Friday 17 January 2014

Chain Letters - another game show idea for MFL classes


Chain letters is another one of those television game shows which I've adapted into a writing or speaking exercise to get more able or experienced students thinking.

In the TV programme contestants won money by changing, adding or removing one letter at a time in a word to create a new word.

My classroom version involves no money at all but the idea is still the same.

Give the students a word in the target language and give them 5 minutes or so to create new words by changing, adding or removing letters. They have to make a list of as many words as they can in the allotted time. The winner is the person with the longest list of words.

The word must be a real, French word. The students can only change one letter at a time and they must change a different letter each time. 

For example:

A French lesson. 

The word is  POMME

Change the P to S - SOMME

Add a T - SOMMET

Change the S to a C - COMMET

Add an N before the T - COMMENT

 Add É at the end - COMMENTÉ

Change the T to a C - COMMENCÉ 

Change the N to an R - COMMERCÉ

and so on...

...it's another game I play when I can't sleep. 

You should try it, it really works.

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