Casette tape

Casette tape is an activity that increases participants' listening skills by making them aware of how complicated listening can be. Participants tell each other a story that they eventually have to be able to retell. Can you listen as well as you think and do you retain everything?

Activity goal: Exchange knowledge | Practice skills
When: In class
Where: Hybrid | Offline | Online
Duration: < 30 minutes
Group size: Medium

Step 1

Have the participants form pairs and let them decide who will be A and B.

Step 2

Ask the participants to face each other.

Step 3

Instruct participants A: You have to tell a short story about a special moment in your life. You have only one minute to tell the story. Start with the following sentence: "A special moment in my life was..."

Step 4

Give the A's a minute to think about their story

Step 5

In this minute, you tell participants B to replicate A's story as excactly as possible, as if it were a tape being rewound and replayed.

Step 6

Set the timer to 1 minute and give the start signal for the A's.

Step 7

Again set the timer to 1 minute for the Bs.

Step 8

Ask the A's to give feedback on the B's. Is the story retold correctly?

Step 9

Have the participants switch roles.

Step 10

Process this by discussing: 'Is it difficult to be an effective listener? Why? Give each other tips and discuss. How can we be better listeners?