Mad about Mad Libs

Throughout my teaching the Form One students English, a new goal was formed without my realizing it – to encourage the students develop an appreciation of the English language, and to find ways of enjoying, playing around with the language.  I knew I was way over my head, as I know many of my Deaf friends back in the States hated and now continue to use English with distaste, and that is in a country that uses English as a major language.  What was I thinking when this goal popped into my mind?!  Was I actually that bored and wanted to think up of ways to make my job satisfaction all that harder?!

Over the past year, I introduced them to various word games, Hangman, plural relays, several other ways of trying to get them to associate the English language with fun rather than fear.  When I was trying to think up of a game that could include the subject that we were studying (this was a couple of weeks ago), the usage of adverbs and adjectives.  All of sudden, out of nowhere, a flashback to my childhood popped up and I remembered Mad Libs. 

My parents had introduced my brother and me to Mad Libs probably to try and maintain their sanity while traveling with two kids who would alternate between fighting by marking our space in the back seat, tapping each other and poking each other in the cheek, and playing happily with each other through all the different games we had made up.  Regardless of the attempts my parents made in explaining the concept of Mad Libs, I always had to take it in the literal sense writing the actual names, nouns, and adjectives in the story at the same time reading the story (I remember mom and dad patiently trying to explain that the fun part was to write down the descriptive words without reading the story and that made it all the more funnier when I fill out the blanks), and it took me a long time to realize that I should just make up the words before reading the story because that made it all the more fun. 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to introduce the concept of Mad Libs, I made up various sentences, and had the students give me examples of adverbs and adjectives, and then we all filled the blanks in the sentences I had made up.  Some of the results were really funny.  It was a total hit with the students.  I then had one group make up a sentence, and another group come up with a noun, adjective, adverb, or verb, and then combine them together. 

On that same day, I explained that languages were made to be played with.  We discussed the various ways we could creatively use KSL in stories, using various classifiers and other body movements, facial expressions, and then talked about a few different ways we could play with the English language.  The choices of words, the usage of words, expressions, and the flow of the language can make the language a lively thing and something to truly enjoy.  I can only hope that a few students are starting to become more comfortable with creatively using English.