It is the year 1924. In the sleepy village of Grafenhausen situated in the middle of the Black Forest in southern Germany, the first World War has passed by almost unnoticed.
Now, however, strange things happen in the village. Or rather at the edge of it, where an old hotel is situated, which has been run by the same family for generations. This big, old, dilapidated hotel happens to be the perfect refuge for creatures and people who in the modern world are nothing more than myths and fairytales. In the daytime everything appears to be normal, but during the night the hotel unexpectedly comes to life and every morning at breakfast it is a guess as to how many of the guests have survived the night.
Hotel Grafenhausen is based on the werewolves or mafia game, with additions that make it perfect for use in the language class (see below).
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The most exciting game for the language class!
This fascinating game for the language class is a variation to the werewolves game (also known as the mafia game), specifically designed for use in larger groups.
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Special features:
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higher speed
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with chances to come back into the game
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comprehensible input in the target language
Four reasons why this is a perfect game for the Compelling Comprehensible Input class:
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When you play this game with your students, you will most probably take the role of the moderator. As the moderator, you can’t help repeating lots of high frequent language: looks at, walks to, goes to sleep, takes, has, wants, wakes up, can see, can hear, etc. You can already play this game at a very basic language level, and build on that basic language every time you play it again, elaborating on the narration and making the language richer and richer each time, always making sure that everything is comprehensible for the students.
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The game gives ample occasion for comprehensible storytelling and for asking lots of questions. During night phases, you can narrate the backgrounds, appearance, personality traits and activities of the characters that are active at night. “The werewolves walk through the hotel. They are very hairy and they smell bad. Their eyes are light in the dark. Now, they are entering a room. Whose room can it be?”
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During day phases, you can lead the discussion in the accusation round, questioning each and any remark the students make: “So you think you heard a noise? Did you hear a loud or a quiet noise? Where did you hear the noise? Do you think it was a person or a monster who made the noise?” And “She says you look suspicious because you try not to look at her. What do you say to that?” Etcetera etcetera.
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The game is highly engaging, due to both the narration– if done well, it creates a special atmosphere– and the accusation round, where students are trying to interpret each others looks and actions or lack of action. Often times, even the students who are not playing anymore stay completely immersed in the game and can hardly keep themselves from taking part in the discussion.
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So what are you waiting for? Read this guide and start playing!