A friend who sometimes comments here at ESL-blog gave me an idea a few years back: cut out a bunch of faces from magazines and use them in class. Students are divided into teams. I always use two teams, but there could be more. Each team gets one face and writes a description of it. Then all the faces go in one pile (I have about 15 white men that I use), the team reads its description; the other decides which face is being described.
I've done it a bunch of times; it always works well. I've done it with high beginners, intermediate students, upper intermediate students. It seems like there's always more "face vocabulary" to learn, no matter what level students are. And students are just about always successful determining which face is being described. Maybe it takes them two guesses, but no one goes home discouraged. With an advanced class I followed with the same activity using apples instead of faces. Students thought it would be too hard but they got it (there were 5 apples I think).
I recently found two listening activities that work well with it. They can be used as a warmer for the activitiy, or the activitty could be a warmer for the two listenings. I tried it both ways and they both worked. The one thing I didn't try was one listening before and one after. Next time. Anyway, the listenings are 49-50 (photocopy the faces on 50) and 55 (photocopy the faces) of Teaching Listening Comprehension by Penny Ur.
Posted by James Trotta at April 28, 2004 7:13 AMvery helpful but I am not sure it will work in my class.
Posted by: Sai at August 12, 2004 4:52 AMI can't imagine an adult class that wouldn't enjoy this one. With children you might want to try cartoon characters or something instead... What kind of students do you teach?
Posted by: James Trotta at August 15, 2004 12:13 PMESL blog is one of many Blogs for learning English & teaching English. Translation services information.