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By creating a link between
language content and kind of activity used to practise it, we may provide benefits to learners, and would certainly increase
the repertoire of teaching/learning activities. Here are some ideas, focusing on specific language points, on how this works
in practise.
Questions about questions.
Students play twenty questions,
but instead of objects, think of a simple four word question, eg Do you like icecream?
This involves metalanguage such as pronouns, auxiliary verbs. Example game:
Q1 Is it a yes/no question?
Yes.
Q2 Is there an auxilary verb?
Yes.
Q3 Is there the verb to be ? No
Q4 Is it do? Yes
Q5 Is there a pronoun? Yes
Q6 Is it you ? Yes
Q7 Is it about sport? No
Q8 Is it about entertainment?
No
Q9 Is it about food? Yes
Q 10 Is it about salty food?
No
Q11 Sweet food? Yes
Q 12 Is it Do you like chocolate? No
Q 13 Do you like icecream? That’s right.
Conditional maze.
To complete this maze, students need to understand both example conditional sentences given and the instructions,
which are also conditional sentences.
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Start here
1
If there will be a mistake in this sentence
you would have gone to square 4. If not go to 3 |
2
If
I were you I’d go to square 8.
If I was you, I’d go to square 7.
Go to the square given in the most grammatically
correct sentence. |
3
If
unless means the same as if, go
to 6. If it doesn’t, go 12. |
4
If you got the last answer correct, go
to 6. If you did not, go back to 1 |
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5.
If this is labeled as 5, go to 10. But just supposing it had been labeled as 6, then
you would have had to go to 3 . |
6.
If
you didn’t study English, you wouldn’t be able to understand this sentence.
If correct go to 11, if incorrect, 10 |
7
If your father had been a billionaire you
wouldn’t have to work.
If this is a good sentence, go to 2. If not, go to 10. |
8
If the if
clause has to come first, go to square 10.
Go to square 5 if it can come after the
main clause. |
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9
If eight minus one makes nine, go to square nine. If it doesn’t, go to the square which is the correct number of this
sum. |
10
If you have visited all other squares before
coming to this one, then you have correctly completed the game. If not, start again! |
11.
If this square is in the third column and
the bottom row, go to 3.If not go to 12 |
12
If you are doing this game between 3 and
5 in the morning, go to 2. If not go to 9 |
Answers
Square 1: there are several
mistakes, Square 4: landing here shows you are correct, go to 6, Square 6: correct (mixed conditional), Square 11: it is,
Square 3: it doesn’t, Square 12 you’re not, Square 9: it makes 7,
Square 7 a correct mixed conditional, (past condition with result now), Square
2: were is traditionally correct, Square 8: the sentences show that the second is correct, Square 5: ignore the unreal conditional, Square 10: Finished!
Preposition placement.
Give students a blank 3x3 grid. Read
the instructions below to students, or give them in written form. They should
write the appropriate word in the right square and draw the appropriate arrow. Check students’ answers. then put them
in groups to try to reconstruct the original instructions.
Write
‘in the centre’ in the centre. Write ‘above’, above it. On the right of ‘above’ write
‘on the to the right of’. Write ‘below’ below it. Write ‘under’ under ‘below’.
Next to ‘under’ write ‘next to’. Near ‘next to’ write ‘near’, and on top of
‘near’ write ‘on top of’. In the last square, write ‘in the corner’.
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in the corner |
above |
on
the right of |
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on
top of |
in the centre |
below |
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near |
next
to |
under |
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