Information Gap Worksheet Maker

Level: Any.

Skills: Speaking, Listening.

Target Language: Question and answer forms, vocabulary based around a topic, general review of conversational structures and phrases.

Activity Goal: For students to formulate questions and answers, and to communicate through speaking and listening to close the information gap.

Summary: This communicative activity generator creates a pair of “A and B” worksheets with alternate information missing from each. Students must communicate using target language in order to discover the missing information.

Example Usage:

1. Distribute an equal number of A and B worksheets.
2. Check understanding of the target language and question and answer formation. Drill pronunciation and construction if necessary.
3. Instruct students to mingle amongst the group, or work in pairs, to ask each other questions in order to complete the missing information on their worksheet.

Notes and Ideas:

• Teach students how to say “I don’t know” where they do not have the information that is requested.
• Use to repetitively practice question forms when they are first introduced. For example, you could have 10 names and 10 pieces of associated data to practice forms such as “Where does _____ live?”, “What did _______ do yesterday?”, “What is the _____-est ____ in the world?”.
• You do not need to use all 10 data sets. The generator will produce worksheets with the appropriate number of answer boxes in this case.
• Information Gap activities are great because they allow students to practice speaking and listening while genuinely exchanging information, thus simulating real-life language usage. They are therefore a more effective way to practice speaking than listen-and-repeat drills.