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Warm-ups can serve as ice-breaker activities for
the first day of class or as a preface to a new theme or topic during the course. They can
offer a motivating start to the week or act as an innovative segue between skill area
lessons. The activity offered below functions well in each of these contexts and is basic
and dynamic enough that it can be easily adapted for students ranging from elementary
school children to adult language learners of all ages and at all levels of proficiency.
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I developed the "Coat of Arms"
activity for the first day of class at our teacher-training institute in Germany. Rather
than the traditional "introduce your neighbor" tasks which tend to generate
uncreative and predictable language, this motivating and dynamic activity gets the class
talking, listening, and thinking while creatively using various language functions and
conversational strategies, practicing structures, and building vocabulary.
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Using "Coat of Arms" for the first day of class
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"Coat of Arms" can be used to ease
students into the communicative classroom format which may be new and intimidating for
many. Most communicative classrooms make extensive use of pair and group activities.
Before beginning any pair or group task, students should get to know each other. Knowing
the name(s) and a few facts about their partner or group members is usually a prerequisite
to more extensive conversational activities. This initial knowledge fosters an atmosphere
of cooperation which increases the likelihood of productive communication in the lessons
to follow.
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I have used many variations to the "Coat of
Arms" activities for learners of English at all levels. A few of my favorites are
listed.
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A heraldic design was used to distinguish
individual families and to authenticate official documents; the systematic use of these
began during the 1200s. A complete coat of arm consists of a shield, a crest, and motto
(See Figure 3 ).
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Option one: General (all levels)
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Divide the class into pairs. If you have an odd
number of students make one group of three. Distribute a blank "Coat of Arms"
(See Figure 1 ) to each student. It
may be interesting to see whether they can identify what it is. I recommend that
beginner-level groups work in the single square provided, whereas intermediate-level
groups and above should bisect the square vertically and horizontally thus making four
smaller sections. Ask each student to draw one picture or scene which illustrates
something about their personality or life in a square or section. Remind them that they do
not need to be artists and that elaborate drawings are even counterproductive as they take
up too much time. The teacher may wish to display his or her own personalized "Coat
of Arms" to put students at ease. After my students see their teacher's pathetic
drawing ability, they are much more confident! I normally allow about 12-15 minutes for
completing the squares. There should be no sharing of information among students at this
point!
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When finished drawing, student's exchange papers
with their partner and attempt to elicit information about that person by interpreting the
drawing. Partners must ask and answer questions regarding each square, providing
clarification as needed. This negotiating phase normally takes about 15- 20 minutes,
depending on how animated the group is.
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After the pairs are satisfied they have
collected enough accurate information about their partners, they take turns introducing
their neighbor to the class. They may comment on things they have in common or on images
in the drawing that they may have misinterpreted. This is a good way for the class and
teacher to get to know some meaningful details about the individual students.
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Option two: Compare and contrast (intermediate and above)
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Best for heterogeneous ESL/EFL groups.
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Divide the class into groups of three and four.
The drawings and negotiating phases are the same as listed above, however, while the main
purpose of the activity is still to get to know one's neighbor, the emphasis this time is
on discovering similarities (and differences) among the members of a group. Each group
member takes a turn introducing and commenting on their partner's drawing, citing
interesting details they learned, similarities and differences they discovered, and things
they may have found surprising. Some examples of dialog generated from the questions and
answers in this variation are as follows:
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Achim and Claudia are both from warm countries,
but he is from the Middle East and she is from South America.
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Wolfgang and Jürgen both like to ski, but
Wolfgang likes downhill and Jürgen prefers cross- country.
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Figure 3 shows three blank spaces (a, b, c) under the shield. As an
added dimension to this activity, you may ask your students to fill in three words which
best describe them. Depending on the proficiency level of the group, students can enter
such things as their favorite color, hobby, or food in these spaces. Alternatively, they
may list "something I like very much," "somewhere I dislike," and
"somewhere I'd like to visit" in spaces a, b, and c respectively. Or they can
write a saying or phrase which represents their character or likes. The possibilities here
are, of course, endless. The dotted line at the very bottom of the page (d) is for the
artist's name. The information shared and gathered in "Coat of Arms" is rich in
detail and much more interesting and entertaining than that obtained using a traditional
interview format.
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Option three: Tenses (high beginner and above)
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The variation is similar to option one above,
however, this time, each student is asked to divide his or her squares into 4 sections.
The sections represent a progression in the students' life from past to present to future.
I normally use section 1 to signify past, sections 2 and 3 for present, and section 4 for
future. When drawing, it is important that students understand these designations and use
section 1, for example, to depict someplace they lived when they were younger, something
they used to like to do, etc. Sections 2 and 3 illustrate something about their
personality or life now, and section 4 represents ambitions or future plans. You can
proceed with one of the drawing and negotiating phases listed above or easily apply this
variation to one of the team game formats listed below. This option, of course, requires
students to use various tenses when inquiring about the drawings and introducing their
neighbor(s).
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Using "Coat of Arms" anytime:
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Although "Coat of Arms" was developed
as an ice-breaking warm-up for the first day of class, I have since used it successfully
throughout the year in a variety of other settings.
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Option four: Teams (high beginner and above)
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In this option, the class is divided into two
teams, A and B. This variation is used most successfully in situations where the students
know each other already, for example, after you are well into the semester/school year or
in a public school ESL (or FL) setting. As with each option listed in this article,
students should not be told that their masterpiece will be used in a follow-up activity.
The focus in this variation is not introducing, but rather describing pictures and
objects, interpreting, and inferring based on limited information.
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Follow the drawing procedures listed in options
one and two above. After the drawings are completed and signed, the papers should be
folded along the dotted line (x) thus concealing the artist's name. Instead of exchanging
papers all drawings are collected by the teacher. The class is then divided into two teams
which sit facing each other on opposite sides of the classroom. The teacher now
redistributes the papers making sure that all drawings from members of group "A"
are given to group "B " and vice versa.
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Negotiating Phase A member of team
"A" begins reviewing the contents of the "Coat of Arms" aloud and then
guesses who it might belong to based on the pictures and "hints" listed in a, b,
c at the bottom. A member of team "B" follows with the same procedure until each
member of each team has taken a turn. Depending on the size of the group and how the
teacher chooses to adapt this activity, he or she may allow each student one, two, or more
guesses. It is rare that all students are correctly identified after the first round of
questions. At this point each team convenes as a group to decide who the remaining papers
may belong to. A second and final round of reviewing and guessing ensue. At the end of
this second round, the team with the fewest remaining unsolved "Coat of Arms"
papers "wins." For larger classes, the teacher may wish to break groups
"A" and "B" into sub-groups.
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Some teachers may wish to conduct this game on a
point system, assigning two points for an initial correct guess, one point for a correct
guess during the second round, and deducting a point for each incorrect guess. For younger
learners, it may be better to use a different type of reward system for correct guesses.
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Option five: Panel (intermediate and above)
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This option is similar to option four above,
however, this time the students engage in questioning the opposite team before making
their guesses. In this option it is important that students tell the truth when answering
the questions posed.
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Here, each student is assigned a number which is
written on a piece of paper and propped up in front of them much like a name plate. Each
student receives a "Coat of Arms" from the opposite team. Instead of reviewing
the drawing aloud as in option four, the student asks one question to a member of the
opposite team, referring to one of the squares in the drawing. The answers should provide
an indication as to whether this person matches the drawing or not. A sample exchange is
in Figure 2 (with a class of 16
students; team A has numbers 1-8, team B, numbers 9-16).
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The members of each team should keep notes about
the responses during the question-and-answer phase. This prevents them from asking the
same question of the same student twice, and helps them organize the information they are
collecting. After two or three rounds of Q & A, each team decides which "Coat of
Arms" belongs to whom. Again, it is not likely that they will correctly guess each
one on the first try. A second, shorter round of questioning may begin with the remaining
papers. The "winning" team is determined as in option four above.
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As a follow-up activity, the teacher may ask
selected members of each team why they posed certain questions. It is very common that
what the artist intended in the drawing was very different from how that drawing was
interpreted by the opposite team. Also, if you have a "Coat of Arms" which truly
"stumps" the panel, it may be a good idea to have that artist explain the
drawing. This can be truly hilarious!
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Debriefing The debriefing phase is
an optional follow-up to this activity. It allows the teacher to review any problems in
usage, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, etc., that were identified during the activity.
The teacher notes the salient errors made and explores alternative ways students could
have phrased questions and answers.
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Note: The debriefing phase is not recommended
for the "first day of class" options listed above.
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One of the strengths of "Coat of Arms"
is that it combines linguistic and non-linguistic tasks, which can be successfully used
with all ability levels and age groups. Although this activity emphasizes speaking and
listening, it integrates all four skill areas as well as grammar while providing practice
of various language functions and conversational strategies. Students synthesize bits and
pieces of information gathered throughout the activity and employ various problem solving
skills to complete the task. "Coat of Arms" also has a socializing effect in
that the students get to know one another better and discover which of their new
classmates they have something in common with. Students are free to volunteer as much or
little detail about themselves as they wish. Less talkative students may find refuge in
the group aspect of the activity, whereas more expressive students get their chance in the
spotlight. "Coat of Arms" also helps build cross-cultural awareness while
stressing similarities among the group rather than differences. Finally, this concise
activity provides the teacher with an arsenal of valuable information about the class
which may prove useful in future lessons.
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Figure 3
[Shield] |
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Figure 1
Figure 3
[Shield] |
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Figure 2
| Team |
Question/Response |
| A (number 1): |
“Number 11. Do you like to ski?” |
| B (number 11): |
“No I don’t. I don’t like sports.” |
| B (number 9): |
“Number 5. Are you from a tropical country?” |
| A (number 5): |
“Yes I am. I am from Brazil.” |
| A (number 2): |
“Number 15. Do you have two sisters?” |
| B (number 15): |
“No. I have one brother and one sister.” |
| B (number 10): |
“Number 2. Do you have a little dog?” |
| A (number 2): |
“Yes I do. His name is Blacky.” |
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