Ice breakers/fillers for business English
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Ice breakers/fillers for business English
Hi. I'm conducting a corporate training workshop on Presentation Skills and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for warm-up activities or fillers to use. Thank you!
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joshua2004
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 7:08 pm
- Location: Torreon, Mexico
The beauty of icebreakers is that they work for any class or subject. If you search Google with the string "ice breaker" or "cooperative games" "introduction activities" you will find a ton.
I find however, that the best icebreakers are always the ones you invent or adapt yourself. The goal is often to get people "loose" and comfortable talking with each other. Doing something crazy like having people play duck duck goose, can do that. It sounds unprofessional, but believe me it works. Especially if you only do it a day or two until people are settled in to the class.
I once taught an adult math night class. The people would come in so tired from their day and not in any mood to do math, that doing some silly game I concocted sounded much better than working. Once people were loosened up and and talking, they glided right into the work together.
With these initial icebreakers, I never try to make them academic so that it is obvious to the student what their purpose is. It can help to tell them the purpose as well so that they can get themselves into it.
I find however, that the best icebreakers are always the ones you invent or adapt yourself. The goal is often to get people "loose" and comfortable talking with each other. Doing something crazy like having people play duck duck goose, can do that. It sounds unprofessional, but believe me it works. Especially if you only do it a day or two until people are settled in to the class.
I once taught an adult math night class. The people would come in so tired from their day and not in any mood to do math, that doing some silly game I concocted sounded much better than working. Once people were loosened up and and talking, they glided right into the work together.
With these initial icebreakers, I never try to make them academic so that it is obvious to the student what their purpose is. It can help to tell them the purpose as well so that they can get themselves into it.