Instructors can teach memory skills and break the ice with students by playing a memory game. Students should sit up straight in a circle with the teacher included. Starting with the teacher, everyone around the circle states his name and one topic about himself. These can be a pet peeve, a favorite food or favorite class. But instead of just stating their names and topics, students must recite previous students' names and topics--in order, beginning with the teacher--all the way around the circle. The student at the end might have the most difficult time doing so, depending on the size of the class. If the class is large (more than 20 students), break the group into smaller circles.
Improvisation on stage encourages students to jump in with appropriate lines should they ever forget a line or need to prompt other students for theirs. The teacher begins by choosing two students to start an improvised dialogue on virtually any subject. The one rule is students cannot begin the dialogue by asking their partner "What are you doing?" Lines like "Did you see that statue just blink at me?" or "How do you like my new designer handbag?" get an interesting dialogue started. After the dialogue progresses a bit, other students can yell, "Freeze," then tap one actor on the shoulder to take her place and begin a brand new conversation with the other actor. Play progresses until all students have rotated through the exercise.
This game, titled "What Are You Doing," helps students relay their lines regardless of distractions. Students line up in a row and the second student asks the first, "What are you doing?" The student then pretends to do one thing, and answer verbally with something completely different. He might pretend to brush his teeth and answer, "Riding a bike." The second student must begin acting out the verbal response (riding a bike) while the next student in line asks, "What are you doing?" The response should again be something completely different. The third student begins acting out the verbal response and play continues until all students have done the exercise.
Highschooldrama.com suggests choosing generalized dialogue, such as "Hello, how are you," and typical responses, but with a twist. The teacher chooses four or five physical activities to mime without props, such as making pizza, hanging up clothes, putting on makeup or brushing teeth, which students must integrate into the dialogue naturally. The dialogue should not reflect the activities; they must happen naturally while speaking. The game works well with two players, but additional actors can join in if desired.