This is an adaptation of the popular game we all played as children when we had to pick up matching pictures, but in this activity we use the two parts of collocations.
Preparation
During regular classes, note down the word combinations that come up. Then put each part or the collocation on 2 separates pieces of paper. Here is an example I had when we were taking about the environment. The word combination were
| ozone | layer |
| oil | spils |
| environmentally | friendly |
| cut down | trees |
| greenhouse |
effect |
| animal |
poaching |
| endangered |
species |
| melting |
polar ice-caps |
| recycle |
waste |
The first part of each phrase should be written on one coloured sheet of paper, or if you haven't got coloured paper in a different coloured pen. Then with a different coloured pen ,or paper, write the second part of the phrase, for example, 'ozone' on the first and 'layer' on the second.
Procedure
- Put the all of the first parts of each phrase together, face down on the floor. Then mix up the second group of words / phrases face down , in a separate group to the first.
- In groups students work together to pick up one piece of paper from each group so as to make a phrase from the previous class.
- As the students match them up incorrectly students start to recall the correct collocation or phrase.
- The activity is fun which also aids efficient memorising of the target language. The more opportunities we allow out students to see the words the more likely they are to actually have them 'stuck in their heads' for easy access at a later stage.
Shaun Dowling, Teacher trainer, Cultura Inglesa, Brasilia
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