Ellen DeGeneres has just unveiled a great new iPhone/iPad games called Heads Up! that is perfect for English Language Learners. However, according to TechCrunch, it’s just a high-tech version of an old party game called “Who Am I?” where people had names of celebrities written on index cards put on their foreheads and other people had to give them hints until the card-holder guessed who it was.

Maybe I just haven’t hung-out in the same crowd, but I had never heard of that game. And, of course, it can be adapted to include lots of other words (as Ellen’s game uses, like animals, etc.).

Here’s a video of her playing the game on her show:

I can see my students playing this in pairs or in threes, with two people coming up with the word and each having to take turns giving clues. What a wonderful activity for vocabulary practice and conversation!

I’m assuming there are other ESL/ELL teachers who aren’t as ignorant as me and who have tried a game like this in your class. How is it received?