Fishbowl for Circumlocution Fun

Do you ever forget the name of something? "I can’t remember the word, but it’s that thing you use to tell the time. You wear it on your wrist, and it has hands that move in a circle." This is an example of circumlocution. It’s a handy tool for language learners when a word they need escapes them. It’s good to practice this skill for these situations and to help learners dig deep in their vocabulary and practice their language skills. Fishbowl is an engaging, lively game to practice this language workaround. Here’s how to play:

Give each learner three small slips of paper. On one slip, they should write the name of a person, on another a place, and on the third, a thing. The nouns should be familiar to everyone in the class, so avoid personal names like a relative’s name; instead, use a famous person or a classmate's name.

Split the class into teams, with two teams of three to five learners each. Depending on class size, you might have one, two, or three games running at once. For each pair of teams, place all the slips of paper from both teams into a container (like a fishbowl!) for players to draw from.

Players will take turns giving clues to their team to guess as many cards as possible before time runs out. There are 3 rounds, and the cards will be recycled after each round!

Round 1: Taboo – Describe the word or phrase on the card using only words, no gestures or acting. You cannot use any part of the word or phrase.

Round 2: Charades – Act out the word or phrase without speaking or making sounds. Use only gestures to communicate.

Round 3: Password – You can only say one word to describe the word or phrase on the card. Your team will rely on memory and association.

The team that guesses the most cards across all rounds wins!

Tips

1. Consider whether doing the charades or taboo round first will work best for your learners.
2. Adjust the amount of time you give for each team for each round. Start out with three to five minutes and modify as you see how things go. 
3. Either before or after the game, tell or ask learners how the game helped them practice English in a fun way. 

For questions or comments about this Tutor Tip, contact Training Coordinator Meghan Boyle at [email protected].