Every time you start a new class, you need a few good ice breakers that will get your students (a) comfortable talking to each other and (b) used to the idea that they’ll have to talk at every class meeting.  Students who speak a lot on the first day can expect to speak a lot throughout the length of the class (and may be less timid to start speaking later).

This ice breaker is the Present Tense ‘Getting to Know You’ Question Swap.  Each student receives one of the 25 ice breaker questions.  Students should ask a partner the question on their paper.  Once both students have asked and answered their questions, they should swap papers and find a new partner.  You can repeat this for as long as your students stay interested.

All 25 of the questions are information (WH–) questions in the simple present tense.  Some are information “be” verb questions.  These questions can be used either as an ice breaker or as present tense information question practice.

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