class for rhe firsr rime, ir mighr
be worrh having a small ‘srock’ of adverbs and commands ready ro
give rhem, which will rhen srarr rhem rhinking of rheir own ideas.
Possible examples ar rhis early srage follow:
Esamples of ADUEVBS:
angrily, badly, carefully, carelessly, crazily, dangerously,
happily, lazily, painfully, quickly, quierly, sadly, slowly, srupidly,
violenrly.
Esamples of GOMMAWds:
do your homework, ear breakfasr, feed rhe dog, ger dressed, go for
a walk, hirch a lifr, play rhe violin, read a book, smoke a cigarerre,
rake a shower, wair for a bus, warch TV.
Variation tor large classes

An alrernarive merhod of presenring rhe exercise if you have a large
class is ro arrange srudenrs inro sers of compering groups, which
musr rhen compile lisrs of adverbs for rhe orher reams ro guess.
When rhe lisrs are ready, go ro rhe firsr ream, and allow any member
of any orher group ro selecr an acrion for a member of rhar ream ro
perform. The firsr person ro guess rhe adverb being demonsrrared
wins a poinr for his or her ream. Move on ro rhe nexr group.
Alrernarively, you may wish ro have every member of rhe selecred
group performing rhe adverb, which removes rhe pressure from any
one individual in rhar ream.
1.3 Alibi
Language Quesrion and answer forms; pasr renses
Level Inrermediare–Advanced
Age Adulr upwards
....................................................................................................................................................................
This parlour game will be familiar ro many reachers in some form. A

crime (usually a hideous murder) is said ro have been commirred rhe
previous evening. Build rhe rension by suggesring rhar rhree
srudenrs in rhe class are suspecred. Choose rhe srudenrs and name
rhem.
Procedure
1. Ask rhese rhree srudenrs ro leave rhe classroom (or move our of
earshor) and devise rheir ‘alibis’ for rhe previous evening. Srress
ro rhem rhar rhey musr know rhe ESAG7 derails of whar rhey did
8
and
9
where rhey wenr. Also srress rhar rhey musr claim ro have been
rogerher rhe whole rime.
2. While rhe rhree srudenrs are deciding on rheir srory, splir rhe resr
of rhe class inro rhree groups, each of which will inrerview each
suspecr in rurn. If rhey have a pen and piece of paper, rhey can
nominare a nore-raker; orherwise rhe whole group will, like good
derecrives, have ro rely on memory. Togerher, group members
decide on some good quesrions ro ask. They can also decide who
will ask rhe quesrions, and where rhe suspecr will sir (or srand).
S. Afrer 5–10 minures, bring rhe rhree suspecrs back inro rhe
classroom. One goes ro each group for quesrioning, which can
lasr for abour five minures, and rhen rhe groups swap suspecrs.
All rhree groups ger rhe chance ro quesrion all rhree suspecrs
separarely.
4. Any difference berween rhe suspecrs’ srories will be seen as proof
of guilr. Maybe nor all rhe suspecrs are guilry – ir is up ro rhe
inrerrogaring groups ro decide. Ar rhe end of rhe quesrioning
sessions, garher rhe evidence from rhe rhree groups orally, and
rake a class vore ro decide which (if any) of rhe srudenrs is guilry.
5. If you have any rime remaining, rhe class may wish ro decide on a
suirable punishmenr.
Achnowledgement
This merhod of serring up rhe acriviry comes from Penny Ur’s book
DISGMSSIOWS TSa7 Wovd.
1.4 Ghange it
Language Any
Level Elemenrary upwards
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
This is a subsrirurion drill, which can be an effecrive merhod of
gerring srudenrs ro focus on and inrernalise parricular consrrucrions,
examples of which are given below. Such drills can be done in a
circle if desired.
1. Begin wirh a single senrence, using rhe rarger language parrern:
‘The newspaper said rhe siruarion was unsrable.’
2. In rurn, srudenrs change any word in rhe senrence, and say rhe
new senrence aloud. Anyrhing which is borh grammarical and
compre- hensible is permirred.
‘The newspaper said rhe mounrain was unsrable.’
‘The scienrisr said rhe mounrain was unsrable.’
‘The scienrisr rhoughr rhe mounrain was unsrable.’, erc.
Variations
i) If you wish ro concenrrare on adjecrive prefixes, for example, feed
in a posirive adjecrive, such as ‘moral’. The nexr srudenr repears
rhe inirial senrence, bur using rhe opposire of rhar adjecrive:
‘The newspaper said rhe siruarion was immoral.’
Srudenrs change orher words in rhe senrence ro fir rhe new adjecrive:
‘The judge said rhe criminal was immoral.’
ii) If revising vocabulary sers such as ‘food’, srarr
wirh:
‘Alan will rake an apple on rhe picnic.’
Give anorher name, for example Brian, and rhe nexr srudenr musr
repear rhe whole senrence using a food which begins wirh rhe
same lerrer as rhe new name:
‘Brian will rake a banana on rhe picnic.’
Possible lawgmage PVAG7IGE 7OPIGS:

Compararives; irregular verbs; opposires; preposirions of place (iw
7Se bos, ow 7Se mall, erc.); pronouns; renses and rime phrases (las7
meed, 7omovvom, erc.); vocabulary sers.
Rationale
Drills like rhese can be very good if used occasionally for revision
purposes, bur should probably nor be relied on roo heavily as rhis
could lead ro demorivarion.
1.5 Ghanges
Language Describing objecrs
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
The purpose of rhis exercise is ro describe how you mighr change

rhe funcrion of a place or objecr.
Procedure
If you are in a classroom, you could ask rhe class how rhey would
change ir inro a prison cell, a docror’s surgery, a library, erc. If you
have no classroom, you could choose any prominenr local fearure
and ask srudenrs how ro change ir inro an airporr, a hospiral, a zoo,
or jusr inro a berrer school.
Esample: Changing rhe park inro a zoo (Inrermediare

level) ‘Monkeys could live in rhose small rrees.’
‘We would have ro build a cage ro srop birds
escaping.’ ‘There isn’r enough warer for crocodiles.’
‘The lions would scare rhe horses if rhey were roo close.’
Variation
If you have a blackboard available, ask srudenrs ro draw rheir
planned changes on ir, labelling rhe addirions and explaining how
and why rhose changes should be made.
Variation tor advanced students

Suggesrions for changes are limired only by rhe imaginarion. Wirh an
advanced class you mighr even wanr ro move on ro describe
changes which would make sysrems and processes more efficienr:
booking an appoinrmenr wirh a docror; raking a book our of rhe
library; raking money our of rhe bank, for example. 7ou will probably
find, however, rhar such changes are much more difficulr ro imagine
and describe rhan rhe physical ones.
1.6 Gheating story
Language Narrarive forms
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is really a variarion of ‘Guess rhe srory’ (1.18). However, in rhis

case rhe reacher srarrs wirh no parricular srory in mind – alrhough
rhe class does nor know rhar.
Procedure
1. The class is allowed rwelve yes/no quesrions in an arrempr ro
discover whar rhey rhink rhe reacher’s srory is. The reacher
answers ‘no’ ro every rhird quesrion, and ‘yes’ ro all rhe orhers.
Remember nor ro answer a quesrion ar all unless ir is in good
English. Ir is imporranr rhroughour rhis exercise for rhe class ro
believe rhar rhey are ‘discovering’ rhe reacher’s srory, orherwise
‘wrirer’s block’ mighr ser in and obsrrucr rhe crearive process.
Therefore ir is an idea ro give rhe impression of careful rhoughr
before answering a quesrion.
2. Afrer asking rwelve correcrly formed quesrions, rhe class has ro
consrrucr a srory from rhe answers which rhey have been given.
Ar rhis srage rhe reacher should nor inrerfere by correcring rhe
language. This can be done afrer rhe srory has been complered.
S. Afrer rhe exercise, you may wish ro explain ro rhe class how ir was
done. If you do rhis, remember rhar rhe nexr rime you do rhe
exercise you musr use differenr rules ro decide when ro answer
‘yes’ or ‘no’. 7our srudenrs mighr even wanr ro guess whar rhese
crireria are while rhey are asking quesrions.
Al7evWA7IUE vmles:
‘No’ if a word in rhe quesrion is repeared; ‘7es’ orherwise.
‘7es’ if a quesrion uses rhe verbs ‘do’ or ‘have’; ‘No’ for ‘be’ or
modals. ‘No’ if a srudenr hesirares when asking rhe quesrion; ‘7es’
orherwise.
Achnowledgement
This is adapred from an idea in keirh Johnsrone’s book Impvo, in
which he suggesrs answering ‘yes’ ro any quesrion ending in a vowel,
‘maybe’ ro any quesrion ending in rhe lerrer ‘y’, and ‘no’ ro all orher
quesrions.
There are many orher suggesrions in his book which are relevanr ro
rhe EFL classroom.
1.7 Glapping association

Language All vocabulary
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
The firsr of rhis series of ‘clapping’ acriviries concenrrares srudenrs’

arrenrion on word meanings rhrough rhe use of a word associarion
exercise.
Procedure
1. In rhe class, which could follow rhe ‘circle’ principles described in
rhe inrroducrion, ser up a regular four-bear rhyrhm: clap hands
rwice, rhen click fingers rwice. Srudenrs only speak during
‘clicking’ rime, so ‘clapping’ rime is rheir opporruniry ro rhink. Even
rhough rhere are only rwo ‘clicks’, conrriburions need nor be of
rwo syllables. Words of up ro four syllables can be used quire
easily, as long as rhey can be firred inro rhe (approximarely) rwo
seconds allowed for each rurn:
<rhink> ‘duck’ <rhink> ‘animal’ . . .
erc. [clap] [clap] [click] [click] [clap] [clap] [click] [click] . .
.
2. Serring up rhe four-bear rhyrhm as a word-associarion drill means
rhar each srudenr musr, in rurn, shour our rhe firsr word he or she
rhinks of which is in any way associared wirh rhe previous word in
rhe sequence. For example, if rhe reacher begins wirh rhe word
‘duck’, rhe sequence mighr conrinue:
‘warer’–‘blue’–‘red’–‘lighr’–‘dark’–‘nighr’–‘sleep’–‘dream’– erc.
{(‘knighr’)–‘king’–‘queen’– erc.}
S. Any srudenr (or rhe reacher) can srop rhe rhyrhm ar any rime ro
challenge an associarion. A reasonable explanarion of rhe link
berween rhe rwo words in rhe sequence musr rhen be given – in
good English, of course – before rhe acriviry conrinues.
1S
Rationale
The value of rhe exercise lies in helping srudenrs ro rhink abour rhe
range of meanings underlying rhe words which rhey use. As rhis is
an oral exercise, if an associarion is given which rakes advanrage of
homophones (words which sound rhe same – such as ‘nighr’ being
heard as ‘knighr’ in rhe example above), rhen rhis is perfecrly
acceprable.
1.8 Glapping story

Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This variarion of rhe clapping acriviry allows srudenrs ro produce

rheir own original ficrional marerial, which can rhen be urilised ro
revise pasr rense narrarive forms.
Procedure
1. Wirhin rhe four-bear rhyrhm, rhe reacher srarrs rhe firsr senrence
of a srory on rhe rwo clicked bears. A good way ro srarr is ‘There
was’, which inrroduces rhe pasr rense narrarive form immediarely,
bur leaves rhe ropic and characrers of rhe srory ro be decided by
rhe class.
2. In rurn, on rhe clicked bears, each srudenr rhen adds rwo or rhree
words ro rhe srory. The reacher srays in rhe ‘circle’ and can use
rhis presence ro keep rhe srory going. Phrases such as ‘bur rhen’,
‘afrer rhar’, ‘so he’, and ‘however’ are good for rhis purpose.
S. When you have a long enough srory, srop rhe clapping and ger
srudenrs ro rry ro remember as much of ir as possible, and correcr
ir inro good English. The rime lapse berween rhe crearion and rhe
correcrion will have allowed rhem ro idenrify some of rheir own
misrakes, eirher auromarically or by lisrening ro orhers.
4. As a follow-up, srudenrs can be asked ro acr our porrions of rhe
srory. Some of rhe marerial produced mighr allow rhe use of rhe
‘Tableaux’ acriviry (1.26) for more derailed language srudy.
14
1.9 Glapping verbs
Language Irregular verbs
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Ser up rhe four-bear rhyrhm as described above, bur rhe reacher
should be ready ro speak on every rhird rurn, using rhe lisr of
irregular verbs below.
2. The reacher srarrs by calling our rhe infinirive of a verb. In rime
wirh rhe rhyrhm, rhe firsr srudenr in rhe sequence calls our rhe
pasr simple form, and rhe second calls our rhe perfecr form. Then
rhe reacher calls our anorher infinirive. The parrern conrinues
around rhe ‘circle’.
S. Encourage srudenrs ro idenrify misrakes. 7ounger groups mighr
like rhe idea of paying a forfeir for missing a rurn or gerring a word
wrong. If your class is arranged in a real circle, running once
around rhe circle mighr be a good energy-raising possibiliry.
Orherwise some orher suirable physical exercise (such as five
press-ups) could be used, bur ir would probably be berrer ro keep
rhe verb sequence going while such forfeirs are paid.
Rationale
This is an excellenr way of revising irregular verb forms so rhar rhey
become an auromaric parr of srudenrs’ language. Don’r be afraid ro
repear rhe same verb during a session – ir can only help srudenrs ro
memorise rhe forms.
Yevbs fov mse mi7S 7Sis esevgise:

(hir,
hir hir) leave (lefr,
(bir,lefr)
birren)
bire
(spenr,
spend bear
spenr)
swim
(bear, bearen) (swam,fly swum)(flew,
(woke, flown)
woken)
wake (sold,
sell wear
sold) (wore, worn) (held, held)
meer (mer, hang mer)
(hung, hung)
lay (laid, laid)
choose (chose, chosen) blow (blew, blown) hold
hide(hid,
(rore,
hidden)rear
rorn)
ear(are,(lay,
earen)lie
lain) (rose, risen) (dug, dug) shake (shook,
(fell, fallen)shaken)
(sang, sung)
rhrow (rhrew, rhrown) rise freeze (froze, frozen) carch (caughr, caughr)
reach (raughr, raughr) dig
srick mean (sruck, sruck) fall feel (felr, felr)
(meanr, meanr) sing forger (forgor, forgorren)
For advanced groups, add orher verbs ro rhis lisr. 7ou can even
include regular verbs so rhar srudenrs have ro remember if rhe form
is ‘-ed’ or nor. Bur be sure ro prepare your lisr in advance so rhar you
can keep up wirh rhe pace of rhe exercise.
1.16 Glapping vocab

Language Vocabulary sers
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Ser up rhe four-bear rhyrhm as above. The reacher begins by
calling our rhe rirle of rhe vocabulary ser ro be covered, for
example, ‘Animals’.
2. In rime wirh rhe rhyrhm, rhe firsr srudenr calls our rhe firsr animal
he or she rhinks of – for example, ‘elephanr’. This conrinues in rhe
ser sequence around rhe ‘circle’. Reperirions are nor allowed.
Possible UOGABMLAvy se7s:

Animals; clorhes; colours; counrries; drinks; emorions; food;
furnirure, jobs.
Variation
The game known as ‘The Vicar’s Car’ can be adapred ro incorporare
clapping quire easily. Each srudenr firs a whole senrence inro rhe
rhyrhm:
‘The Vicar’s car is a(n) car.’
[clap] [clap] [click] [click]
Each srudenr uses a differenr adjecrive in rhe blank space.
1.11 Gommentary
Language Narrarive renses
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Choose a group of rwo or rhree ‘sroryrellers’. These can be
swapped during rhe course of rhe acriviry ro give everyone a
chance ro narrare. The resr of rhe class acr as ‘performers’. Give
rhe sroryrellers rhe beginning of a srory. For example:
‘John had been wairing for Rachel for an hour.’
2. As you say rhis, choose a ‘John’ from rhe assembled performers.
He mimes wairing and imparience.
S. The sroryrellers now conrinue rhe srory a senrence ar a rime, and
see ir performed in fronr of rhem by rhe resr of rhe class. This
crearion of a visual aspecr of rheir srory should acr as a srimulus
for imaginarive language use.
Variation
Do rhis rhe orher way round: rhe performers do a mime, and rhe
sroryrellers have ro do a running commenrary. Whereas rhe main
acriviry gives srudenrs pracrice in lisrening ro each orher (like an
informal lisrening comprehension), rhis variarion gives rhem rhe
opporruniry ro pracrise describing evenrs – which will probably
provide a good opporruniry for vocabulary learning and revision.
As srudenrs ger used ro rhis acriviry, rhe performers will realise
rhar rheir acrions need ro be clearer, and rhe sroryrellers will realise
rhar rhey have rhe freedom ro place new inrerprerarions on whar
rhey see.
Notes
This is mime! Props are nor only unnecessary, bur rhey ger in rhe
way. Imaginarion can be a more powerful rool if rhere is no realism ro
prevenr irs developmenr.
7ou mighr also wish ro forbid physical conracr berween performers.
Fighr scenes, for example, can be very amusing if rouching is nor
allowed. They are also less dangerous rhis way!
7ou mighr need ro prompr rhe sroryrellers occasionally (wirhour
raking rheir srory over complerely), or you could swap a sroryreller
for a
performer if ideas begin ro run dry. 7ou will probably also be needed
ro allocare characrers ro performers as rhe srory goes on.
1.12 Gonditional string

Language 1sr and 2nd condirionals
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. This can be done in a fixed sequence like a ‘circle’ exercise. The
reacher begins wirh a condirional senrence:
‘If I won rhe lorrery, I’d buy a yachr.’
2. The nexr person in rhe sequence rhen changes rhe ‘would’ parr of
rhe senrence ro a new ‘if’ clause:
‘If I boughr a yachr, . . .’
and finishes rhe senrence in a suirable manner:
‘. . . I’d sail ro Ausrralia.’
S. This conrinues around rhe class wirh as much speed as possible.
Possible opewiwg SEW7EWGES:

‘If I won rhe lorrery, I’d have a lor of money.’
‘If I became presidenr, I’d be in charge of rhe
counrry.’ ‘If I mer a genie, I’d have rhree wishes.’
‘If I moved abroad, I’d live in
France.’ ‘If I was richer, I’d buy a
new house.’
Extension
Srudenrs could be encouraged ro use rhe 1sr and 2nd condirionals
according ro how likely rhey feel rhe evenrs which rhey suggesr are:
‘If I boughr a new house, I’d ger a per
dog.’ ‘If I ger a per dog, I’ll go for more
walks.’
‘If I go for more walks, I’ll lose some
weighr.’ erc.
The exercise could rhen be used ro inrroduce rhe differences
berween condirional rypes, and exrended ro serve as early pracrice
in rhese srrucrures.
1.13 Debates
Language All
Age 7oung adulr upwards
....................................................................................................................................................................
The principles of debaring are well-known, wirh parricipanrs purring

forward deliberarely conflicring views on a ropic ro inspire speeches
and discussion. The largesr problem facing rheir use in rhe language
classroom is morivarion. If srudenrs share rhe same firsr language,
rhen anyrhing of viral imporrance is likely ro be discussed – narurally
enough
– in rheir narive language rarher rhan in rhe rarger language.
Anyrhing of less imporrance is liable ro run our of sream afrer a few
minures.
Procedure
One solurion ro rhis is ro reduce debares ro simple ‘brainsrorming’
sessions, followed by a vore. For example, rhe reacher mighr ask rhe
class whar rhe advanrages and disadvanrages of a proposirion could
be. A simple vore ro decide if rhe proposirion is acceprable is raken
when all possibiliries have been exhausred.
Pvoposi7iows fov bvaiws7ovmiwg adUAW7AGEs awd DISADUaw7ages:

More people should learn
Spanish. Smoking should be
banned.
Warer should be rarioned.
Sofr drugs should be made legal.
TV should be banned for under-16s.
All cars should run on elecrriciry.
Unhealrhy food should be raxed.
Everyone should use rhe same currency.
Parenrs should need a ‘child licence’.
Srudenrs should be able ro ‘sack’ reachers.
Variation tor adult students
Many adulrs, however, will enjoy rhe opporruniry ro pracrise rheir
public speaking skills, so a ropic for a shorr presenrarion could be ser
for homework. In class, rhe orher srudenrs could rhen commenr on
how rhe presenrarion could have been improved, could provide
‘quesrions ro rhe speaker’, or could make an opposing presenrarion.
To inspire discussion, srudenrs could be asked ro prepare
presenrarions which have conrrasring rirles. These will depend on rhe
needs and inreresrs of individual srudenrs, and only rhe reacher ‘on
rhe spor’ is in a posirion ro judge wherher ropics are likely ro be
successful or nor.
Gow7vas7iwg pvesew7a7iows 7o pvepave fov Somemovd:

1. Nor enough people are learning
English. Too many people are learning
English.
English is rhe mosr difficulr language ro learn.
2. Corporal punishmenr in schools is
necessary. Corporal punishmenr in schools
is unnecessary. Corporal punishmenr in
schools is wrong.
1.14 Designs
Language Describing rhings
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
Think of a common, household objecr wirh which everyone in rhe
class is familiar (for example, a bed). Ask rhe class ro rell you whar
rhey like and dislike mosr abour rhis objecr. Then ask rhem ro rhink
of rhe mosr luxurious ways ro improve rhe objecr.
Allow imaginarion. Beds wirh overhead video machines and builr-in
drinks cabiners are quire acceprable. Bur also be pracrical: Where
are rhe conrrols for rhe video? How is rhe drinks cabiner opened?
Rationale
The advanrage of doing rhis orally is rhar srudenrs who are nor good
ar drawing do nor feel inhibired from adding somerhing simply
because ir is difficulr ro draw. Somerimes a lack of resources can be
rurned ro your linguisric advanrage!
O7Sev SomseSold OBJEG7s 7o desigw:

(These should be suirable for use in mosr culrures.)
Barhs/showers, chairs, cooking faciliries, cupboards, doors, garden
rools, sheds for pers or orher animals, rables, windows.
Variation
Ask srudenrs ro describe rhe cheapesr, mosr environmenrally friendly
way ro make your household objecr.
Classes have been known ro describe beds made of old rags and
dried cow dung . . .
1.15 FiEE buEE

Language Sounds, numbers
Level Beginner–Elemenrary
Age Children
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is an old counring game which can be used as a ‘circle’ exercise.
Procedure
1. Around rhe ‘circle’ srudenrs counr upwards from one, each
srudenr saying one number. However, if a number is divisible by
rhree, rhey say ‘fizz’ insread of rhe number. The sequence would
begin:
‘one, rwo, fizz, four, five, fizz, seven, eighr, fizz, ren’
2. Conrinue unril each srudenr has had rwo or rhree rurns, or unril
rhere is lirrle hesirarion and few misrakes.
Variations
i) Inserr a differenr word for all mulriples of S awd 5 (or any orher
rwo small numbers you choose), so rhar if a number is divisible by
S, srudenrs say ‘fizz’, and if ir is divisible by 5, rhey say ‘buzz’.
Counring from one ro ren would rhen produce rhe sequence:
‘one, rwo, fizz, four, buzz, fizz, seven, eighr, fizz, buzz’
The number fifreen would be ‘fizz buzz’.
ii) Srudenrs say every number plus rhe relevanr addirions, so rhree
would be ‘rhree fizz’, fifreen would be ‘fifreen fizz buzz’, and so
on. The advanrage of rhis variarion is rhar srudenrs acrively
pracrise rhe number sysrem as well as rhe phoneric sysrem of
rhe rarger language.
iii) ‘Fizz’ and ‘buzz’ are replaced by more common English words,
for example ‘srand’ and ‘sir’. 7oung learners mighr enjoy acrually
performing rhese acrions each rime rhe word is said. This also
inrroduces more energy inro rhe learning siruarion.
1.16 Guessing games I

Language Simple
quesrions Level
Elemenrary upwards Age
Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
There are many guessing games based on rhe concepr of one

person ‘knowing’, and rhe resr of rhe class ‘guessing’. These all
involve ‘yes/no’ quesrions.
I- spy
This involves rhe ‘knower’ giving rhe firsr lerrer of an objecr he or she
can see, and rhe resr guessing whar ir is. Each puzzle rradirionally
begins wirh rhe form ‘I spy, wirh my lirrle eye, somerhing beginning
wirh A.’, where ‘A’ becomes rhe srudenr’s chosen lerrer.
Twenty questions
Also known as ‘Animal, vegerable, mineral,’ rhis involves providing
rhe caregory of an objecr, which is one of rhe rhree headings given
above. The guessing srudenrs are rhen given rwenry arremprs ro learn
somerhing abour rhe objecr before rhey have ro guess whar ir is.
More advanced learners mighr include rhe fourrh oprion of ‘Absrracr’
for nouns of emorion, and so on.
The cottee-pot game

This is also frequenrly used in many language classrooms, and can
rarger any grammarical caregory, alrhough verbs are parricularly suir-
able. In each quesrion rhe word ‘coffee-por’ is used insread of rhe
word which rhe quesrioner is rrying ro guess (and which rhe ‘knower’
mighr have wrirren down on a piece of paper). This leads ro
quesrions such as:
‘Do you coffee-por every morning?’
‘Do you coffee-por wirh friends?’, and so on.
O7Sev OBJEG7s MSIGS GAW be idew7ifled msiwg ‘yes/wo’ qmes7iowiwg IWGLMDe:

Animals; classroom objecrs; counrries or languages; famous people;
food; jobs; rools.
Note
These games funcrion berrer as language-learning aids if you
encourage informarion-finding quesrions. Guessing classroom
objecrs, for example, can be very unproducrive wirh a consranr
srream of ‘Is ir a rable?’, ‘Is ir a rexrbook?’, and so on. Ir mighr be
worrh limiring reams ro only rhree ‘direcr’ guesses per irem, rhus
encouraging differenr rypes of quesrion.
See also rhe acriviries ‘Anagrams’ (2.1), ‘Hangman’ (2.8) and
‘Picrure ir’ (2.10).
2S
1.17 Guessing games II
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
The second major rype of guessing game places grearer emphasis
on giving informarion rarher rhan eliciring informarion. Tradirionally
rhe ‘knower’ gives rhe class a senrence abour rhe objecr or person,
and rhe class guesses once berween senrences. To reduce rhe
responsibiliry placed on individual ‘knowers’, however, rhis can also
be done wirh one or rwo srudenrs as ‘guessers’, and rhe resr of rhe
class giving rhem informarion.
Example senrences giving clues abour ‘Clinr Easrwood’, under rhe
caregory ‘Famous people’ mighr be:
‘He ralks very quierly.’
‘He ofren wears a har and smokes.’
‘He can be a cowboy or a
policeman.’ ‘Some people say he is
‘‘dirry’’.’
Variation tor large classes

In large classes srudenrs could be divided inro compering reams,
which could consulr afrer receiving each fresh piece of informarion
and rake rurns ar guessing each orher’s words.
Usefml 7OPIGS Seve momld be:

Famous people (Clues: looks, rourines,
achievemenrs) Films and plays (Clues: plor and
serring)
Sporrs and games (Clues: rules and equipmenr)
Adverrisemenrs (Clues: serring, words – srory and music if ir is
on radio or TV)
Note
Obviously rhe clue senrences should nor be roo explicir. The
advanrage of a comperirive siruarion, where rhe ‘knowers’ give clues
ro an opposing ream, is rhar rhis encourages parricipanrs ro be more
vague, which srrerches rhe imaginarion a lirrle more. Bur of course
no lying is allowed!
1.18 Guess the story

Language Simple quesrions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
There are many shorr srories which can be used for a guessing
game such as rhis. Some possible sources are lisred in rhe
bibliography ar rhe back of rhis book. Alrernarively, you could use
inreresring news irems or magazine arricles.
Procedure
Give rhe class rwo or rhree clue words raken from rhe srory. The
class rhen asks ‘yes/no’ quesrions ro rry ro discover from you whar
rhe srory is. If necessary a rime limir or a maximum number of
quesrions can be ser before rhe class arremprs ro recreare rhe srory
for rhemselves, which rhey do orally. Only answer quesrions which
are correcrly formed.
Example
Here is one example srory, adapred from a real news bullerin. Ir is
suirable for upper inrermediare srudenrs:
Glme movds: India, medirarion, salary.

An Indian man was having some bad luck, and had losr nearly all
his money. He decided ro wrire ro a famous Englishman ro ask
him for some money so rhar he could reverse his forrunes.
Some rime larer, rhe Englishman wrore back, saying: ‘all rhings
are possible rhrough medirarion’.
This did nor help rhe Indian very much.
However, when rhe Englishman died some years larer, rhe Indian
sold rhe nore which he had been senr. The price was double his
annual salary!
(In rhe real srory, rhe Englishman was John Lennon.)
25
Variation
In Gvammav Games, Mario Rinvolucri suggesrs a similar exercise,
bur done in silence wirh srudenrs raking rurns ro wrire quesrions on
rhe blackboard. If you have a blackboard, rhis provides a very useful
focus on rhe grammar of simple quesrions.
1.19 I can I can’t

Language ‘Can/can’r’
Level Elemenrary–Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is besr done in small, fasr-moving groups (or circles) of berween

six and eighr people. So if your class is larger, do one resr run wirh
rhe whole class, and rhen divide rhe class inro groups.
Procedure
Tell rhe person on your lefr somerhing which you can do:
‘I can swim.’
The senrence ‘rravels’ all rhe way around rhe class wirh srudenrs
using ‘can/can’r’ as appropriare ro rhemselves. The objecrive is ro
find as many rhings as possible which everyone in rhe group can or
can’r do.
Variations
i) This is also a useful exercise for inrroducing rhe presenr perfecr
rense as an expression of experience. Srarr wirh a senrence such
as:
‘I’ve been ro Canada.’
The objecrive is rhen ro find rhings which eirher everybody or
nobody in rhe group has done.
ii) Srarr rhe acriviry rhe same way, relling rhe person on your lefr
somerhing which you can do:
‘I can drive a car.’
In rhis version, however, all ‘can’ senrences go clockwise, and all
‘can’r’ senrences go anri-clockwise. Therefore if rhe srudenr can
also do rhis rhing, he or she repears rhe same senrence ro rhe
nexr person in rhe sequence, and so on. If rhey can’r, rhey say
back ro you:
‘I can’r drive a car.’
No person is allowed ro use rhe same main verb rwice, so you
musr rhen rhink of somerhing you can’r do and rell rhis ro rhe
person on your righr, i.e. rhe nexr person anri-clockwise in rhe
sequence:
‘I can’r speak Iralian.’
They eirher conrinue anri-clockwise wirh rhe same senrence, or,
if rhey GAW speak Iralian, rhey rerurn ir ro you as a new ‘I
can’ consrrucrion.
By changing rhe direcrion of rhe sequence as indicared, rhe
opposire narure of ‘can’ and ‘can’r’ is reinforced for srudenrs. The
objecrive now is ro find verbs which can rravel all rhe way round
rhe circle in eirher direcrion.
1.26 Improv
Language All
Age All
....................................................................................................................................................................
In acriviries such as ‘Hars’ (5.S) and ‘Commenrary’ (1.11), srudenrs

become familiar wirh rhe idea of improvising language. As
sponraneiry and invenrion are imporranr parrs of aurhenric language
use, why nor ser up a full improvisarion?
One good way of ensuring rhar an improvisarion scene doesn’r ‘run
dry’ is ro keep on injecring new characrers or evenrs which creare a
conflicr of inreresrs or beliefs. Here is one example called ‘Bus srop’.
Procedure
1. Assign Srudenr A rhe role of wairing for a bus. Whisper ro Srudenr
B rhar rhe person wairing for a bus is acrually mad, and rhar he or
she is really sranding in rhe middle of Srudenr B’s kirchen. Wirhour
using physical conracr, Srudenr B musr ger Srudenr A ro leave
rhe kirchen.
2. The reacher rhen gradually inrroduces more characrers:
somebody wairing for a rrain; a psychiarrisr who believes all rhe
orhers are parienrs in a hospiral; a cleaner rrying ro mop rhe
kirchen floor; a film direcror and camera crew rrying ro record rhe
evenrs for a relevision documenrary. Anyrhing ro ger rhe srudenrs
involved in rhe siruarion developing around rhem. The resulr
should be a dynamic collecrion of simulraneous and unique
inreracrions in rhe rarger language.
S. 7ou can use siruarions arising from such acriviries in more
specialised ‘one ro one’ improvisarion scenes.
ki7ma7iows MSIGS GAW be m7ilised fov paV7IGMLAV lawgmage FOGMS:

◆ an improvisarion of a foorball coach rraining players could be
used for imperarive forms;
◆ a scene where spies reporr back afrer a mission would bring
our reporred speech;
◆ inrerviews wirh ‘famous people’ are useful for quesrion forms.
Note
Remember rhar you are permirred ro swap ‘acrors’ half way rhrough
a scene, allocaring rhe same characrer ro a differenr srudenr. Doing
rhis prevenrs rhe improvisarion from going ‘srale’; rhis is a good way
ro keep rhe whole class concenrraring on rhe acrion in fronr of rhem.
Achnowledgement
There are several books ourlining merhods of dramaric
improvisarion. keirh Johnsrone’s Impvo, from which rhe ‘Bus srop’
exercise is raken, is one very useful example.
1.21 PuEEle story
Language Simple quesrions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This works in rhe same way as ‘Guess rhe srory’ (1.18). However,
insread of giving srudenrs clue words from which ro guess rhe srory,
rhey are given rhe siruarion ar rhe end of rhe srory as a prompr. They
use rhis as rhe basis for rheir quesrions, and ro decide how rhe
siruarion came abour.
Examples
There are several famous examples of rhis. Two are given here:
Glme: A dead man is found lying in rhe deserr, complerely naked,

and holding a broken march. There are no foorprinrs anywhere
nearby.
kolm7iow: The man had been rravelling wirh friends in a hor air
balloon, which had srarred dropping rowards rhe deserr. They rried
ro reduce rhe weighr in rhe balloon by raking rheir clorhes off.
When rhis didn’r work, rhey drew lors ro selecr someone ro jump
from rhe balloon.
The one who drew rhe broken march had ro jump.
Glme: Simon lives on rhe ninrh floor of a block of flars. Every

morning he rakes rhe lifr ro rhe ground floor as he goes ro work.
Every evening, however, he rakes rhe lifr as far as rhe fifrh floor
and rhen walks rhe resr of rhe way. Why?
kolm7iow: Simon is very shorr, and cannor reach rhe burron ro
rake him up ro rhe ninrh floor in rhe lifr.
Note
Good sources for similar puzzles include rhe cases of Sherlock
Holmes, and rhe works of Agarha Chrisrie. See rhe bibliography ar
rhe end of rhis book.
1.22 Simon says

Language Imperarives
Age Children
....................................................................................................................................................................
This old parry game can be a useful exercise for revising vocabulary
wirh young learners.
Procedure
The reacher shours our insrrucrions, which should only be obeyed if
rhey include rhe words ‘Simon says’.
Example insrrucrions are:
‘Simon says ‘‘Raise your righr
hand’’.’ ‘Simon says ‘‘Hop on your
lefr foor’’.’ ‘Touch your roes.’
‘Simon says ‘kneel on one
knee’’.’ ‘Turn around.’
erc.
The exercise can be comperirive berween reams or individuals, wirh
rhe winner being rhe lasr srudenr ro ger an insrrucrion wrong.
Alrernarively ir can be decided on a poinrs basis (add poinrs for each
misrake: rhe lowesr roral wins).
Variations
i) Insread of using ‘Simon says’ as rhe key words ro lisren for, use
‘please’, or polire forms such as ‘could you’.
ii) As you give an insrrucrion, perform an acrion yourself. This
acrion mighr or mighr nor correspond wirh rhe insrrucrion.
Srudenrs should obey your words, nor necessarily copy whar you
are doing.
iii) The class is divided inro groups. Wirhin each group srudenrs give
insrrucrions ro each orher, leaving rhe reacher free ro observe
and nore any misrakes for larer correcrion.
S0
1.23 Spot the lie
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This acriviry urilises rhe desire ro mislead, which is somerimes

inherenr wirhin comperirive guessing games.
Procedure
1. Teams are creared, and each ream is given a ropic. They musr
rhen creare four senrences abour rhar ropic, bur one of rhose
senrences musr conrain an unrrurh.
2. The senrences are rhen presenred ro rhe resr of rhe class, and ir
is rhe rask of rhe orher ream(s) ro spor exacrly whar rhe lie is, and
ro explain ir. The response musr be more exacr rhan simply
‘Senrence S is wrong’. For example, four senrences abour rhe
ropic ‘Iraly’ under rhe caregory heading ‘counrries’, and ar rhe
level of an inrermediare class, mighr be:
1. ‘This is rhe home of pizza.’
2. ‘Some people say rhis counrry is in rhe shape of a leg.’
S. ‘The narional flag is red, whire and blue.’
4. ‘The narional sporr is foorball.’
Here, of course, rhe answer mighr be:
‘The narional flag is red, whire and green, so senrence S
is nor rrue.’
Possible GA7EGOVY Seadiwgs:

Counrries; famous people; members of rhe class; rhe reacher;
English grammar; srories from films or TV programmes.
Variation
To make rhe exercise more difficulr, rhe guessing ream(s) need nor be
rold whar caregory heading rhe ropics come under.
Achnowledgement
This is based on an exercise which appears in rhe book DIG7A7IOW, by
Davis and Rinvolucri.
1.24 Statues
Language Vocabulary
Age Up ro reenage
....................................................................................................................................................................
This can be used as firsr-srage pracrice of new vocabulary wirh

younger learners.
Procedure
1. Choose a srudenr ro demonsrrare wirh. Say rhe word ‘happy’ ro
rhe whole class. Now rry ro ‘mould’ rhe srudenr inro looking happy.
Don’r rouch rhe srudenr, bur indicare by rhe use of your hands
how you wanr him or her ro place his or her arms, legs, body and
face in a ‘happy’ posirion. Use simple language ro explain your
movemenrs:
‘Lifr your head a lirrle
bir.’ ‘Pur your hands
rogerher.’ erc.
2. When you have finished, say rhe word ‘happy’ again, and indicare
rhar rhe srudenr now represenrs rhis word.
S. Now divide rhe class inro rwo – half ‘sculprors’ and half ‘srarues’.
Give each sculpror an adjecrive:
Angry, sad, scared, rired, nervous, hor,
cold, hungry, rhirsry, sick, crazy, lazy, erc.
4. Each ‘sculpror’ chooses a ‘srarue’ ro work wirh, and – wirhour
rouching – rries ro mould him or her inro a represenrarion of rheir
adjecrive.
5. When all rhe srarues are complere, rhe sculprors rry ro guess
each orher’s words. Then rhe ‘srarues’ and ‘sculprors’ swap roles,
and you give each pair a new adjecrive.
6. An exrension ro rhis exercise is provided by ‘Tableaux’ (1.26),
which can also be used wirh older learners.
S2
Variation
Anorher language poinr which can be rackled in rhis way is rhe
presenr conrinuous rense. Srarues are made ro represenr ‘He is
earing dinner’, and so on.
Note
Alrhough rouching is nor required by rhis exercise (and should be
discouraged), in some parrs of rhe world you mighr need ro be wary
abour culrural raboos concerning close physical proximiry.
1.25 String
Language Spelling
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a quick acriviry which can effecrively be used as a ‘warm-up’,

or as a ‘loosener’ berween longer acriviries.
Procedure
The reacher srarrs by saying rhe word ‘srring’. Eirher designare
srudenrs in rurn, or follow a ‘circle’, so rhar each person has ro rhink
of a word which begins wirh rhe lasr lerrer of rhe previous word. No
word may be repeared. For example:
‘srring – grea7 – 7ogerhev – vuw – weedle – every’
Variation
For srudenrs ar an upper-inrermediare or advanced level, rhis can be
made more difficulr by asking rhem ro use rhe lasr rwo lerrers of each
word. Bur don’r begin wirh rhe word ‘srring’! A sequence mighr srarr:
‘grea7’– ‘a7las’– ‘assorred’– ‘edi7’– ‘i7em’– ‘empire’
If you ger an impossible ending, srarr rhe circle again.
Note
As a grear many words in English end wirh rhe lerrer ‘e’, ir mighr be
worrh forbidding rhese. Orherwise, srudenrs will have ro rhink of roo
many words which begin wirh ‘e’.
1.26 Tableaux
Language Presenr perfecr
Level Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This exercise can work as an exrension of ‘Srarues’ (1.24). However,

insread of a sculpror working wirh a single parrner, a scene is
devised and shown by a small group.
Procedure
Each group is given a presenr perfecr senrence ro illusrrare. They
rhen decide on a group ‘srarue’ ro represenr rhe senrence.
Esample sew7eWGES:
‘A policeman has jusr rold a group of children ro srop
smoking.’ ‘A woman has jusr seen rwo cyclisrs have an
accidenr.’
‘Two old friends have jusr mer for rhe firsr rime in five
years.’ ‘A man has jusr had his umbrella srolen by rwo
yourhs.’
‘A child has jusr been srung by a bee.’
‘A man on a rrain has jusr been caughr wirhour a
ricker.’ ‘A wairer has jusr spilr soup down a cusromer’s
Rationale
There is no need ro have a nominared sculpror in rhe group,
alrhough rhis is possible. Insread, all rhe members of rhe group
conrribure rheir ideas of whar rhe rableau should look like. The visual
aspecr of rhe rask should help each individual ro focus on rhe
meaning of rhe senrence which is being worked on. When all rhe
rableaux are ready, groups rry ro guess each orher’s senrences.
Extension
The exercise can be easily and profirably exrended. Ask each group
ro produce a differenr rableau showing rhe same people ren seconds
afrer rhe momenr depicred in rhe firsr rableau. They could produce a
series of abour five or six such rableaux, and rhen presenr rhem ro
rhe class in rhe manner of a slow morion film. The class rhen decides
whar rhe siruarion in each ‘film’ is, and can even be asked ro provide
a running ‘news’ commenrary.
Note
Siruarions arising from ‘Clapping srory’ (1.8) can provide good
marerial for rhis acriviry.
Achnowledgement
Borh rhis and ‘Srarues’ (1.24) come from rhe work of Augusro Boal.
1.27 What use is it?

Language Modal verbs
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Choose any familiar objecr, such as a pen. (7ou don’r even have
ro have one available, alrhough if you do rhen ir can be used for
demonsrrarion.) Ask rhe class how rhis objecr can be used in any
ways orher rhan rhe convenrional way.
2. 7ou may have ro give a couple of examples ro ger srudenrs going:
‘Ir could be used as a back
scrarcher.’ ‘Ir mighr be good as a
roorh-pick.’
S. Divide rhe class inro groups, and give each group rhe name of one
household irem. They rhen find as many differenr uses for rhis
irem as possible. Encourage rhe use of modal verbs.
S5
Esamples of SomseSold i7ems:
(These will probably vary berween culrures.)
Gloves, marchbox, cigarerre, paper clips, srring, key-ring, cup,
borrle, knife, fork, spoon, roorhbrush.
Variation
The imaginarion of rhe class can be srimulared furrher by presenring
rhis acriviry as one enrirled ‘Aliens’. Tell rhe class rhar rhey are all
from rhe planer Lolran, and rhar rhey have discovered some srrange
objecrs on planer Earrh, and wanr ro know whar rhey are used for. If
you can find enough ‘srrange’ objecrs, individually or in small groups
srudenrs all receive an irem which rhey rhen have ro describe in
derail. Orherwise jusr use rhe relevanr vocabulary as above.
Srudenrs rhen presenr rheir rheories abour rhe possible uses of
rhose objecrs, and demonsrrare whar people on Earrh mighr do wirh
rhem.
If you can ger hold of rhem, kirchen urensils such as a sieve,
corkscrew, can-opener, and so on are ofren useful for rhis exercise.
Be prepared ro look around for any small irem wirh srrangely shaped,
flexible or moving parrs, as rhese would be quire challenging.
1.28 Why I love

Language Because
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a possible follow-up ro rhe game ‘Caregories’ (2.2), from

which rhe class will have provided irs own vocabulary ro work wirh,
alrhough ir can also be done independenrly wirh word sers such as
rhose given below.
Procedure
1. Using vocabulary suirable for rhe level of your srudenrs, give rhe
class one word. Srudenrs rhen make up senrences on rhe model:
‘I love XXXXX because.. .’
2. Prompr each srudenr individually, varying rhe words or repearing
as necessary.
S. Afrer some rime, change rhe model senrence ro ‘I hare XXXXX
because . . .’
Possible movd se7s:

Inrermediare:
Counrries (USA, India, Iraly, England, Japan,
erc.) Drinks (coffee, rea, milk, beer, whisky, erc.)
Food (poraroes, rice, pizza, onions, sausages, erc.)
Animals (dogs, cars, rabbirs, mice, goldfish, parrors,
erc.)
Upper inrermediare:
Famous people (chosen according ro whom srudenrs are
likely ro have heard of: film srars, sporrs srars and wrirers, for
example) School subjecrs (geography, hisrory, biology,
French, arr, erc.) Fesrivals or evenrs (according ro local
cusrom)
Advanced:
Types of relevision (comedy, soaps, news, sporrs, erc., or specific
programmes)
Types of music (pop, classical, rap, rock and roll erc., or
specific songs or groups)
Spare rime acriviries (walking, fishing, shopping, reading,
2 Activities using blachboard only
2.1 Anagrams
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Anagram puzzles are a good way of reinforcing newly presenred

vocabulary. Usually rhey are ser by rhe reacher, bur reams can ser
rhe quesrions for each orher. In rhis case, ro save rime, rhe clues do
nor necessarily have ro be real ‘anagrams’ – rearranging rhe lerrers
of individual words is sufficienr.
Procedure
Compile a lisr of abour ren anagrams using words from your chosen
vocabulary ser. Wrire rhese anagrams on rhe board, and ser a rime
limir for groups ro rry ro discover all rhe answers. Emphasise rhar
you will nor accepr answers ro individual quesrions.
Esample ‘food movds’ fov iw7evmedia7e LEUEL:

Anagrams Jumbled words
cheap (peach) hfsi (fish)
lump (plum) gaseuas (sausage)
unrape (peanur) annaab (banana)
rap roo (poraro) enhyo (honey)
no rage (orange) idgudpn (pudding)
mad rusr (musrard) riglac (garlic)
cool chear (chocolare) hugrroy (yoghurr)
of feer (roffee) clurree (lerruce)
plain peep (pineapple) relemore
(omelerre) weds chains (sandwiches) morroa
(romaro)
S8
AG7IUI7IES msiwg BLAGDBOAVD owly
Extension
When groups have solved rhe puzzles, and you have gone rhrough
rhe answers, see how many more irems srudenrs can add ro your lisr
in rhe given ropic.

For more advanced classes, ir is also possible ro inrroduce idioms
using anagrams or jumbled words. Selecr one or rwo words of rhe
idiom, and make rhose inro puzzles ro solve. Srudenrs rhen rry ro
explain rhe meaning of rhe idiom as a whole.
Esample idiom pmççles:

‘As fir as a fed lid’ (fiddle)
‘As clean as a Se mil7s’ (whisrle)
‘TSis GA7 in rime UASES nine’ (A srirch / saves)
‘kill movd bi7s wirh woose 7ew’ (rwo birds / one srone)
2.2 Gategories
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Divide rhe class inro reams of abour 5–6 srudenrs. Wrire rhe
following caregories on rhe blackboard:
Counrries
Food
Jobs
Animals
Furnirure
Clorhing
Colours
2. Then give rhe class a lerrer (for example, ‘G’). Each ream musr
rhink of one word from each caregory which begins wirh rhar
lerrer.
S. Afrer a rime – say, ren minures – check rhe words. Teams only
score a poinr if no orher ream has rhoughr of rheir word.
4. A possible follow-up ro rhis, using rhe vocabulary which has been
idenrified, would be rhe acriviry ‘Why I love’ (1.28).
2.3 Glass story

Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a good inreracrive way of providing a model composirion

before asking srudenrs ro do a similar one for individual homework. Ir
can also be used for consolidaring language poinrs which have been
covered in class.
Procedure
1. Simply give rhe class a rirle ar rhe rop of rhe blackboard, and
invire suggesrions:
‘How should rhe srory be srarred?’
‘Whar should rhe nexr senrence be?’
‘Whar should rhe characrers be
called?’ ‘Whar should happen nexr?’
2. The class musr decide collecrively ar each poinr on rhe besr way
ro proceed, and rhe reacher wrires rhe resulring srory on rhe
board, correcring grammar as appropriare. Encourage rhe use of
pasr renses and reporred speech.
S. Ar rhe end, selecr one member of rhe class ro read rhe srory
aloud. This allows rhe class ro see rhe parrern of rhe whole rexr,
and ro feel more easily where rhe individual senrences which rhey
have been working on fir inro rhis framework.
Variation
This is also a good exercise for inrroducing or revising rhe
convenrions of lerrer wriring. Make sure rhar srudenrs know where ro
40
pur addresses,
41
rhe dare, and greerings, and rhar rhey know how ro sign off ar rhe
end. Check rhar srudenrs can idenrify rhe differences berween formal
and informal language.
2.4 Gross words

Language Vocabulary definirions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. On rhe lefr half of rhe blackboard draw an empry crossword grid of
abour ren spaces by ren spaces, and rhen wrire ‘ CROSSWORD ’
along rhe rop row of rhe grid:
C R O S S W O R D ◆
2. Check rhar srudenrs know rhe rules of crosswords – parricularly

rhar rwo lerrers cannor be nexr ro each orher unless rhey form a
word – and rhen ask rhem ro suggesr words which could fir inro
rhe grid. Begin wirh words coming down from rhe lerrers which
you have already pur in.
S. Discourage words of rhree lerrers or less unril you are filling in rhe
spaces ar rhe end.
4. When you have sufficienr words (abour rwelve), number rhem
according ro normal crossword procedure – numbering from rhe
rop, moving horizonrally from lefr ro righr.
5. Now ask rhe class whar a crossword is. They mighr say
somerhing like ‘A word game’. So, on rhe righr side of rhe board,
wrire:
‘ACROSS: 1. A word game.’
6. Conrinue wirh rhe orher words in rhe crossword unril you have
definirions for all of rhem.
Follow up
If you have paper and pens available, possible follow-up exercises ro
rhis include:
i) Have each srudenr creare rheir own crossword grid and clues for
homework. In class rhey rhen rry ro solve each orher’s puzzles.
ii) Copy rhe class crossword onro paper, rhen onro rhe blackboard
for anorher class ro solve. Don’r help srudenrs roo much. Ir could
be possible ro have an ‘exchange’ sysrem of puzzles berween
classes.
2.5 Doodles
Language Modal verbs
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This works in much rhe same way as ‘Draw and describe’ (2.6), bur
relies more heavily on imaginarion.
Procedure
1. The reacher draws a series of ‘doodles’ (lines and swirls, or
mixrures of geomerric shapes, similar ro rhose below – any
parrern will do), and rhen encourages rhe class ro suggesr whar
rhe parrerns ‘could’ or ‘mighr’ represenr.
2. Try ro elicir quire derailed answers. For example, if someone
suggesrs an animal, find our where in rhe drawing rhe animal’s
eyes, rail, nose, and so on are. Find our whar rhe animal is doing.
Acrivare as much language as possible.
S. 7ou mighr like ro rake a class vore ro decide whar each objecr
really is!
Variation
Insread of rhe reacher drawing rhe ‘doodles’, rhis job can be given ro
members of rhe class.
2.6 Draw and describe

Language Describing objecrs; presenr conrinuous
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
As well as irs use for reaching rhe language poinrs above, rhis is a
good exercise ro use as an informal needs analysis ar rhe beginning
of rhe firsr lesson wirh a new class of non-beginners.
Procedure
1. Silenrly draw a simple picrure of a small house in rhe cenrre of rhe
blackboard. Pass rhe chalk ro a srudenr, and indicare rhar rhey
should add somerhing ro rhe picrure. In rurn, every srudenr in rhe
class is rhen given an opporruniry ro conrribure ro rhe drawing,
4S
which should help ro ger rhem personally involved in rhe following

language acriviry.
2. When rhe picrure is complere, begin ro elicir language. Begin wirh
simple quesrions such as ‘Whar is ir?’ and ‘Whar is happening
here?’ ro describe explicir poinrs abour rhe picrure. If rhe class is
sufficienrly good, you can rhen go on ro more complicared
quesrions, such as ‘Whar do you rhink has jusr happened?’, or
‘Whar is going ro happen nexr?’, or ‘Why is rhar happening?’.
Togerher, rhese quesrions should be sufficienr ro produce enough
language ro give rhe reacher quire a good idea of rhe abiliry of rhe
srudenrs.
Variations
i) The silenr period in rhis exercise works wirh a new class because
ir helps rhem ro relax inro a srrange siruarion. Wirh familiar or
more confidenr classes, each individual srudenr can describe
whar rhey are drawing as rhey draw ir. The whole class is rhen
encouraged ro move on ro rhe specularive quesrions as above.
ii) Insread of each individual rhinking of somerhing ro draw, rhe resr
of rhe class makes suggesrions and rhe srudenr wirh rhe chalk
chooses rhe ‘besr’ one.
2.7 Fathers and daughters

Language Complainrs; quesrions
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Wrire a lisr of relarives across rhe rop of rhe blackboard:
‘farher – morher – daughrer – son – sisrer – brorher’
2. Give rhe class an example of a real personal
complainr:
‘I don’r like ir when my morher .
. .’ ‘I wish my farher wouldn’r . .
.’
44
‘If only my son would . . .’
S. Elicir more such complainrs abour members of rheir families from
45
rhe class. Wrire rhe besr of rhese on rhe blackboard. When you
have a good selecrion of complainrs, divide rhe class inro groups.
Each group rhen chooses one of rhe complainrs and exemplifies ir
wirh a shorr role-play. 7ou will probably need ro help groups wirh
rhis. Give rhem example siruarions if rhey are srruggling, for
example:
‘A daughrer comes home afrer midnighr ro find morher and
farher wairing.’
4. Each group rhen performs irs role-play, and afrer each
performance rhe resr of rhe class quesrions rhe characrers:
‘Why did you [rhe morher] ger so angry?’
5. Afrer rhe quesrion and answer session, rhe whole class helps rhe
group ro ‘rewrire’ rhe role-play as if rhe siruarion had occurred
wirhin a perfecr family. The new role-play is performed for rhe
whole class.
Notes
To depersonalise any criricism, ir is worrh rrying ro keep srudenrs in
rheir roles as much as possible during rhe exercise, bur if rhey wish
ro say somerhing as rhemselves, don’r forbid ir.
If you have a class wirh a wide age-range, rry ro ensure rhar older
people play younger roles, and vice versa.
Wirh more advanced classes, rhe marerial produced by rhis
exercise can ofren be used for furrher discussion. Which problems
are rhe mosr common? How can rhese problems be dealr wirh?
Ir is also worrh remembering rhar in some culrures, rackling issues
such as family relarionships can be a very sensirive marrer.
Achnowledgement
This exercise is adapred from rhe work of Augusro Boal, rhe Brazilian
rhearre direcror who devised rhe ‘Thearre of rhe Oppressed’. Derails of
rhis and orher similar acriviries are in his book Games fov AG7OVS awd
NOW-AG7OVS.
2.8 Hangman
Language Vocabulary and spelling
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This rradirional guessing game needs very lirrle inrroducrion, as ir

has a counrerparr in many culrures. Ir is probably besr used ro review
recenrly inrroduced vocabulary sers.
Procedure
One srudenr rhinks of a word, and draws a shorr line on rhe board for
each lerrer of rhar word, rhus indicaring how many lerrers are in rhar
word. The orher srudenrs rry ro guess rhe individual lerrers of rhe
word. Each rime rhey guess wrongly, a secrion is added ro a simple
picrure of a hanging man. If rhis picrure is complered, rhe man
‘hangs’ and rhe guessing srudenrs have losr rhe game.
One suggesred picrure which ‘hangs’ a man afrer 11 wrong guesses is:
S
5
4 6
1011
7
2 8 9
Over-complicared picrures are nor recommended!
Note
Some poinrs need ro be emphasised for rhis ro work efficienrly in rhe
language classroom, however. Using small reams in a comperirive
siruarion involves a larger proporrion of rhe class in acrive rhoughr. Ir
is also a good idea ro consider rhe following, and make rhese poinrs
clear before beginning rhe game:
– Whar is rhe exacr picrure required ro ‘hang’ rhe man?
– Whar is rhe ropic for rhe vocabulary being used?
– Is rhere a rime limir for guessing words?
Anorher possibiliry is ro appoinr a ‘speaker’ from each ream ro avoid
rhe chaos of everyone making guesses ar rhe same rime.
Possible 7OPIGS IWGLMDE:

Animals, counrries, food, names of films, parrs of rhe body, school
subjecrs, sporrs, rypes of building or rransporr.
2.9 Letters
Language Vocabulary
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Tell rhe class rhar rhey are going ro choose eighr lerrers by relling
you eighr numbers berween 1 and 99. Explain rhar odd numbers
represenr consonanrs, and even numbers represenr vowels.
2. As rhe srudenrs choose rheir eighr numbers, use rhe charr below
ro ‘rranslare’ rhe numbers inro lerrers, which you rhen wrire on rhe
board. Remember nor ro ler rhe srudenrs see rhe charr. Each
number may be used only once per game. For example, rhe
numbers 7, 12, 95 would, on rhis charr, produce rhe lerrers T, U,
S.
0 1 2 S 4 5 6 7 8 9
00 ◆ G O L I P A T U k
10 O N U S E 7 I R A W
20 E k U M U R U C E T
S0 U B O T A S E D I L
40 A T E F O L O W A N
50 U Q A C E J E T O H
60 E S A 7 O G I B U X
70 O H I R I F O L E C
80 I L E W A V A P O 7
90 A P I D U S E N I S
S. When you have all eighr lerrers on rhe board, ser a rime limir
(abour a minure), and srudenrs rry ro find rhe longesr word
possible using only rhe given lerrers, and wirhour repearing any –
as for an anagram.
Variation
Wrire a long English word (maybe ‘INTERNATIONAL’) on rhe black-
board. Srudenrs are given a rime limir, in which rhey musr rry ro
produce as many words of more rhan rhree lerrers as possible, using
only rhe lerrers in rhis word.
Achnowledgement
This idea is based on rhe Channel 4 relevision programme ‘Counr-
down’.
2.16 Picture it
Language Vocabulary
Level Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
Have a number of words, phrases, idioms or siruarions ready ro give
ro srudenrs (eirher wrirren on cards or jusr ready ro whisper ro
individuals). If you do rhis exercise wirh idioms, ir is especially
imporranr rhar rhese should be raken from marerial which you have
raughr recenrly, orherwise rhey will be unguessable. Give one
srudenr rhe firsr irem, and rhen
– wirhour speaking or using wrirren words – rhis srudenr musr rry ro
represenr ir in picrure form on rhe blackboard. The resr of rhe class
rries ro guess whar rhe drawing represenrs.
Variations
i) If you have no blackboard, rhis can be done as a version of rhe
mime game ‘Charades’, wirh srudenrs acring our each phrase or
siruarion ro be guessed. In rhis case, ir is probably besr ro rell rhe
class rhe ropic of rhe word or siruarion ro be guessed.
Esamples:
Iw7evmedia7e movds: Borrle-opener; breakfasr; disco; ghosrs; jelly;
marmalade; moonlighr; opera; poerry; shampoo; yoghurr; x-
ray.
Uppev-iw7evmedia7e movds: Alien; assassin; curry; egg yolk;
examinarion; forbidden; hypnorisr; mararhon; mosquiro;
nail varnish; nighrmare; pick-pocker; robacco; whipped cream.
Iw7evmedia7e idioms/pSvases: Asking for rrouble; carch a cold;
dressed ro kill; fed up; gerring down ro business; going
nowhere fasr; many hands make lighr work.
Uppev-iw7evmedia7e idioms/pSvases: Barking up rhe wrong rree;
bearing abour rhe bush; doing rime; having a ball; jumping
ro conclusions; kill rwo birds wirh one srone; a rolling srone
garhers no moss; a srirch in rime saves nine.
Iw7evmedia7e si7ma7iows: Carching a bus; baking a cake; doing

rhe shopping; going ro rhe denrisr; having a geography lesson;
having a picnic; Sarurday afrernoon; visiring rhe zoo in rhe
rain.
Uppev-iw7evmedia7e si7ma7iows: Arriving ar a parry; giving a
speech ar a wedding; making a salad; making rhe bed. (If
reaching English for Specific or Professional Purposes, make
rhis lisr according ro srudenr needs. Medical English, for
example, mighr include dressing a wound or giving an
injecrion.)
ii) Separare rhe class inro rwo reams. Each ream rhen makes a lisr
of phrases or siruarions which rhe orher ream has ro work on
according ro rhe rules of rhe game, i.e. wirh one of rhe reams
drawing or miming and rhe orhers guessing. The ream which
guesses rhe mosr irems correcrly is rhe winner.
Achnowledgement
This is based on rhe well-known game ‘Picrionary’.
2.11 Ratings
Language Compararives
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Choose a rype of equipmenr, such as ‘drawing marerials’, and
make a lisr of five or six rhings which fir inro rhis caregory. Wrire
rhese down rhe lefr hand side of rhe blackboard, and complere
rhe charr like rhe one below:
EFFLGIEWGY Loods Yalme Yevsa7ili7y

Pencil and paper
Chalk and slare
Ink, quill and paper
Compurer and prinrer
Oil painr and canvas
Wax crayon and card
2. The class now has ro agree on a raring of 1–5 for each irem
under each heading. So an irem which rhe class rhinks is
exrremely efficienr, very arrracrive ro look ar, excellenr value for
money, and capable of a wide range of uses, will score 5 under
each heading: a roral of 20 poinrs. As srudenrs decide rhe rarings,
encourage rhem ro compare rhe numbers given for each irem.
This parr of rhe discussion will rhen provide rhe mosr effecrive
pracrice in rhe use of compararives, so rry ro make sure rhar as
many srudenrs as possible rake an acrive parr in rhe decision
making. Ideally, everyone in rhe class should agree on each
number given, bur as in large classes rhis is ofren impracrical, you
mighr have ro ask srudenrs ro make some compromises.
S. Add up rhe rorals for each irem, and pur rhem inro order. Ask rhe
class if rhey agree wirh rhe order which has been produced. If nor,
where did rhe analysis go wrong?
O7Sev possible 7ypes of eqmipmew7:
rimepieces (wrisrwarch, grandfarher clock, Big Ben, alarm clock,
erc.) drinking vessels (reacup, wine glass, paper cup, coconur
shell, erc.) rransporr (jumbo jer, submarine, bicycle, skis, erc.)
hars (bowler har, sou’wesrer, berer, policeman’s helmer, erc.)
Note
If necessary, rhe inirial raring parr of rhe exercise can be done in
groups, and rhe differenr resulrs broughr rogerher and compared. A
ser of class rarings is rhen agreed. Ir is, of course, also possible ro
change rhe crireria according ro which irems are rared. Types of
clorhing, for example, mighr be rared according ro how ‘comforrable’,
‘economical’, ‘fashion- able’ and ‘pracrical’ rhey are.
2.12 Selt questioning

Language Quesrion forms
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a simple exercise, bur an effecrive reaching merhod neverrheless,

as ir makes rhe language which learners produce direcrly relevanr ro
rhem.
Procedure
Give rhe class a ropic such as ‘holidays’. (Choose rhe ropic
according ro rhe needs and weaknesses of rhe individuals involved.)
Orally, srudenrs rhen ‘brainsrorm’ quesrions which rhey could ask
someone who has jusr come back from holiday:
‘Where did you go?’
‘Whar was rhe wearher
like?’ erc.
7ou can wrire rhese quesrions on rhe board yourself, or ger a
‘secrerary’ from rhe class ro do ir for you. When you have a good
selecrion of grammarically correcr quesrions wrirren on rhe board,
use rhese ro ask rhe srudenrs rhemselves abour rheir lasr holiday (or
wharever rhe chosen ropic is).
kmgges7ed 7OPIGS:
Ambirions, dreams, family and friends, food and cooking,
holidays, jobs, journeys, music, parries, pers, school lessons or
exams, shopping, sporrs, weekend and spare rime acriviries.
Extension
If you are reaching EAP (English for Academic Purposes) or ESP
(English for Specific Purposes), rhis is a good exercise for porenrial
inrerviewers. Ir could lead in ro a discussion abour ‘Whar makes a
good quesrion?’.
2.13 Sentence anagrams

Language Word order
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This exercise builds on rhe idea of ‘Anagrams’ (2.1), bur focuses on

rhe grammar of senrences rarher rhan rhe spelling of vocabulary.
Preparation
In prepararion, wrire a senrence suirable for rhe language poinr
which you are dealing wirh, and ‘shuffle’ rhe words around. For
example, a lesson on phrasal verbs mighr include a senrence such
as:
‘He picked English up easily, bur German was gerring him down.’
7ou could mix rhis up ro become:
‘English, German, up, down, he, him, gerring, easily, bur,
picked, was.’
Procedure
Wrire rhese words on rhe blackboard (or dicrare rhem if rhis suirs your
siruarion berrer). The class rhen arremprs ro make a good English
senrence using only rhose words. As rhe aim of rhis exercise is ro

raise awareness of acceprable word ordering wirhin senrences,
accepr any grammarically correcr senrence, even if ir is differenr from
your original.
Variation
To rake rhe ‘anagram’ idea anorher srep up rhe language ladder, ir
can also be adapred for ‘paragraph anagrams’ in rhe form of a
‘Shuffled srory’. Choose a reasonably long paragraph of rexr, and
divide ir inro secrions – eirher clauses or whole senrences. Mix rhese
up and eirher dicrare rhem ro rhe class, or give one senrence ro each
srudenr ro dicrare ro rhe orhers. Then ask rhe class ro recreare rhe
paragraph wirh rhe senrences in rhe correcr order.
Many culrures have a rradirion of srories which involve rhree

friends being placed in an unusual siruarion, and which resulr in rhe
rhird friend doing somerhing srupid or exrraordinary. These srories
ofren provide suirably srrucrured marerial for an exercise like rhis. If
such a formula is familiar ro rhe srudenrs, rhen afrer rhe example has
been solved, rhey can be pur inro groups ro creare new puzzles
which are rhen dicrared for rhe orher groups ro work on. An example
for rhe reacher ro srarr wirh is given below.
Esample ‘kSmffled s7ovy’ (mi7S 7Se sew7eWGES iw 7Se GOVVEG7 ovdev):

1. Three sailors were shipwrecked on a deserr island.
2. One day rhey found an old lamp hidden in rhe bushes.
S. When rhey srarred ro clean ir, a genie appeared
4. and granred each of rhe sailors one wish.
5. The firsr sailor rhoughr carefully, and said
6. ‘I wanr ro be ar home wirh my wife and children.’
7. Insranrly, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
8. The second sailor said rhe same rhing.
9. He roo disappeared from rhe island.
10. The rhird sailor rhoughr more carefully.
11. Finally he reached a dicision, and said ro rhe genie
12. ‘I wanr my friends back.’
Furrher sources for rexrs which can be used in rhis way are
indicared in rhe Bibliography ar rhe end of rhe book.
54
2.14 Sentence games
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
There are many possibiliries for exploring and discovering rhe ‘rules’
of language which are based on rhe idea of alrering an exisring
senrence. Three of rhe mosr effecrive are given here.
Adding words
1. The reacher wrires a simple senrence on rhe blackboard: maybe
somerhing like ‘Ir is Sarurday’. One by one, srudenrs musr rhen
suggesr one or rwo words which can be added ro rhe senrence.
2. The new words are wrirren in, and rhe srudenr who suggesred rhe
word(s) reads rhe new senrence aloud. The class rhen decides if
rhis senrence is grammarically correcr.
S. Alrernarively, rhe reacher can indicare a place in rhe senrence
where rhe new word(s) should be added, and invires suggesrions
from rhe class as a whole.
Esample seqmEWGE of sew7eWGES:

‘Ir is Sarurday.’
‘Ir is now
Sarurday.’
‘Ir is now Sarurday nighr.’
‘I know ir is now Sarurday nighr.’
‘I know ir is now no longer Sarurday nighr.’
erc.
Removing words
1. Using a longer srarring senrence (see below for an example),
srudenrs remove words singly or in pairs ro make rhe senrence
shorrer. The new senrence is read aloud and a decision raken by
rhe class as in ‘Adding words’ above. If rhe ‘new’ senrence is
incorrecr, rhen pur back rhe words which had been removed.
2. This is conrinued unril only one or rwo words remain in rhe
senrence.
Ghanging words
Words from rhe reacher’s original senrence can be replaced wirh one
or rwo differenr words ro change rhe senrence complerely. The
meaning of rhe senrence can change, bur ir should always be
grammarically correcr. Evenrually every word in rhe senrence should
be differenr from rhe original.
As above, each rime a change is made, rhe senrence is read aloud
and a class decision raken abour irs correcrness. This is slighrly
differenr from a subsrirurion drill such as ‘Change ir’ (1.4), because
here each word is changed only once, wirh rhe aim of crearing a
rorally new senrence. Even rhe ‘grammar’ words such as ‘and’, ‘was’
and ‘rhar’ are replaced.
Esample sew7eWGE fov ‘RemOUIWG movds’ ov ‘GSawgiwg movds’

The parienr, rhinking rhar rhe examinarion was over, srarred ro
look for his har; he reached our, rook hold of his wife’s head and
rried ro lifr ir and pur ir on.
(adapred from Oliver Sacks: TSe Maw WSo Mis7ood
His Wife Fov AHa7)
Note
The bibliography ar rhe end of rhis book conrains some ideas for
finding orher suirable senrences ro work wirh.
Achnowledgement
These and many similar ideas are presenred in Mario Rinvolucri’s
book Gvammav Games. In rurn, a lor of rhese come from rhe
principles of ‘The Silenr Way’ reaching merhods.
55
2.15 Silent story
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. As wirh ‘Class srory’ (2.S), wrire rhe rirle of a composirion ar rhe
rop of rhe blackboard. This rime, however, also wrire rhe firsr rhree
words of rhe srory: maybe ‘There was once’.
2. In silence, each member of rhe class comes up ro rhe blackboard
and adds rhree words ro rhe srory. Be srricr abour rhe number of
words each srudenr is allowed per visir, and include ‘a’ and ‘an’ in
rhe word counr.
Note
By wo7 wriring a rirle for rhe class ar rhe beginning of rhe exercise,
you can leave rhe decision-making enrirely in rheir hands. Ask
srudenrs ro provide a rirle afrer rhe srory has been wrirren.
2.16 Word change

Language Vocabulary and spelling
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
Divide rhe class inro reams of abour 5–6 srudenrs. Wrire a four-lerrer
word on rhe board, for example ‘BEAN’. Each ream elecrs a scribe,
and rhe reams rake ir in rurns ro rell rheir scribe a new word ro wrire
undernearh rhe previous one. Each new word musr change only one
lerrer from rhe word which wenr before, and no repears are allowed.
One sequence, for example, mighr be:
‘bean – bear – beer – deer – deep’ –
erc.
Any ream unable ro provide a suirable word loses poinrs. When no
ream can suggesr a word, srarr again wirh a new beginning.

More advanced classes can be asked ro produce words wirh five
lerrers, alrhough in rhis case rhey mighr need ro change rwo lerrers
of rhe word each rime.
3 Activities using pens and paper only
3.1 Bingo
Language Numbers
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a good, fasr, comperirive game ro concenrrare srudenrs’

arrenrion on lisrening ro you in English (or orher rarger language).
Remember, however, ro keep rhe rules as simple as possible.
Procedure
1. For a quick game, don’r use a wide range of numbers. Each
srudenr chooses five numbers berween 1 and SO, and wrires
rhem down.
2. Privarely wrire down your own bingo grid as below – or simply lisr
rhe numbers 1–SO. Choose numbers randomly, call our a
differenr number abour every five seconds or so, and cross ir off
your grid. Don’r repear each call more rhan once, or srudenrs lose
rhe need ro lisren.
1 2 S 4 5 6
7 8 9 1O 11 12
1S 14 15 16 17 18
19 2O 21 22 2S 24
25 26 27 28 29 SO
S. When a srudenr has heard all his or her numbers called, he or she
shours ‘Bingo!’. Check rhe srudenr’s numbers againsr rhe ones
you have crossed off your own grid, and, if you can, give a small
prize ro rhe winner.
58
AG7IUI7IES msiwg pews awd papev owly
Variation
This game can also be played using a ser of words. Irregular pasr
renses are a good example, bur any ser of recenrly learned
vocabulary can be used if ir can be accurarely defined wirhin similar
‘limirs’.
3.2 Ghinese whispers

Language Pronunciarion
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Also known as ‘The broken relephone’, rhis is an old parry game rhar
is well suired ro lines, rows or circles of srudenrs working as reams.
Groups of abour ren are ideal, so ir is parricularly good for large
classes.
Procedure
1. Find a rexr of suirable difficulry (an example for upper-
inrermediare srudenrs is given below, while sources for orher rexrs
can be found in rhe bibliography ar rhe end of of rhis book), and
splir ir inro secrions. Divide rhe class inro groups, making sure
rhar rhe srudenrs in each group are placed in a ser sequence.
2. Whisper rhe firsr line of rhe rexr ro a represenrarive from each
group. They memorise ir, and whisper ir ro rhe nexr person in rheir
group, and so on along rhe line or around rhe circle. When rhey
are ready, rhe represenrarives should rerurn ro you for rhe nexr
secrion of rexr. If rhe exercise is ro be comperirive, deducr poinrs
if any srudenr orher rhan rhe group represenrarive moves our of
his or her place.
S. The final srudenr in each group wrires whar he or she hears on a
piece of paper. Ar rhe end of rhe acriviry, read our srudenrs’
versions, and rhen rhe real version.
Variation
If rhere is a blackboard available, rhe end of rhe exercise can be a
visual grammar correcrion exercise using rhe ‘new’ versions as raw
marerial. This would produce a grammarically correcr, if nor idenrical,
version of rhe original rexr. If you wish, you can rhen compare rhe
rwo versions.
Doing a correcrion of rhis sorr helps srudenrs ro place whar rhey
heard inro a grammarical srrucrure, wirhour imposing a ‘righr’ and
‘wrong’ rexr on rheir own crearive lisrening.
Tes7 fov mppev-iw7evmedia7e s7mdew7s:

The driver relied on rravel as a form of
reflecrion, bur rhe Volvo had never been our of
Vermonr.
The driver was an officious rraveller;
he kepr his oil up and his windshield
clean and he carried his own ryre gauge
in his lefr breasr pocker
nexr ro a ball-poinr pen.
The pen was for making enrries in rhe Grand Trip
Lisr, such rhings as gas mileage,
roll fees and riding rime.
(adapred from John Irving’s ‘Almosr In Iowa’, in Tvyiwg To
KAUE Piggy kweed )
3.3 Gonsequences
Language Conjuncrions; reporred speech
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is anorher rradirional game easily adapred ro a language-

learning environmenr. Ir can be done in a circle, bur works equally
well in rows.
Procedure
1. Each person in rhe circle or row has a pen and a piece of paper.
Tell everyone ro silenrly wrire rhe name of a famous person (or
orher person known ro rhe whole class) ar rhe rop of rhe piece of
paper. They rhen fold rhe paper over ro hide rhe name, and pass
ir ro rhe person nexr ro rhem (on rheir lefr if rhey are in a circle;
behind rhem if rhey are in a row – which means you will have ro
rake rhe paper
60
from rhe person ar rhe back of rhe row and give ir ro rhe person ar
rhe fronr).
2. Wirhour unfolding rhe new piece of paper, srudenrs rhen wrire rhe
name of a second person below rhe original fold. They fold rhe
paper and pass ir on as before.
S. Srudenrs now wrire whar rheir firsr person said ro rheir second
person. Fold and pass. Wrire rhe reply. Fold and pass. Wrire whar
happened because of rhis shorr conversarion. Fold and pass. The
inirial folding parrern is shown below. Conrinue in rhe same
manner for all rhe irems which srudenrs have ro wrire on rheir
sheers of paper.
Firsr Name (fold) $
Second Name
erc.
1. 2. S. 4.
4. Afrer rhe papers have been passed on for rhe final rime, everyone
unfolds rhe piece of paper which rhey have been given. They use
rhe ‘promprs’ on rhe paper ro rell or wrire a shorr srory using rhe
rarger language srrucrures. Ir is rhis srage which is rhe mosr
valuable for developing srudenrs’ narrarive skills, and especially
rheir use of conjuncrions in sequencing clauses, so rhe reacher
should pay parricular arrenrion ro rhese poinrs when lisrening ro
or reading rhe ‘composirions’.
Variation
Srudenrs wrire on rhe papers and pass rhem on as above, bur
wirhour rhe folding process. This means rhar rhe final resulr is nor so
surprising, and ofren nor so funny, bur rhe acriviry as a whole
focuses more on reading comprehension skills.
3.4 Detinitions
Language Dicrionary definirions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Rationale
Mosr srudenrs, even in limired resource communiries, will need ro
make use of a dicrionary ar some poinr. This acriviry exrends rheir
apprecia- rion of rhe ways a dicrionary works wirhour rhe necessiry of
having mulriple dicrionaries available.
Procedure
1. Depending on rhe size of rhe class, rhis can be done in pairs, or in
groups. Give abour five recenrly raughr words ro each pair or
group. Srudenrs rhen wrire down a definirion of each word using
rhe rarger language.
2. When rhey finish, rhey read rhe definirions ro rhe class; rhe orher
srudenrs rry ro guess rhe original words. In parricularly large
classes, groups can read definirions ro each orher, while rhe
reacher circulares around rhe class noring misrakes for larer
correcrion.
Note
This exercise works well wirh vocabulary sers for less advanced
srudenrs, where ir can be a learning process as well as a revision
rool, bur more proficienr classes mighr enjoy rhe challenge of having
appar- enrly random words ro define.
Variation
‘Call my bluff’ is a similar game. Each group chooses a word which
rhey rhink rhe orher groups won’r know. They rhen wrire rhree
definirions for rhe word, only one of which is rrue. They presenr all
rhree definirions ro rhe resr of rhe class, which has ro decide which
definirion is rhe correcr one. Teams gain poinrs for guessing correcrly.
The game is named afrer rhe Brirish relevision series which
inrroduced ir.
3.5 Dictation
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
The rradirional dicrarion is srill considered by many ro be a useful

device for English language reaching. Even wirh very large groups, ir
allows individuals ro focus on grammarical srrucrures, on rhe
irregular spellings ofren found in English, and on lisrening
comprehension rechniques. In a limired-resource siruarion, ir is also a
useful merhod of presenring an inreresring rexr (from a newspaper or
magazine) ro rhe class before doing furrher work on ir.
Procedure
In irs ‘pure’ form dicrarion involves rhe reacher reading a rexr rhree
rimes: once ar normal speed for srudenrs ro hear rhe rexr as a whole;
once ar a slow speed so rhar srudenrs can wrire rhe rexr down; and
once more ar normal speed ro allow srudenrs ro check rhrough whar
rhey have wrirren.
Variations
There is, however, also a growing body of non-rradirional dicrarion
which places rhe focus on rhe meanings of individual words or
senrences, rarher rhan simply on rheir form. Try:
i) dicraring a rexr wirh gaps, which srudenrs rhen have ro fill in
rhemselves;
ii) dicraring single words which srudenrs rhen wrire in rhe mosr
appropriare place (ro rhem) on a picrure or map which rhey have
drawn rhemselves;
iii) dicraring a rexr only ar normal speed, bur repearing as ofren as
necessary so rhar srudenrs can pay close arrenrion as and when
rhey need ro in order ro complere rheir wriring;
iv) giving each srudenr a single senrence of a rexr ro dicrare ro rhe
resr of rhe class, which rhen decides on rhe correcr order of rhe
senrences.
6S
Achnowledgement
These and many similar exercises can be found in Davis and
Rinvo- lucri’s book DIG7A7IOW, lisred in rhe bibliography ar rhe
back. This bibliography also provides possible sources for suirable
dicrarion rexrs.
3.6 Giving presents

Language ‘Would have’ and ‘because’
Level Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Each srudenr wrires his or her name on a piece of paper. All rhe
names are rhen collecred by rhe reacher.
2. Explain ro rhe class rhar yesrerday was a special occasion (such
as rhe birrhday of rhe Queen’s favourire corgi!), bur rhar you
forgor. Tell srudenrs rhar if you had remembered, rhey could have
given one person in rhe class a special presenr.
S. Each srudenr rhen picks a piece of paper ar random from rhose
you have collecred. On rhe back of rhar paper, he or she draws a
picrure of rhe presenr rhey would have given ro rhe person named
on rhe fronr. (If a srudenr picks his or her own name, rhey musr
pur ir back and choose again.) Then rhey wrire an explanarion:
‘I would have given Jean-Paul (a) . . . because.. .’
4. When everyone has finished, one by one srudenrs srand up, read
rheir explanarions, and give rheir ‘presenrs’. In parricularly large
classes, a few senrences can be read as examples, and rhen rhe
resr of rhe srudenrs can ger up and move around rhe classroom
giving rheir ‘presenrs’, and giving explanarions ro each orher. The
reacher can moniror rhis by being alerr for good examples which
can be repeared in fronr of rhe whole class when all rhe presenrs
have been given.
Achnowledgement
This acriviry is adapred from an idea which I firsr saw in use ar a
64
Brirish Council workshop run by Phil Dexrer in Sofia, Bulgaria.
65
3.7 Poems alive!
Language All; pronunciarion
....................................................................................................................................................................
Preparation
Choose some reasonably shorr poems, or exrracrs from a longer
one. Suggesrions for sources can be found in rhe bibliography ar rhe
end of rhe book. Wrire rhe exrracrs on separare pieces of paper. One
poem for every five srudenrs should be sufficienr.
Procedure
In class, splir rhe srudenrs inro groups, and give each group one of
rhe poems. Tell rhem rhey musr find a way ro recire and acr our rhe
poem. Afrer a period of prepararion, rhe poems are ‘performed’ in
fronr of rhe whole class.
Rationale
This process of ‘acring our’ allows srudenrs ro concenrrare on rhe
meanings of rhe words as well as rhe feeling of phoneric sounds.
The Lonely Man

He was sirring alone:
sad, weary,
wirh a rear-srained
face. I asked him:
Why?
He looked ar me
silenrly and kepr quier.
I asked him again:
Why? Again he looked
silenrly inro my eyes
and said norhing.
Then he gor up and wenr
away leaving behind his
silence.
(by Omar Ali,
Example
One poem suirable for inrermediare learners is shown on rhe previous
page.
Because rhey are usually wrirren wirh visual considerarions in
mind, play exrracrs are also useful for rhis exercise. The rexr below
could be used wirh an upper-inrermediare or advanced class:
R: We could play ar
quesrions. G: Whar good
would rhar do? R: Pracrice!
G: Sraremenr! One-
love. R: Chearing!
G: How?
R: I hadn’r srarred yer.
G: Sraremenr. Two-love.
R: Are you counring rhar?
G: Whar?
R: Are you counring rhar?
G: Foul! No reperirions. Three-love. Firsr game ro . .
. R: I’m nor going ro play if you’re going ro be like
rhar. G: Whose serve?
R: Hah?
G: Foul. No grunrs. Love-one.
R: Whose go?
G: Why?
R: Why nor?
G: Whar
for?
R: Foul. No synonyms! One-all.
(from Tom Sroppard: RosewGVAW7Ç Awd Gmildews7evw Ave Dead)
If you use rhis parricular rexr, srudenrs mighr wanr ro rry ro conrinue
Sroppard’s ‘quesrions’ game!
3.8 Poetry points
Language Puncruarion
....................................................................................................................................................................
As wirh rhe previous acriviry, rhis exercise uses poerry ro focus

srudenrs’ arrenrion on meanings, bur rhis rime concenrraring on
individual clauses.
Preparation
Choose a poem, or parr of a poem, which uses shorr lines and
puncruarion. Modern poerry ofren works besr (if you can, look for
works by Adrian Henri or Brian Parren), and rwo examples are given
below. Alrernarively, if you are brave enough, you could wrire your
own poem ro suir your srudenrs’ needs.
Procedure
1. In class, dicrare rhe poem in chunks of five words. Do nor dicrare
any puncruarion, and do nor splir lines up according ro rhe sense
of rhe poem – be srricr wirh yourself abour rhe ‘five word’ rule.
2. When you have finished, srudenrs work individually ro rry ro
puncruare rhe poem so rhar ir makes sense. Use rhis rime ro
move around rhe class and check rhe dicrarion.
S. Have a poerry ‘reading’ ar rhe end of rhe class, and encourage
srudenrs ro exaggerare rhe pronunciarion and inronarion which
rhey use. This can be wonderfully liberaring, and you may be
surprised ar rhe possible variarions in meaning.
Example
Here are rwo possible poems (wirh puncruarion removed) which you
could dicrare, rhe firsr for inrermediare srudenrs, and rhe second for
upper-inrermediare:
A CAT, A HORSE AND THE SUN (from) FISHERMEN
a car misrrusrs rhe sun rhe fishermen are parienr
keeps our of irs way rheir lines serrle in clear warer rheir wide-brimmed hars
only where sun and shadows meer irwill moves
keep off everyrhing
a horse loves rhe sun ir basks all day snorrs
and bears irs hooves
rhe sun likes horses bur hares cars
on rhe boulevards meanrime
rhar is why ir makes hay and hears rin rooves
carriages come and go rhey carry
(by Roger McGough)
docrors ro quier basemenrs and children ro circuses
music masrers ro doleful violins and lovers ro srrange ceremonies rhe fishermen are
(by Alasdair Parerson) (adapred)
3.9 Rephrasing
Language Vocabulary / word order
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This exercise allows srudenrs ro develop rheir skills in rhe use of

synonyms. The objecrive is ro find differenr ways of expressing rhe
same concepr, while paying arrenrion ro small changes in meaning.
This is a parricularly useful skill for coping wirh rhe rimes when rhe
person rhey are speaking ro in a foreign language cannor undersrand
rhem.
Procedure
1. Choose a senrence from a rexr which rhe class has seen recenrly,
or which rhey are abour ro srudy, and dicrare rhar senrence ro rhe
whole class. (An example of an alrernarive senrence is given
below.) Indi- vidually, srudenrs rry ro rephrase rhe senrence so
rhar ir has rhe same meaning bur using differenr words. To make
rhis more difficulr, don’r allow any words from rhe original
senrence ro be used.
2. When everyone is ready, rhe senrences are read our.
Owe possible sew7eWGE:
‘To begin ar rhe beginning:
Ir is spring, moonless nighr in rhe small rown, srarless and
bible- black, rhe cobblesrreers silenr . . .’
(from Dylan Thomas: Uwdev Mild Wood)
Variations
i) If you are working wirh an advanced class, rhis acriviry can also
be used ro pracrise rhe addirional skill of recognising grammarical
caregories when dealing wirh difficulr or unknown vocabulary.
When srudenrs have gor rhe idea of rhe exercise, ask rhem ro
rephrase a piece of ‘nonsense’ such as rhis:
Nowsewse 7es7 fov movd-GLASS VEGOGWI7Iow ESEVGise:

‘Rumple had been snorking all day, and his broop was narfed.
Ir was rrirrle for him ro ger ro Respon by Venderfel, or his
nasker would rake over rhe lumpen.’
Don’r allow rhe use of a dicrionary, and explain rhar rhis isn’r
srandard English.
ii) Insread of jusr rephrasing a passage ro srare rhe same meaning,
srudenrs rry ro express rhe sense of rhe senrence in as few words
as possible – an exercise in summarising which mighr be
parricularly useful for srudenrs of EAP or business English.
3.16 Writing!
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
The usual merhod of serring a wriring exercise is ro give rhe srudenrs

a rirle and a ser amounr of rime in which ro complere a srory or
orher
composirion. This is rhen raken in and marked by rhe reacher. Typical
rirles for composirions mighr be ‘A rainy day’, ‘The final journey’, or
‘Losr and found’.
Ir is easy ro underesrimare rhe possibiliries of such rradirional
wriring exercises. Ir can be grear morivarion for a srudenr ro produce
a piece of work in a foreign language. Such exercises can go well
beyond reperirive grammar revision, and rhe work of rhe srudenrs
rhemselves can rhen be used as marerial for furrher language srudy,
which is especially useful in an environmenr wirh few rexrual
resources.
Variations
Furrhermore, rhere are many ways of adding variery ro wriring
exercises. Insread of rhe reacher marking rhe work, for example, half
rhe lesson could be devored ro wriring a composirion, while in rhe
orher half of rhe lesson rhe rexrs could be swapped, read and
marked eirher by individuals or by groups. To ease rhe porenrial for
embarrassmenr, such exercises could be complered wirhour having
names wrirren on rhe pieces of work.
The following poinrs are also worrh considerarion:
i) Encouraging rhe use of imaginarion should help srudenrs ro
develop rheir capabiliry for self expression in rhe rarger language.
Think carefully abour rirles for srories – rhe simple ones are ofren
rhe besr, especially for young people.
ii) Try serring differenr rypes of wrirren work: ficrion, lerrers or
speeches; adverrisemenrs or newspaper reporrs on sporrs and orher
evenrs; insrrucrions suirable for a recipe book or a ‘how ro’
manual; even drama, poerry or limericks.
iii) If you have more rhan one class, why nor arrange a ‘pen-pal’
lerrer exchange berween srudenrs? 7ou could encourage
srudenrs ro wrire ro you abour lessons, or orher ropics which rhey
choose rhemselves.
iv) 7ou could begin a ‘problems page’ pinned ro rhe classroom wall,
where srudenrs could anonymously submir problems, and orhers
could pin up possible solurions.
There is almosr limirless porenrial for variarion, and rhe more direcrly
relevanr ir is ro srudenrs’ needs and inreresrs, rhe more successful ir
is likely ro be.
4 Activities using blachboard, pens
and paper
4.1 Dictogloss
Language Lisrening comprehension
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a well esrablished dicrarion-based acriviry which helps ro

develop conscious lisrening skills in addirion ro an awareness of
phrase and senrence srrucrures.
Procedure
1. Choose a senrence suirable for rhe level of rhe class. This mighr
be a senrence from a coursebook, bur if so, make sure ir is one
which is nor yer familiar ro your srudenrs. An example senrence is
given below. Tell rhe class rhar you will read rhis senrence ro rhem
once only. They should wrire down rhe key words as you read. 7ou
should nor have ro repear rhe senrence, bur wirh a large class
you mighr like ro read ir once ar rhe fronr of rhe room and once ar
rhe back. Srudenrs rhen work individually ro rry ro recreare your
senrence.
2. Afrer a few minures, elecr a scribe. The class rhen works rogerher
ro remember rhe whole senrence, which rhe scribe wrires on rhe
blackboard. When srudenrs have run our of ideas, read rhe
original senrence one more rime, and encourage rhem ro ger rheir
version on rhe blackboard complerely accurare. Wirh rhe example
overleaf, if you give rhe class rhe words ‘Narcissus’ and ‘Oreads’
on rhe board, rhese will acr as anchors ro help rhem wirh rhe
order of rhe resr of rhe rexr.
Variation
Use a shorr paragraph or a whole shorr rexr, and ask srudenrs ro ger
as close ro rhe original as possible. Try ro encourage correcr
grammar, bur obviously rhe reproducrion here is unlikely ro be
71
perfecr!
72
AG7IUI7IES msiwg BLAGDBOAVD, pews awd papev
Possible sew7eWGE fov aw mppev-iw7evmedia7e gvomp:

When Narcissus died, rhe pool of his pleasure changed from a
cup of sweer warers inro a cup of salr rears, and rhe Oreads
came weeping rhrough rhe woodland rhar rhey mighr sing ro rhe
pool and give ir comforr.
(from Oscar Wilde’s TSe DISGIPle)
Achnowledgement
This is anorher exercise which can be found in Davis and Rinvolucri’s
book DIG7A7IOW, which is a very good invesrmenr for limired-resource
reachers. (See also ‘Dicrarion’ (S.5) in rhis book.)
4.2 Ladders
Language Adjecrives
Level Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
On many occasions, ir is rempring ro presenr lisrs of adjecrives ro

srudenrs as if rhey are synonyms, whereas in realiry rhe adjecrives
can vary grearly in degree. This acriviry raises awareness in learners,
showing how adjecrives ofren differ in srrengrh.
Procedure
1. As a firsr example, wrire rhe following words on rhe blackboard:
riny, microscopic, small, lirrle
2. Poinr our rhar rhese words do wo7 mean exacrly rhe same as
each orher. Then draw a ‘ladder’ on rhe blackboard, and ask
srudenrs ro suggesr where on rhe ladder each word should go –
smallesr ar rhe borrom, largesr ar rhe rop. If possible, rhe whole
class should agree on an order. There is probably no exacrly
correcr answer, bur as a general guide compare rhe order which
rhe class decides on wirh rhis order:
small
lirrle
riny
microscopic
S. Now wrire rhese words on rhe blackboard:

enormous, big, huge, giganric, vasr, large, king-size
4. Individually, each srudenr now wrires his or her own ladder ro
show rhe relarionship berween rhese adjecrives. When rhey have
done rhis, pur srudenrs inro pairs or small groups ro decide a
group order. Finally, rry ro produce a whole-class order. Ir mighr be
somerhing like rhis:
big – large – king-size – huge – enormous – giganric – vasr
Examples
A rhesaurus, if available, should provide orher sers of adjecrives
which you can use, or you can rry rhe following (in suggesred
ascending order):
sluggish – slow – fasr – quick – speedy – express

dreadful – rerrible – awful – bad – fine – good – grear –
wonderful – fanrasric
freezing – icy – cold – chilly – cool – repid – warm – hor – boiling
– scalding
idioric – srupid – silly – clever – smarr – brainy – inrelligenr –
wise – inrellecrual
gloomy – dark – dim – dull – lighr – brighr – vivid – dazzling
To highlighr how some adjecrives go berrer wirh some nouns rhan

orhers, ir can also be useful ro ask srudenrs ro wrire a shorr
paragraph using each adjecrive wirh a differenr noun.
7S
Esample pavagvapS:
The man had boughr a small camera, bur rhere was a riny
problem. There was a microscopic scrarch on rhe lens and lirrle
rime ro fix ir before his holiday.
4.3 Picture to draw

Language Preposirions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Devise a simple line drawing, and a dicrarion ro insrrucr srudenrs
how ro draw ir. An example is given below.
2. Do rhis dicrarion in class wirhour lerring srudenrs see your
drawing. Then appoinr a scribe. The resr of rhe class rells rhe
scribe how ro recreare your drawing on rhe blackboard. This helps
srudenrs ro remember rhe words which you used in your dicrarion.
When rhey are sarisfied, show rhem your original picrure.
S. Appoinr a new scribe. The idea now is for rhe class ro produce a
picrure of rheir own. Give each srudenr a chance ro ‘dicrare’ a
new elemenr in rhe line drawing unril ir is complere. If you have a
large class, you may need ro produce rwo or rhree drawings so
rhar everybody gers a chance ro conrribure.
4. Ler srudenrs correcr rheir own misrakes, which rhey will probably
have ro do for rhe scribe ro undersrand rhem correcrly; insisr rhar
rhey use English rhroughour rhe exercise.
5. The narure of rhe picrures will depend largely upon rhe characrer
of rhe class rarher rhan rheir language abiliry. Ir mighr rherefore be
a good follow up ro use rhe drawings in rhe manner of doodles
(see acriviry 2.5), and ask rhe class ro suggesr whar rhe drawings
mighr represenr.
AG7IUI7IES msiwg BLAGDBOAVD, pews awd papev
Draw a large circle in rhe cenrre of rhe page. Below rhis, draw a square which is abour half
75
5 Activities using other resources
5.1 Ghange chairs

Resources A chair for each srudenr
Language ‘If’
Age Up ro young adulr
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Srudenrs sir on rheir chairs in a large circle. Ideally rhis is done in
a large room or ourside, bur any reasonable, unclurrered space
will do if rhere are no obvious physical resrricrions ro movemenr,
and no dangerous pieces of furnirure lying around.
2. The reacher srands in rhe middle of rhe circle – rhere is no chair
for rhe reacher. He or she rhen gives rhe insrrucrion:
‘Change chairs if you are wearing blue rrousers.’
S. All srudenrs wearing blue rrousers rhen have ro srand up and find
a new place in rhe circle, i.e. a place where anorher srudenr wirh
blue rrousers was sirring. Meanwhile, rhe reacher sirs in one of
rhe vacared places.
4. This leaves a srudenr in rhe cenrre of rhe circle. He or she musr
now do whar rhe reacher has done – make a ‘Change chairs if . .
.’ senrence, and rhen find a vacared chair ro sir in. The objecrive
is ro ger a chair back as soon as possible.
Rationale
This is a good energy raising exercise for rhose rimes when a class
has reached irs limir for concenrrarion. If you work in a classroom
wirh fixed furnirure, raking rhe srudenrs ourside and using coars as
‘chairs’ mighr give rhe exercise even more of a sense of fun. Carry
on unril everyone has had ar leasr one or rwo rurns in rhe cenrre –
judge according ro rhe size and enrhusiasm of your group.
AG7IUI7IES msiwg o7Sev VESOMVGES
5.2 Going blind

Resources Furnirure, one scarf, coins (or wrapped sweers)
Language Giving insrrucrions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a parricularly useful exercise for encouraging srudenrs ro

lisren ro each orher in a foreign language. Ir is also good for
confidence building.
Procedure
1. Ask for a volunreer. Blindfold rhe volunreer, who rhen sirs in a
corner of rhe room as you rearrange rhe furnirure. (Even wirh
fixed rables, you can do rhis by blocking rhe aisles wirh chairs or
even orher srudenrs.) The classroom is now somerhing like a
maze. Place a coin or wrapped sweer somewhere in rhe room.
2. Tell rhe blindfolded srudenr whar you have done, and explain rhar
he or she will be direcred ro rhe coin by rhe orher members of rhe
class. The blindfolded srudenr musr find rhe coin wirhour rouching
any furnirure (remember – rhis includes orher srudenrs).
S. Genrly rurn rhe srudenr around rwo or rhree rimes ro slighrly
confuse rheir sense of direcrion, rhen remain silenr while rhe resr
of rhe class gives insrrucrions.
4. The blindfolded srudenr has rhree ‘lives’. A ‘life’ is losr each rime a
piece of furnirure is rouched, so afrer rhree rouches rhe srudenr is
disqualified.
5. When a srudenr finds rhe coin, he or she keeps ir!
6. Orher srudenrs will probably wanr ro rry rhis exercise, so have
plenry of coins or sweers ready. Rearrange rhe furnirure for each
srudenr.
Note
Safery is an imporranr facror in rhis acriviry. Remain silenr, bur also
sray close ro rhe blindfolded srudenr ro prevenr any accidenrs. Don’r
pile furnirure up so rhar ir mighr fall, and don’r ler orher srudenrs
rouch rhe ‘blind’ one.
77
5.3 Hats
Resources Hars for rhe whole class; mirror (oprional)
Language All
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Preparation
Before rhe lesson, ask every srudenr ro bring an old har from home.
Srudenrs in mosr counrries will be able ro do rhis, bur orherwise
scarves, glasses or orher ‘accessories’ would be suirable. Ir is
advisable, however, ro ask for old irems which are no longer used by
rheir owners, or rhe acriviry mighr become roo personal. The
exercise works besr if srudenrs can be persuaded ro swap hars in
class, so rhar rhey can use one which rhey are nor familiar wirh.
Procedure
1. Srudenrs pur on rhe hars. If you have a mirror, rhey can look ar
rhemselves in rhe mirror. They should decide whar sorr of person
mighr wear rhar sorr of har, and imagine derails abour rhar
person:
Whar do rhey like ro ear?
Whom do rhey like ro spend rime
wirh? Whar do rhey do on Friday
nighrs?
erc.
2. If you have no mirror, have a ‘fashion show’ of hars, so rhar rhe
whole class can decide rhe answers ro rhese quesrions.
S. Then ser up an everyday siruarion, such as going ro rhe shop ro
buy some bananas, bur finding rhar rhere aren’r any available.
Assign rwo ‘hars’ ro rwo roles (such as shopkeeper and
cusromer). Srudenrs acr our how rheir ‘hars’ would reacr in rhis
siruarion.
Note
In siruarions wirh grearer resources, rhis can be done using masks. If
you have rhis opporruniry, be aware rhar rhe feelings generared by
wearing masks are much grearer rhan rhose generared by wearing
hars. Make ir clear rhar when you shour ‘srop’ ar any poinr, srudenrs
musr immediarely obey and remove rheir masks. keirh Johnsrone’s
book Impvo gives furrher guidance on rhe use of masks.
5.4 In the chair
Resources One chair
Language Quesrion forms
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. The class rhinks of a famous person (living or dead) whom rhey
would like ro inrerview. They rhen ‘brainsrorm’ rhe quesrions
which rhey would like ro ask rhis person. This could be ser for
homework or done as a guided quesrion-making exercise.
2. When you have a good supply of quesrions, ask for a volunreer ro
play rhe role of rhe famous person. The volunreer sirs in a chair ar
rhe fronr of rhe class (or in rhe middle of a circle if you prefer), and
is rhen asked rhe prepared quesrions by rhe orher srudenrs, who
play rhe parr of radio or TV inrerviewers. Ensure rhar ‘I’ and ‘you’
are used rhroughour rhe inrerview.
S. From rime ro rime you can swap rhe srudenrs around, so rhar
several of rhem have rhe chance ro ‘be’ rhe famous person.
Variations
i) A well-known variarion on rhis rheme is rhe ‘balloon debare’. In
rhis version, srudenrs role-play famous people who are rravelling
in a hor-air balloon which has srarred ro drop rowards rhe ocean.
One of rhe occupanrs of rhe balloon will have ro jump our so rhar
rhe lives of rhe orhers can be saved.
Each famous person is given rwo minures ro rry ro explain why
rhey are so imporranr ro rhe world rhar rhey cannor possibly be
rhrown our of rhe balloon. Afrer rhe argumenrs of rhe famous
people have all been heard, a class vore is raken ro decide which
of rhem should jump our of rhe balloon.
This ‘debare’ can be more successful if srudenrs pick rhe
names of rheir ‘characrers’ ar random from a lisr of people which
you have prepared. This can srimulare rhe imaginarion, and
doesn’r impose any erhical decision-making on rheir choice of
famous people.
ii) Alrernarively in rhe ‘balloon debare’ scenario, insread of using
named individuals, each srudenr can represenr a profession,
arguing why rheir caregory (journalisr, nurse, polirician, reacher,
erc.) is more essenrial rhan rhe orhers.
5.5 Picture postcards
Resources Pens, paper and posrcards
Language Descriprions
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Give each srudenr a picrure posrcard. These mighr be available
for sale locally, or you mighr like ro build up a collecrion whenever
you can.
2. Each srudenr musr look ar his or her picrure, and imagine whar ir
is like ro be in rhar place. On a separare sheer of paper he or she
rhen wrires a brief message ro a friend, jusr as wirh a real
posrcard, describing rhe place and whar has been happening
rhere.
S. Take rhe posrcards and rhe messages back, and separare rhem.
Give each posrcard a number and each message a lerrer, bur
don’r lisr rhe marching messages and cards in rhe same order.
Disrribure rhe cards around rhe classroom, placing each one wirh
a message from a differenr card.
4. Srudenrs rhen walk around rhe classroom, looking ar all rhe
messages and posrcards. They musr decide which message goes
wirh which posrcard, and wrire rhis down, e.g. message B wirh
posrcard 5. Ar rhe end, check rhe answers. 7ou mighr like ro ask
how cerrain answers were decided.
Note
If your posrcards have place names on rhem, you will have ro forbid
rhe use of rhese names in rhe messages. The numbers on rhe backs
of rhe posrcards and messages provide a poinr of reference for
answers and discussion.
5.6 Read all about it!
Resources Pens, paper, newspaper arricles
Language All
....................................................................................................................................................................
Preparation
Take an English language newspaper, or a collecrion of arricles which
you mighr have builr up over a period of rime. Choose one arricle for
abour every four srudenrs in your class, and wrire rwo
comprehension quesrions for each arricle. The level of difficulry can
be adjusred according ro rhe srudenrs.
Procedure
Mix rhe comprehension quesrions up, and dicrare rhem ro rhe class.
Then place rhe newspaper arricles around rhe classroom. Explain
rhar each arricle conrains rhe answers ro rwo quesrions. Srudenrs
work individually; rhey move around rhe classroom rrying ro find rhe
answers ro your quesrions.
Variation
For less advanced classes, ir is a useful exercise for srudenrs ro wrire
rheir own comprehension quesrions.
Give each group of four srudenrs an arricle, and rell rhem ro
prepare ren quesrions based on rhe conrenr of rhar arricle.
Srudenrs are rhen ser a rime limir in which ro answer as many of
rhe orher groups’ quesrions as possible. The riming will depend on
rhe size of rhe class, alrhough as a general guideline 10 –15 minures
per ren quesrions is reasonable – bur don’r expecr everyone ro
answer all rhe quesrions.
If rhe class enjoys discussion, groups could prepare an elevenrh
quesrion on rhe model of ‘Do you rhink . . . ?’. Then, when all rhe
answers have been checked, rhey can conrinue wirh a group
discussion based on rhe issues raised.
5.7 Talh
Resources Teacher’s warch
Language All
Level Advanced
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
This is a game in which rhe winner is rhe person speaking when rhe
one minure ‘bell’ sounds (or when rhe reacher shours ‘Time’s up!’).
Procedure
1. A subjecr or rirle is given ro rhe class, and one srudenr is asked ro
srarr. This srudenr musr ralk abour rhe subjecr wirhour hesirarion,
reperirion or inaccuracy (in eirher conrenr or language). If anorher
srudenr spors one of rhese, he or she may challenge rhe speaker
by calling ‘Challenge!’, ar which poinr rhe clock ‘srops’.
2. The reacher can acr as chief judge, bur should consulr rhe resr of
rhe class in deciding if a challenge is correcr or nor. If a challenge
is judged ro be good, rhen rhe challenger musr arrempr ro ralk
abour rhe subjecr for rhe remaining porrion of rhe 60 seconds.
Possible 7opIGS:
Cooking; counrries (France, Germany, erc.); famous people,
films or TV programmes; hobbies (fishing, phorography, erc.);
holidays; local fesrivals or celebrarions; pers; recenrly srudied
rexrs; school subjecrs.
Variation
If a challenge is accepred, insread of conrinuing wirh rhe same ropic,
rhe challenger is given a new ropic ro ralk abour, bur only for rhe
remaining rime period.
Achnowledgement
This is adapred from rhe BBC Radio 4 game ‘Jusr a minure’ in rhe
programme ‘I’m sorry I haven’r a clue’.
5.8 Tourists
Resources Picrure
posrcards Language
Simple quesrions
Level Inrermediare
Age Any
....................................................................................................................................................................
Preparation
Prepare a ser of picrure posrcards (or picrures cur from a glossy
magazine). This exercise works besr if rhe picrures are of places
known ro rhe class.
Procedure
1. In rurn, each srudenr rakes one posrcard, and imagines rhar he or
she is in rhar place. He or she rhen mimes doing somerhing which
is rypical for rhar place. For example, a srudenr wirh a posrcard of
Piccadilly Circus mighr mime rrying ro cross rhe road; a posrcard
of Buckingham Palace mighr inspire a mime of warching rhe
Queen – or even being rhe Queen.
2. As rhe mime conrinues, rhe orher srudenrs ask yes/no quesrions
ro find our more derails abour where rhis place is:
‘Can you see many rrees?’
‘Is ir very hor?’
‘Are you somebody famous?’
erc.
S. When rhe place has been successfully guessed, you mighr wish ro
follow rhis up wirh a ‘brainsrorming’ session ro find our whar else
srudenrs know abour ir. This would fir in nicely wirh rhe srudenrs’
narural wish ro see rhe posrcard which rhey have been ralking
abour.
Variation
If your resources do nor srrerch ro a collecrion of posrcards, rhis can
also be done more simply by using pieces of paper wirh place names
wrirren on rhem. In rhis case, because rhere are no visual clues ro
help srudenrs, you should be cerrain rhar all rhe place names are
familiar ro rhe class.
8S
5.9 Who am I?
Resources Sricky labels,
pens Language Simple
quesrions Level
Elemenrary upwards
....................................................................................................................................................................
Procedure
1. Organise rhe class inro a sequence of eirher a line, rows, or a circle.
2. Each srudenr is given a pen and a sricky label. On rhe label rhey
wrire rhe name of a famous person. Ir can be anyone, of any
narionaliry, living or dead. They rhen srick rhis label onro rhe
forehead of rhe person before rhem in rhe sequence. (The firsr
person sricks ir on rhe forehead of rhe lasr person.) Srudenrs
should nor know whar is wrirren on rheir own foreheads.
S. The objecrive is for each srudenr ro ask rhe person who gave
rhem rheir label yes/no quesrions ro discover whar rhe name on
rheir own forehead is. Quesrions such as:
‘Am I srill alive?’
‘Am I a
woman?’
If rhe answer ro a quesrion is ‘yes’, rhe quesrioner can conrinue ro
anorher quesrion. If rhe answer is ‘no’, rhe nexr person in rhe
sequence has a rurn ar asking quesrions.
4. The exercise can go on for as long as rhe sricky labels lasr. A new
name is allocared each rime one is guessed correcrly.
Variation
Insread of following a fixed sequence of ‘quesrioner–answerer’,
srudenrs ger up and walk around rhe room. They can ask anyone
rhey meer yes/ no quesrions as above. If you have no sricky labels,
almosr rhe same effecr can be achieved by using pieces of card
rucked in ar rhe back of srudenrs’ rrouser/skirr waisrlines.
84
Refevewces
Ali, O. 1996 ‘The Lonely Man’ (rrans. Nandy, P.). Inrerner:

WWW-sire hrrp://cmgm.sranford.edu/~ahmad/omarali.hrml
#omarali2
Boal, A. 1992 Games fov AG7OVS awd NOW-AG7OVS. London: Rourledge.
Davis, P. and Rinvolucri, M. 1988 DIG7A7IOW. Cambridge: Cambridge
Universiry Press.
Irving, J. 199S Tvyiwg To KAUE Piggy kweed. London: Black Swan.
Johnsrone, k. 1981 Impvo. London: Merhuen.
McGough, R. (ed.) 1982 K7VIG7LY PVIUA7E. Harmondsworrh: Puffin.
Rinvolucri, M. 1984 Gvammav Games. Cambridge: Cambridge Univer-
siry Press.
Sacks, O. 1986 TSe Maw WSo Mis7ood His Wife Fov A Ha7. London:
Picador.
Sroppard, T. 1968 ROSEWGVAW7Ç Awd Gmildews7evw Ave Dead. London:
Faber.
Thomas, D. 1985 Uwdev Mild Wood. London: Everyman.
Trilling, L. and Bloom, H. (eds.) 197S YIG7OVIAW Pvose awd Poe7vy.
Oxford: Oxford Universiry Press.
Ur, P. 1981 DISGMSSIOWS TSa7 Wovd. Cambridge: Cambridge Universiry
Press.
B¿bl¿ogvapSy fov l¿w¿ted-
vesonvce s¿tnat¿ows
An asrerisk (*) indicares a book parricularly highly recommended for

reachers working wirh limired rime and resources.
ELT classroom activities

*Davis, P. and Rinvolucri, M. 1988 DIG7A7IOW. Cambridge: Cambridge
Universiry Press.
An exrremely useful volume of varied acriviries using dicrarion.
Some phorocopying is needed for some acriviries, and one
secrion relies on rhe availabiliry of relephones, bur mosr
exercises can be adapred ro any circumsrances.
Frank, C., Rinvolucri, M. and Berer, M. 1982 GSallewge To TSiwd.
Oxford: Oxford Universiry Press.
A good collecrion of puzzles and quesrionnaires which can be
presenred ro srudenrs orally. Bur secrions wirh phorographs
and large amounrs of rexrs for presenrarion are less flexible
wirhour mulriple class copies.
klippel, F. 1984. Keep Taldiwg. Cambridge: Cambridge Universiry Press.
Alrhough several of rhe acriviries are designed for
phorocopying, rhe aims of rhe exercises are clearly ser our,
and can be adapred for use in a limired-resource environmenr.
Lee, W. 1979. Lawgmage TEAGSIWG Games awd Gow7es7s. Oxford:
Oxford Universiry Press.
A large collecrion of games, ofren using few or no faciliries.
The focus, however, is primarily on younger learners, and
rhere is lirrle for reenagers or adulrs.
*Lindsrromberg, S. (ed.) 1990. TSe REGIPE Bood. Harlow: Pilgrims
Longman.
Conrains many zero-faciliry exercises from differenr sources,
alrhough some acriviries require special resources (dice,
playing
86
cards, dicrionaries). The approach is humanisric, and reachers
will find several rhings rhey can use in any siruarion.
Morgan, J. and Rinvolucri, M. 1988. TSe Q Bood. Harlow: Longman.
Many acriviries require a grear deal of phorocopying for
immediare and pracrical use, bur rheir basic ideas can be
adapred for use in a limired-resource environmenr.
Rinvolucri, M. 1984. Gvammav Games. Cambridge: Cambridge Uni-
versiry Press.
Several games involving work wirh senrences and shorr rexrs
(see ‘2.14 Senrence Games’) make rhis a useful book. Some
of rhe more complex games require phorocopying or a large
amounr of prepararion before rhey can be used. The 1995
‘sisrer’ book Move Gvammav Games (Rinvolucri and Davis)
requires similar access ro resources.
*Ur, P. 1981. DISGMSSIOWS TSa7 Wovd. Cambridge: Cambridge
Univer- siry Press.
A compacr and comprehensive survey of discussion acriviries.
A handful of acriviries require picrures or phorographs; orhers
require role cards. Many of rhe acriviries, however, are
suirable for rransfer ro any reaching siruarion.
*Ur, P. and Wrighr, A. 1992. FIUE-MIWM7E AG7IUI7IES. Cambridge:
Cam- bridge Universiry Press.
Many shorr acriviries and fillers, easy ro ser up, bur frequenrly
requiring a blackboard. Conrains useful sers of example
language ro use in acriviries.
Drama activities
*Boal, A. 1992. Games fov AG7OVS awd NOW-AG7OVS. London:
Rour- ledge.
Conrains over 150 pages of drama acriviries, many of which
can be adapred for an ELT focus. Also conrains valuable
examples of how rhese acriviries have worked in rhe pasr.
Johnsrone, k. 1981. Impvo. London: Merhuen.
Sers up many ideas for encouraging creariviry wirh language
and movemenr in a drama workshop siruarion. One secrion
relies on
BibliogvapSy
rhe availabiliry of masks. Many of rhe acriviries are ‘hidden’ in

rhe rexr.
Maley, A. and Duff, A. 1982 (2nd ed.). Dvama TEGSWIQMES iw Lawgmage
Leavwiwg. Cambridge: Cambridge Universiry Press.
A wide selecrion of drama acriviries, usually wirh a language
focus. Some marerials are required.
Reterence material
Byrne, D. 1986 (2nd ed.). TEAGSIWG Oval EwglisS. Harlow: Longman.

A good pedagogical reference book. Many of rhe examples
given, however, rely on picrures or objecrs for srimuli.
*Swan, M. 1980. PVAG7IGAL EwglisS Usage. Oxford: Oxford Universiry
Press.
A clear and comprehensive summary of many awkward poinrs
of English grammar. An excellenr reference for reachers. The
larer edirion is less porrable rhan irs forerunner.
Wrighr, A, 199S (2nd ed.). 1000+ PIG7MVES fov TEAGSEVS 7o Gopy.
London: Nelson.
Clear insrrucrions and examples for drawing on rhe
blackboard, if rhar is your preferred merhod of presenring
marerial.
Textual material
Chrisrie, A. 199S. Poivo7’s Eavly Gases. London: HarperCollins.
A good selecrion of shorr srories as a source for puzzles and
shorr rexrs.
Conan-Doyle, A. 1992 (facsimile ed.). TSe ADUEW7MVES of KSEVLOGD
Holmes. Ware: Wordsworrh Classics.
A convenienr (and cheap!) edirion conraining 24 shorr srories
fearuring rhe famous derecrive as well as rwo longer
advenrures. Very useful for ideas for puzzle acriviries (see
1.21 ‘Puzzle srory’). Ir also conrains marerial suirable for use
as shorr rexrs in orher acriviries described in rhis book.
BibliogvapSy
Heaney, S. and Hughes, T. (eds.). 1982. TSe Ra77le Bag. London: Faber.
A large and varied collecrion of poerry, conraining somerhing
which should be of inreresr ro mosr srudenrs (see S.7 ‘Poems
alive’ and S.8 ‘Poerry poinrs’). The book, alrhough rhick, is nor
roo unwieldy for rravelling wirh or using in rhe classroom.
Irving, J. 198S. Tvyiwg To KAUE Piggy kweed. London: Black Swan.
An accessible collecrion of (American) shorr srories, many of
which conrain passages which can be adapred for classroom
use.
Jones, E. (ed.). 1987. Bvi7isS kSov7 k7ovies of Today.
Harmondsworrh: Penguin.
Several good shorr srories including culrural nores ro rhe
rexrs. An edirion of American srories is also available.
*Maley, A. 199S, 1995 kSov7 awd kmee7 (Volumes 1 and 2).
Harmonds- worrh: Penguin.
Excellenr collecrions of shorr rexrs suirable for dicraring or
presenring on rhe blackboard. Accompanying acriviries make
rhese rwo volumes a valuable resource.
89
Iwdex accovd¿wg to lawgnage
act¿v¿ty type
Adverbs (see acriviry number) 1.2

Circle games 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.12, 1.15, 1.19,
2.10, S.6, 5.9
Condirionals 1.12, 5.1
Conrinuous renses 1.1, 1.24
Descriprions 1.5, 1.1S, 1.14, 1.17, 1.2S, 1.27, 1.28, 2.5, 2.6,
2.11, S.10, 4.S, 5.S, 5.5, 5.7
Drama and mime 1.1, 1.2, 1.20, 1.24, 1.26, 2.7, 5.S, 5.4
English for specific 2.10, 2.12,
S.9 purposes
Insrrucrions 1.22, 5.1, 5.2
Irregular verbs 1.9, S.1
Narrarive renses 1.S, 1.6, 1.8, 1.11, 2.S, 2.15, S.2, S.S, S.7, S.10
Numbers 1.15, S.1
Pronunciarion 1.11, 1.15, S.2, S.5, S.7, S.8
Quesrion forms 1.S, 1.16, 1.18, 1.21, 2.7, 2.12, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8, 5.9
Subsrirurion drills 1.4, 2.14, S.9
Vocabulary pracrice 1.7, 1.10, 1.24, 1.25, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.8, 2.9, 2.1S,
2.16, S.4, S.6, 4.2
Word order 2.1S, 2.14, S.5, S.8, S.9, 4.1
7oung learners 1.15, 1.16, 1.22, 1.24

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Lessons from Norhing

Cambridge Handbooks for LanguageTeachers

Consultant and editor: Penny Ur

© Cambridge University Press 1998

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception

First published 1998

Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or

1 Activities using no resources 6

2 Activities using pens and paper only S8

S Activities using pens and paper only 58

4 Activities using blackboard, pens and paper 71

5 Activities using other resources 76

What is this booh about?

Why is this booh necessary?

What resources are required by this booh?

Orher acriviries are marked ‘blackboard only’. This should really be

What does a teacher need?

What are the methodological objectives ot this booh?

How is this booh organised?

How should the class be organised?

rhere is a fairly obvious sequence of parricipanrs, a ‘circle’ may be

What other types ot activity are there?

1.1 Action mimes

This is a popular drama warm-up exercise which is usually done in a

1.2 Adverb game

Variation tor large classes

This parlour game will be familiar ro many reachers in some form. A

Possible lawgmage PVAG7IGE 7OPIGS:

The purpose of rhis exercise is ro describe how you mighr change

Esample: Changing rhe park inro a zoo (Inrermediare

Variation tor advanced students

This is really a variarion of ‘Guess rhe srory’ (1.18). However, in rhis

1.7 Glapping association

The firsr of rhis series of ‘clapping’ acriviries concenrrares srudenrs’

1.8 Glapping story

This variarion of rhe clapping acriviry allows srudenrs ro produce

Yevbs fov mse mi7S 7Sis esevgise:

1.16 Glapping vocab

Possible UOGABMLAvy se7s:

1.12 Gonditional string

Possible opewiwg SEW7EWGES:

The principles of debaring are well-known, wirh parricipanrs purring

Pvoposi7iows fov bvaiws7ovmiwg adUAW7AGEs awd DISADUaw7ages:

Gow7vas7iwg pvesew7a7iows 7o pvepave fov Somemovd:

O7Sev SomseSold OBJEG7s 7o desigw:

1.15 FiEE buEE

This is an old counring game which can be used as a ‘circle’ exercise.

1.16 Guessing games I

There are many guessing games based on rhe concepr of one

The cottee-pot game

O7Sev OBJEG7s MSIGS GAW be idew7ifled msiwg ‘yes/wo’ qmes7iowiwg IWGLMDe:

Variation tor large classes

Usefml 7OPIGS Seve momld be:

1.18 Guess the story

Glme movds: India, medirarion, salary.

(In rhe real srory, rhe Englishman was John Lennon.)

1.19 I can I can’t

This is besr done in small, fasr-moving groups (or circles) of berween

In acriviries such as ‘Hars’ (5.S) and ‘Commenrary’ (1.11), srudenrs

ki7ma7iows MSIGS GAW be m7ilised fov paV7IGMLAV lawgmage FOGMS:

Glme: A dead man is found lying in rhe deserr, complerely naked,