 Pelmanism
Pelmanism is a game that is popular in many countries around the world. It is usually a test of memory but a little imagination can turn it into an effective English learning game.
Aim
To help students to discriminate between similar sounding words.
You need
Paper and scissors.
Procedure
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Make a set of about 20 cards per group or team of six or seven students. Write 10 'pairs' of words on one side of the cards, one word per card. The words in a pair must rhyme but don't have to look similar, depending on the level of your students. (eg. make/take, see/key, learn/burn, ) Choose words that the students know so that you don't have to spend time dealing with vocabulary and can concentrate on pronunciation. Each set of 20 cards can be the same, e.g. you can make one set and photocopy it as many times as necessary, or you can make different sets. |
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Before you begin the game, go through the cards quickly first with the whole class. Hold up each one and ask the students to say it. Correct pronunciation as necessary. |
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Now shuffle the cards and lay them face down on a table or other flat surface, e.g. the floor. |
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Students take it in turns to turn over any two cards. As they do so, they read the cards aloud, eg. 'burn', 'take' before turning them back over and placing them face down in the position they were originally in. |
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As more cards are revealed, the students have to try to remember where the cards are and to pick up 'pairs' of cards, e.g. two cards which rhyme (e.g. 'learn' and 'burn') . When the student picks up a pair that rhyme, he or she can keep them. |
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The winner is the person with the most cards in their hands. |
Variations
For younger students, you can shape the cards into. e.g. fish and turn this into a fishing game.
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