ESL Speaking Game: Cardhead

This is a good, simple game for intermediate and advanced students that gets them talking and having a bit of fun.

Materials:
pen, small rectangular pieces of paper (about the size of a playing card)

Instructions:
Have the students sit in something resembling a circle. Hand out one square of paper to each student. Tell them to write the name of a famous person on the paper, but not to let anyone else see it. The name should be of a person that everyone in the class will know!

When they finish writing, they should turn over their piece of paper. When everyone is finished, have them pass their papers clockwise (or counter-clockwise), and on the count of three, the students hold the piece of paper up to their forehead so that everyone else can see it – but each student cannot see the name on his/her piece of paper.

Students take turns asking their classmates Yes/No questions to try to figure out the name on their cards. When students guess correctly, they can put down their piece of paper and take their hands down from their forehead. (This tends to be reward enough, as they feel quite silly holding a piece of paper up to their forehead…)

For a variation on this game, instead of writing the name of a famous person on the cards, you can choose any category for the students. For example, they can write their favorite food, or an animal, or things you can buy in a convenience store, etc.