Time: 20 minutes

Mystery Friend

Description

The students fill out questionnaires to give their answers relating to the target English. The teacher collects all their papers and picks a random one. The students ask questions and the teacher answers as the ‘mystery friend’ (the student whose paper they picked). Students can volunteer to guess who the mystery friend is, and when they guess correctly the teacher picks a new questionnaire.

Notes

  • It is worth spreading this activity into multiple lessons – one for the students to write their own answers and interview each other, and one to play mystery friend. If the students write their interview answers on a separate worksheet, they can use this in the mystery friend game to help them guess the answer.

Tree Game

Also known as:

  • Tree Game

Description

In groups, students pick 3 out of 6 animals shown at the top of the ‘tree’.

Starting at the bottom square of the tree, the students ask the teacher if they like the vocabulary in that square.

If the teacher says yes, the students go up and one square to the left. If they say no, the students go up and one square to the right.

If the final square has one of the animals they picked, they win one point.

The students change the three animals they want to pick, then the next round starts.

Notes

This can be changed into a production game, by having the students ask a volunteer to give their answer. If so, it is best to give some thinking time each turn, so the groups can decide the answer they want. The teacher then picks one group (by using a dice, pulling a card and so on) to give the answer.

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.

Similar Games

Telephone Game

Description

The students make groups (with as even numbers in each group as possible), and then make a line. The student at the front of the line gets a set of small cards. One member from the back of each group comes to the teacher and listens to them whisper the key sentence. They join the back of their line and repeat (by whispering) what the heard to the group member in front of them.

That student whispers to the group member in front of them and so on, until the student at the front of the line hears the answer. They pick the matching card from their set.

Once all groups have finished, the teacher confirms the answer. The student at the front of the line moves to the back and everyone else moves forward, and the game continues for the next round.

Notes

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.

Similar Games

Super Mega Janken

Description

On the board, each target vocabulary is placed in a horizontal row. The class splits into two groups, and each group makes a line, one on the left side of the board and one on the right.

The first student in each group, starting from the left or right respectively, says each vocabulary on the board and moves towards the opposite side. When they meet the opposing player in the middle, they play janken. The loser goes to the back of their row and the second player in their group starts saying the vocabulary from the beginning until they meet the opposing player once again. This continues until one student reaches the other end of the board. Their team then wins one point.

Notes

  • This game is very hectic and high-pressure for the students. Also, only two students in the class are playing at any given time. It may be best to split the class into smaller groups.
  • 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.

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.

Similar Games

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.

Fruit Hunt

Description

Students make groups. Using a PowerPoint file, they see a series of pictures with a certain number of fruit on them. After the students have had some time to look at the picture, the question is shown. The students then repeat the question ‘how many [fruit]?’.

After some thinking time, a student can volunteer. They get one point for each correct answer.

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.