BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH: ENVIRONMENT

Environmental topics are appearing ever more frequently in lessons, exams, the media and everyday conversations. The problem is that whilst many people understand individual words, when they need to describe a phenomenon, express an opinion or take part in a discussion in English, they suddenly find themselves lacking the vocabulary and confidence.

BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH: ENVIRONMENT helps to overcome this mental block in an active, dynamic and engaging way. It is a Taboo-style card game in which one player describes a word, whilst the others try to guess it. You have to speak clearly, think of associations quickly and choose your words so that others understand the meaning — even without using the most obvious expressions.

This means participants aren’t just learning vocabulary in isolation. They immediately put it to use in communication: describing, explaining, clarifying, reacting and making associations. It’s a great way to develop fluency, as the game forces players to speak English with a specific goal in mind — to score a point, express meaning and do so faster than the others.

The cards are divided into two levels of difficulty, so the game can easily be adapted to participants at different stages of their learning journey. It works well for both simpler vocabulary revision and more advanced discussions on ecology, nature conservation, climate change or responsible lifestyles.

An added bonus is the conversation questions on the back of the cards. These open up opportunities for longer discussions, exchanging views and using the words you’ve learnt in a broader context. As a result, the game is ideal for use in lessons, during private tuition, at a language school, at home or in a group of people who want to speak English more, with greater confidence and on topics that really matter.

BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH: ENVIRONMENT turns learning environmental vocabulary into a lively conversation. It involves competition, associations, emotions and plenty of speaking — exactly what’s necessary to ensure that new words don’t just stay on the page, but start to be used in real communication.