Mr. Wright is a great party game for ESL classrooms. It is a fun game for Christmas or any other party occasion. You have to supply a small gift...probably several since your students will want to play more than one game. You should have several scripts available.

Here's how it works...

Students stand in a circle facing in. If you have a lot of students, I suggest using more than one circle at the same time, though of course that means a gift for each circle. A smaller number of students works better...perhaps 8 to 10 in a circle. Hand the gift to one of them. (A box works well. Use your judgment). Someone... you or a designated speaker - perhaps another teacher, reads the script slowly. Whenever the holder of the gift hears ' WRIGHT', ' WRITE, or RIGHT, he or she passes the gift to the student on their right. If they hear the word 'LEFT', they pass it to the one on their left. When the reader finishes the script, the student holding the gift wins.

Here's a sample script...

Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT

One Saturday morning, Mr. WRIGHT said to Mrs. WRIGHT, "Why don't we go for a drive in the country."

"That sounds like a RIGHT fine idea, Bill, but RIGHT now I have some cookies in the oven. They have about ten minutes LEFT. Then, we can be RIGHT out the door. Does that sound all RIGHT?"

"How about the kids?"

"Well, Mary is watching TV. There's not much time LEFT in her program so she'll be all RIGHT after that. And Jimmy is RIGHT there. "What are you doing, Jimmy WRIGHT?"

"I'm trying to WRITE an essay for school."

"Well, you can WRITE that later, all RIGHT?"

"All RIGHT, mom!"

Mary called from the living room, "I'll be RIGHT there, too, mom."

Soon, Mr. WRIGHT, Mrs. WRIGHT and their two children, Mary and Jimmy WRIGHT were in the car and ready to go. "All RIGHT, which way should we go? Should we turn LEFT or RIGHT?"

"Let's take a vote!"

"RIGHT! No, I mean, turn LEFT!"

The others all wanted to turn RIGHT so RIGHT they went.

They only got a block away from their house when Mary said, "Oh-no! I LEFT my phone in my room. Can we go back, please, dad?"

"Oh, all RIGHT", said Mr. WRIGHT.

Mary went RIGHT inside and got the phone she had LEFT. Then, she got RIGHT back in the car; the WRIGHT family got RIGHT back on the road and soon they were RIGHT out in the country. They drove through some small towns...ENWRIGHT, CARTRIGHT and WAINWRIGHT.

"Are we going the RIGHT way, Bill?" asked Mrs. WRIGHT.

"I think so. We turned LEFT at CARTRIGHT; then RIGHT at WAINWRIGHT and that put us RIGHT onto Highway 47. I think if we keep going, we will come to WRIGHTBRIDGE. They have a large Saturday market and a great restaurant RIGHT next to it. We can have a RIGHT good lunch there, all RIGHT?"

Everyone agreed that Mr. WRIGHT had a good plan and so off they went. In WRIGHTBRIDGE, they found a parking spot RIGHT by the market and spent about an hour or so looking around.

"I'm getting hungry," said Jimmy. "RIGHT! Me, too!" echoed Mary. So the WRIGHT family went RIGHT to the "EATRIGHT' Restaurant and had a fabulous lunch.

"How did you know about this restaurant, dad?"

"Well now, it just happens that it's owned by my cousin..LEFTY ."

"LEFTY WRIGHT? What a cool name!"

The WRIGHT family enjoyed the rest of the day in the country. When they got home, Jimmy said, "I still have my essay to WRITE".

Mary said she was going to sit RIGHT down and watch some TV.

Mrs. WRIGHT said, "I'm tired. Think I'll go RIGHT to bed."

"You go RIGHT ahead. I'll be RIGHT there,' said Mr. WRIGHT. He looked at Mary and Jimmy.

"All RIGHT, WRIGHTS. Good night!"

The End!

+++++++++++++++
As you can see, you can make up pretty well anything. The main thing is to have some fun and get your students listening in English, RIGHT?

If you want to share another script, I'd be delighted to receive a copy. Please send it to me at rwftaylor@gmail.com

I'd also be happy to send you a complimentary copy of my e-book on teaching ESL overseas. Email me for a copy at rwftaylor@gmail.com

Dr. Robert Taylor has been teaching English in Thailand for close to more than years. He also teaches the e-learning TESOL course for Sunbridge Institute of English. http://www.teachesl.org