Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 panel show where panellists are asked to talk for one minute, without hesitation, about a topic. This game can be adapted fantastically to a whole host of ESL classroom situations and contexts. I’ve played it with adults, teens, and even young learners. Depending on the class and level, you may have to scaffold the task significantly, but with the right presentation, students can enjoy the game too. To play, you’ll either need to create topics in class or you can use our ready-made Just a Minute topic cards found below.
This quick activity is fantastic for students preparing for official exams. Whether it’s Cambridge, IELTS or Trinity, students are expected to speak individually at length from B1 level and up. Our Just a Minute topics are based on common themes found in B2 and C1 exams so that students can put their vocabulary knowledge to test while also improving their speaking skills.
Contents
What is Just a Minute?
Just a Minute is a popular radio comedy panel game on BBC Radio 4 that has been on the air since 1967. It regularly hosts comedians who are challenged to come up with a one minute talk about a topic that they may or may not know anything about.
The contestants are split into teams where they attempt to speak for one minute about a variety of possibly mundane and possibly bizarre topics. As they speak, there are three golden rules:
- No hesitation
- No repetition
- No deviation
If any of the rules are broken, the opposing team is allowed to challenge the speaker. If the challenge is deemed correct, the challenger receives a point. If it is deemed incorrect, the speaker gets a point.
If a player challenges correctly, they take over the remaining time to finish the topic.
The team who finishes the minute is awarded a point.
If a player is able to talk for the entire minute without being challenged they are awarded an extra point.
How to play Just a Minute in the ESL classroom
Depending on the level of your class, this speaking game can be adapted very successfully.
At C1 or C2 levels, you can run the game almost identically to the real rules. Introduce the game with an authentic clip from the radio show, clarify the rules as a group, model the game yourself, then give your students a go. Challenges and scoring can be done just as the real game would be.
At B2 level, give your students a bit more scaffolding. You can allow 30 seconds of planning time. You can also eliminate the concept of challenges and award points on how much of the minute a student is able to complete (they talk for 37 seconds, they get 37 points).
At B1 level, let students work in pairs. When one person is out of ideas, the other one can tag in and finish the topic. Points are awarded by the teachers for performance (in a totally fair and non-arbitrary way of course).
The teacher should provide a supportive role throughout. Gesture your students to carry on talking, drop them little hints or write some vocabulary on the board to help them out.
Just a Minute is a fantastic way to take advantage of linking words. Follow up a lesson on linking words with some Just a Minute topic cards to spice up the class. You can also make good use of the game to practice target vocabulary. Play with only topics about the environment, fashion, work or whatever has come up in today’s lesson. Substituting a class at the last minute with no plan? Crack out the Just a Minute topics and have some fun!
Just a minute topics
We’ve designed 105 Just a Minute topics. They can be printed on card, cut up and used in class. The ideas have been carefully chosen to reflect popular topics in B2 and C1 exams such as media, leisure, the environment, health, travel, work etc. There is also a blank page for you or your class to come up with your own ideas.
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