Alibi - making speaking fun

This week is assessment week and some of my classes have been doing speaking exams.

Some students were supposed to have a conversation with a partner using the past tense to find out what they had been doing recently.

It seemed a little tedious and I decided to make it more fun.

Instead of a conversation, it became an interrogation.

One student is the police officer and the other a suspect.

Exactly the same types of questions and answers except with added details.

So, instead of "What did you do at the weekend?" the question becomes more specific: "What were you doing between 7pm and 10pm on Friday evening?"

The interrogator can occasionally interrupt with phrases like, "Liar!", "That's not possible!", "That can't be!" and, obviously, "Don't leave town."

You can do this in any language and boys seem to like it.

I'm even thinking of investing in some dressing up police hats, too.

I'm ashamed to say that the idea came from my overhearing a pupil sing this song...