Twenty Questions

How often did you feel sorry about the lack of time for studying the foreign language? It seems the everyday fuss takes all our forces and energy. Work, family, friends, home chores… they suck us as a swamp. And we repeat 100 times to ourselves, “next week I’ll start learning new words, reading more, watching movies in original…”  Is this familiar to you? Well, what a sense to feel guilty if it doesn’t help? Let’s look at the positive sides!

        First of all, you keep on trying to learn a new language. So many people even didn’t start this hard way. Plus to you! Where can we find time for more practice?  There is a law in psychology, if a person wants something very much, he always find the way to do it. Just a bit of your imagination and … here there are many ways. I’ll tell you about a game, which is quite well known in many countries. Have you heard about “20 Questions”? One can play it anywhere, in a long car or train trip, at the beach, during a break, waiting in a line. All you need is a partner studying the same language. Joint activities help accelerate progress in language learning. There aren’t losers in this game. Everyone gets their share of the speech improving.
The rules of the game are simple. One must think of a thing and the opponent tries to guess by asking no more than 20 questions. The first player may answer only Yes or No. You can think of animals, professions, people (famous persons from past, books and movies characters, celebrities). If you guess the word before all of your 20 questions are over, so you win. No guess, no win.

This activity helps to improve the art of asking questions. This is a great simulator to develop the skills of speech. Even the most shy persons forget about their doubts, they get excited and concentrate only on guessing the word. Who would think about mistakes during the game? I’d compare this game with the swimming lesson, when the learner is thrown over the board in the middle of the lack. The mind of the player experiences the deep immersion in the language.

Below there are the most used questions to make it easier to start the game. In process of game you’d find your own ones. Fun and excitement are guaranteed.

Животные - Animals
Оно умеет летать? - Can it fly?
Оно умеет плавать? - Can it swim?
Оно ест мясо? - Does it eat meat?
Оно любит траву? - Does it like grass?
Оно живет в реке? - Does it live in the river?
Оно может жить у тебя дома? - Can it be a pet?
Оно живет на ферме? - Does it live at farm?
У него длинный хвост (шея/ноги/уши)? - Has it got a long tail (neck/legs/ears)?

Вещи - Things
Могу ли я положить это в карман (сумку)? - Can I put it in my pocket (bag)?
Могу ли я съесть это? - Can I eat it?
Могу ли я увидеть это в комнате (на улице)? - Can I see it in this room (street)?
Это сделано из дерева (метала, стекла, бумаги, пластмассы)? - Is it made of wood (metal, glass, paper, plastic)?
Это связано с транспортом (техникой)? - Is it connected with transport (techniques)?
Могу ли я купить это на рынке? - Can I buy in in the market?

Люди - Persons
Ты мужчина (женщина)? - Are you a man (woman)?
Ты реальный человек (персонаж из книги/мультфильма...)? - Are you a real person (a book/cartoon… character)?
Ты живешь сейчас? - Do you live now?
Ты жил в 19 веке? - Did you live in 19 century?
Ты живешь в Америке? - Do you live in America?
Ты жил в России? - Did you live in Russia?
Могу ли я увидеть тебя по телевизору? - Can I see you on TV?
Ты актер (политик, спортсмен)? - Are you an actor (politic, sportsman)?

Профессии - Professions
У тебя есть форма? - Have you got any uniform?
Ты работаешь в помещении (на улице)? - Do you work in office (outdoors)?
Твоя работа опасная? - Is your work dangerous?
Ты работаешь с людьми (животными)? - Do you work with people (animals)?
Ты работаешь по ночам? - Do you work during nights?
Твоя работа связанна с техникой? - Is your work connected with the technique?

For teachers
It’s the most favorite game of my students. Sometimes I have to use it as a blackmail to a pupil who refuses to read or write during the private lesson. With children it happens, alas. It’s enough just to say that we aren’t going to play "20 questions" ... and then the stubborn one agrees on everything. :-) I advise you to save "Twenty Questions" till the end of your lesson as a dessert.

I’ve made these cards and added some intrigue to the process of game. The pupil takes 2 cards from the box, one for himself and one for me. The form of the cards does not matter ... you could print these ones:

Each of players writes a word (which we think of) on the back side of the card and we don’t show it to each other. Opponent sees only the represented category and the circles. After every question you cross out a circle (does not matter what kind of answer you got ‘yes or no’), such way it’s easy to count the number of made questions. For kids I can advice to start from the animals’ questions, it is the easiest topic.