Global Shopping
Subject: Countries + Food + Spelling
This is an original version of the popular Word Chain game.
Skills: Speaking, Listening
Level: Elementary
Recommended Age: 12+
Number of Participants: 2-12 players
Time: 15-20 minutes
Place: Classroom
Equipment: A black- or whiteboard
Materials: A piece of chalk or a marker
Preliminary Preparation: Not required
Immediate Preparation (5-10 minutes).
1. If possible, arrange the game participants so that they are sitting or standing in a semi-circle in front of the board.
2. Make sure that the players are familiar with the game of Word Chain. If they are not, it would be feasible to briefly explain the general rules of the classic version.
3. On the board, write two demonstration sentences such as these:
I'm going to India to buy some fish.
I'm going to Finland to buy some milk.
4. Elicit from the students to say that the name of a country in the second sentence begins with the same letter as the name of food in the previous one.
5. Ask the players to take it in turns extending this chain orally.
How to Play. A typical game might start something like this:
Player A: I'm going to Mexico to buy some chocolate.
Player B: I'm going to Canada to buy some some rice.
Player C: I'm going to Russia to buy some bread.
and so on around the circle.
A student, who cannot name a new appropriate country or food in their turn, drops out of the game. The activity continues aound the circle as long as only one participant is left. This last remaining player becomes the winner of the game.