“Appendix: Conversation Group Games,” EnglishConnect 1 for Learners (2022)

“Conversation Group Games,” EnglishConnect 1 for Learners

Appendix

Conversation Group Games

Included in this manual is a list of fun games to practice English. You can play these games during any group meeting. Use the patterns and vocabulary from the lesson you are on or a previous lesson. Most of these games require you to work with a partner or a small group.

Questions (10–15 minutes)

Image

three question marks

Steps

Choose a question from the list. Remember you can replace underlined words with other words and phrases.
Share your answer with the group.
Take turns choosing questions and sharing answers. You can talk about as many questions as you want.

Questions to Review Patterns:

What do you like to do?
Why do you like to study English?
Can you tell me about your family?
What are you wearing?
What do you do before you come to the conversation group?
What do you do in the morning?
When do you work?
What’s the weather in New York?
Where do you work?
What do you do for work?
Do you like to teach people?
What do you eat for dinner?
What foods do you like?
What do you want for lunch?
What is your favorite food? How do you make it?
How much do groceries cost?
Where do you live?
Tell me about your house.
Where is your favorite place to eat?

Notes

You can play this game with the whole group or in smaller groups of three to five people.
You are not limited to the questions on this list. You can create new questions. You can also change the underlined words to create more questions.
If you want to make this game more challenging, take turns sharing the answers you remember from each member of the group.
You can use these questions with other games below such as “Bicycle Chain” or “Ball Toss.”

Hot Seat (10–20 minutes)

Image

woman sitting with back to blackboard

Steps

Divide into two teams.
Choose two learners (one learner from each team). These learners sit facing the group (in the “hot seat”) with their backs to the board.
Your teacher writes a vocabulary word or phrase on the board. The learners in the “hot seat” cannot see the word.
The teams have two minutes to help their teammate in the “hot seat” guess the word on the board without saying the word.
The person in the “hot seat” who says the word first gets one point for their team. If a team says the word on the board while trying to help their teammate guess, they don’t get a point.
Repeat with new words.

Notes

Create one to three teams depending on group size.
If you are meeting virtually, play as a whole group rather than in teams. One person is in the “hot seat.” This person does not know the word. One person is the “clue giver.” The “clue giver” chooses a word and gives clues so the person in the “hot seat” can guess the word.

Ball Toss (10–15 minutes)

Image

young woman with a ball

Steps

Find a ball, a soft object, or a crumpled piece of paper.
Choose a question. (Use one from a lesson or see “Questions” in this appendix.)
Ask the question and toss the ball to a learner.
The learner catches the ball and answers the question.
The learner asks the question again and tosses the ball to another learner.
Repeat until each learner in your group has answered the question. Then begin again with a new question.

Notes

To make this game more challenging, change the question each time you toss the ball.
If you are meeting virtually, call out names instead of tossing a ball.

Dice Game (10–15 minutes)

Image

two dice

Steps

You need one die (or number cards numbered 1 to 6).
Choose six verbs and write them on the board numbered 1 to 6.
Work with a partner or a small group. Roll the die. Create a sentence that uses the verb for the number you roll. Take turns.

Example

Teacher writes on the board:

cook
stir
bake
boil
cut
add

Learner 1 rolls the die and gets a 6. He creates a sentence using add.

“I add sugar to my oatmeal.”

Learner 2 rolls the die and gets a 4. She creates a sentence using boil.

“I boil eggs for lunch.”

Learner 3 rolls the die and gets a 3. He creates a sentence using bake.

“I like to bake cookies.”

Notes

Other words can be used instead of verbs.
If you are meeting virtually, work with the whole group. Use virtual dice and take turns creating sentences.

Give One, Get One (10–20 minutes)

Steps

Choose a topic for the group (for example: family, sports, or food).
Write down as many words as you know about the topic for one to two minutes.
Stand up and walk around the room. Find a partner.
Share a word from your list with your partner. Your partner shares a word with you. If it is a new word, add the word to your list.
Walk around the room again. Find a new partner. Repeat.

Example

Topic: family

Partner A writes:

mom
dad
sister
brother

Partner B writes:

grandfather
grandmother
mother
father
aunt
uncle

A: What’s one word from your list?
B: Grandmother.
A: I don’t have that word. I’ll add it to my list.
B: What’s a word from your list?
A: Mom.
B: I have mother. I will write mom next to mother.

Both learners add the new words to their lists.

Partner A’s list:

mom
dad
sister
brother
grandmother

Partner B’s list:

grandfather
grandmother
mother, mom
father
aunt
uncle

Notes

This is a great way to learn or practice new vocabulary that is not in the lesson.
If you are meeting virtually, have each person share one word from their list with the whole group rather than working in pairs.

Speculation (15–20 minutes)

Image

two women laughing

Steps

Think of a verb.
Say the verb out loud.
Using the verb, create a true sentence about another learner. Say, “I think that you …” to start your sentence.
The other learner says if your statement is true or not.
If it is true, you get one point. If it is not true, you don’t get a point.
The first learner who reaches five points wins!
Complete 10 to 20 rounds. Change the verb for each round.

Example

Learner A (to learner B): The verb is like. I think that you like chocolate.

Learner B: That’s true! (Learner A gets a point.)

Learner B (to learner C): I think that you like to play basketball.

Learner C: That’s not true! (Learner B doesn’t get a point.)

Notes

Create groups of three to five people.
This game will include 10 to 20 rounds. You will need a verb for each round. Take turns saying a new verb each time you start a round.

Two Truths and One Lie (10–15 minutes)

Steps

Think of two things that are true about yourself. Make up one thing that is not true. Try to use vocabulary and phrases from a lesson.
Read your statements aloud to your group.
Your group members ask you questions in order to guess which statement is not true. Answer their questions.

Example

Group member 1: “I like pizza. I like French fries. I like chocolate. Which is not true?”

Vocabulary Cards (10–15 minutes)

Image

woman with a word on her forehead

Steps

Write 5 to 10 vocabulary words on small pieces of paper (sticky notes work great). Put the pieces of paper in a stack.
Find a partner.
Flip the stacks of words upside down so you can’t see the words. Switch stacks with your partner.
Choose a paper. Do not look at the word. Hold the paper up to your forehead. Your partner describes the word (or gives a translation), so that you can guess the word on the paper. If you guess correctly, you get one point.
Take turns. Repeat for each paper in your stack.

Notes

If you are meeting virtually, work with the whole group rather than in pairs. Each person writes a list of words. Do not show your list to the group. Take turns choosing one word from your list. Describe it to the group without saying the word. Group members guess the word.

Bicycle Chain (in person) (10–20 minutes)

This activity only works for groups meeting in person.

Steps

Choose a question. (Use one from a lesson or see “Questions” in this appendix.)
Line up in two lines facing one another.

Image
diagram of two rows of people facing each other
The people facing each other are partners.
Partners ask and answer the question.

Image
diagram of 2 rows of people where everyone moves to the position of the person on their right
Move in a circle so each person has a new partner.

Image
diagram showing two rows of people facing new people than what they started with
Partners ask and answer the question.
Repeat steps 5 and 6.

Notes

If you have an odd number of people, create one group of three.

Mingle and Share (in person) (10–15 minutes)

This activity only works for groups meeting in person.

Image

two people talking

Steps

Choose a question. (Use one from a lesson or see “Questions” in this appendix.)
Stand up and find a partner.
Ask your partner the question. Remember your partner’s answer. Answer your partner’s question.
Walk around the room and find a new partner. Ask and answer questions. Repeat several times with new partners. Remember all of your partners’ answers.
Return to your seat. Share with the group what you learned.

Example

Question: How many people are in your family?

Learners walk around asking and answering the question with different partners.

Maria: How many people are in your family?

Luna: There are four people in my family. How many people are in your family?

Maria: Three.

Learners share what they learned.

Teacher: How many people are in Maria’s family?

Luna: There are three people in Maria’s family.