Draw a Picture (Listening, All Levels)


Draw a Picture

Csányi Dóra, Burai Gréta, Püski Lilla, Berta Dorottya


Part 1: The Game

Level & Learning Outcomes

The grade level of the student: beginner/primary school

What are the learning outcomes? Students learn to listen to each other and practice cooperation to do  the exercise well. Students practice vocabulary, prepositions, adjectives, shapes and directions. 


Materials needed 


Object of Game

To draw a picture that is most like the original.


Listening comprehension skills

  1. Understanding vocabulary

  2. Making inferences

  3. Draw conclusions


Rules of Play

  1. Students are asked to work in pairs. 

  2. One will read out the instructions and the other one will draw according to the instructions. 


Scorekeeping

The most similar will win. 


Part 2: Reflection

I think picture drawing is a really great game for all levels of students. Particularly in lower level classes, especially with young learners, it tends to be engaging and exciting. I saw that everyone in the class thoroughly enjoyed the game, finding it quite amusing and funny.

In my opinion, although we had limited time available at the end of the class, the task wasn't difficult for the students, so we were able to successfully manage the game. In the future, especially with young learners, time should be considered before playing this game.

What is more, some pairs finished the game earlier, and although I didn’t notice any signs of boredom because they continued their conversation, it can be a possible problem during this game. I think considering the time is essential in this game. Moreover, initially I really thought that some of the students wouldn’t really like drawing and they would miss the task because of this, but this turned out not to be a problem in this class.

This game enhances skills such as listening, reading, pronunciation, and fine motor skills, while also expanding vocabulary. Overall, I think the game went well, the instructions were clear, we and the students enjoyed it so I am glad that we chose this game to present. I totally recommend this simple but great game to use in classes. CD


I believe that our group members enjoyed playing the picture dictation game even though it was at a beginner level. This game could work well in a classroom setting as it does not require a lot of preparation and can be an excellent activity to fill the last few minutes of a lesson. For lower levels, I would pre-teach the vocabulary that students need to know for the activity.

When considering how this game relates to Chou's eight drives in Octalysis, the drive that stands out the most is unpredictability and curiosity. When one player provides a description for another player to draw, the drawing player does not know what the description will be. This element of unpredictability keeps the game interesting.

Regarding An’s gamification of learning, the picture dictation game applies a number of drives. It fosters cooperation and social interactions among students. They work together to interpret and visualize descriptions, which encourages a sense of shared goals and teamwork. They also provide feedback to each other about the accuracy or creativity of their drawings. Allowing students to choose topics for descriptions based on their interests could make the game more personalized and relevant. BG


I think our "Draw my picture" game, although short, was enjoyable. It has easy-to-follow rules, so even beginners can play it without any problems. This is exactly why I thought that in our lesson it might be too easy for the others, but it turned out that it can be confusing even for advanced level players if they don't pay enough attention to the other person's instructions. It follows that one of the main aims of the game is for students to practise cooperation while communicating in the target language. Meanwhile, students also practice the use of prepositions, adjectives, shapes and directions. Overall, I think the drawings turned out creative and successful. One thing to highlight is that if a teacher wants to incorporate this game into their classroom, they will have to plan for other tasks as well because of its shortness. PL


I enjoyed playing the game-or guiding the game because, though it was a beginner level, everyone seemed to enjoy it. Very exacting works were created, the students were focusing on the exercise. 

I would play the game again in other classes where it can be played. I would also recommend it to other teachers, however, it is rather a short game, maybe a “filler” exercise at the end of the class for primary students.  

I think everything went well in playing the game. The instructions and the game were understood-actually no one needed very much explanation. There were no difficulties.  BD


References

An, Yunjo. 2020. Designing effective gamified learning experiences. International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE) 3(2): 62-69. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1264027.pdf 

Chou, Yu-kai. (2014, Feb 26). Gamification to improve our world: Yu-kai Chou at TEDxLausanne. TED Talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Qjuegtiyc&t=1s

Homeschool with Love (2013, November 7). The draw my picture game https://www.homeschoolwithlove.com/2013/11/07/draw-picture-game/?fbclid=IwAR0J3KWQ7UlgPXJ3fKkBWgrpFNffJtGnyFXx87oDp7-rBnLCLUs1skwADmc_aem_AWk2b7XH0aHLwCWRHhcN09PRIF2Ki9FIs-G4MycJerRQxsWWEHOqNFAGQjCS__p3TOqHN-jclAt6mAeNrNSRGUKP

Lawtie, Fiona (n.d.) Picture dictation by Fiona Lawtie. British Council, Teaching English. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-resources/teaching-primary/activities/level-2/picture-dictation

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