This That

This activity helps bring young learners together — to stop what they are doing and focus on the teacher and get ready for the next activity. It’s a playful, creative, participatory way to get learners’ attention. The game is similar to “Simon Says” in that students should copy arm movements while the instructor is saying This but not copy the arm movement when the instructor says That.

Preparation

None

Procedure

1. Start saying This several times and make a different movement with your arm for each This said. 2. The children should copy the movements demonstrated. 3. After several arm movements with This, make a movement and say That. The children will follow your movement and you should point out that next time you say That they should not copy your movement. Once you have their attention, you can move on to the next activity.

When to Use It

• To warm up the class • To practice vocabulary • To get students’ attention

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

None

Preparation Time

None

Activity Time

3 minutes

Variations

1. Use alternative intensity and ways of body or voice use. For example, make smaller movements or use a finer or deeper tone of voice. 2. Have a learner conduct the game or even play it in small groups or in pairs.