One game that many teachers play in English class is "Find someone who...". In this game the students go around the room and find classmates who can answer "yes" to a list of questions. This game is useful in two ways:
1) You practise turning statements into questions.2) You have to meet many different people to complete the survey. (You can't rely on just a few friends.)Let's try it on MyEC using this survey:Find someone who...1. ........loves to drink apple juice.2. ........knows how to do a French braid.3. ........prefers hamburgers to steak.4. ........wants to visit New York City.5. ........knows how to sail.6. ........snores while he/she sleeps.7. ........has difficulty pronouncing the "r" sound.8. ........has a dream of being a movie star.9. ........won an award in high school.10. .......has a strange pet.11. .......speaks more than four languages.12. .......is allergic to peanuts.13. .......wants to visit outer space.14. .......can't whistle.15. .......still sends "snail mail" sometimes.16. .......bites his/her nails.17. .......wears glasses for reading.18. .......never eats breakfast.19. .......talks to strangers regularly.20. .......plays on a sports' team.DO NOT USE ONE NAME MORE THAN ONCE!
How to conduct your survey:1. Choose a number and try to find a member who can answer yes to your question:Example: I'm playing Game #10 Find Someone Who. I'm looking for a MyEC member who loves to drink apple juice. Do you love to drink apple juice?2. Repeat until you have a name beside all of the answers.3. Invite your friends to come and play the game too.Tips for finding people who can answer "yes":1. Post questions as status updates. Make members come to you!2. Leave messages on members' walls.3. Send private messages.4. Ask questions in the chat room.Note: Please DO NOT send a group message with all of the questions. That's too easy and takes the fun out of it!How to post the results:Post your results on your own blog. Use the title: My Game #10 Results. Substitute the dots in the list with the members' names (include a link to their profile page). If members give you extra information, you can add a second sentence. Example:9. John won an award in high school. He was the hardest working student in his class.Are you "in"?Please leave a comment if you are playing! Just write, "I'm playing!" You can start your results blog right away (copy the list above) and add names as you find people. Or, if you want to keep your results secret, (so others don't copy) wait until you find all 20 people before you post your results.*Don't forget to come back to the game to share a link to your results. Have fun!Read more…
Thank you to all of the English learners and teachers who participated in Game #9. Here are all of the tongue twisters we wrote from A-Z!
We need your help: Will anyone record these for us and upload them to a MyEC audio player or YouTube? Maybe you could draw a picture of one of them and scan it for us. We need to bring these tongue twister to life! Of course, the best way to do that is to try them out. Happy twisting!
A:I saw a documentary where a band of Ant-eaters that were affectionate about acorns,used an acidic substance provided by their tongue to activate their night sight. (Salim)B: The barber, who wore a big badge, barbecued a baboon that was caught in some barbed wire. (Tara Benwell)C: Crooked cranny crammed crusty crayons cautiously inside a cabbaged caddie cart. (Hardi)ORShe crammed her basket with crusts of bread, and cautiously, dropped the small pieces through the crooked path, leaving crayon marks on the rocks to make sure not to lose herself . (Suela)D: The play was about a king who downgraded his counsellor and banished him out of the country. The king distrusted his counsellor and dreaded that he betrayed his country. To discover his counsellor's conspiracy, the king disguised himself as a slave and found out that his counsellor was planning to disrupt the system. (Hanane)D: Chosen by default, the dad dashed into the dark and dunked the diapers into the diamond mine. (Gamer)E: To exercise every err of my existence excited me with an earnest emotion. (Eduardo Palacios)F: A friend of mine brought some potatoes to fry from a far area in Finland. (Salim)G: A gallant gardner studied geology, the art of planting geranium and the technique of breeding geese. (Hanane)H: They designed their home to honor the Halloween event, doing such things as wearing horrible clothes and acting humourously at the party that celebrated the holiday. (Selma)I: Imbued with the irrefutable issues of ice melting, the impartial president, fresh from his inauguration, imparted his first piece of advice. (Tara Benwell)J: The jolly juggler took the jealous man out of the Jack-in-the-box like jube jubes. (Selma)K: A good kook keeps a knickknack kerchief when he kowtows in a kooky keepsake. (Eduardo)L: When he lost his leg and was left a hopeless lame, he was given a great deal of latitude to lean on anyone he pointed at and lash whatever lamp he wanted. (Zahra)M: I think that one has to measure the right magnitude of his abilities in order to maintain the maximum of his equilibrium; either of these things may malfunction. (Hanane)N: All the negritude movement novelists of the north received a negative notification from the ministry of homeland affairs. (Salim)ORNovelists from the north received a negative notification about the negritude movement in the novels. (Suela)O: Almost oblivious she posted his obituary in front of obelisk of oak, as if she was obligated to do so. (Suela)P:Portraying a man doing 15 years porridge due to a dreadful act of shooting at an attic full of kids ,Dani ,though being plausible, pledged not to do any other pointless acts of shooting with his gun in the country which he was used to! (Zahra)ORGetting board on the prams to start the pilgrimage ,on principle ,was preceded by some practical precautions to prevent from the false fear of drowning in the sea . (Zahra)Q:The quite quarrelsome quadruple quelled without quantifying. (Josef Essberger)R:Random rational and irrational thoughts roar in my brain like a rowdy, noisy rooster running and crowing through rough terrain. (Bill the English Teacher)S: A sarcastic sentimental snake attacked me while I was sipping a delicious orange juice full of sugar thinking I was a good prey. (Salim)ORIt is sarcastic to say, but you are as sentimental as a snakesipping sugar water. (Suela)T: A Tory member shed tears in ecstasy after he was awarded a torn tapestry for all the tearaway efforts he did to put an end to the Iraq war. (Aali)U: The ultimate unanimity of the students debating on what to choose as a gift for the teacher who taught them not to underestimate themselves lead them to make an unprecedented decision to gift her back with a ubiquitous ribbon on which was written the teacher's own statement :"Who I am does make a difference!". (Zahra)V: A vampire who was escaping a volcano eruption, vanished after he fell into a vast vault of an ancient Maya building. (Salim)W: As I wander about the pages of MyEC, I can't help wonder when this game will wrap up or wind down so that we can get wounded in a new wonderful word game. (Gamer)X: After x-raying himself, Xavier,the xanthan gum producer, played with my xylophone and then he threw himself in an x-axis. (Salim)Y: While I was trying to know the yardage of my little yard and yawning of tiredness, I heard someone yielding "help"; a yellow cobra was chasing him. (Salim)Z: I went to a zoo yesterday and I found zilch, only a zebra that was killed after eating some grass full of zaffer and a mad writer following the zetetic ideology. (Salim)Special thanks to Salim for finishing off the alphabet for us!
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Tongue twisters are sentences that use many words with the same sound. A common tongue twister is "She sells seashells by the seashore." Say it quickly a few times in a row. The "s" sound is difficult for some learners.
Tongue twisters are useful for English learners for two reasons:1. You can learn new words.2. You can practise your pronunciation.Let's play a tongue twister game together. We will try to get through the whole alphabet, from A-Z! When we are done I will post all of the tongue twisters for MyEC members to try. (We may have to work together to make them grammatically correct. They don't necessarily have to make sense, though.)How to Play:1) I will write 5 words starting with the letter "A".2) The first player to arrive will write a tongue twister using those five words.3) After writing the tongue twister the first player will write five "B" words for the second player. The second player will write the B tongue twister AND leave 5 "C" words for the third player...4) Try all of the tongue twisters that came before yours. Read them out loud quickly!Note for advanced learners: When writing the letter list try to use words other learners may not know. Use at least one noun, one verb, and one adjective.------------------------------------------------ExampleGamer:A: awesome, advantage, accused, alert, aardvarkPlayer 2:"The awesomeaardvark tried to stay alert after he was accused of taking advantage of innocent animals.B: bask, basket, beast, brave, blaze------------------------------------------------Let's begin! Here are the words for A: acorn, affectionate, anteater, acidic, activateWho will be the first player?
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Halloween is coming. It is on October 31st. Do you celebrate Halloween in your country?
In my country, children dress-up in scary, funny, or cute costumes and go door to door shouting "trick-or-treat!" Strangers give them candy! When you think about it, it's pretty crazy that this tradition continues. I say "crazy" because many people don't even know their neighbours' names. Parents teach their children NOT to talk to strangers. At least we're "supposed" to teach them that. Sad, huh?Children aren't the only ones who dress up in North America. Adults love to dress-up and go to parties. Some adults even dress up in costumes to hand out candy.To celebrate Halloween, let's play a new game!How to play:1. Think of a good costume and imagine yourself stepping into it.2. What does it look like? What kind of paint, clothing, accessories will you need?3. Describe your costume (here in the comments or on your own blog)4. Type "Guess my Halloween costume" at the bottom of your description.5. Answer, yes or no when players take a guess. Take time to guess other costumes too.Note: If you write on your own blog, make sure to come back and share the link here in this comment section. Use the title: "Game #8: Guess my Halloween Costume" in your blog title so that more people will find it.*You can change your costume if someone guesses correctly! (Write another one. You have two parties to go to, don't you?)--Gamer's Costume:I am wearing a furry jumpsuit with a tail that I bought at the costume store. I have two black circles painted around my eyes. There are red paint streaks all over my jumpsuit. Before I put my jumpsuit on my friend drove over my costume with his big truck. Now I have large tire tracks across my furry back. I added cardboard claws to my black mittens.Guess my Halloween costume!
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In this game we are going to take each other on adventures. Please participate in two ways:
1. Write an adventure (in the comments)2. Take an adventure (start with mine) and guess where you end up (guess in the comments)The leader (writer) will describe a real place. The followers (readers) will try to guess where the leader has taken them to. Anyone can start a new adventure at any time.
The starting point can be anywhere in the world! Make sure to tell your followers where they are starting from. Please come back often to check if anyone has guessed your adventure correctly! Write a new adventure as soon as someone guesses correctly.Let's begin! I will be the leader first:Gamer's Adventure #1You have arrived at the Toronto airport. You will now drive for about 8-10 hours (depending how fast you drive). You will be heading south first. After a few hours you'll head east towards the water. Once you arrive at your destination there will be so much to see and do. This visit will not be cheap! Hotels are very expensive here. You will also want to do some shopping and site seeing. Did you know that this is a great place to learn English?Where are you?Note: Use the leader's name to guess the answer to your adventure. For example: Gamer, I took your adventure #1. Am I in ..... (your guess)?Image: Flickr user MersRead more…
This weekend I was driving out of a shopping mall when something terrible happened. A seagull walked in front of my car and stopped. The bird was dragging its broken wing and couldn't fly. I couldn't drive around it because of my position in the intersection. Cars piled up behind me as I wondered what to do.These questions came to me in my moment of panic:1. Should I run over it and put it out of its misery?2. Should I wait and hope it will hop out of my way?3. Should I get out and try to carry it to the side of the road?4. Should I call animal protection?5. Should I honk and try to scare it?In honour of this poor seagull, let's play the game: "What would you do if..."The rules:1. Answer the last "what would you do if" question (in comments). (To practise your if-clauses try to write the whole sentence: "If an injured bird stopped in front of my car, I would..."2. Write (in comments) a new "what would you do if" question for the next person who stops by.My question: "What would you do if an injured bird stepped in front of your car and you couldn't drive around it?"*Only the first player should answer my question. Other players should answer the last question they find in the comment section. Come back often with new questions!Image: stock.xchng user cyberwolfEnglish Checker:dragging (v): pulling something heavy or uncomfortable behind youintersection (n): a place where cars are crossing in different directions (often has traffic lights)panic (v): sudden fearrun over (v): to drive over something with a vehicleput out of misery (v): kill a sick or injured animal so that it doesn't suffer
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Father's Day is just around the corner, so let's play a new game called Famous Fathers.
Your job is to:1) Guess who the Famous Fathers are in the comment section (puzzle #1 and those that members write)2) Write a Famous Father puzzle of your own with 5 clues (give your puzzle a # to make guessing easier)3) Leave a comment if someone guesses your puzzle correctly*Please don't copy text from the Internet. Write your own clues!**Place any idioms or difficult vocabulary in bold to help members learn new expressionsPuzzle #1:1. He goes by his middle name.2. We liked him as a cowboy first.3. He can throw a mean punch on camera.4. These days he looks like he's getting younger.5. I've lost count as to how many kids he has.Who is this Famous Father? (Not the man in the image!)
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You know how to play tag, don't you?How about a game of tag question tag. First, you must understand tag questions. Here are a few examples:
It's cold in Canada, isn't it?
MyEC doesn't cost anything, does it?
You're from Iran, aren't you?
Palm trees grow in your country, don't they?
Here is a good explanation on tag questions to help you.Game Rules:To play tag question tag, write a "tag question" for someone specific in the comment section of this blog post.Example "tag question" in the comment section:Salim: "You are a teacher, aren't you?"Then, leave a note for your friend by sending him a message or leaving a comment on his page.Example tag: (you can copy and paste this)We are playing tag on Gamer's blog and YOU ARE IT! Come to the comment section to answer your question. Then leave a tag question for someone else.*Note:We can all play at the same time. Just make sure you answer the question that is addressed to you.-----------------------------------------------Let's play!Lynne: You don't like broccoli, do you?
Whenever we learn something new we tend to think too hard. Here's a game that asks you NOT to think. All you have to do is write what comes "off the top of your head"."off the top of your head"=without really thinking about itI will write the first two words that come into my head...um
1. pickup truck2. watermelon
The first person to comment will write a sentence (without much thought) using my two words. Then, provide two words for the next person so the game can continue. (don't think-just write and see what comes out)
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In this game I will start by asking a yes/no question about your country. The first person to read it will answer the question in the comment section. The trick to this game is that you CANNOT use the words "yes" OR "no" in your answer. After answering the question, write a yes/no question (not a "wh" question) using "in your country" for the next person. (In your answer don't forget to tell us what your country is.)
Example:Q: Do people celebrate Mother's Day in your country?----------------A: Mother's Day is not an official day off from work in the U.S., but most people pamper their moms by buying gifts or treating them to a day of R&R.Q: Does your country have a monarchy?----------------A: We do consider Queen Elizabeth our queen, but she doesn't have any significant power in Canada.Q: Is sushi popular in your country?-----------------Language Note: This game is useful for speaking practice because it encourages learners to broaden their vocabulary and vary sentence structure when giving an answer in English.------------------Let's begin:Q: Do women in your country typically work outside of the home?(Remember, you don't answer this question because it has already been answered in the comments. Answer the question from the last person who left a comment. Make sure you are on the last page of comments before you answer and leave a new question.)
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This is a fun game people often play at parties. You can use it to practise the past participle.I'll start by asking a question starting with "Have you ever...?". The first person to comment will answer "yes" or "no" and then ask another "Have you ever" question. The next person will answer that question and write another question.The game can go on and on for days, months, or years...Remember to answer the question from the last comment. Let's avoid taboo subjects and foul language. (I'll delete any comments that I don't approve.)Let's begin!"Have you ever been to Canada?"(The game is well under way. Don't answer this question about Canada. Answer the question from the last person who left a comment. Make sure to look at the last comment, not the first.)---------------------------------Grammar tip: To write a proper "have you ever" sentence you will need to know the past participle (not simple past) of the verb you use. Look it up in a search if you aren't sure ("past participle swim"). Even native speakers use the wrong ones sometimes!Example: go=been; write=written; swim=swumHave you ever been to Mexico?Have you ever written a love story?Have you ever swum in the ocean?
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