Activate Manual

70
Activate: Games for Learning American English
After Play
When the game is finished, or after the specified amount of time, the teacher can review for a few 
minutes. Teachers can focus on the grammatical patterns and their meanings in the sentences that 
the students produce. The teacher should collect the materials and store them for their next use.
Depending on the level of the students, some teachers may wish to offer translations on the card. In a 
classroom in which all students share a common language, the teacher can write translations of the 
words on the card next to them. Students can be enlisted to do this as an activity as well. Without the 
translations, Describers sometimes show the card to the Guessers when they do not recognize a word, 
and that puts an end to the card’s usefulness.

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71
Activate: Games for Learning American English
LET'S GET STARTED...
Guess What?
cards can be used for many different games, but most of the games suggested in this 
chapter have the same basic rules. In this section, instructions and examples are given for playing a 
basic game of 
Guess What?
This game provides a starting point for teachers to familiarize themselves 
with the 
Guess What? 
cards and to demonstrate how they can be used in the language classroom. With 
all 
Guess What?
games, the teacher should set a specified amount of time for the game.
Game 1: Guess What?
In a basic game of 
Guess What?
, the Describer gives clues (descriptions) in English to try 
and get the Guessers to call out all of the words on the 
Guess What?
card. Once all of 
the words have been guessed, a new player becomes the Describer and chooses a new 
Guess What?
card. This gives all of the players a chance to make descriptions in English.
Instructions
1. Have students (the players) sit in groups of 3–5. Seat the players in a circle so they 
are all facing each other. 
2. Give each group 5–10 
Guess What?
cards, or put the cards in a box, bag, or basket 
(where players cannot see them) in the center of the classroom.
3. Select one player to start in the role of Describer.
4. The Describer selects a 
Guess What?
card but does not show the card to anyone. The 
Describer should then tell members of the group (the Guessers) the card’s topic.
5. The Describer gives descriptive clues about the first word on the card without saying 
the word. Be sure that the Describer understands that the words on the card should 
not be told to the Guessers. The Describer continues to describe the word until one 
of the Guessers says the word. As the Guessers guess the word, the Describer should 
let them know right away whether or not they are correct.
6. The Describer repeats this process for all six words on the card. 
7. When all the words have been guessed, the round is over.
8. Another player takes the role of Describer, selects a new card, and begins the next 
round.
9. End the game after the specified amount of time.

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