Groups: Pairs

Letter Exchange

Description

The students first get a worksheet that has 6 random letters. The students draw the letters in the squares using whatever colour/design they like. When they’re finished, they cut them out.

The students then get a sheet of paper with their name on it written in English, and six letters which were made in the previous lesson (they don’t need to be the ones they made originally). They use the paper to make pairs and ask for letters. If their partner has the letter they asked for, they give it to them.

When they have all the letters to make their name, they can glue them (in the correct order) to their paper.

After class, students can add their own design to the rest of the paper, and glue it to their new name card to use for the next year.

Notes

  • It takes the students a long time to draw their letters, so it is best to split the activity into two lessons.
  • If using lower case letters, the first letter of each name is left for the student to draw on their own name card as a capital.
  • When making the worksheets, make sure you have enough letters for each student’s name – certain letters will be much more common than others. One way to do it is to take each student’s name, shuffle the letters and put them all on one worksheet. This worksheet doesn’t need to be given to the student whose name it was, however. If there are more than 6 letters, add those letters onto the next worksheet that has a short name. If there are left over spaces, fill them with common letters so there are some spares.
  • It’s recommended that the name cards are laminated once finished. The letters will often fall off the card throughout the school year otherwise.

Maze Game

Description

Each student gets a worksheet. The worksheet is a 9×9 grid with a vocabulary word in each square. The students make pairs. Starting in the bottom left, they ask each other question based on the vocabulary of the current square.

Their partner can pick either yes or no for their answer. If their partner answers ‘yes…’, the student moves to the space above the one they were on. If they answer ‘no…’, they move to the space to the right.

When they reach the top or right side of the grid, they will win a certain number of points. They then return to the bottom left space and continue.

Notes

  • There are multiple versions of the worksheet that have different points in different spaces. This way their partner can’t predict what that answer will mean for their partner’s score.

Ohajiki Zone

Description

Students make pairs and get a set of vocabulary cards. The cards are split into 3 groups. They also get one ohajiki (a counter/game piece) each. Each student puts their ohajiki on one of the cards. The teacher sets a random time on the timer (between around 30 seconds and 2 minutes), but turns the timer away from the students so they can’t see how long the round will be.

The teacher starts the timer, and calls random vocabulary. The students repeat them. When the timer stops, the students check the final vocabulary they said. Any student who has an ohajiki on the card that matches the last vocabulary called wins three points. Any student that has an ohajiki on the same group as the last vocabulary wins one point. The teacher then sets a new random time and the students pick a new vocabulary card for the next round.

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Mini Mega Janken

Description

The students make pairs, and each pair gets set of flashcards. They place the flashcards in a line and each student starts at opposite ends. They say the target English that matches the card and move to the next card in the line until they meet in the middle.

They janken, and the loser restarts at the start of the line and the winner continues from where they were. When one player reaches the end of the line, they win one point.

Notes

  • It may be helpful to rotate pairs every few minutes.
  • It is more manageable to make sure the students say their vocabulary at the same rhythm – i.e. they cannot say the next vocabulary until their partner is ready to move on. This prevents one student from going too fast and not speaking clearly, or another getting stuck and losing out.

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Up/Down Numbers [How many…? Version]

Description

Students write a number between 1 and 20 next to each fruit on their worksheet (they can’t use the same number more than once).

They then make pairs and ask each other ‘how many [fruit]?’. Their partner guesses a number. If the guess is below what they wrote for that given fruit, they say ‘up’. If the number is above it, they say ‘down’. The first student to guess their partner’s number wins.

Notes

  • ‘Up’ and ‘down’ are not likely to be words the students will be familiar with, so practice them before starting the game.

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Up/Down Numbers

Description

Students get a small card with a number on it. They make pairs and guess a number. If their partner guesses a number below their card, they say ‘up’. If the number is above, they say ‘down’. The first student to guess their partner’s number wins.

Notes

  • ‘Up’ and ‘down’ are not likely to be words the students will be familiar with, so practice them before starting the game.

Evolution

Description

5 different animals are placed on the board in an ascending line. For example, at the bottom you could use ‘rabbit’ followed by ‘cat’, then ‘dog’, ‘monkey’ and finally ‘lion’.

The students all start as the bottom animal – for example, ‘rabbit’. They make pairs and ask each other the question, and answer using either their original ideas or a small card. Once they have both answered, they janken. The winner ‘evolves’ to be the next animal. The students then find new partners to talk to.

Once they ‘evolve’ to become a lion (or whatever top animal is being used), they win 1 point. They then go back to being the bottom animal (e.g. a rabbit) and continue to try and win more points.

Notes

In some versions of this game, the students need to gesture or act like their current animal. This usually isn’t necessary!

Lucky Card

Description

Students each get 3 random small cards. They make pairs, ask questions and answer using the target English and one of the cards they have in their hand. They then janken, and the winner can choose which of their cards they will exchange with one of their partner’s cards (also of their choice).

When time is up, the teacher picks a lucky card. Students get one point for each card they have that matches the lucky card.

Notes

The teacher can pick multiple cards to be lucky, certain cards can be worth more points than others, or there can simply be one lucky card.

What’s Missing?

Description

The teacher puts a set of flashcards on the board at the front of the class. The student try to memorise them, then all turn away and face the back of the classroom. The teacher removes one card, then the students turn back to the front. After some thinking time, the students can then volunteer to say which card is missing.

Notes

  • Asking for a single volunteer creates quite a high pressure environment. It may help to have the students make groups. Then, the group can be picked to volunteer together.
  • Alternatively, again in groups, students can assign themselves a number. Then, after the thinking time, the teacher calls one number and every student who matches that number can volunteer. For example, if the teacher calls ‘2’, every student who is number 2 from each group can volunteer. This means students can’t know who will be picked beforehand, and encourages peer support.

Connect 4 Dice

Description

Students make pairs and a Connect 4 Dice worksheet. Each student takes turns rolling a dice. Depending on the number the dice lands on, they can pick a space in the matching column and sayi the associated target English that matches the picture. They then put one of their ohajiki on that space. The first student to get an unbroken line of 4 ohajiki wins. Students can ‘block’ their partner by putting their ohajiki in between their partner’s line.

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