Filibuster

Someone shared this game with me right as there was a series of high profile political filibusters, but it's a good game at any time.

The idea is for the students, taking turns but judged as a class, to continuously speak as long as possible. The best incentive is to offer them a delay, or even a break from, planned activities in class which they do not enjoy.

Start by announcing that you had an activity planned, and wait for their groans. Offer them the option of filibustering: so long as they continue speaking (in turn) in the target language, you won't move on to that activity. One student will go as long as they can, and the student next to them will pick up the thread. The filibuster ends when they mess up, depending on criteria appropriate to their level. Suggested criteria for ending the game are:

1. Repetition of the same stretch of speech
2. Use of the L1
3. Hemming and hawing
4. Not making sense
5. Not using complete sentences
6. Specific mispronunciations