Fan Game
Minefields

Level Aims Grammar Time Materials
junior high school to adult Consolidate or review learned material. Get students relaxed, & comfortable asking and answering questions. Good warm-up game. any 10-15 mins cassette of loud, exciting music; two fans; questions

written on cards (optional); and a large

Affix the words 'Question' and 'Answer' to 2 fans. Alternatively, you can use 2 soft toys (e.g., 'Anpanman' and 'Bikinman'). Distribute these to either side of the class. Explain that while the music is playing the dolls/fans can be passed from student to student, but not thrown. When the music stops, the students with the dolls/fans have to stand up and ask/answer a question. Introduce your favourite, loud, exciting, band to the students. It doesn't matter whether it's Rock, Jazz, R & B, or Japanese Taiko Drums, only that it have a insistent, toe-tapping beat that will involve the students in spite of themselves. Students can pass the fans in any direction (up, back, across, or diagonally), but NO THROWING!

If you are teaching junior high school, use questions written on cards in an envelope from which the students can select a card at random. Let them read the question through once, before you retrieve the card and have them ask the other student. However, if you work in a senior high school, task your students by requiring them not only to answer the question, but to think of and ask one as well. Questions should be asked in a loud, clear voice while making eye-contact with the person being spoken to. NO Japanese!!

Teaching Tip

Take a soft toy into class with you (or two or three if you like), and use it to select students to ask questions of in those first 5 minutes of morning greetings. Selection is carried out by lobbing the toy at a random student who, after they have caught it, hands it to the student on their right (or left...). Explain this clearly to the class while demonstrating. This has the effect of having students leap out of their chairs in order to catch the object, so make sure your object is robust (I use a hand-towel with a knot in it). It also adds a bit of levity, which nicely sets the tone for the lesson. This can even be used as a covert teaching activity if the 'catcher' must wait for your instructions on to whom to pass the object. E.g., "The student: on your right/left, next to you,...".The student who answers the question gets to throw the object next, and the activity continues. Use the phrases: "Please throw the *****." and "Please catch the *****" while demonstrating. Repeat the phrase, "Please throw the *****" to each student before they throw, along with an appropriate gesture.

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