Each of the group members come up with 3 questions that can be shared with other members and then write each question on a sticky note. A total of 12 sticky notes will be used as a board game, and each member takes turn rolling a dice. If a player lands on his or her own sticky note, then each of the other 3 members will ask one question to that player and the sticky note will be removed from the board. If a players lands on a sticky note of another member, then that player will ask one question to that member but the sticky note stays on the board. The game will continue on until all the sticky notes are removed from the board.

The benefits of this activity vary greatly and serves a dual purpose, if not more. On the one hand, it brings students together, helps them learn interpersonal skills as well as act as a sort of icebreaker for students and bring them together in a fun and collaborative way. On the other hand, this activity also creates buzzing conversations relating to the topic of the course, discussions of their experiences relating to the subject they are all learning, and other relative topics having to do with the course.

This activity would be a great opportunity for beginning level learners to develop their descriptive vocabulary and capacity to ask questions. For younger children, whose writing skills may not be as advanced, the activity could be adjusted to picture drawing rather than writing, so that time is better spent on the oral interaction portion. For beginning level learners, games are a wonderful tool to make language learning interesting and engaging, and I think this would be a great game for the beginning classroom.

A variation of the game could be used in beginning language classes. Students would be put in groups of four. Each student would write down names of three animals that were considered “special” to them on the sticky notes (e.g. favorite, least favorite, most scared of, first pet, etc.). Afterwards, they would put the sticky notes in random order and start rolling die. When landed on the animal written by other players, current player could ask a question using “is it?” (e.g. is it your first pet/favorite animal…) If the answer was yes, the player got a point. When landed on the animal the current player wrote, simply moved forward one step (or until the first one that was written by other players). The main goal of the game was to encourage interaction among players.

By Chandra, Danna, Jerry and Amy