If both partners can already see the complete answer, a question-and-answer activity can become sentence practice with no real listening. An information gap task gives each person different, complementary information. They must ask, clarify and confirm before they can complete a shared outcome.
Make it with two timetables
Take an event timetable and leave four details on each copy. Partner A knows the start time and venue of a film but not the price or duration; Partner B knows the price and duration instead. Neither may show the other their paper.
- A:
What time does the evening show start? - B:
It starts at seven forty. What does the ticket price include? - A:
Did you say seven fourteen or seven forty? - B:
Seven forty. Four zero.
The aim is not merely to fill in a grid: after exchanging information, decide together which showing fits your budget and schedule. A timetable, map, shopping list or simple chart can all work if the information is genuinely missing.
Measure success by the outcome
On the first round, complete the task without interrupting every sentence for correction. Compare your answers afterwards and look for the source of one misunderstanding: a number that sounded similar, unclear reference to an event, or a missing confirmation.
On the second round, exchange papers and change one condition: the earliest showing has sold out or your budget is lower. This forces fresh negotiation rather than replaying a memorised conversation. Use Do you mean...?, Could you repeat that? and So we've agreed that... when they are actually needed.
What you can practise alone
Using two real transport, course or product pages, choose one option and explain to an imaginary listener why it fits. Practise clarifying a confusing time, spelling a name or summarising the final plan. This can rehearse useful language, but cannot fully reproduce an actual partner's unexpected questions.
If one description is difficult, say its intended meaning in MirrorSay, compare the natural version and shadow it before returning to the task. Continue with clarification questions when you miss a detail, or follow-up questions when the listener's answer needs development.
Avoid a fake information gap
- Both partners can see the same complete answer and are simply reading it aloud.
- One person performs all the questions, while the other never needs to ask or confirm anything.
- The activity ends when the boxes are filled, with no shared decision or verification.
Keep it short and use vocabulary your partner can reasonably handle. The point is not to confuse them; it's to give listening, clarification and confirmation a real purpose.
References
- British Council. *Information Gap*. TeachingEnglish. Lesson plan
- Pica, T. (1994). Research on Negotiation: What Does It Reveal About Second-Language Learning Conditions, Processes, and Outcomes? *Language Learning*, 44(3), 493–527. DOI
*MirrorSay is a free AI speaking practice app. Say what you want to express, see a natural native version, hear it and shadow it. No sign-up required, with on-device processing whenever possible.*