The Language of Interrupting

Instructions for teachers

Preparation

Photocopy and cut up the Cards to Hold Up so that each student has one of each card. Photocopy and cut up the Cards to Classify so that there is one set of cards per 2 or 3 students. You could also make one more copy of the Cards to Classify per student (not cut up) for students to use as an answer key and to keep for reference.

Stages

1. Give out the Cards to Hold Up. As you read out sentences from the Cards to Classify, students should race to be the first to lift up the correct Cards to Hold Up.
2. Give out the packs of Cards to Classify. Students should work together to put them into two columns by their function. Note that some of the cards might be able to be used for both functions, but there is only one way of arranging them so that there are an equal number on each side.
3. Either check the answers as a class or give out the additional copies of the Cards to Classify for students to check their own answers.
4. Students then divide the Cards to Classify between them, one person having all the Interrupting cards and one person all the Getting Back on Topic cards. The students compete to be the first person to get rid of their cards by using them when they are talking about a topic of their choosing or set by the teacher. They can string several phrases together if they like, but all sentences must make sense and match what the other person is saying.

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Cards to classify

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Cards to hold up