TEFL Lesson Plan – Conversation Card Game

MAP TEFL

Title: Conversation
Card Game
Lesson plan (2 documents): prep sheet and playing cards
Level:
intermediate
Prep: cut
out cards (15 min max)
Duration:
one hour

For today’s TEFL Monday we have a game that develops fluency, broadens
vocabulary, and necessitates the use of business English. Easy for the teacher, fun for the students,
adaptable to almost any class.

The teacher must cut out the 54
cards on the three sheets; this is enough for six players. You can make as many cards as you like and
add players, but, since the nature of the game is conversation, eight ought to
be the maximum number of players. Like
other card games, students need to be facing each other around table small
enough so that everyone can reach the center.

To prep the students for the
card game, review the list of expressions on the phrase sheet. Most of the vocabulary should be known. If more than 25% of the phrases are new, the
game may be too difficult.

Deal the cards so that every
student has 7 leaving at least 10 in the pile.
The teacher now introduces a controversial topic for the students to
discuss.

·
Head scarves
should be allowed in public schools.

·
Divorce destroys
families.

·
Cars usage should
be taxed to discourage usage.

Another variation is playing
the game after reading a controversial article in class.

During the game, every time
the student is able to use one of the phrases on their cards they say a
relevant sentence and discard. Note that
many of the cards have stars indicating that the student can discard extra
cards or ask other students to draw. The first student to use all his/her cards is
the winner. After this the teacher can
choose to continue for a second place winner or start anew.

The teacher may want to play in
order to model the game. Give yourself
loads of cards and use them liberally at first; after things get rolling you
can allow the students to take over.

It’s important that the
teacher reserve the right to yell “pause” if the students aren’t using the
phrases in a relevant or correct way – simply reading the card is not
enough. They must add there own
variation based on the conversation at hand.
Without the “pause” rule the game can descend into students quickly concocting
half-coherent conversations.

When the students finish, throw
another topic at them. The average class
is usually good for three rounds.