Activity 2.2.9 Meeting New Acquaintances

Purpose

To build confidence, practise socializing and making introductions

Materials

3″ × 5″ paper, two-sided tape

Time

45 mins

Method

1. The facilitator will give each participant a 3″ × 5″ paper. (The diagram on the next page shows what the finished card will look like.)
2. In the middle of the card, each participant should print his or her name or nickname in large letters.
3. In the upper right corner, the participant should print: “My favourite food is .”
4. In the lower right corner, the participant should print: “The day I’m looking forward to is ,” e.g., graduation, retirement, etc.
5. In the upper left corner, the participant should print: “I am good at ”. There can be more than one thing listed here.
6. In the lower left corner, the participant should print: “I am interested in ”. Hobbies and special activities should be listed here.
7. After participants have completed the information on their cards, have them tape the cards on the front area of their left or right shoulder.
8. Next, have them move around the room, shaking hands and meeting everyone else, and reading everyone’s card. The facilitator can set the example and tell them this is an exercise on how to meet other people and talk to new acquaintances. Encourage participants to talk to people they don’t know very well.
9. For the next part of the exercise, ask participants to find someone else who has a matching answer written on their card. Once they have found someone else with a match, ask them to sit together. If the class has an odd number of participants, the facilitator can pair up with the extra person.
10. After participants are paired up, have each one stand and introduce his or her partner, using the name card and whatever other information he/she has discovered about this new friend.