More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all

worked for ETp readers. Try them out for yourself – and then send us your
own contribution. Don’t forget to include your postal address.
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To do or not to do Find your other half

This is a fun activity to help the This is an activity which practises idioms, though it can also be used for any other
students memorise verb patterns. specific language structure. You will need an overhead projector and some cards.
It is very simple, but always 1 Prepare a set of idioms on an idiom from a Team A student. If they
produces good results with my
overhead projector transparency, aren’t sure, they should remain
classes.
one idiom for each pair of students. silent.
I prepare a set of cards with verbs Split the idioms into two halves, If the Team B students are
on them, and either distribute and write each half on a separate sure that the idiom half that they
them equally (placing them face card, one labelled A and the other hear is the correct match for theirs,
down) among pairs of students or B. For example, A might be Get out they must show their card to their
allow each student to pick one at of bed and B might be on the wrong A partners, write their names on the
random each time. On the board I side. back of both cards and stand aside.
write, for example, to do
2 Show the students the set of 7 Go round and check quickly that the
homework, doing homework and do
homework. Then I ask the students complete idioms on the students have matched their idioms
to use their verbs to produce transparency, explain their correctly.
correct sentences – all about doing meanings as many times as needed, 8 Collect all the cards and ask the
homework. Some of their then remove the transparency. groups to swap roles (Team B
sentences make everybody smile. 3 Put the idiom halves face down on becomes Team A), explaining that
For example, one student who your desk in two piles, A and B. they must now pick a card that does
tends to be a little lazy picked a not bear their name or their previous
4 Divide the class into two teams,
card with promise on it and made partner’s name.
A and B, and tell them that each
the sentence ‘I promise to do my
student in Team A should take a 9 Get the students to repeat the
homework’. Other students had to
card from the A pile, and each previous steps until each student has
say ‘I refuse to do my homework’,
student in Team B should take a been exposed to all the idioms.
‘I can’t wait to do my homework’
and ‘I’m keen on doing homework’. card from the B pile. 10 Ask the students to return to their
Apart from being entertaining,
5 Tell Team A to go round the desks and write on a sheet of paper
the activity helps the students to classroom and try to find the as many idioms as they can
memorise the verb patterns. The B partner(s) whose idiom half will remember. Set a time limit for this,
sentences stick in their memories complete the one they have. They and then ask them to exchange
because they are relevant (doing should do this by reading out their sheets and check them against the
homework is part of their language half of the idiom. Give them a overhead projector transparency,
learning) and often amusing, one-minute time limit to do this. awarding one point for each correct
something which always makes 6 idiom. The student with the most
Tell the Team B students that they
things memorable. points wins.
must shake their heads if they don’t
Nataliya Potapova hear the correct other half of their Mohammed Arroub and Riyad Al-Homsi
Uzhhorod, Ukraine Homs, Syria

38 • Issue 93 July 2014 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Four five-minute fillers for young learners
Have you ever had one of those young words, and each time the students hear What’s missing?
learner lessons where you race a word, they take one step forward. Best played with flashcards, this game
through your material and then find However, when you say a ‘colour word’, can also be adapted for things you have
yourself with five minutes to spare? they must turn and finger-shoot their in the classroom (pens, books, board
Don’t panic. Here are some fun fillers partner. For example you might say, erasers, etc).
to pad out your plan. ‘Egg, potato, fish, GREEN!’ On green,
Get the students sitting in a circle on
the students turn and shoot. The first
Shark the floor or rearrange the desks so that
person to turn round and shoot is the
they can all see. Place the items in the
This is like Hangman, but with more of a winner.
middle of the circle (or on the middle
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ feel. Divide (Obviously, cultural sensitivity is desk) and check the students know the
your class into two teams (try to mix up important here. Luckily this game is vocabulary by pointing and eliciting.
the most and least able students). If incredibly easy to adapt – if you don’t
necessary, write the alphabet at the Tell them to close their eyes or turn
think a shoot-out is appropriate, simply
bottom of the board, with the students away. Make sure there are no cheaters!
change the action to the first student to
calling out each letter. Remove one item and rearrange the
touch the floor, the first student to
others. Tell the students to open their
Draw a shark with a wide-open mouth in shout a particular word, etc.)
eyes and ask them what’s missing. The
the middle of the board. The students
Build and destroy first person to answer correctly gets to
guess what it is as you draw it – if they
be the teacher for the next round.
don’t know, you can tell them at the This simple board game is perfect for
end. Next, draw five or six short competitive classes. Divide the class Alternatively, send one student outside
horizontal lines on either side of the into two teams (again, try to mix up the or to the corner of the room (facing the
shark’s mouth (these are ‘chances’ for most and least able students). Draw two wall) and choose a volunteer to remove
each team). Finally, draw letter spaces large squares on the board, one for each an item, allowing the other students to
for a word, as you would for Hangman. team. Inside each square draw a cross whisper suggestions. This gets everyone
so that the large square is made up of involved in the decision-making process
Team A (or whichever team is sitting
four smaller ones. and they’re in on the secret, too.
quietly) guesses a letter first. If it’s
correct, fill in the gap. If not, write the Explain to the class that each large Fiona MacIntyre
Crawley, UK
letter underneath the first of Team A’s square represents their team. Tell them
chance lines. Above, draw a stick man. that you will ask a question and the first
Play continues until a team guesses the team to answer correctly chooses to
word or uses all their chances, at which build (draw lines to create another small
point their stick figure falls into the square on the original, to make five
shark’s mouth and gets eaten! This small squares) or destroy (rub out a Do you have an idea which you would like
works well with one-to-one lessons, too: small square from the opposing team’s to contribute to our It Works in Practice
instead of another team, your student original, leaving them with three section? It might be anything from an
plays against the clock. squares). activity which you use in class to a
Restore both squares to four small teaching technique that has worked for
Vocabulary shoot-out squares each. Set a quiz question either you. Send us your contribution, by post or
This quick and kinaesthetic game is revising new vocabulary or a grammar by email, to [email protected].
great for revising vocabulary – and you point. The teams work to come up with All the contributors to It Works in Practice
can easily play a few rounds in five an answer. They can then build their get a prize! We especially welcome joint
minutes. own squares or destroy their opponents’
entries from teachers working at the same
Get two students to stand back-to-back store. The winning team has the most
institution. Why not get together with
at the front, holding two fingers up like squares at the end. Play ends when a
your colleagues to provide a whole It
a gun. Use the pair to demonstrate. team loses all their squares or when
Works in Practice section of your ideas?
Explain that you will say words from a you’ve asked a certain number of
We will publish a photo of you all.
recent topic, eg food words or school questions.

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 93 July 2014 • 39