The role of games in learning English plan

Feel and think


Language: Asking questions and giving answers, naming objects, expressing doubt, e.g. / think it's a . . . It could be a . . . I’m not sure. , .
Skills: Listening and speaking.
Control: Guided.
Level: Beginners/intermediate, or advanced in Variation 1.
Time: 2—3 minutes to demonstrate the game to the class. Another 10 minutes or more for pair work.
Materials: A collection of objects and a cloth to cover them with; in Variation 2, a blindfold and/or a bag.
Preparation: Collect about ten small objects of different shapes and sizes. A piece of cloth, a thin towel, a headscarf, or a large handkerchief will be required. It must be large enough to cover four or five of the objects,
Procedure: Class work leading to optional pair work.
Make sure that the learners know the names of at least the majority of the objects which you have collected.
Put four or five of the objects under the cloth on a table without the class seeing which ones you have chosen.
Ask a learner to feel one of the objects through the cloth and to tell you what he/she thinks it is. If correct, let the learner remove the object. Ask other learners to do the same for the other objects.
The language in this game can be restricted, e.g. Teacher: What is it? Learner: It's a...
Any of the following language might be used according to your wishes:
Teacher: What do you think it is?
Learner: 1 think it's a. . .
It could be a . . .
I'm not sure. . .
I don't know. . .
I know what it is but I don't know what it's called.
I know what it's called in (Swedish) but I don't know what it's called in English.
If you think that the learners, divided into pairs, can collect a sufficient number of objects, you will find the game easy to arrange for pair work.
Variation1: Class work leading to optional pair work.
Advanced learners might be asked to talk about each feature of the object they are feeling in such a way that the rest of the class can identify it. This will require the use of descriptive terms and the language of speculation, e.g.
Learner 1 Learner 2 Learner 3 Learner 4 Learner 5 Learner6 Learner 7
It's hard.
What's it made of?
I think it's made of metal.
What shape is it?
It's got two round bits. You can put your fingers through them. It's got two long bits which are sharp.
Is it a pair of scissors?
Yes, I think so.
Variation 2: Group or class work.
One learner is blindfolded. He/she sits in the centre of a circle, and one of the other learners places an object (or objects) in his/her hands, and asks: Learner: What is it/are they?
Who does it/do they belong to?
That is to say, the first person must identify both the object(s) and the owner. If this is done correctly, the two players change places. If not, another object, belonging to a third person, is placed in the first person's hands, and the game goes on as before.
Note: The 'feel it' game may also be played by placing the 'mystery' objects in a bag, into which a learner dips his/her hand, and tries to identify the objects by touch.

GAMES FOR WRITING