The game “Keep Talking” is a fun and engaging activity that promotes conversation, critical thinking, and collaboration among students. The game can be played with a group of 2-4 students and involves speaking about a given prompt until they run out of things to say. The team that speaks the longest wins. It is an easy, low-prep game that your students will LOVE. Read on to learn more.
Why play this game?
- It improves students’ communication skills
- It recycles and reuses past structures and vocabulary
- Encourages critical thinking
- Allows for spontaneous, unrehearsed language to take place
Game Setup
- Gather the Participants: Arrange students into teams of 2-4. Make sure each team has an equal number of participants when possible.
- Choose a Prompt: As the teacher, choose a prompt for the game. The prompt should be open-ended and broad enough to allow for a variety of responses. For novice students, you can keep it simple by using one-word cards like “dogs” or “Fast food.” For more advanced students, you could ask specific questions like, “What is the impact of socially responsible pet ownership?” or “Discuss the benefits of a healthy diet.” Write these prompts on a set of index cards or create them digitally and keep them in a folder.
- Set Up Timing: Have a stopwatch or timer ready to track the conversation time of each team.
Game Instructions
- Start the Conversation: Begin the game by giving the prompt to one of the teams. The team should start conversing about the topic immediately. They do not get time to practice.
- Keep Talking: The team must keep talking about the prompt for as long as possible. Each team member should contribute to the conversation, building on each other’s ideas.
- No Repetitions: Teams should avoid repeating the same points over and over. Encourage them to be creative and explore different aspects of the topic.
- Track Time: Use the timer to record how long each team can keep the conversation going. When a team runs out of things to say or begins to be repetitive, stop the timer. The teacher is the judge.
- Rotate Teams: Once one team has finished, switch to the next team and provide them with a different prompt (or the same one if you prefer). Continue tracking the time for each team.
It will be important to have several cards ready so you can play multiple rounds if you have time). Some people can think of these prompts on the spot. However, for the first few times you play, I encourage you do be prepared with prompts for several rounds oof play.
Winning the Game
- The team with the longest conversation time wins the game. Don’t forget to keep track of time for each team. The goal is to have a high number.
- If there is a tie, you can either declare a shared victory or provide a tiebreaker round with a different prompt.
Tips for a Successful Game
- Encourage Participation: Encourage each team member to contribute to the conversation. This helps build teamwork and ensures a lively discussion.
- Be Open-Minded: Allow for different perspectives and ideas. This helps students learn from one another and enhances the overall conversation.
- Time Management: Keep track of time for each team to ensure fairness and consistency.
- Choose Diverse Prompts: Pick a variety of prompts that cater to different interests and knowledge levels to keep the game engaging for all participants. Prompts can be aligned with a unit of study or review content.
- Provide Feedback: After the game, offer feedback to the teams on their performance, including areas of improvement and strengths. If you see common grammatical or vocabulary errors, address them to the entire class. Since this is a game, refrain from pointing out errors to individuals. Cover the errors with everyone at the end.
When to Use Keep Talking
Keep talking can be used at any time during a unit or class period. It is very versatile and low prep. You can actually pull random topics from your brain and play the game with zero prep.
- Reviewing for final exams
- During a specific unit of study to practice conversations and vocabulary
- To fill the extra minutes at the end of a class period
- AS a lesson plan when you have the ‘I just can’t today” vibes
“Keep Talking” is a great way to improve students’ communication skills, encourage critical thinking, and foster teamwork. By incorporating this game into your classroom activities, you can create an engaging and interactive learning experience for your students. Happy playing!
Are you looking for more great ideas and games like this one? Check out the Big Book of Activities. It is packed with a plethora of games, activities, and customizable templates just for you!
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