Job Discussion Forums

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Don't you hate it when you have the answer key and the students still get the answer before you

BethMac · Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 79

Does this happen to you a lot, dmb? Very Happy

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Only these lateral thinking type activities. These sort of activities suit the Turkish way of thinking

BethMac · Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 79

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

DMB, thast's exactly what I meant!!!

Buraimi · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 24 Location: Canada

It's been a long time since I laughed out loud at my computer screen. I don't think I'd have the nerve to try this in class myself (all that mascara streaming down carefully made up faces!), but sure enjoyed imagining it!

Here's an idea (verbatim) from the TESL-L forum. Anthea Tillyer got the idea from someone else and then posted it in 1998: "You cut pieces of string, enough for one for each student in the class....I made mine different lengths - about one meter (approx. 1 yard) or a little longer, a couple MUCH longer. I also cut one of about 25 cm (approx 1 foot) so that I could demonstrate what to do.

The idea is that each student has to start talking while winding the piece of string around one finger. They can only wind while they are talking, and they can't stop talking until the whole string is wound around the finger. You can also ask them to continue to speak while unwinding the string again.

My students loved doing it. I set up the strings so that when they each picked one, they didn't know how long it would be...that gave it some excitement. I demonstrated how to do it with my short piece of string, explaining the idea as I wound it around my finger. EVERYONE talked.

My students are intermediate...I think a higher level class could use longer strings. The first class I tried it with were so into the activity that when one of their classmates arrived in class 30 minutes late, five students who had already spoken tied their strings together and gave it to him (their idea). He had to talk for about 10 minutes! I don't think he will be late again.

I allowed my students to choose any topic they liked, but you could also assign topics, I suppose."

I haven't tried this myself, but it's on my list of things to do this semester. If anyone else gives it a try, please let me know how it turns out.

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

For this, you just need an old pair of sunglasses. It works well as a review if you've covered professions or different types of abodes.

Tell the students that you have magic sunglasses that let you tell the future. They'll let you see what someone will do for a living, who they'll marry, how many children they'll have, and where they'll live. Give a couple examples, like, "Lily will become a lawyer, marry Liu De Hua, have three children, and live in a tent!" Then give your glasses to a student whose English is good and who is noisy and outgoing, and let them get up, find someone in class, and tell their fortune to everyone. Make sure that the glasses and students move around the room so it doesn't get boring, and also watch a bit to make sure that it doesn't get mean-spirited (although I've never had that happen). I've done this activity with kids from 11 to 19, and they all really liked it.

Another activity that is good for an active class (but one you can trust not to get too rowdy) is English Ball. Bring a soft ball, like a nerf ball, to class. You throw it, and whoever catches it has to say a sentence in English. Then they throw the ball to another classmate, who has to say something. The good thing about this game is that they guys who sit in the back and who try not to say anything in class generally get really into it.