Dear Everybody,

                      You can use this technique at any level for false beginner to advanced. Group your students in 4's and tell them they have just ten minutes to create story. They are only allowed to use seven words but they may use these words over and over again and in different combinations. Also tell them that they need to be ready to recite/act out their story effectively to the whole class. if they are baffled you might want to give them an example:

love....love .........love......love, sweet love, sweet sweet  love

Her...........    him.... .....   sweet , sweet love, sweet him, sweet him, .......sweet her, sweet her, sweet her

HATE    HATE     HATE        HATE      HATE      HATE     HATE

Love, sweet love, no hate, no hate, no hate

HATE    HATE   HATE    HATE    HATE     HATE, NO LOVE. NO LOVE, NO LOVE

DEATH!

This Romeo and Juliet skeletal model makes the technique clear to the students but it may over-influence what they produce.

When the 10 minutes preparation time is up get the fours to act out their stories.

Interestingly, the folk who find this technique really hard are language teachers on in-service courses!!!!!

Wickedly yours,  Mario