Heard It! is a simple game to play in class which practices intense listening.

It’s also a good idea if you want a few minutes peace and quiet!

The game can be played successfully with young classes from beginners upwards.

Preparation

Record a selection of spoken dialogs from the radio (or any other source) and have them ready to play in class. They should be fairly short and – of course – the appropriate level for your class.

First divide the class into small groups of four or five.

Next, write on the board a single word or phrase. Tell the class that they will listen to the dialog and when they hear the word or phrase they need to raise their hand as quickly as possible and call out, “Heard it!“

If they get it right they win a point for their team. However, if they raise their hand and call out at the wrong time they lose a point for their team.

Start playing the dialog. The students need to sit silently and listening intently for the chosen word or phrase. If several teams get it together then award points all round.

Technical

You can store the dialogs as MP3 files on your laptop to play in class. Of course you can always copy them to your iPod and use that or even burn them to a CD to use.

Over time you can build up a selection of dialogs of different levels.

Useful Links

Podcasts‏‎ in Teaching English – how to make the most of podcasts, that is, audio or video files in your lessons.