Job Discussion Forums

[mat chen]

Hangman is a great game. Lame and useless pedagogy but in China it is great. You use it when you have hundreds of parents and grandparents watching you. The kids are throwing their hands up and acting really enthusiastic. And you ask them for a letter and write in on the board. I recommend you use sentences instead of words and then you have more chance of hanging the classroom. Now the beauty of the game is that you are running a teacher centered classroom, which is what the parents want to see. With the grandparents they are impressed that their grandchildren know pinyin. Anybody educated before 1970 in CHina doesn't know the alphabet.

[flyingscotsman]

I put out a tip jar all the time but so far no one has put any money into it.

[Lobster]

Hangman is not lame and useless, it's actually a great vocabulary review tool. Once the students know how it works, they can be the ones who choose the words and run the game. This makes it more student-centred. You can keep score.

RED

[time to teach]

Hangman is one of the oldest and laziest teacher tricks in the book, essential for kids classes but uni students and adults will be yawning within minutes.

[7969]

[Riviello]

I have used Hangman in the past towards the end of the semester when I want to review all of the topics/words introduced during the term.

It helps me ascertain who was actually listening/paying attention in class and remembers any of the stuff I tried to teach them. Believe me, you can see the students who took notes over the past 4 months or so flipping through their notebooks.

If a student knows the answer, I give them some extra points. I also try to remember those who I saw looking through their notes.

[nickpellatt]

I use Hangman to introduce a topic sometimes. Just one game, with the answer being todays topic. More than one game ... yeah, boring.

For reviewing vocabulary, a guy I used to work with made up a version of Jeopardy with each answer being a vocabulary item from that week. I think he did played it for 30 minutes each friday. I never saw it work, but the students (small classes of adults) seemed to like it.

[mister_kot]

They say Jeopardy is too teacher centered, but I use it for an 'English Corner' type public class that my school gives away for free each week. I split the group up into three teams and let them go. Usually with each question, I have a short riff that reviews some basic vocab or ideas from past small classes I've had with students.

The students are all college-aged. Sometimes it's amazing the things they don't know like what language is spoken in Mexico. Students seem to like it and it beats what other teachers in my center do with the same types of classes (Hangman, Pictionary, long monologues about their personal lives).

In small classes I've told the students that I don't think too highly of the public classes and ask what they want from the class. They tell me mine are more 'interesting'.

It's only once a week so I don't think it's too big a deal. Also this school doesn't encourage game playing in small classes, so to do so in a large class is ok.

[slareth]

[Riviello]

Ie: Jeapordy

I have used a better "version" of Hangman as well. It is a bit more difficult, but is focused on the students speaking English.

Basically, I begin the class by saying today we will review all of the topics/vocabulary covered in class the past semester. I remind them of the topics and a few words, then randomly write the new vocabulary on the board.

Then, group the kids into different teams. It could just be Boys v. Girls or several teams. Then, have 1 member from a certain team choose a word written on the board and describe it, in English. The team that shouts out the correct word gets a point and goes next.

Each member of the teams will ideally describe 1 word.

The later rounds are interesting because those are the more difficult words.

Unfortunately, this idea only works with students who can say more than Yes or No, which is my current predicament.

[nickpellatt]

Is Jeopardy too teacher centred? After posting the comment earlier I was thinking about it and thought its the perfect game to review vocabulary and uses a very standard eliciting model. I probably dont elicit as much vocabulary as I should and I was thinking this game would be great for that.

'This character adjective describes a person who is really good at listening to other peoples problems ....'

'What is sympathetic?'

(That is how it works right? I dont think it was ever very big in the UK)

[Miajiayou]

[mister_kot]

I do take those kinds of comments loaded with sodium.

But as you said it seems to have made the 'English Corner' not a COMPLETE waste of time.

[mat chen]

I only use it with kids and only when I have a bunch of parents in the room or watching through the window. It is rubish. But it makes the students look enthusiastic. You look good calling on students to volunteer letters. I never use it with just single words but have whole sentences. Parents in China want a teacher centered classroom. I would never play the game with anyone over 14 years of age.

[Riviello]

Nick,

You have the idea. My classes tend to not get as technical though.

For example - Who/this is the person who greets you when you walk into a restaurant? Host

or

After getting to the restaurant, the Host will usually ask you if you have what? Reservation

Basically, 1 student completes a sentence/question and the others yell out 1 word. Ideally, everybody will describe at least 1 word.

Jeopardy requires a question. I just hope for a sentence!

This is the person who helps you with your luggage at a hotel. Bellman