Yuppies

This game is from one of the Communication Games books. One student places down a
card or chooses a word and says something positive about it such as My spider is really
cool. The next student must then say why another thing is even better, e.g. Thats true,
but my rabbit is cuddlier than your spider. This continues until all the words have gone
or one person gives up. No adjective can be used more than once.
Higher level classes can play a variation in which they take turns making many
sentences saying how one of their cards is better than one of their partners (rather than
moving on to new cards after one sentence as described above). If one person runs out
of comparisons or says something that is clearly not possible (e.g. My dog is quieter
than your book), the other person wins those two cards and gets two points. The game
then continues with the next two things.

Count the Beads

Level
All levels

Aim
Reading aloud, listening, grammar, reading for specific information, pronunciation

Notes
Give a sheet of paper to each student. Ask them to write their names on the sheet and to
draw three columns for the Positive, Comparative and Superlative degrees. Next, let a
student read a short text loudly for the class. Ask the students to listen carefully and
write words having the Positive, Comparative and Superlative degree in their respective
columns. Let the class listen to the passage a second time if necessary. At the end, the
teacher collects the sheets and redistributes them, randomly, amongst the students. The
teacher then draws three columns on the board and writes the answers. Let the students
mark the answer sheets by giving one point for each correct answer. The student who
scores the highest wins.

Comment
This activity, besides being fun, helps the teacher to monitor the progress of the class
easily. This activity integrates a numbers of skills thus allowing a practice of language.
As this activity involves all levels, the text must be chosen accordingly.
For teachers who have a large number of students in their classes, this technique of
correction has three advantages. It (1) allows the teachers to spare some more time for
their students and (2) when students mark for themselves they learn faster. In addition, it
(3) enhances the qualities of honesty, sincerity and credibility, which are the key factors
while marking.

http

Teachers
activity

Students
activity

Interaction Skill

Time Purpose

Teacher greets
students;

Ss answer

T-Ss

Ss answer

T-Ss

To create a
pleasant
atmosphere in the
2 classroom and to
know the students
min better;

Teacher asks ss
the date and
write it on the
blackboard.
Teacher starts the
lesson with a
small talk:

Speaking

T-Ss

Ss answer

Ss-T

If there is any
homework,
teacher asks ss
to read it.

Teacher and ss
check the
homework and
correct it if
necessary

Ss-T

Teacher shows a
picture to
students. Ss are
asked to name
the animals in
the picture (a
snail and a turtle)
and to compare
them.

Ss listen and
answer the
teachers
questions.

How are you

today?
Do you feel
better than
yesterday?

Then the teacher

plays a video
containing a joke
about the
animals above.

Speaking
T-Ss

The snail is
slower

Writing

Listening
T Ss

They say the

name of the
animals in the
picture and
compare them:
The turtle is
faster

Reading

Speaking

Ss-T

To notice how
responsible the
2 students are and
min to correct the
eventual mistakes;

To motivate the
students and to
7 provide context
min for the next
activities;

They watch the

video.

Teacher writes
Ss write the title
the title of the
in their
T-Ss
lesson on the
notebooks.
board: the
comparative and
superlative of
adjectives;
teacher tells the
Ss that the lesson
aim is to describe
and compare
persons/ animals/
things etc.

Teacher plays a
video and elicits
the forms of
comparative (for
short and long
adjectives).
Teacher shows a
picture of a car.
The teacher
elicits the forms
of superlative.

Teacher gives ss
a table and asks
them to work in
pairs. Teacher
plays a video and
asks ss to extract
the adjectives
they hear and to

Ss watch the
video and write
down the forms
of adjectives.

1
min

Listening

T-Ss

Ss-Ss

To fix the
objective of the
lesson;

Listening

T-Ss

Ss-T
Ss look at the
picture and
listen to the
teachers
explanation.
They write the
forms of
superlative in
their notebooks.

Ss watch and
listen to the
video. They
identify the
adjectives and
write them in
the column.

Writing

5
min

To provide new
context for
learning.

Writing

Listening

To check the
rules
comprehension.
min

add them up in
the right column
(Comparative &
Superlative).
Teacher plays the
video twice if
necessary.

Ss read the
solutions and
check them (if
needed).

Writing
Ss-T

Reading

At the end of the

activity, teacher
asks ss to read
their solutions
aloud.
Teacher supplies
ss with the
pictures of two
cartoon
characters (Elsa
and Ursula) and
with a number of
adjectives.
Teacher informs
ss that they have
to work in pairs.
Ss will compare
the characters
using the
adjectives given
and will write the
sentences in their
notebook.
.

Ss play cards
and make up
T-Ss
sentences (in
turn) using the
words written
on the cards.
They write the
sentences in
their notebooks. Ss-Ss

Listening

Speaking

To offer the
opportunity for
5 describing wellmin known cartoon
characters (by
using the degrees
of comparison).
To motivate the
learners.

They play until

they finish all
the cards.
Ss-T

T-Ss

Ss-Ss

To consolidate the
new material that
has been taught.

To let them find

4 out interesting
things about their
min classmates.

Teacher asks
each student to
choose a ticket
which contains
symbols
(a butterfly, a
clover or a
flower); Each
ticket
corresponds to a
certain group.
annex 2

Ss work in
groups of 4. A
student from
each group rolls T-SS
the dice and
makes the
sentences using
the words
written into the
square. Ss apply
the rules.

The first group

that reaches
Teacher presents Finish square
the game board, wins the game.
explains the
procedure and
establishes the
rules of the game
(a S from each
group must roll a
dice and make a
grammatically
correct sentence
(Past Simple)
using the words
If a player from a
group cant
finish off the
sentence, they
miss a go);
The first group
that reaches the
square marked
Finish wins the
game and get a
reward. annex 3

SS-T

SS-SS

://iteslj.org/Techniques/Jaiswal-Adjectives.html

To practice the
usage of Past
Simple in an
exciting way.

Listening
10
min
Speaking