Conversation Cards - Let's talk - OH! SERIOUSLY?

Surprise is a highly effective tool in studing a foreign language because it activates various cognitive and emotional processes that support learning. When students are surprised, their brains respond more intensely, which increases focus and helps them retain new information more effectively. The element of surprise can also evoke positive emotions, such as joy or excitement, which boosts motivation to learn and enhances engagement in the learning process.

In speaking practice, surprising elements like unexpected questions, word games, or new topics require students to react quickly and think flexibly. This forces them to use the language in a more natural way, rather than just reciting memorized phrases. As a result, they become more confident in spontaneous conversations and develop the ability to improvise, which is key in real-life communication in a foreign language.

With this in mind, we introduce our triptych: Wow! Really?, Gee! Honestly?, and Oh! Seriously?, which includes 48 cards per set. On each card, you’ll find a surprising fact and follow-up questions to delve deeper into the topic.

Example questions:

1)           In France, you can buy a castle for less than you would have to pay for a New York apartment. Which one would you prefer? Why?

2)           In 1938, “Time” magazine chose Adolf Hitler as “Man of the Year”. What kind of criteria should there be for such a title?

3)           Jeremy Hammond, one of the worlds most wanted hackers, got arrested in 2014. His password was his cat’s name followed by 123, which helped the authorities to capture him. How often do you change your passwords? Where do you keep them?

Author: Ewa Torebko