Procedure
• Divide the class into pairs.
• Ask each pair to decide who will go first and second.
• Tell students they’re going to listen to each other talk for two minutes about a particular
topic. Select a topic that relates to a lesson theme or a cultural tradition. Examples include
describing a special place, a favorite game, holiday foods, a celebration.
• Tell students that while one partner talks, the other only listens, without taking notes or
asking questions. When two minutes are up, ask the pairs to reverse roles.
• Invite each pair to stand or come to the front of the class, one pair at a time. Ask one partner
to introduce the other and describe what their partner talked about. When finished, ask
the partner if there is anything they would like to add or correct. Then reverse roles.
• Discuss. What did it feel like to listen and not ask questions? Was it easier to listen or to
talk? Did anything surprise you? What did you learn? What more would you like to know?
What skills did you use in this activity? (for example, close listening and remembering;
demonstrating listening through eye contact, nodding, facial expressions; retelling someone’s
story in your own words; telling your own story; checking for accuracy)
EXTENSION: Follow this activity by asking pairs to return to their partners and ask three
questions based on what their partner shared–a close-ended question, an open-ended question,
and a follow-up question based on something they said.
Discuss. What more did you learn by asking questions? What was the main idea of the story your
partner told? Give your story and your partner’s story a title. Share why you choose your title
with your partner. How are your titles similar or different? What do the differences tell you about
how you each interpreted the other’s story?