A little bit of magic!
Lets face it-vocabulary learning - and testing -can be rather boring at times. Why not try
to motivate your pupils with the help of a little magic! On the next two pages you will find a magic
trick for practising the vocabulary of travel and holidays.
Before the lesson: Photocopy pages 2 and 3 onto a transparency (Folie)
In the lesson: Place the first transparency onto the OHP and switch it on. Ask a pupil to choose one of
the pictures. Ask her on which parts of the transparency her picture can be seen. Write
her name on the right picture on the second transparency (with a soluable - wasserlslicher
OHP pen.). Now ask her what her picture was, switch on the OHP and she and the class will
be amazed at your telepathic powers !
How to do it: In the middle of each part of the transparency you can see a number of dots:
A = 1; B = 2; C = 4; D = 8. When the pupil tells you where her picture can be seen, just add
up the dots and write her name down on the right picture on the second transparency. Lets
say that the pupil has chosen something which is on A and C: 1 + 4 = 5. She has chosen the
mountain. Another pupil chooses, lets say an object which is on A, B and C:1 + 2 + 4 = 7.
He has chosen the aeroplane. It is advisable to ask five or six pupils to choose their objects,
write their names on the second transparency and then show the class your fantastic telepathic
powers, before wiping out their names and doing the trick with another five or six members of
the class.
With the right pictures it is, of course, possible to use this trick for practising structures. ( a boy who is
playing football ; A man in his car, etc.)
Colleagues who are interested in using magic tricks in their lessons may find the following books useful:
Pepper and Salt:Spa in den ersten Jahren des Englischunterrichts (By Bernard Brown) and
The Pleasure Principle: 168 pages of magic tricks, card games, board games, etc. (By Bernard Brown &
Rolf-Dieter Preller)
E-mail: bernard.brown@web.de Te.No. 08024/3502
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4
10
13
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14
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15
7 8 9
3
6
Baarle-Hertog
Knokke-Heist
Oostende
St.-Niklaas
Dendermonde
Turnhout
Kortrijk
Mouscron
Tournai
Rnse Halle
Leuze Soignies
Herentals
Mechelen
Aarschot
Leuven
Wavre
Tienen St. Truiden
Roeselare
Chimay
Philippeville Dinant
Huy Spa
Marche en Famenne
Bastogne
Neufchteau
Bouillon
Verviers
Malmdy
Ath
Brugge
Gent
Mons
Hasselt
Antwerp
Namur
Arlon
Lige
Brussels
Luxembourg
ie Le
aas M
l c
e e d h S
e e u M s
a M s a
l e s M le o eeM
su A e isn
s Oi e
s a t c u
E
Lys
North
Sea
The Netherlands
Germany
Luxembourg
France
6 5 4 3
50
51
I992 MAGELLAN GeographixSMSanta Barbara, CA(800) 929-4627
Belgium
2
5
Mr George Smith,
32 Lenham Road,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR4 8QT,
England
Dear George,
Were having a
wonderful time. The
weather is great!
See you soon.
Love,
Mary
For colleagues who wish to use this trick with other fields of vocabulary, I have included two empty grids
Choose fifteen pictures illustrating items of vocabulary you wish to practise with your pupils.Decide on the
order of the pictures, photocopy them in the required numbers and stick them in the corresponding parts of
the two grids.
Can you see all the pictures ? Now
Asu:please choose a picture. Is it on A?
Yes, it is.Ah, its on A. And is it here, on B?
No, it isnt. Is it here, on C? Yes it is. Good,
its on C. And is it here on D? No it isnt.
Good, and now Gnther, its your turn.
Choose a picture. Right, is your picture on A?
Yes, it is. Right, its on A and is it on B? Yes
it is and its on C. And is it on D ? No it isnt.
So, your picture is on A, B and C, but it isnt
on D. Am I right? Yes, you are. ... Etc., Etc.
And now what is (was) your picture Asu.
The mountain. And what is (was) your
picture, Gnther. The aeroplane...etc. Good
and now lets switch on the OHP again. Look
here are your names on your pictures! Thats
magic!
Asu
Gnther
Petra
Erika
Simon
Yuri
A
C
B
D
.
.
.
.
. .
.
..
.
.
. .
.
..
.
Baarle-Hertog
Knokke-Heist
Oostende
St.-Niklaas
Dendermonde
Turnhout
Kortrijk
Mouscron
Tournai
Rnse Halle
Leuze Soignies
Herentals
Mechelen
Aarschot
Leuven
Wavre
Tienen
St. Truiden
Roeselare
Chimay
Philippeville
Dinant
Huy
Spa
Marche en Famenne
Bastogne
Neufchteau
Bouillon
Verviers
Malmdy
Ath
Brugge
Gent
Mons
Hasselt
Antwerp
Namur
Arlon
Lige
Brussels
Luxembourg
eie L
Ma
s a
h
e
c
l
S
d e
Meu e s
M as a
s M
elle
o s
e
e
M
u
e
Aisn
O e is
s a t
E
u c
L s y
North
Sea
The Netherlands
Germany
Luxembourg
France
6 5 4 3
50
51
I992 MAGELLAN GeographixSMSanta Barbara, CA(800) 929-4627
Belgium
Mr George Smith,
32 Lenham Road,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR4 8QT,
England
Dear George,
Were having a
wonderful time. The
weather is great!
See you soon.
Love,
Mary
1
4
10
13
11
14
12
15
7 8 9
3
6
Baarle-Hertog
Knokke-Heist
Oostende
St.-Niklaas
Dendermonde
Turnhout
Kortrijk
Mouscron
Tournai
Rnse Halle
Leuze
Soignies
Herentals
Mechelen
Aarschot
Leuven
Wavre
Tienen
St. Truiden
Roeselare
Chimay
Philippeville
Dinant
Huy
Spa
Marche en Famenne
Bastogne
Neufchteau
Bouillon
Verviers
Malmdy
Ath
Brugge
Gent
Mons
Hasselt
Antwerp
Namur
Arlon
Lige
Brussels
Luxembourg
e e
L i
aas
M
l
he
Sc
de
e M use
M
s a a
l
se e
o
l
M
e
e
M
u s
isn
A
e
s O e i
t
s
au
E
c
Lys
North
Sea
The Netherlands
Germany
Luxembourg
France
6 5 4 3
50
51
I992 MAGELLAN GeographixSMSanta Barbara, CA(800) 929-4627
Belgium
2
5
Mr George Smith,
32 Lenham Road,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR4 8QT,
England
Dear George,
Were having a
wonderful time. The
weather is great!
See you soon.
Love,
Mary
A
C
B
D
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.
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