Fun and Games

While I was at the English book store on the weekend I picked up a couple of cards games, Frog Juice and Chomp that I tried in a few of my classes today.

Neither are particularly heavy on using English, but the explaining the rules of the game is about a lesson and a half in itself. We do use some English in playing the game, and the kids aren't supposed to speak Korean while playing. It's cool. If you spent time in my classes, you'd probably think my name was "Teacha-Game," since that's what the kids say to me when I first come in the class, and repeat...well, repeatedly through class. I respond "yeah, yeah, yeah," and follow through if we complete all the activities I've planned, and if the kids can manage to stay fairly well behaved. After a over a year teaching these same kids, the made-up games in my bag of tricks are wearing thin, and there aren't too many appropriate actual games at my school.

Anyhow, these games went over kind of ok. The kids loved it because they were playing a game, even if they didn't know what the hell they were doing. I was frustrated, though. My students are, by and large, such a bunch of cheaters!! I'm going to lay the law down next time, if I catch you cheating, you will get a warning. The 2nd time you're out of the game. We'll see how that one goes over. I'm thinking, as well, that you should tack on a couple years to the age suggestion of games that aren't specifically designed for EFL classes. My 7 and 8 year olds really struggled with the rules of "Chomp," meant for ages 6 and up. (My 11 and 12 year olds fared much better, and almost got the idea. Sort of.) And my pre-teens had a hard time with "Frog Juice," which is meant for ages 8 and up. Truth be told, even I had to keep referring to the instructions.

I'm sure with patience and more instruction, they'll get the hang of it. I've also bought Silly Sentences awhile ago, but this was met with a "chaimee opda," (this ain't no frickin fun.) I wish there was a game called "The Most Excellent Funnest EFL game in the World," and it would constantly provide new challenges and never get boring. Perhaps some super fun game you would play with a super fun robot. Oh wait, I am a super fun robot.

When I got home late tonight, I ran into the amazing walking frog who lives behind my apartment. I even picked him up and he did not pee on me. I put him down and he walked away quickly, but then changed his mind and turned around to come right back to me and then begged to get picked up again. (Okay, he didn't beg, but I could tell he was pleading in his frog brain "Up, up, up!") I considered bringing him upstairs for Kamikaze's inspection, but thought better of it and carried him across the parking lot to put him in the garden. He walked away. I don't want him to get smushed.

The dead flat decaying frog at the bottom of the hill is completely gone, even almost all of his little bones. Dust in the wind now.