Paper Talk

Students communicate freely with each other by writing and passing notes around the classroom, creating real-time written dialogues.

Procedure

1. Give each student a small stack of slips of paper.
2. Explain they can communicate with anyone in the class. Ask them to write a short note or question to somebody.
3. When finished, they get up and deliver their note to that person. The recipient replies in writing only, and the exchange continues.
4. Once everyone understands the activity, start playing background music if available. Let the note-passing continue freely.

Tips

• Particularly motivating for students who prefer expressing themselves through writing
• Can be done digitally via texting, messaging, or chat tools (use private messages)
• Variation: instead of free movement, students pass a sheet of paper to neighbours on either side, creating a complete dialogue that can later be used for language analysis
• To review target language: write one language item on each slip before distributing — students must incorporate that item into their note
• Join in yourself to challenge students with specific language and provide feedback
• Assign "correspondents" in advance to ensure all students receive notes