"Speed Dating" Game, Mandarin Chinese, Novice-High
Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner. — The Pathways Project
Looking for the English Version of this activity to adapt for your language? CLICK HERE
About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository
The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:
1. Use the Activity as is:
Before you begin:
- Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
- Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.
If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu.
2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:
When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.
Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials in Spanish, follow the instructions below:
- Google Slideshows:
- To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
- Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
- Click on Share
- Who Has Access
- Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
- Materials Saved as PDF: Please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided.
3. Adapt for Another Language:
- See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)
"Speed Dating" Game
Description:
In this activity, students will role play as if they are attending a speed dating event. Students will each be given a profile and will choose a career, and interests and dislikes at random. Students will then go through a few rounds of interviewing one another to discover things about their partners and decide which person they think they are most compatible with. At the end, everyone will share their picks and see if anyone ends up matched together!
Proficiency Level:
Novice-High
Keywords:
Chinese, role-playing games, group activities, speed dating, interviews, preferences, likes and dislikes
World-Readiness Standards:
Standard 1.1-Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in Chinese
Standard 1.3-Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
Standard 4.1-Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the Chinese language with their own
Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:
COMM 1.1-Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
COMM 2.1-Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics
COMM 3.1-Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
I can ask someone personal information about themselves using the target language
I can compare and contrast interests with someone using the target language
I can use the target language creatively in a role play activity
Materials Needed:
Vis a vis markers
Stopwatch
Main Activity
1. Each student will get:
- an interview sheet
- a random occupation card
- 3 cards from the Interests pile
- 3 cards from the Dislikes pile
2. Students cannot show their cards to one another
3. Project the "suggested questions" slide on the projector
4. Students will pair off and will have around 5 minutes to talk to their partner to find out as much about them as possible, including greeting one another
Students can ask questions based on the suggested topics slide, but can also ask any questions that they feel are important to know about their partner
They will interview each other in 3 rounds
5. As students have their conversation, they should both be referring to the interests/dislikes and job cards they have in their hand, keeping them secret from their partner or any other student
6. Once 5 minutes have passed, students will quickly write any notes about their partner on their interview sheet, this can be anything they liked or disliked about the person
7. Students will now switch and find a new partner and repeat the same process for another 5 minutes
8. Repeat two more times, each student will have interviewed a total of three different people
Give students a few moments to choose which person they interviewed is their "ideal match"
9. Come back together as a large group and each student will reveal who their "ideal match" is and why
Find out together if anyone found their perfect match!
End of lab: Can-Do check in statement check in... "Where are we?"
- Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with cards or holding up fingers 1-5
- Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation
- Pay attention and try to use feedback for future labs!