Bouncing Dialogue

Students create a written dialogue in pairs by passing a paper (or messaging) back and forth in character, without speaking.

Procedure

1. Pair students and assign them two characters and a situation (e.g. a parent and teenager — the teen was supposed to be home at midnight but arrived at 2 a.m.).
2. Tell students they must not speak — only read silently and write in response, bouncing the dialogue back and forth on paper or via a messaging tool.
3. Students write alternating lines in character until the dialogue reaches a natural conclusion or time runs out.
4. Ask volunteers to act out their dialogue to the whole class.

Tips

• Works on paper or digitally (WhatsApp, chat tools)
• Variation: each partner sends a question; they reply and add a follow-up question
• Try "Yes, but..." chains (each partner objects) or "Yes, and..." chains (each partner builds)
• Good scenario ideas: famous people discussing fame, fictional characters comparing experiences, students discussing a hypothetical adventure
• For extra challenge, have pairs bounce two different dialogues simultaneously