So… Anyway: The Linking Challenge

First of All, What Is This?

This is one of my favorite games I used to torture my course participants with while I was a teacher.

These days, I use the same game to torture my PREXcoaching® clients. 😁

It’s one of those evergreen classics that can be recycled, reused, and repurposed in virtually any situation.

Next, How Do You Play It?

The rules of this improv game are simple: you get a prompt, and you need to talk about it using certain words. Bonus points for time limits, of course.

That said, the prompt can be either a topic, a title, a premise, or the like, and the words can belong to different or specific categories.

As a teacher, I used this game to practice vocabulary, syntax, and various grammatical categories.

As a PREXcoach, I use it to practice storytelling, critical thinking, and a host of other skills.

Obviously, it can be played in class, in workshops, or even in improv sessions, and it also works well as an individual or group exercise, requiring no other props than the word list you (or someone else) have previously chosen.

Also, Why Would You Play It?

The primary aims of this game are self-improvement and fun.

Fast thinking is crucial for creating associations and logical links in real-time.

Whether you’re using the game for educational purposes or not, it boosts language skills by reinforcing word connections and expanding awareness of various sentence structures.

In a subtle way, it forces you to think outside the box, survive on your feet, and become a master storyteller and improviser.

For this very reason, it assists in overcoming hesitation or “blanking out” while or holding a presentation or a speech, or simply participating in a conversation that carries any kind of pressure.

Needless to say, if played in a group, it encourages collaboration, laughter, and loads and loads of fun.

The feedback from the game is two-fold. If you play it in a group, you can gauge the reactions of other participants, as well as see how well they handled the pressure of talking with restraints. However, the most valuable feedback is internal – the sense of achievement for completing the game, the hunch about how to improve, and the confidence that you can overcome any challenge that pops up.

So… Anyway

This specific version below features a host of random linking words.

Starting the game triggers the timer and selects one of the given prompts, mostly office-related, along with the first linking word. Every few seconds, a new linking word is introduced.

Your task is to build your talk around the prompt and keep linking new information until the timer runs out.

Obviously, you don’t need to use the linking word the second it appears, but all linking words should be used before the game ends, which is why you have 5 seconds to wrap up your thoughts meaningfully.

May the linking gods work in your favor!

Have you linked them all?

Get in touch & let us know.

Play it, share it, and dare a friend who talks too much! 🤭