This is called "Press Conference" and it's great for small groups and classes of about six people and up. It stresses listening, speaking, and overall conversation. And it's fun!

• Divide the students into two groups: the "company" and the "press." The company should be about two to five people, any more than five and you'll invariably have some students dominating the discussion while other students remain silent. The "press" is the rest of the class.
• Either you or the "company" come up with a faulty product For example:
  • blonde hair dye that turns your hair blue
  • a car that flips over if it takes a turn at over 40 mph
  • a bike that loses its wheel after a week
  • an action figure that breaks off into little pieces after you take it out of the package
• Explain the product and its defect to the whole class.
• The goal of the game is for the "company" to keep as much of its profit and reputation in tact, while the "press" tries to get the "company" to admit fault and promise refunds and/or a recall of their product.

This is a fun game, and it could potentially go for an hour or two, depending on how into it the students get. In my experiences, they love trying to trip each other up. If the discussion is lagging, you can always step in and ask the "company reps" a few questions yourself.

Another helpful thing to do is to write down words or sentences they've said incorrectly, or words you taught them that they keep forgetting or getting wrong, and go over this at the end of the "press conference."

This lesson plan was submitted by Lindsey Newhall. Thank you Lindsey!

By Kenneth Beare, About.com Guide

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