FILLERS AND GAMES WITH MINIMUM

PREPARATIONS
Shared on Class Assignment of LIA Galaxy, October 1st , 2010 by Ismail Ali Harahap

I. I CHALLENGE!
This is a vocabulary game that pumps up students’ adrenaline. It can liven up the class at the
beginning or at the end of a session. It takes only around ten minutes. This game works well in all
levels!
The Procedure:
1. You write a letter on the board.
2. The student who gets the turn must supply another letter. Each student gets the turn to supply
a letter, but remind them that they should have a complete word in their mind. When their turn
comes, each student can do either supplying a letter to continue the letters on the board or
challenge a classmate who previously supplies a letter by saying: ‘I Challenge!’. This must be
done within the count of three or five (depends on the students familiarity with the games, level
of competence, and degree of thrill you expect).
3. A student who is challenged by his/her friend must continue supplying the letters on the board
until they make up an English word. If he/she manages to do that, he/she wins; if he/she fails,
he/she loses and the classmate who challenges him/her wins.
4. The loser should stand up and not take part while the game continues.

II. TIC-TAC-TOE
This game can be done by prior preparation of questions, or you just invent questions
spontaneously. In the latter case, make sure you have a vast collection of questions in your mind.
This is another for-all-levels game.
The procedure:
1. Divide the class into two groups. If your class is big, you can divide them into four groups and hold
a competition. However, there are only two groups competing each run of the game.
2. Each competing group has a symbol to represent them on the board: X or O.
3. Draw the game board of ‘Three in a Row’ on the board and ask a question to the first group (after
being tossed). If the group can answer your question correctly, ask them to put their symbol on the
board. Ask another question to that group. The other (second) group can claim the turn only if the
first group fails to answer the question correctly.
4. A group wins if they can put their three symbols in a row.

III. PASSING IT ALONG

This is a free writing activity that can be done in within 10-15 minutes. Teenagers love this activity!
The procedure:
1. Divide them into two groups that make up two rows.

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 2. The first person of each group has to copy the story starter that you’ve written on the board.
3. Then, on your mark, they have to add one sentence to continue the story.
4. The next member of each group has to add one more sentence, and so on until the last
member.
5. After that, read out loud the story of each group.
The thrill of this activity is that they have to race to finish first. Give bonus score for the first group
finishing the writing (I usually give 20 points). Students enjoy it as it usually results in some funny
story which tunes them in a good mood to start the lesson or to go home. Reward the better story
(up to your judgment) 80 points.

Your instructions might be like below:

Get your pen or pencil ready. It is time to write part of the story—and then pass it
along to a classmate who will write the next part. Be creative and realistic at the same time.
Make the story interesting. Who knows what will happen to the story once you pass it along
to another writer?

These are some starters. You can create your own!

- I waited silently, not daring to move, not even to breathe. …
- A grey old handkerchief is crying on a dusty floor under the bed. …
- She knocks the door softly, no answer. She tries knocking harder, still nothing heard from
the inside. …

IV. TALK YOUR HEAD OFF!

Prepare intriguing and mind blowing questions. Print each question on a card. Then, distribute the
card to your students. Give students time to internalize the questions and ask them to talk in front of
the class. Two or three minutes will be enough for each student to answer the question. This activity
particularly works well in adult classes of higher levels and conversation classes.

Cut these sentences into strips and give each to your student. Let them talk their head off!

1. What is your wildest dream? Explain your answer.

2. What famous person do you want to meet most? Why?
3. What do you think about pre-marital sex?
4. What is love to you? Explain your answer.
5. Do you want to know the exact time of your death? Why?
6. Do you believe in fortune tellers? Why?
7. Do you believe in superstition? Why?
8. Some people say that politics is dirty. Do you agree? Why?
9. What would you do if you discovered your lover’s unfaithfulness?
10. If there were only one space left in a rescue boat, which would you save: a prostitute or a corruptor?
Why?
11. If there were only one space left in a rescue boat, which would you save: a murderer or a rapist?
Why?
12. What is the happiest experience of your life?

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 13. What is the saddest experience of your life?
14. What would you buy if you had to spend one billion rupiahs in half an hour? Explain your answer.
15. Which one of your belongings that you love most? Explain your answer.
16. Are you afraid of ghost? Explain your answer.
17. What insect scares you most? Explain your answer.
18. Have you had a traumatic experience? Explain your answer.
19. Which do you choose: looks or traits? Why?
20. What country would you visit if you had only one opportunity to go abroad? Why?
21. Which do you prefer for a vacation: a mountain or a beach? Why?
22. What kind of person that you hate most? Explain your answer.
23. What kind of person that you like most? Explain your answer.
24. What do you think about our TV soap operas? Explain your answer.
25. What do you think about polygamy? Explain your answer.
26. What do you think about death penalty? Explain your answer.
27. What do you think about gambling? Explain your answer.
28. What do you think about pornography? Explain your answer.
29. What do you think about inter-religion marriage? Explain your answer.
30. Have you ever cheated on an exam? How do you feel about it? Why?
31. Would it be OK to you if a girl expressed her feelings of love first? Explain your answer.
32. Do you want to be famous? Why?
33. Alone in a cemetery or in the city crime center? Why?
34. Living alone in an island of your own or cramped in a dirty, stinky, noisy, crime-stricken, slum area?
Why?
35. If you discovered money lying on the street, what would you do?
36. What should the authority of Jakarta do to prevent the city from flooding? Explain your answer.

V. I DON’T THINK SO!

This activity is to stimulate speaking and works well in higher level students and conversation
classes. Even the quietest student talks when doing this activity!
The procedure:
1. Pair up your students.
2. Give each pair two related cards, but they should not see each other’s card.
3. After they understand their cards, ask them to start the conversation. It would be better if
they start in unison, and let them try to settle the dispute and be noisy. All you have to do is
just monitoring and help explaining when necessary. You decide the duration; normally five
to ten minutes would be enough.
4. You can add a classroom discussion following this activity if you want to.

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Here are some situations worth trying in your class:
Car owner:
You park your car on the side of a road to buy something in a store close by. You’re sure that
you can park your car on that spot since you don’t see any no-parking sign. But, when you
return, a police officer is standing beside your car and giving you a ticket for parking in a
forbidden pace. You can not accept the ticket. Argue against the police officer.

Police officer:
You are a professional and dedicated police officer. While patrolling, you find a car is parked
next to a no-parking sign. You give the car owner a ticket, but he/she refuses to accept it.
Convince him/her no matter what arguments he/she gives you.

Saxophonist:
You’re a part time saxophonist who just moved to an apartment and has signed a contract to
play in the city pub in the evening. Almost everyday you practice playing the instrument. The
problem is your next door neighbor complains that he/she can’t stand the loud sound of
your saxophone that leaks to his/her apartment and asks you to stop playing it in the
apartment. Argue against him/her.

Saxophonist’s neighbor
Your neighbor is, unfortunately, a young saxophonist that has ruined your quiet life ever
since he/she moved next door of your apartment. Everyday, from morning to afternoon you
have to listen to the sound of saxophone that leaks from his/her apartment to yours. You
can’t understand, let alone enjoy it. You start to have a headache and are sure that it’s
because of your neighbor. Knock his/her door and ask him/her to stop making noises.

‘Atelier’ car service station owner A:

You just started a new business in your area, that is a car service station named ‘Atelier Car
Service’. You’ve invested a lot of money not only to build the service station, but also a big
and beautifully designed billboard in front of it to sign the presence of your business in the
area. But suddenly, a person comes to you and claims that he/she also has the same
business nearby with the same name with you. The person says that he/she started the
business one year earlier than you and are afraid that your billboard will mistake his/her
regular customers. Argue against him/her.

‘Atelier’ car service station owner B:

You are an owner a car service station named ‘Atelier Car Service’. You started the business
a year ago and has now regular customers. Everything seems to be on the right track when
suddenly you find out that another service station with the same name is operating not far
from yours. You don’t want your customers to mistake this. You come to the new service
station owner and ask him/her to change the name since you are sure that you are the one
who invented the name first.

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Sample Questions for TIC-TAC-TOE

SPORTS
1. Which country won the football world cup the most? Brazil
2. In what country was the first modern Olympic Games held? Greece
3. Which country is Rafael Nadal from? Spain
4. What is the nickname for the top Italian football club AC Milan? Rossoneri
5. How many times has Michael Schumacher won F1 Championship? Seven
6. What is the name of the home base stadium of Manchester United? Old Trafford
7. What is the name of the home base stadium of Barcelona? Camp Nou
8. What is a long plastic trumpet that South African soccer fans blow loudly, enthusiastically and rhythmically during
football matches? Vuvuzela

MOVIES
1. Who is the best friend of Fred Flintstone? Barney Rubble
2. Who is Mr. Flintstone’s wife? Wilma Pebble
3. What is the name of Aang’s flying bison in Avatar :The Last Airbender? Appa
4. Who is Katara’s brother in Avatar :The Last Airbender? Sokka
5. Who created ‘Spongebob Squrepants’? Stephen Hillenburg
6. What is the full name of Spongebob’s neighbor Squidward? Squidward Tentacles
7. What is the full name of Spongebob’s best friend Patrick? Patrick Star

GEOGRAPHY
1. What is the capital city of Sweden? Stockholm
2. What is the capital city of Zimbabwe? Harare
3. What is the longest river in the world? The Nile River (6670 km)
4. What is the largest island on earth? Greenland
5. What is the most populated city in the world? Tokyo (26,546,000 people)
6. In what continent is Liberia? Africa
7. What language is spoken in Brazil? Portuguese

MUSIC
1. Who is the drummer of the Beatles? Ringo Starr
2. Who shot to dead a member of the Beatles, John Lennon, in 1980? Mark David Chapman
3. What country is hard rock band Scorpions from? Germany
4. What city is grunge band Nirvana from? Seattle
5. In what year was the 1st Woodstock Festival held? 1969
6. Which classic composer was deft in the end of his career? Ludwig Van Beethoven
7. Robbie Williams was once a member of what boyband? Take That

WORLD HISTORY
1. Who is the command module pilot for Apollo XI? Michael Collins
2. Which country was the center of the Ottoman Empire? Turkey
3. Who is the past French ruler that made the expression 'Let them eat cake!' become famous? Marie Antoinette

OTHERS
1. The 7th planet out from the Sun is? Uranus
2. A Traditional Indian family home is called what? Tipi
3. Who is the architect of the spectacular Sydney Opera House? Jorn Utzon (from Denmark)
4. What is the term for a name used by somebody, especially a writer, instead of their real name? Pseudonym

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