This is like a role-play activity with no dialogue!

Author
Jo Budden

It needs a little bit of preparation time for you to write out the problem cards. This example is set in a hotel, but you can adapt this to any scenario where functional language would be used, such as at the train station, in a restaurant or at the shops. 

Procedure:

  • Put students into small groups.
  • Tell the students they are in a hotel. Explain that one student in the group is the guest, and the other students are the receptionists. The guest has some problems that they need to tell the receptionists about. However, the guest has lost their voice and can only mime!
  • Give the guest in each group a problem card, for example the TV doesn't work, the window is broken or the shower in my room doesn't have any hot water. The guest mimes and the receptionists need to guess the problem.
  • To make it more challenging and to revise functional language, you could make it so they must guess what is written on the card word for word, e.g. Could you help me please? The key to my room doesn't open the door.
  • The first receptionist to guess wins a point and keeps the card.
  • Then change roles so another student in the group is the guest, and give them a new problem card to mime.
  • When all the problems have been guessed, ask students to role play the different situations.
Language Level

Comments

Submitted by TatyanaProshko on Sun, 12/01/2024 - 15:45

This is exciting game. Students can show their creativity and enjoy the game.

Submitted by Apol_Domingo2024 on Wed, 11/13/2024 - 07:21

The activity above is an example of a mime game/activity. It is a kind of guessing games where a teacher give a word, phrase or sentences to a learner and the learner mimes it while his or her group try to guess what he/she means. This is an enjoyable and effective learning strategy to teach grammar than lecturing or memorization. Utilizing games in teaching gives the students the opportunity to practice their communication and develop as well as reinforce some grammar concepts that children already learned. Activities such as this also encourages creativity , imagination and movement among the learners. Making an effort to create conducive and pleasurable activity like this one will have positive and lasting effect on student's learning.

Submitted by Francine_Wong on Sat, 11/09/2024 - 16:10

I think that this game is quite interactive and gives the students a chance to process in depth, the meaning of the dialogue and purpose, so they can later express it through mime!

Submitted by Zamzagul on Thu, 10/31/2024 - 22:16

For some students who are not as confident in speaking English as SL, it can be a good method to express his/her opinions at the initial stage of learning and be creative.

Submitted by so_so on Sun, 10/27/2024 - 13:56

I think this is very interesting and enjoyable will let learning in easy and simple ways

Submitted by zimireva on Sun, 10/20/2024 - 18:46

I think it is this activity stimulates learning and makes the lesson more interesting and productive

Submitted by kholoudk on Fri, 10/11/2024 - 09:25

This is an enjoyable game to the students it help them to show their talent and develop their vocabulary and grammar language. Also, help them to use their brain effectively to guess the word.

Submitted by Yeneneshtamiru… on Sun, 10/06/2024 - 21:06

Such language game is enjoyable and interesting in language teaching as it enhances theme sprit and collaborative learning. Besides, to guess what is written on problem cards,students should have vocabulary capacity to express the idea of the message. Such game help them develop their vocabulary and grammar knowledges.

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