The Language Teacher
05 - 2002
"Magical Banana" and Free-Association As Conversation Aids
Jeffrey Mack Elliston
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Conversation practice, oral production
Learner English Level: Moderate to advanced
Learner Maturity Level: High school and above
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Activity Time: Varies
Japanese students are notorious for being shy and reluctant to speak in language classrooms, especially when compared to students from the Middle East, South America, and Africa. Though Japanese students often have memorized vast amounts of vocabulary, they may be too nervous and conscious of themselves to engage in conversation comfortably. In addition, teachers who want their students to practice for oral interview tests may not have many ideas for helping students study. However, using this simple, Japanese childrenÕs game as a springboard, teachers can simulate the thought processes involved in conversation, and help students become better, more relaxed speakers.
Procedure
In Japan, many elementary age children are familiar with a game called "Magical Banana." In this game, one child begins by saying, "Banana to iitara, kiiro," or "If you say, banana, I think 'yellow.'" The next child then says, "If you say yellow, I think, 'giraffe.'" Though the game usually starts with banana, from there answers vary. Players then take turns free-associating in this manner, until everyone has had a chance to speak, and then the players start again if they wish.
In the classroom, make all the students arrange themselves in a circle. The teacher begins and allows the students to go around the circle playing Magical Banana. Though this game is obviously too easy for older students, it works nicely as an icebreaker, relaxes the students, and then gets them used to free-associating. Even advanced students will often pause for several seconds to consider their answer, so it is a good idea to encourage them to say the first thing that enters their minds. Tell them if they take more than two seconds, they are trying too hard. After students have had two or three rounds of Magical Banana, explain to them that conversation is very similar to playing Magical Banana.
Have all of the students in the circle stand. Pick a topic, preferably an easy one at first, and tell one of your students to begin talking about this topic for thirty seconds. If the student does not know about this topic, they should free-associate, or "Magical Banana" their way to a topic that they do know. At the end of their thirty seconds, the speaker selects a new student and sits down. The new student begins on the topic the original student left off with, talks for thirty seconds, and so on until everyone is sitting down. For example, if a student is asked to talk for thirty seconds about "dinosaurs," they might say "dinosaurs" are large like elephants. Then, "As a child, I often went to the zoo to see elephants." From here they could talk about zoos, childhood, trips, or whatever they were more comfortable with.
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