GAMBIT

In pairs students think of words beginning with the following letters and then have a conversation about that word. 

St A:  G...greenhouse.  I love gardening and I have two green houses in my garden.

St B:  What is a greenhouse?

St A:  It is a glass house where you can grow young plants or flowers.

St B:  OK. What kind of plants or flowers do you grow?

St A:  Well...........

Students continue for a minute or two.  Then the teacher gives the second letter – a – and the same procedure is followed.  After all the letters have been given, the teacher elicits what the letters were, and asks what the word is:   g - a – m – b – i – t.  What is a gambit?

A gambit is a word or phrase which helps us to express what we are trying to say.  For example, we use gambits to introduce a topic of conversation, to link what we have to say to what someone has just said.  If we never use gambits in our conversation, other people will think we are very direct, abrupt, and even rude – they will get a wrong picture of us as people.

If you have just heard that your teacher is going to get married, you could walk into the class and announce the fact, but you will have more effect if you start.  Are you sitting down?  You won’t believe this but our teacher is getting married.

Gambits will make your English sound more natural, more confident, and will make you easier to talk to.  Above all, you will not be misunderstood.