Employers look for many criteria when hiring someone. Having a vaster skill set gives someone more chances of being hired. So why not learn a new language? This activity will help you expand your participants’ skills while simulating them to get to know each other!
Duration:
45 minutes
Preferred location:
this activity can be done either inside or outside.
Working method:
learning by doing; group activity focused on communication skills.
Materials:
papers with questions.
Purpose:
to increase the understanding and knowledge of your participants regarding the English language. To make them more comfortable when it comes to communicating with people from different countries.
Instructions
- write multiple papers with questions such as “what is your favourite movie?”, “what is your favourite animal?”, “what is your dream job?”, etc.;
- start the charades game; one participant should take a paper, read the question, and then mimic the answer for the other participants to guess, without speaking;
- the participants may ask questions to which the person acting can only reply with gestures;
- after one minute, the participant acting may reveal the answer and another participant should act;
- all the participants have a turn acting; the activity must be done only in English.
Debriefing
after the activity, have a short closing with the group to reflect on the activity and measure its impact. Some questions that can be asked are:
- did you enjoy the activity?
- did you learn something new?
- are you more comfortable speaking in English?
- what else would you like to learn to say in English?
- how can this activity be useful for your future?
Possible alternatives
if the participants already master English, this activity can be done for other languages as well. This will increase their skills and their chances for employment in the future. It is also more impactful if it is followed by multiple sessions, with harder and more complex questions.