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This is a game that can be adapted for a range of levels. I thought it up specifically for students to practice for the FCE/CAE/CPE speaking part 1, in which candidates must give complete answers to a series of interview style questions.
You will need Adam Simpson’s amazing blockbusters powerpoint game which you can download here. You will also need a list of typical Cambridge exam questions which you can download below. Alternatively, for non-exam classes, you can play the game with the “Just a minute” topic cards also included below with the class procedure and rules.
Typical Cambridge Exam Questions
Class Procedure and Rules
Divide the class into two teams, orange and green, show the blockbusters power point. The green team’s objective is to make a line of tiles from left-to-right across the board, while the orange team has to do the same but from top-to-bottom.
Teams claim a tile by speaking about a topic for a minute with no hesitation, repetition or deviation. For lower levels you could change the time limit to 30 seconds and be more lenient with hesitation repetition and deviation. Students nominate one member of their team to go first.
The team decides which tile they want to try to claim. The teacher chooses a question from the list or a topic from the “Just a Minute” topic cards. The student must then speak for a minute about the topic, if they hesitate, repeat themselves or deviate from the topic the teacher stops the stop-watch and a member of the opposing team can try to talk for the rest of the minute to claim the tile for their team.
Useful language
Time buyers
Well, let me see…
That’s an interesting question…
Rephrasing/Clarifying
What I’m trying to say is…
What I want to say is…
I mean…
Discourse markers
Obviously,
Sadly,
(un)Fortunately,
Probably the (most important)…
etc.
Topic nomination
Speaking of…, … (Speaking of living abroad, my sister is currently living in…
That reminds me…
Before I forget…
Addition
What’s more…
Also…
On top of that…
Besides that…
… as well.
Just a Minute Topic Cards
| The best advice my parents ever gave me. | The best day of my life. | Being an only child | Albert Einstein |
| My favourite dessert | Falling in love | The most annoying thing in the world
|
My favourite toys as a child. |
| The worst thing about living in Barcelona | My most embarrassing moment | My favourite hobby | How to cook the perfect paella |
| Bullfighting
|
Making a cup of tea | Learning to drive | Chocolate |
| Things that make me angry | Weddings | What I was like as a child. | cheating |
| Don Quixote
|
Breakfast | The best way to propose to your boyfriend / girlfriend | Red wine |
| Beer | English tourists | Real Madrid | Crocodiles
|
| Ghosts and the supernatural
|
The pope | Going to the dentists | Buying a new car. |