49 ESL Conversation Games & Activities - Jackie Bolen 2020
Find someone who ... bingo
English conversation games and activities for all levels
Skills: Speaking/Listening/Writing
Time: 15-20 minutes
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Materials Required: Blank “Bingo” grids or blank paper (optional PowerPoint or white board and marker)
This is a good icebreaker to help students get to know one another or to practice asking and answering questions about likes/dislikes, future plans, hobbies, etc. If I have my own classroom, I keep a stack of blank grids handy, but if I'm moving from class to class, I tend to have students use their notebooks.
To save time, I prepare a PowerPoint with possible items to complete the Bingo grid, such as a list of hobbies, jobs, places, etc.—whatever topics you want to include. If I'm using this as an icebreaker, I may list hobbies, musical instruments, and popular films or games so students may learn that one student plays the cello and another studied science in university. If we are practicing future plans, this list might include jobs, places, types of housing, etc. and students will then practice saying things like, “I want to be a manager,” “I want to buy a bigger apartment” or, “I want to buy a BMW.”
Rather than have a Bingo caller, students must circulate around the class and ask each other questions to mark out items on their grid. For example, if the topic is jobs, they could ask, “What do you do?” I have them write the other student’s name in the grid, rather than simply cross it out. So, if a student says, “Doctor,” they will write that student’s name in that block. Before beginning, give them a target of one line, etc. to get Bingo.
Teaching Tips:
Rather than make a PowerPoint, it's possible to write the items on the board. If you want to give students more autonomy, simply give them a topic and have them brainstorm. There should be more items than will fit on the grid, but use 3X3 or 4X4 grids if you want to make the activity go more quickly.
I encourage students to move around by only allowing each name to be used once per board in a large class. If the class is quite small, two to three times on a 5x5 grid may be necessary. The goal is to have students practicing the target language, rather than standing with one person and saying, “Job!” “Hobby!” “Sport!”
Tips for increasing interaction:
To increase interaction, I emphasize that while the goal is to get a line or complete their Bingo grid (or whatever is chosen), the more important thing is to talk to their classmates in English and to get to know each other. With this in mind, I generally don't give out a prize for being the first one to finish.
Another way to make this game more interactive is to require that students ask 1-2 follow-up questions before writing down someone's name in a square. For example, if they find out someone has a twin brother, they might ask the following questions:
✵ How do you feel about having a twin?
✵ Do you ever get mistaken for each other?
Procedure:
1. Optional: prepare Bingo grid cards and a powerpoint with questions before class. Otherwise, have students use notebook paper. Tell them what size grid to draw: 3x3, 4x4, or 5x5.
2. Have students fill in their grid with items from the ppt or whiteboard, or create their own, according to a given topic, such as hobbies or likes/dislikes.
3. Have students mingle and ask questions to match students to their grid spaces. For example, student A asks, “What's your favorite food?” If student B answers, “Apples,” student A writes their name, along with apples in the “food” box and moves to the next student.
4. The first student to get a Bingo by finding different students to complete their grid is the winner.