Hi Mark and everybody here,
please, HELP me with the SLAM game!

I read on http://www.mes-english.com/games/moregamestoplay.php the rules. It sounds great. It's the game, that I'd like to try in class, but I don't understand exactly how it works:

"One person from each team begins by saying the vocabulary or phrase associated with the first flash card and then the next and so on until the two teams meet somewhere in the middle."

1. Do the two players from the both teams say the given words or phrases in turn or in the same time – in competitive manner - who will be faster? Or should the whole team say the world with their player together in turn with the other team?

2. What does happen if one player doesn’t know the vocabulary word? Does he has to go to the back of his line – like as the looser after playing rock-paper-scissors - and the next person from his team starts with the first card again?

3. How to keep discipline playing this game? If there are many students in class, do the players not get boring waiting in line? What is the best number of players for this game?

Could anybody explain this?
Thanks in advance!

Think of it like a board game. One person starts at 'finish' and another person starts at 'start.' They try to advance to the other end of the board by saying each item they come across. When their team reaches the other end of the board they get a point.

Except, you aren't playing on a board, you have all of the card lying on a table or on the floor.

Sometimes kids get board in line but usually the game is fast enough and they are shouting out words to help their team members when they get stuck.

This works really well with smaller classes (10 or less) but can be done with large classes. You might want to make two areas (2 boards) to play if you have a class of 30+.

If the player doesn't know the word or phrase their teammates can help them or they can ask you the teacher.

Discipline might be a problem with this game. The kids get so excited they can get out of control. Sometimes they aren't saying things or are in such a hurry, they aren't really practicing the English.

I play it from time to time, because the students enjoy it. It's not a game I play a lot.

Thank you, Mark, for all your responses and information.
I read about this game first on genkienglis.com. There is highly recommended as a good vocabulary revising game, so I wanted to know a bit more and hear others opinions, too. Thanks a lot!