Budget Negotiation Game - Teacher's Notes

[Back to lexical phrases] [Housemate cards] [Provision cards] [Language]

Activity type	Role play, small group
Number of students	Any number. Groups of 3 to 4. Have to copy additional sets of cards for each additional group.
Functions:	argument: stating and justifying opinion, stating needs and wants, agreeing and disagreeing.
Lexical area	household objects, household activities
Grammar:	comparison, connectives for reason giving: because, so that, modals: should, need, will, would, would like, want to
Target phrases:	I/we need/want... I think that/In my opinion...other phrases for giving an opinion It would be better/more useful to...

Game idea

A group of college students living together pool the monthly allowances they get from their parents. They get together one night to make a budget for next month. Their pooled allowances amount to $1,000. The provision cards show things that they can buy (or budget for) with their pooled allowances like food, beverages, entertainment, and other necessities. The role cards or housemate cards tell each player/housemate what provisions they would like to purchase with the pooled money. They should come up with some reasons for buying these things and try to convince the other players/housemates that these provisions should be bought. If two or more players want to buy the same thing but disagree on how much should be spent, it is possible to negotiate over how much should be spent on it.

Setting up the game

Photocopy one set of housemate cards, and one set of provision cards. for each group of 3 to 4 students. Deal out the housemate cards so that everyone of the 3 to 4 students in the group get one. Place a set of the provision cards face down in the center of each group.

Playing the game

Going clockwise around the members of the group each player/housemate takes a provision card from the top of the stack and depending whether it is included or not included on his role play/housemate card argues to purchase or not purchase it, respectively. If the other players/housemates decide to purchase the provision, then the player whose role play/housemate card includes this provision keeps this provision card. If they decide not to purchase it, the card is discarded. The object of the game is to accumulate provision cards. The player/housemate with the most number of provision cards at the end of the game is the winner.

Variation

Students suggest additional provisions that might not be included in the provision cards The teacher determines a price for them and then students order the additional provision from the teacher practicing the language for ordering.

Source This game is based on Jill Hadfield's "Family budget" in Advanced Communication Games (Longman, 1987).

Game Components

[Back to top]