Ahhh… I love this game! It reminds me of long road trips, lazy summers days when Mom locked us kids out of the house, what I played with Dad when I missed curfew… 20 questions has been around forever!
Bring 20 questions back to the language classroom!
My level 1 classes are learning descriptions. We started “playing” with the amazing app Akinator which is both an app and website where are genie asks questions to guess the person or character you have picked. (Here is Kara’s original post.)
Akinator App
Students got the chance to see questions modeled for them before they tried to ask their own. Remember, asking questions that aren’t memorized is an intermediate language skill. It’s not easy for new learners! A few times answering the Akinator’s questions let students see how questions are worded and exposed them to key vocabulary. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many picked up “rapero” and “actor/actriz”!
Then I let students be the ones asking the questions. They worked in groups and 1 volunteer sat in the front and answered “yes” or “no”. Teams had equal chances to ask questions until a team thought they knew the answer. If they were right, they got a point. If they were wrong, they couldn’t guess again. First team to 3 wins!
My students, as a whole class, were more engaged and using the TL than they have been all trimester. #Success #Porfin
After class I was thinking… “Man, I wish they had an “Akinator” for places in the city or occupations or…” and then I decided to google it. Maybe you all knew this but it’s been there all along!
It’s not as pretty as it could be, but 20Q.net has lots of languages and you can guess places, animals, foods, and more!
Do you use 20 questions in your class? Any fun twists or strategies? Share with us!
Awesome…what a great way to spend a Friday class. Gracias!
You can tell this is an app with a great sense of humor, too, what with “Think in American,” “Think in British,” and “Think in Canadian.” I only wish they had “Think in Castilian” and “Think in Latin American.”