English Toolbox Tips

Our last contest focused on conversation games. Our favorite submission came from James C. in Bologna, Italy, who plays a game with his classes called, "Liar!" James asks each student a question that could just as likely be answered "yes" or "no" (e.g., "Have you ever had your photo in the newspaper," "Have you ever been stuck in an elevator/a lift," "Have you ever missed a flight," etc.). The rule is that the student must answer each question in the affirmative, and then spontaneously elaborate on the details and answer James’ specific questions about the incident. After a couple of minutes, James asks the class if they think the story is true or false, and these votes are written down. The student then reveals if s/he was describing a true event or simply making it up. The number of people s/he "fooled" is written on the board next to the student’s name, and the game proceeds to the next student with a different question until everyone has participated. The student who has garnered the highest number of classmates who voted incorrectly is the winner. Great game, James: you’ve won five free English Toolbox credits!

The topic for the next contest is assessment. How do you test and place your new students into the proper class? Send your best methods to info@englishtoolbox.com by 20 September, and we’ll pick the most interesting one and post it here. The winner will receive five free English Toolbox exercises, even if s/he isn’t a subscriber!