The Balloon Debate

(TESOL Ideas--Communicative Follow Up, Time Killers and Time Fillers, Speaking)

Sample: docs, pub

"The Balloon Debate" is a classic ESL activity.  I've mentioned it once before (in this post here), and for a detailed description of how to run this activity in class, you can see this post: The Balloon Debate: An Integrated ESL Classic in 6 Easy Steps.  It's often used in ESL classrooms as just a generic speaking activity (i.e. just a way to get students to practice their speaking fluency).  In this capacity, it can also be used as a Time Filler if you find yourself with 30 minutes at the end of a lesson that you don't know what to do with.

The classic premise is that there is a hot air balloon with a number of people on it that is sinking because it is too heavy.  One person needs to sacrifice themselves by jumping out of the air balloon (and falling to their deaths) in order to save the others.  

There are profiles created of each person.  The students read the profiles, and decide which person in the group they would decide to sacrifice (e.g. who is more valuable?  The politician or the literature teacher? The old doctor or the young student?, etc)

This can be done as a role play in which the students are each assigned a role, and must argue for their survival.  Or it can be done as outside observers, in which the students are all examining the same profiles, and arriving at a decision together (with no one profile being represented by any individual student.)

There are any number of variations that can be done on the situation.  One classic example is a deserted island scenario.  Possibly the individuals are on a lifeboat that is heading towards a deserted island, and need to sacrifice someone to keep the lifeboat afloat.  In this case, when evaluating which member of the group must go, the students need to think not about the member's value to society generally, but about their specific value in helping the group to survive on the island.  

Or, as in the example I linked to above, the concept could be adapted to deciding which person will be fired from a company.  (In this scenario, the company needs to cut costs by letting someone go, but hasn't yet decided who will get the boot.)

As I mentioned in a previous post, Balloon Debates are often great for Communicate Follow Ups.  This activity could be directly adapted to a reading or listening text using the characters from the reading or listening.  Or, it could be loosely adapted as just a "choose which one is out" activity.  (e.g. again, sticking with the theme of travel, a follow up to a reading and listening text on travel could be: you are going on a camping trip.  Here are six items.  You can only bring 5.  With your partner, decide which item you are going to leave behind.)

Below is an example of using a Balloon Debate for a Communicative Follow Up.  This is from Reflect Listening & Speaking 5, Unit 4, Listening 2: Effective Leadership Skills p.64-68.  It is based on the Semco Company which is featured in that listening text.  The students are put into groups of six, and are each assigned a role as one of the Semco Employees.  They must discuss their value to the company, and at the end, vote to decide who will get fired.

Cut up and give to students.  These are all workers in one group at Semco.  They need to fire someone to save money.  The group decides who will get fired.

IT Support You are responsible for making sure that all the computers and company databases keep working.	Sales You are responsible for selling the product to the customer.
Product Development You are responsible for thinking of the next product, and then making the product.	Customer Care Your job is to keep in touch with the current customers to make sure they're happy with the product.
Accounting Your job is to keep track of all the money going in and out and make sure the books are balanced.	Property Management You are responsible for everything to do with the office building--keeping it clean, keeping the water and electricity on, repairing anything that gets broken, etc.