You know that game where somebody has three cups and they put a little ball under one and then move them around, and your job is to keep you eye on the one with the ball, and say where it is?

Well, this game is sort of like that—only it is for practicing listening skills in a fun and exciting way.

Directions
Students work in groups of four. Put the following 4 objects on a table or chair: I’ve used common objects: a coin, a book, a pen, a ball.

Each student will represent a number, 1-4. Students will hear instructions. For example, “Number 2, pick up the book.” “Number 2, hand the coin to Number 4.” “Number 3, don’t pass the pen to Number 1.”

The directions on the audio speed up as it plays. The object is for students to follow the directions perfectly. At the end of the audio, we see whose got what. If something doesn’t work out, let the students start again from the beginning.

Easy Level, Game 1
There are two versions so far. One is the Easy Level. Even beginning students can follow the instructions with some pre-listening help. The verbs used: get, get rid of, give, hand, pick up, put, take, trade.

Advanced Level, Game 1
There is more variety in the instructions here, and they come fast. Verbs used: give, hand, pass, pick up, take.

Playing Alone
Yeah. You can practice your listening skills on your own. In this case you do all the actions. Create four squares, by using, for instance, four pieces of paper. Number them. Now move the objects to the proper places yourself. (see the picture to the right).

I’d be glad to hear some comments if anybody plays this game.

You can download this MS Word Doc for the answers and instructions.
“Whose Got What?” Answers and Instructions

 

 Whose Got What? Easy, Game 1 [1:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (70)

 

 Whose Got What? Advanced, Game 1 [1:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (11)

Click to enlarge.That’s right. This crossword has audio clues. There is one mp3 file for “Across” clues, and one for “Down” clues. Your task, when listening to the very short clips from Beatles tunes, is to isolate and identify the particle verbs (otherwise known as phrasal verbs). These are multi-word verbs such as “let down,” “take your time,” and “find out.”The particle verb will appear in the crossword exactly as sung by the Beatles. So for the verb “let down,” you will write “DONTLETMEDOWN”–no spaces, no apostrophes. There are also written clues. Follow them carefully. If the written clue contains a subject and is in the past tense, like “I discovered the truth,” the answer in the puzzle will also contain a subject and be in the past: IFOUNDOUT. This allows students to explore how the verbs really function.If you want to do the crossword online, by yourself, just click on this link: Beatles Audio Crossword Online, Java Listen to the audio files (below) and type in the missing particle verbs. If you click on the puzzle, you will also get a written clue for that word/phrase.If you want to do this activity in the classroom, you can use either of these handouts. A Word document: Beatles Phrasal Verb Audio Crossword handout.doc or a printable PDF document: Beatles Phrasal Verbs Audio Crossword handout.pdf.If your class is advanced, with experience in particle verbs, you may let them try using the audio alone. Play the audio all the way through, first the across and then the down. If students have trouble, play them again. You may pause in between clues if you like. Each audio is just over one minute in length.

 

 Beatles Audio Crossword Clues--Across [1:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (124)

 

 Beatles Audio Crossword Clues--Down [1:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (44)