Author: Adrian Tennant | Published on 2 February 2023
Read what a teacher says about this activity:
Invisible body is useful to check learners really understand new vocabulary. For the teacher it’s great as it doesn’t take lots of time to prepare. You just need to know which words you will use.
Stage 1: Prepare
Make sure all learners have a blank piece of paper and a pencil / pen.
Stage 2: Introduce
Say: ‘I’m going to read out a list of words. You must write the word on the piece of paper in the correct place. For example, if the words are about the body and I say ‘head’ where will you write the word ‘head’?’
Elicit the response from the learners: ‘At the top of the piece of paper.’
Make sure all the learners understand what to do. You could use comprehension checking questions here.
Stage 3: Play
Read out the words. Don’t read too quickly as the learners need time to think and write the words down.
Stage 4: Share in pairs / small groups
Put the learners in pairs or small groups and say: ‘Compare where you have written the words and discuss. Make any changes to your own work.’
Invisible body is also a great activity for teachers of subjects who use English as the medium of instruction. For example, a geography teacher can use it to check learners know where different countries are located. Here are some other topics that work well: parts of a car / motorbike, a river, the water cycle, places in my town / country, rooms in a house, furniture in a room