ESL Game: Who's the Spy? How to play?

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iannou

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Hi,

I've had a request from some university students (in China) to play "Who's the Spy?" I thought I could easily find this game on the web, but I've had no luck so far. I'd ask some students, but I'm away from the campus this weekend. I'm assuming it's a "minimal resources" type game suitable for medium to large classes, because this is the context they learn in.

Is anyone familiar with this game?

TIA,
Ian
 

Tdol

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Is it a variation on I spy?
 

iannou

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Anything's possible, I suppose. I think of young children when I think of I Spy. Perhaps one needs to "spy" less obvious things for more advanced students.
"I spy, with my little eye, a guilty conscience."

This could take some getting used to...
 

emsr2d2

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I've never heard of it. It would be an odd version of a title for "I Spy".
 

kathy76048

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Did you learn how to play? I have a student who tried to explain the game to me, but language got in the way. Could you share the rules if you find them?
Hi,

I've had a request from some university students (in China) to play "Who's the Spy?" I thought I could easily find this game on the web, but I've had no luck so far. I'd ask some students, but I'm away from the campus this weekend. I'm assuming it's a "minimal resources" type game suitable for medium to large classes, because this is the context they learn in.

Is anyone familiar with this game?

TIA,
Ian
 

Ryowu

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Hi Guys,
'Who is the spy' is the popular game recently in China because of the famous TV show.
I searched the English version of the rules from baidu.

Who is the spy!

This game will help u practice the skill of using English to describe a thing.

8 students, 8 cards (7 of them is A, 1 of them is B, B is the spy) for example, A is ORANGE, B is LEMON.
Everyone has a card and doesn’t let other players know what you get.
Everyone needs to say a word or a sentence to describe what you get in turns. You cannot directly say the word you get. The purpose of your describing is to make players who have the same card with you know you are not the spy. At the same time, you can’t make the spy know what you get. What’s more, yourself don’t know if you are the spy or not. If you are the spy, your purpose is to make others think you are on their side. It means that you need to make others think you have the same card with them and the spy is someone else.
After everyone describes for a round, I will say three, two, one, and everyone point to someone who you think is the spy. Who get the most votes die.

If there are only 3 players alive, the spy wins. Or, the spy loses.
Actually you can download the app for your smartphone. And it can support variable player numbers. One kind of the rules also allow adding one 'plain card' person which means he doesn't have a word.

This is totally different from the game 'I Spy'.
Thanks,
Ryo
 

iannou

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Thanks for the reply. I had pretty much forgotten about the game, and I guess my class did as well.

It sounds like an interesting game that could be used with a wide range of age groups and skill levels.

I'll see if they're still interested in playing when the new term begins in March.
 
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