WTF Pic
This task-based interactive game can be played in a classroom or just with a friend (requires at least 2 people).
Competencies
This game helps learners practice speaking and listening. It expands vocabulary, tests task-relevant grammatical accuracy, and aids in the development of communication skills (clear pronunciation, asking clarifying questions, etc).
Game Rules
1. In each round, there are two artists and one speaker.
2. The speaker can see a photo that the artists can't see.
3. The speaker will describe the photo to the artists using only English.
4. The artists have 3 minutes to draw what the speaker is describing.
5. The drawing that looks the most like the original picture wins. The winner will become the speaker for the next round.
Tips:
If you don't know the word for something, use your words creatively.
ex. to bite can be described as to hold in your mouth
Keep a list of words you learn or words you need to look up later.
Don't get stuck! Just keep talking. Do your best.
How to Play
In a classroom: search online for pictures that are weird, confusing, or difficult to explain. I search for multiple at a time and save them in a Google Drive folder. When it's time to play, choose your artists and speaker. Angle the smart board or projector so that the speaker and the rest of the class can see the image, but the artists can't. The artists should stand up in front of the board in the front of the room. I usually divide the board in half and give them different colored markers. I recommend using the first round as an example without winners or losers. If the speaker gets stuck, allow the rest of the class to offer suggestions of how to describe the image content. When the 3 minutes are up, let the artists see the image they've been copying (it usually produces lots of laughs!). Allow the artists to return to their seats, and as a class, review the content of the image and the relevant vocabulary and expressions, giving the students time to write down terms and definitions on their worksheets. Then evaluate each drawing, noting its strong and weak points of resemblance to the reference image. Finally, allow the class to vote for the better drawing. The winner of that round becomes the speaker for the new round, and two new artists are chosen.
With friends: each player will have a turn being the speaker, while all other players are artists. The game works best if players sit in a circle. The speaker should search for an image that is weird, confusing, or difficult to explain. Once the speaker has selected their image, the 3 minute round begins. At the end of the round, all the drawings should be shown, and lastly, the speaker can reveal the image. Players should discuss the content of the image and identify content in the image they do not have the vocabulary for. Artists should communicate what they did and didn't understand from the speaker's description. The best drawing can be selected for a prize or just for praise. Then the next person in the circle becomes the speaker, and so on.
Materials
To play this game, you need:
a repository of wacky images (try a Google search or Images That Need More Context)
drawing implements, preferably different colors if playing in a classroom
a timer
Example
The reference image:
Possible vocabulary:
picnic table
to hang
rope
cliff
ribbon (hat with a ribbon)
sunglasses
sandals
to toast
