Toss 'n Talk: A Conversation Card Game

GIBSON: TOSS ʻN TALK: A CONVERSATION CARD 。ここでは、このToss n’ します。 MENU PRINTABLE VERSIONIntroduction HELP & FAQSToss ʻn Talk: A ConversationCard GameDon R. GibsonAsia University, Center for EnglishLanguage EducationToss ‘n Talk is a card game that can be used in mixedlevel EFL/ESL classes to generate lively sustainedconversations. It is a student-centered activitythat can increase participation, cooperation, andenthusiasm. This article will describe the basicconversation pattern that inspired Toss ‘n Talk, andexplain how the game is played.Toss’n Talk �してゲJALT2002 AT SHIZUOKAOne of the ongoing challenges teachers face in the EFL/ESLclassroom is to provide their students with the chance toengage in meaningful, sustained conversations. Conversationactivities drawn from target language textbooks are often tooclosely tied to specific structures to encourage creativity orsustain student interest. The more open-ended activities fromtopic based textbooks can overwhelm lower level students andleave them with the feeling that they have little to say. In themixed level classes that most of us teach, students at lowerproficiency levels may lack confidence or may be intimidatedby their more proficient classmates. This is especially true whenstudents are asked to take part in “free conversations” or smallgroup discussions and are expected to use the language they mayhave acquired with a minimum of imposed structure or guidancefrom the instructor.The Toss ‘n Talk card game is the result of my classroomexperience, collaboration with colleagues, and my efforts toreduce the obstacles that limit conversation practice. This cardgame offers teachers a student-centered activity that generateslively conversations. It is based on a “Question / Response /Follow-up question” (QRF) conversation pattern (see AppendixA), developed by one of my colleagues (V. Hansford, personalcommunication, October 2000). It enables students to interactwith their peers even if they are at lower proficiency levels.346CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

GIBSON: TOSS ʻN TALK: A CONVERSATION CARD GAMEThe QRF Conversation PatternThe ResponseBefore students can play the card game, it is necessary tointroduce the conversation pattern upon which it is based. I haveused this game in both ninety- minute and forty five-minuteclasses, and the introduction of the QRF pattern usually takesabout twenty minutes. During my workshop at the JALT 2002Conference I introduced the QRF pattern just as I usually doin class to give the participants an idea of how the card gameis set up. I will do the same below. Of course, teachers who usethe game should adapt this introduction to fit their teachingstyle and the proficiency level of their students. For example,the components of the pattern can be presented one at a time toallow students to practice them separately before they are askedto produce them by playing the game.I continue by saying that when we ask a question, we will getan answer, and I write “Answer” on the board. Then I point toQuestion again as I repeat the questions and this time I modelpossible answers as I point to the word “Answer”:The QuestionI begin by telling the students that we will be practicing aconversation pattern that I call QRF. I tell the students thatQ is for question. The question introduces the Topic of theconversation. I write “Question Topic” on the board. I usethe word topic here because it is the word that students willsee on the cards when they play the game (see Appendix B). Ithen model a few typical questions while pointing to the wordsQuestion Topic on the board to emphasize that the Topic of theconversation is in the Question that is asked: “Where do you come from?” “Do you have a part-time job?” “What do you like to do in your free time?”JALT2002 AT SHIZUOKA “I come from Seattle.”“Yes, I do.”“I like to go skydiving.”I tell the students that when someone answers our question,we show interest by offering a Response. I write some commonresponses on the board: “Oh, really?” “I see.” “Wow!” I saythat another way to respond to what someone says is to “Echo”,which means to repeat key words from the answer we hear. Itell the students that the response I want them to practice in thisconversation pattern is the Echo, and I write Response Echoon the board. I use the word echo here because this is also theword that is on the card when they play the game. Then I modelthe pattern so far by repeating the three Questions, answers, andResponses while pointing to the corresponding words, Question Topic, Response Echo on the board so that students canbegin to visualize how the components of the pattern fit together: “Where do you come from?”“I come from Seattle.”“Seattle?”This is also an excellent opportunity to review how intonationcan affect meaning and have students practice various responseswith intonation that is appropriate to the answers they hear.347CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

GIBSON: TOSS ʻN TALK: A CONVERSATION CARD GAMEThe Follow-up questionThe last question “Where do you come from?” reminds thespeakers that the topic of the conversation is still hometowns andnot baseball.Finally, I model the complete QRF pattern as I point to eachof the components:Next, I tell the students that one of the best ways to keep aconversation going is to ask a Follow-up question. I say thatfollow-up questions ask for more information. I write “Followup question” on the board and model the pattern again, pointingto each component as I did before: (Q):(A1):(R):(A2):“Where do you come from?”“I come from Seattle.”“Seattle?”“Do you like the Mariners?”“Yes, I do.”(A3):(R):(A4):I demonstrate that at this point in the QRF pattern, we cancontinue the conversation by echoing the new answer and askingmore follow-up questions.Where do you come from?I come from Seattle.Seattle? (F): Do you like the Mariners?Yes, I do. (H Q): How about you? Where do youcome from?I’m from Saitama.Saitama? How long does it take you to come toschool?About two hours.And the pattern continues.How about you? QuestionPreparing to Play Toss ʻn TalkThe final component of the QRF pattern is “How about you? Question”. I tell the students we use this when we want tochange the speaker, and I write “How about you? Question” onthe board. I acknowledge that native speakers don’t always ask aquestion after “how about you”, but I want the students to do soin order to maintain the focus of the conversation. For example:After you introduce the QRF conversation pattern and yourstudents are comfortable with it, you are ready to set up the Toss‘n Talk card game.“Where do you come from?”“I come from Seattle.”“Seattle? Do you like the Mariners?”“Yes, I do. How about you? Where do you come from?”JALT2002 AT SHIZUOKA 348Ask students to suggest topics they like to talk aboutwith their friends and list them on the board. Topicsmay include sports, movies, music, etc.Divide the class into groups of four (no more thanfive).Distribute the cards. Each student receives a set ofcards made up of one Topic card, four Echo cards,four Follow-up question cards, and four How aboutCONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

GIBSON: TOSS ʻN TALK: A CONVERSATION CARD GAMEyou? cards. You may want to start with fewer cardsfrom each category and add more as your studentsbecome familiar with the game.Playing Toss ʻn Talk A Sample Round of Toss ʻn TalkThe following example is intended to illustrate the points atwhich cards are played during the game. We’ll call the playersEriko, Taro, Mari and Ken. Mari has been chosen to start.MARI: The topic is sports. What kind of sports do youlike, Ken?KEN: I like baseball.TARO: (Plays an Echo card.) Baseball? (Plays a Followup question card.) Can you play baseball?KEN: Yes, I can.ERIKO: (Plays an Echo card.) Oh really?MARI: (Plays a Follow-up question card.) How often doyou play?KEN: About once a month. (Plays a How about youcard.) How about you Mari?What sports do you like?MARI: I like tennis. I play tennis two or three times amonth. I belong to the Tennis Club. (Plays a Howabout you card.) How about you Eriko? Do youlike sports?ERIKO: No, I don’t. But I watched the World Cup withmy friends.TARO: (Plays a Topic card.) New topic. Let’s talk aboutpart-time jobs.Do you have a part-time job Mari?MARI: Yes, I do. (Plays a How about you card.) Howabout you Ken? Do you have a job?KEN: Yes, I do.TARO: (Plays a Follow-up question card.) What do you do?KEN: I’m a waiter.Students select one person to start the conversation.The first topic is “free”. The student who startschooses a topic from the list on the board and asksanother student an appropriate question, but he/shedoes not play a Topic card.All questions must be directed to specific students,not the group as a whole.After the first question is asked, any student, in anyorder, can continue the conversation by responding(playing an “Echo” card), asking a Follow-upquestion, or changing the speaker (playing a “Howabout you?” card). Remember: when “they say it,they play it”. When a student plays a “How aboutyou?” card, he/she should ask a related question tokeep the conversation on track. This does not countas a Follow-up question.When the conversation “lags”, or a student doesn’tlike a topic, or feels he/she doesn’t have much to sayabout it, he/she can change the topic by announcing,“New Topic” and playing a Topic card. He/she thenasks another student a question related to the newtopic, and the conversation continues.The first student to play all his/her cards is the“winner”.Suggestion: have the students play until two studentshave run out of cards.JALT2002 AT SHIZUOKA349CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

GIBSON: TOSS ʻN TALK: A CONVERSATION CARD GAMEMARI: (Plays a Topic card.) New topic. Where do youcome from, Eriko?ERIKO: I’m from Osaka.TARO: (Plays a How about you card.) How aboutyou Mari? Where do you come from?The game continues until two players have used all of their cards.ConclusionThe Toss ‘n Talk card game can be a useful supplementaryactivity in the EFL/ESL classroom. Teachers who have tried itin their classes report a significant increase in participation andenthusiasm. It is a fun way for students of different proficiencylevels to talk with one another about topics that are of interestto them. By reinforcing the QRF pattern, students develop theirability to think quickly, listen carefully and speak spontaneously.These are the skills they need to move beyond the textbook anduse their English naturally, in real conversations.JALT2002 AT SHIZUOKA350CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Toss ʻn Talk: A Conversation Card Game Don R. Gibson Asia University, Center for English Language Education Toss ‘n Talk is a card game that can be used in mixed level EFL/ESL classes to generate lively sustained conversations. It is a student-centered activity that