Hi there,
Here's a large class game for you that is adaptable to any language, and is excellent for drilling specific grammar or vocab. It can be done with flashcards as an aid, or with nothing at all.
It allows the whole class to get in some speaking practice in a short time.
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com
Relay Race
1. How to Play
2. Language ideas to use with this game
3. Reading and spelling variant
This game is to be played once your students are familiar
with the vocabulary and sentences that you wish to
practise. This is a speaking practice game, or a revision
game.
It is ideal for drilling in new vocabulary or grammar, in a
fun way of course!
1. HOW TO PLAY
Divide your class into teams. If you have space then line
the teams up in your space. If you have rows of desks then
make each row a team and have the children stand up in
between their desks. If you have children on benches with
no room to move, then make each horizontal row a team.
Give the first child in each row a flashcard with a picture
on it. When you say "go", the first child turns to the
next one, names the item on the card and passes it along
the line. Each child must take the item and pass it to the
next child in the row while naming the item.
The winning team is the one which gets the picture card
down the end of the line first. You can of course play so
that the card has to come back to the front again.
It is a good idea to use referees. A referee is someone
nominated from another team who listens in as the card is
passed down the line and makes sure that the word is said
properly, and that accuracy is not sacrificed for speed.
If you would like this game to be quiet then play as above
but make a rule that only whispering is allowed.
If necessary you can make a rule that anyone not playing
properly or messing around, or being loud, will mean that
the card in that team has to start back at the beginning
again, or is confiscated meaning that the team cannot win a
point in that round.
The use of picture cards is good because it adds a fun
element to the game. The children can see the progress of
the card travelling down their own line, and the lines of
other teams, so it adds some excitement.
In addition it allows you to see who should and who
shouldn't be talking.
You can have a useful rule where only the players holding
the card can talk - it is a "pass" to be able to speak. In
that sense you don't even have to pass down a relevant
picture, but can use anything - such as a book.
2. Language ideas to use with this game
So now I'd like to explore how else we can exploit this
basic idea, and what other language we can use in this game.
You can use it as shown above to drill in and reinforce
vocabulary.
However it is also very useful for practising a specific
target structure, such as a tense, or question form.
In fact you can have any language passed down the line,
which makes this an extremely useful game to have up your
sleeve.
If you wanted to make the game a little more challenging
then you could use the game to practise questions and
answers. The first player asks the required question,
hands the card over, and the second player answers the
question, and then hands the card to the third player, who
asks the fourth player the question.
3. Reading and spelling
If you use word flashcards instead of pictures the children
will see the spelling of the words frequently. However it
is better to use pictures for memorising.
A spelling variant on this game is to give the first child
a sheet of paper with several words on it. This child is
not allowed to show the paper to the second player but must
spell out the first word. The second player has to work
out what the word is and say it out loud.
If the second player is correct the first player hands the
paper over and the second child spells the second word to
the third player, who names it, takes the paper and so on.
This is quite challenging so you could play with
intermediate players and even teenagers and adults will
find this fun.
Enjoy the game
Shelley
