Quick Guide
- Keywords: Vocabulary, word formation, open cloze, context clues, guessing game
- Learner English level: All levels
- Learner maturity: Elementary–adult
- Preparation time: 10–20 minutes
- Activity time: 20 minutes (initial set up) + 10–20 minutes (practice)
- Materials: Target vocabulary, example sentences, writing utensils, board, and markers
Banana the Banana! (aka The Banana Game) is a variation on a classic open-cloze guessing game, in which the missing word is substituted by a silly alternative. Although well-known versions, such as Coffee Pot (British Council, n.d.) require guessers to ask follow-up questions to deduce the answer, The Banana Game focuses more on context clues. It encourages learners to demonstrate clear understanding of target language, and to think about the meaning of unknown or unfamiliar words without looking them up. This is a playful and collaborative way to consolidate vocabulary, promote active learning, and develop receptive and productive skills.
Preparation
Step 1: Prepare sets of target vocabulary from previous classroom input. This can be a handout or on the board for students to choose which words they practice. Alternatively, if you want to encourage random selection, print and cut up word sets for groups to divide. Prepare 10-30 words, depending on students’ age/level.
Step 2: Prepare good example sentences, substituting “banana” for the target vocabulary. Make sure they include effective context clues to communicate the meaning. For example:
- “It’s too hot in here. Let’s open the banana to get some fresh air.” (Answer: “window”)
- “I am banana because I didn’t sleep last night.” (Answer: “tired”)
- “I was banana-ing so hard last night. I hope I pass the test!” (Answer: “studying”)
Step 3: Prepare bad example sentences, without context clues. For example:
- “I have three bananas.”
- “The weather in my hometown is banana.”
- “How often do you banana?”
Procedure
Step 1: Write “Banana the banana!” on the board.
Step 2: Explain that “banana” is a magic word, which can be any other word (verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs). For example, one of the bananas in “Banana the banana!” is a verb. Elicit what verbs might work in this sentence (e.g., “eat,” “peel,” “slice,” etc.), before revealing that today’s activity is Guess the Banana!
Step 3: Model the activity using a “good” example sentence, and invite students to guess the banana. This should be easy, although be prepared for some creative answers!
Step 4: Model a “bad” example and encourage students to ask follow-up questions until they have enough context to deduce the answer.
Step 5: Model more good and bad examples and write all the “banana” sentences on the board.
Step 6: Ask students which sentences were easier to guess, and why. Elicit or explain that the good sentences include useful information (context) that helps us to understand the missing words. The bad sentences are grammatically fine, but we need more detail to be sure of the meaning.
Step 7: Elicit what part of speech (i.e., noun, verb, adjective, or adverb) the “banana” is in the example sentences (Answers for the examples in Steps 2 and 3: noun, adjective verb, noun, adjective, verb).
Step 8: Encourage students to look for context clues. The first good sentence above, for example, uses a collocation (“open the window”) as well as purpose and action (result: “get some fresh air”). Other clues might include cause and effect, definitions and descriptions, examples, synonyms/antonyms, and general knowledge/common sense.
Step 9: Demonstrate how the bad sentences can be modified to add context. For instance, you can add examples: “I have three bananas: a chihuahua, a toy poodle, and a shih tzu.” (Answer: “dogs”)
Step 10: Make target vocabulary available to students (either as a list or sets of word cards) and instruct students to select three words.
Step 11: Give students time to write one sentence for each word, making sure that it demonstrates the meaning, and substituting the word with “banana.” Monitor and support, as necessary.
Step 12: Put students into pairs or small groups. Tell them to read their sentences to each other and try to guess the “bananas.” If learners have banana-ed their sentences effectively, the target language should be guessable, but some follow-up questions might also be necessary.
Step 13: When everyone is happy with their bananas, finish off with feedback on any particularly funny bananas.
Step 14: In future classes, you can skip Steps 1-6. Just say, “Let’s banana this vocabulary” whenever you have new vocabulary to practice and take it from there!
Conclusion
This guessing game encourages students to collaborate and engage with the target language to produce interesting and effective sentences. It can be used to practice topic-specific word lists, phrasal verbs, idioms, and different parts of speech, and can be adapted for any class or level. Students enjoy the silliness of bananas, and are motivated to challenge themselves, and show off their “bananas!”
Variations
For very low levels and young learners, use pre-prepared banana sentences to focus on the guessing game rather than constructing sentences.
References
British Council. (n.d.). Word guessing games. TeachingEnglish. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-resources/teaching-secondary...
