Find your partner
Overview
Purpose
To recognise and respond to phrases in Japanese.
Learning outcome
Students will be able to:
- greet
- farewell
- respond to greetings and introductions.
Skills used
- Listening
- Speaking
Related units in Hai! kit
- Unit 1 Konnichi wa
- Unit 2 Sayoo nara
- Unit 3 Denwa bangoo wa nan desu ka
- Unit 4 Mite kudasai
Type
Pair or class activity
Instructions
Pairs version
The aim is for students to locate their partners by introducing themselves in Japanese. The matched names are well-known pairs, such as Jekyll and Hyde, Pooh and Tigger.
To download the list of paired names, select from the following Word and PDF formats:
- Pairs template for 'Find your partner activity' (Word, 23KB)
- Pairs template for 'Find your partner activity' (PDF, 7KB)
Steps
- Students are allocated one name from a pair of names (without hearing who has the other name in the pair).
- Students go around the room greeting the other students in Japanese and asking their name.
- The first matching pair to find each other and sit down wins.
Group version
Students circulate the room and use their knowledge of simple greetings and naming phrases to find their allocated group of friends.
To download the groups of names, select from the following Word and PDF formats:
- Name group template for 'Find your partner activity' (Word, 33KB)
- Name group template for 'Find your partner activity' (PDF, 13KB)
Steps
- Students are given a card containing a name and nationality for themselves, and the names their friends from the same country.
- Students go around the room introducing themselves and asking each others' names and nationalities in order to find their friends.
- The first group to find all the members and sit down wins.
Tips
- Make the cards for the names of the pair or group before the lesson, and laminate to allow long-term use.
- Keep card sets together in small plastic bag or container.
Variations
- Tell students to greet each other in Japanese before each question, for example:
Ohayoo/Konnichi wa, watashi no namae wa Jekyl desu. Onamae wa nan desu ka?
Hello, my name is Jekyll. What is your name? - Ask students to contribute new names to the game.
- Collect pictures of famous people. Give the students a list that asks them to find, for example, four members of the British royal family, four movie actresses, or four well-known New Zealanders.
- As the students are exposed to more language in other units, there will be further opportunities for variations of this activity, for example:
- asking how someone is
- saying farewell
- giving 'yes/no' responses.
Further learning
- Students engage a partner in extended conversation by asking how they are, how to spell their name, and other personal information appropriate to the learning intention.
- Students could introduce their partner to the class, using the following phrase:
Kochira wa ________ desu.
This is _________. - Students could make up role-play conversations using the characters on the cards.
Language to use
For 'Find your partner':
- Watashi no ________ desu. / Boku no namae wa ______ desu.
I am [female name]. / I am [male name]. - Onamae wa nan desu ka.
What is your name?
Example:
- Ohayoo/Konnichi wa, watashi no namae wa Jekyl desu. Onamae wa nan desu ka.
Hello, my name is Jekyll. What is your name?
For 'Find your group':
- Onamae wa nan desu ka.
What's your name? - Watashi no ________ desu. / Boku no namae wa ______ desu.
I am [female name]. / I am [male name].
Example:
- Ohayoo, boku no namae wa Yukino desu. Nihonjin desu.
Hello, my name is Yukino. I'm Japanese.
For introduction conversations:
- Ohayoo/Konnichi wa.
Hello. - Kochira wa ________ desu.
This is [name]. - Hajimemashite.
How do you do? - Doozo yoroshiku.
Pleased to meet you. - Ja mata.
See you later.