Introduction
Inspired by the game "Chinese Whispers", this game offers a playful way to memorise and revise newly acquired hobby vocabulary by using body movements without making any sounds.
Target group and Time
The game is recommended for younger students but can equally be played by older age groups as long as they enjoy learning by doing. The difficulty of the game is dependent on the vocabulary and student's creativity and therefore can be modified to the group‘s abilities. The ideal time is around 5-10 minutes.
Learning objectives
The object is to offer an alternative and fun way to practice new words. Memorisation is supported by making use of gestures and having visual associations to vocabulary. Chains of Charades is especially suitable for a topic like hobbies because most of the hobbies are performed physically anyway and therefore easy to act out with the body.
Instructions to set up the activity
- The game does not need much preparation but the vocabulary should have already been introduced in class in order to avoid misunderstandings. The only preparation needed are pieces of paper with the vocabulary words which the students will draw during the game. (Words which work well are: singing, dancing, swimming, surfing, playing football etc.)
- While explaining the rules, emphasise that students are allowed to move and not to speak!
Letting it run
The teacher‘s main task is to distribute the pieces of paper, to make sure that the students follow the rules (i. e. do not verbally communicate) and to count the score. Additionally, the teacher should also assist students who are unsure how to act out a certain word.
The steps for the game are the following:
Students stand behind each other in a line.
The last student in line draws a piece of paper containing a word or phrase such as singing or dancing (e.g. see list of words below…).
This student has to use gestures (and if needed facial expressions) to enact the word. The next student in line is the only person to see the enactment.
As soon as the second student believes to have understood, they will also enact the word and show the next person in line. This step is repeated until it reaches the last student.
The last student has to answer which word/phrase has been enacted. If the answer is correct, the group gets a point.
After that, the student moves to the back of the line and the steps 2 to 5 are repeated.
The game can be played casually but also competitively. It is possible to divide the class into several groups and to count their respective scores. Another possibility is to compare the scores over a certain period of time, e. g. once a week, to keep track of progress by having small warm-up sessions at the start of a lesson.
List of suggested hobby words
Listening to music
Playing football/basketball/table tennis/…
Play the violin/piano/…
Watching movies
Meeting friends
Playing video games
Reading books
Drawing/painting
Cooking
