Text Match
Text Match is one of the 8 exercise groups in TaskMagic. It creates a variety of exercises based on a list of matching text items.
The Text Match screens...
Click on the small screen thumbnails below for more information about the Text Match screens:
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Show guidance on using TaskMagic files
Guidance on using TaskMagic files
The order of the screen thumbnails on the menu screen does not represent a particular sequence that students must follow.
Students need not attempt to complete all of the activities available for a particular file.
Teachers / students should select the most appropriate activities depending on a range of factors...
- Context
- Whether they are using a whiteboard or individual PCs in a computer room (or at home)
- The type of activity: text input; matching; reordering; multi-choice, etc.
- The type of information being presented
- The point they are at in the learning sequence
- Whether it is for a starter, a plenary, a presentation or the main element of a lesson
- The time available
- The level of difficulty, taking into account: time pressures; penalties for incorrect answers; the level of support provided, etc.
When working with an interactive whiteboard, the teacher has control over the activities selected. When working in an IT room, however, it is important for teachers to maintain control over the activities that the students are engaged in, so as to avoid students choosing activities which are too easy, too hard or which provide the wrong sort of practice.
It is a good idea to make it clear to students which activities they are to attempt and in which order (or which activities they are not to attempt). It is also a good idea to tell students to show you that they have achieved a particular score before moving on to the next activity.
A useful strategy is to reserve many of the more game-based activities until the end of the session, then allow students 5 or 10 minutes to choose freely from the activities available.
It is also possible to limit the exercises available by making direct hyperlinks to individual game files - these can be created in TaskMagicCreate - or by limiting the list of activities available when you create your TaskMagic file.
What sorts of matching items can you include in Text Match?
What sorts of matching items can you include in Text Match?
Text Match is great for learning vocab, but it is so much more than that. Below are some ideas for the sorts of things you can include in a Text Match file. Can you think of any more?
English >> Foreign language vocab
Key word >> Definition
Definition >> Key word
Sentence with gap >> Missing word
First half of sentence >> Second half
First half of word >> Second half
Word >> Opposite
Word >> Synonym
Word >> Rhyming word
Word >> Homophone
Word with letters missing >> Missing letters
Singular >> Plural
Present >> Past
Word >> Grammatical category
Noun >> Associated verb
Verb >> Associated noun
Half of idiom or simile >> Second half
Statement >> Question tag
Phrasal verb >> Meaning
Word (eg. telephone) >> Stress pattern (eg. Xoo)
Question >> Answer
Related...
Some links below related to Text Match. Many of the blog posts include links to Text Match files (which require TaskMagic to be installed) as well as many examples of pdf worksheets, which can be viewed by anybody.
- Text Match video tutorials (TaskMagic Blog)
- Exploiting texts to maximum effect - Text Match in conjunction with Mix & Gap (TaskMagic Blog)
- Exploiting short dialogues / situational dialogues (TaskMagic Blog)
- Using "Quick Input" to import vocab lists (TaskMagic Blog)
- Working with longer lists of vocab in Text Match (TaskMagic Blog)
- Being selective: Jumbled Words activities in Text Match (TaskMagic Blog)
- TaskMagic Blog - posts tagged with "Text Match"
Menu Screen
This is how your students see a Text Match resource when they open it in TaskMagicPlay.
Each screen thumbnail opens a different game or activity.
At the top is a list of the matching items included in the resource, so students can preview the content before doing any of the activities.
You decide which exercises will be available when the student opens your file. If you make all exercises available, the students will have access to up to 23 separate games and exercises in Text Match.
You can also create individual exercise files which open directly at the specified activity, by-passing this menu screen.
Edit Screen
This is where you create your own Text Match resources or edit existing ones.
Simply input your matching pairs of text information, such as: questions and answers, L1 and L2, words and definitions, beginnings and ends of words or sentences, etc.
The number of matching pairs depends on you - you can make exercises with just a few matching pairs, or with hundreds of matching pairs.
"Import" and "Quick Input" features allow you to quickly import data from existing files or input whole lists of content from word documents or web pages.
Use the "Include these activities..." tab to choose which activities will be available to your students when they open your file.
Use the "Create individual game files..." tab to create individual files which open directly at a particular activity.
Worksheet Screen
Choose from a selection of printed activities based on the content of your interactive TaskMagic resource.
Matching: number the matching items or draw a line to connect them.
Multi-Match: a 1-in-3 multiple choice matching activity.
Pelmanism: print out pairs cards to play pelmanism / memory pairs or for kinaesthetic matching. You decide the number of cards per page.
Type: students write in the missing letters, with each letter represented by a dash.
Snake: find the matching items hidden in snake form.
Dominoes: print out dominoes cards to play in class. You decide on the number of dominoes per page.
Jumbled Words: re-write the words in the correct order.
Worksheets automatically resize to fit your printer settings.
Flashcards
Flashcards simply runs through the matching items, showing them either in the original sequence or in random order.
It can be used to present new language to the class using a whiteboard or projector, or for individual work at a PC.
It allows the student to test themselves (by saying or thinking what the correct match will be) to see if they know the answers. They can look at the information in sequence, then again in random order.
When working alone with a PC, the student can click the ✔ button if they knew the correct answer, or click the X button if they didn't know it or were unsure. Wrong answers are then repeated later.
This is possibly the most difficult exercise in terms of its linguistic demands, as no support is provided at all, although there is no requirement to spell the words, and no evidence of a 100% score is shown. From a "test yourself" perspective, it could be seen as the end objective of the TaskMagic session.
IWB options:
- Present the language in sequence.
- At the end of a session (as a plenary) or to revise previously taught language as a lesson starter: run through the information in random order and invite/select students to provide an answer.
- Students could write the answer for each question in exercise books or on mini-whiteboards, before checking the answer and moving on to the next question.
Drag & Match
Students drag the text items from the right into the centre to match with the items on the left.
Up to 16 items are on display, so the level of difficulty depends on the total number of matching items. If more than 16 matching items are included, 16 are selected randomly from the list.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is no time pressure.
There is no penalty for incorrect answers, as incorrect answers are removed when "Check" is clicked, leaving only the correct ones in place.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- Students write answers on mini-whiteboards or in exercise books. Once they have finished the written exercise the teacher can go through the answers in class, either by inviting answers or calling students up to the board.
- A Matching worksheet is also available to print.
- Option to hide answers to use with whole class as prompt for written work or class activity.
3 in a Row
For 2 players or teams. It's like Os and Xs, but the game continues until the whole grid is finished, and teams score a point for each line of three in a row. The team / player with the most points is the winner.
You can choose between a 3x3, 3x4 and 4x4 grid by clicking on the + and - buttons.
Depending on which grid size you choose, 9, 12 or 16 items are displayed at a time.
This exercise is only available if your file has at least 9 matching items.
There is no time pressure.
An incorrect answer means that the player doesn't put his O or X in the grid.
You can "flip" the left and right matching items using the button provided.
Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students from each team to give answers.
- Invite / select students from each team to come to the board.
- Students draw mini 3x3, 3x4 or 4x4 grids in their exercise books (or use a mini-whiteboard). They take turns to play the game in pairs, using the IWB screen display as the basis for their game. Students have to agree on which is the correct answer each time. Teacher can go round class and monitor performance.
- Option to hide answers to use with whole class as prompt for written work or class activity.
Against the Clock
The aim is to complete all of the matches before the time runs out. The time available depends on the number of matching items.
Up to 16 items are on display.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is no penalty for an incorrect answer.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in a computer suite, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the fastest times for a particular file, so that students can compete against one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board - this will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly in order to get the matches before the time runs out.
Pelmanism 1 Player
Memory game - finding the matching pairs in the two halves of the grid.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is no time pressure.
The game keeps a record of the number of attempts, so the aim is to find all of the matches in the lowest number of attempts.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in a computer suite, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the students who manage to find all the pairs in the lowest number of guesses, so that students can compete against one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- A Pelmanism sheet can also be printed out, allowing students to play the game using cut-out paper squares.
- A Dominoes sheet can also be printed out, allowing students to play in pairs or small groups.
Pelmanism 2 Players
Memory game for 2 players or teams - finding the matching pairs in the two halves of the grid.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is no time pressure.
Players / teams take alternate turns irrespective of whether or not they find a pair.
The winning player / team is the one with the most correct matches.
Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students from each team to give answers.
- Invite / select students from each team to come to the board.
- A Pelmanism sheet can also be printed out, allowing students to play the game using cut-out paper squares.
- A Dominoes sheet can also be printed out, allowing students to play in pairs or small groups.
True or False?
A bit like a game of "Snap" - you click when you recognize a correct match.
This game has a time pressure - you have three seconds to recognise a correct match. If you don’t click in this time, the game moves on to another pair.
You can use the slider to increase or decrease the time between matching pairs.
A record of correct and incorrect clicks is kept, and these are combined to give a total score.
Items appear in random order.
By default this activity includes all of the matching items for your Text Match file. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items included in the activity.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite choral "sí" / "oui" / "vrai" etc. from class, each time the items change, if there is a correct match (a bit like "repeat if it's true").
- Invite / select students to come to the board in turns until they have found a correct match.
- Using the Pelmanism worksheet (which can be printed out from within TaskMagic) is a good way for students to play True or False? / Snap together.
Multi-Match
A 1-in-3 multiple choice activity, this is probably the easiest of the exercises.
If a student answers incorrectly, they can keep trying until they get the correct answer.
There is no time pressure.
Items appear in their original sequence if there are fewer than 16 matching items in the file and all items are displayed, and in random order otherwise.
By default this activity includes all of the matching items for your Text Match file. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items included in the activity.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- Students write answer on mini-whiteboards or in books before checking answer and moving to next question.
- A Multi-Match worksheet is also available to print.
Invaders
Shoot down the "invader" by clicking on the correct match.
Up to 16 target items are on display, with one prompt appearing at a time. This is essentially a multiple choice activity with up to 16 possible answers.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is a time pressure - if the prompt falls to the coloured bars, one of the three lives is lost. The speed of the dropping item increases the closer you get to the end of the game.
You can choose a difficulty setting, which alters the drop speed but also affects the score available.
An incorrect answer deducts points from the total score and takes away part of a life.
Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board - this will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly in order to get the matches without losing a life.
Maze
A 1-in-3 multiple choice activity dressed as a Maze game. The aim is to steer the yellow prompt onto the green block containing the correct match.
There is a time pressure - students have 60 seconds to get the correct answer (but usually get it in about 10 seconds).
An incorrect answer results in the loss of one of the three lives.
Items appear in random order.
By default this activity includes all of the matching items for your Text Match file. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items included in the activity.
Requires the use of the keyboard - suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive whiteboard.
In terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the least challenging. Students are likely to spend a lot of time on this activity, though - if you let them - because of the game element.
Spin
All of the target items are on display, with one prompt appearing at a time. It is essentially a multiple choice activity with up to 16 possible answers.
If more than 16 matching items are included, 16 are selected randomly from the list.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
Time pressure - if you don’t shoot the correct answer in time, one of the three lives is lost.
An incorrect answer causes one of the three lives to be lost.
Items appear in random order.
Requires the use of the keyboard - Suitable for use on individual PCs, not on interactive whiteboard.
Because of the time pressure, and the fact that a life is lost for an incorrect answer, students will find this quite a difficult exercise to complete.
In class it is a good idea to keep a record on the board of the highest score for a particular file, so that students can compete against one another.
Tower Block
A 1-in-4 multiple choice activity, where the aim is to answer up to 15 questions in a row and build a tower block.
This activity requires a minimum of 8 matching items.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
There is no time pressure.
1 incorrect answer results in the Tower crashing to the ground and the student has to begin again.
There is support in the form of four "play safes", where clicking on an incorrect answer incurs no penalty.
Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- Students write answer on mini-whiteboards or in books before checking answer and moving to next question.
- Play the game as if it were "Who wants to be a millionaire?", with the teacher offering a "50/50", students showing hands or using mini-whiteboards for "ask the audience", or choosing a class mate for "phone a friend"
Pool
Pool is a 1-in-6 multiple choice activity, where students have to answer the question correctly to play the game.
There is no time pressure to answer the questions, but there is a 30 or 15 second time limit to pot the ball, depending on whether the student answers the question at the first or second attempt. If the student gets the question wrong twice, they don't get to play that ball.
The ball has to be potted in the pocket over which the correct answer was located. Potting the ball in the wrong pocket or potting the white incurs a 100 point penalty.
Items appear in random order.
By default this activity includes all of the matching items for your Text Match file. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items included in the activity.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard, although it may be a bit time consuming with an IWB.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
Type
Students see the left half of each matching pair and have to type in the right half.
The shape of the target word or phrase is shown, but no other support is given.
A score is displayed, which is the percentage of correct letter attempts.
There is no time pressure.
An incorrect letter causes the text to go red and stops the typing. Incorrect letters are shown in the letter grid on the screen. The student cannot proceed until they find the correct letter.
Up to 16 items are on display. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items on display.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, so that students can compete against one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- Students can write answers to specific questions (as suggested by the teacher) on mini-whiteboards; students can then be invited to the board to check their answer.
- Students can write answers to all questions as a written activity in their exercise books, before going through the exercise to check answers using the IWB.
- A Type worksheet can also be printed. Students could complete the worksheet before checking answers in class using the IWB.
Football
A football game for 2 players or teams.
Players can opt for a timed game (1-10 minutes) or a "first to…" game (1-10 goals).
The activity is multiple choice, with up to 12 answers to choose from.
There is a time pressure to answer the questions, as failing to answer in the time provided results in play passing to the other team. The speed for answering questions can be changed using the difficulty setting before starting the game.
During play, the ball doesn’t always go to the intended player when you pass or shoot. Shorter passes or shots have a higher chance of being successful, so students are encouraged to make short passes and therefore answer more questions.
Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs, with students working in pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- For each pass or shot, invite an answer from a member of the relevant team. The teacher clicks the text as suggested by the student. If they are wrong, they lose the ball to the other team.
- For each pass or shot, invite / select a student from each team to come to the board. The student with control of the ball has the first go at the question.
Doors
Students answer questions to open doors, to collect the 6 items required to move on to the next level. A plan of all of the rooms is shown at the top of the screen. The higher the level, the fewer the doors available, so it becomes more of a maze.
Doors uses a variety of question forms / linguistic demands, depending on the level:
- Level 1 is a 1-in-10 multi choice activity.
- Level 2 takes letters from the word or phrase, which must then be clicked in the correct order (eg. as with Invaders II).
- Level 3 shows the shape of the word or phrase but requires the student to type in the missing information.
- Higher levels combine elements of all of the above.
Time pressure - you are being chased around the maze of rooms by a Death figure! At first he moves very slowly, but he gets progressively quicker.
Penalty for incorrect answer: the door doesn’t open.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, so that students can compete with one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
Hangman
A traditional "hangman" game - guessing the word or phrase based only on its shape.
There is no time pressure.
The overall score is based on the number of correct guesses.
A record of how many men have been saved and how many hanged is kept at the top of the screen.
Items appear in random order.
Up to 16 items are used for the hangman game. If there are more than 16 matching items in your Text Match file, 16 are selected randomly from the list.
Use the + and - buttons to change the number of matching items used.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, so that students can compete with one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- You can ask students to play their own Hangman game in the back of their exercise books or on mini-whiteboards, using appropriate vocabulary from the current exercise (eg. by displaying the Drag & Match screen).
Maze II
Steer around the maze, avoiding the monsters, selecting the missing letters required.
The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape of the word or phrase is shown. (If the word or phrase is longer than 10 letters, then a group of 10 letters is blanked out.)
The missing letters are to be found in the game grid. The grid is made up mainly of letters which appear in the answer, which helps the student to think of the answer.
Time pressure - running out of time results in the loss of one of the three lives, as does being caught by the monster(s).
An incorrect letter click results in the player getting stuck for 2 seconds, increasing the risk of their being caught.
Items appear in random order.
Requires the use of the keyboard - suitable for use on individual PCs, not interactive whiteboard.
Because of the time pressure students will find this activity challenging. It is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the highest score for a particular file, so that students can compete with one another.
Invaders II
Shoot down the blocks by clicking the letters in the correct order.
The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape of the word or phrase is shown. (If the word or phrase is longer than 10 letters, then a group of 10 letters is blanked out.)
The missing letters are displayed underneath the game box in random order, and students have to click them in the correct order.
Time pressure - the student must click all of the letters before the blocks fall to the bottom.
5 incorrect letter attempts results in all the blocks falling.
The game is over when the pile of fallen blocks reaches the top of the game box.
Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, so that students can compete with one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board - best to have the next student ready to ensure a swift changeover.
Snake
Find the missing letters hidden in snake form in the letter grid.
The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape of the word or phrase is shown.
The missing letters are to be found in the grid in snake form. The grid is made up mainly of letters which appear in the answer, which helps the student to think of the answer.
The aim is to click and drag through the missing letters in the correct order.
Time pressure - 40 seconds are available. After 10 seconds the first letter is displayed. After 20 seconds the shape of the word snake is shown. After 40 seconds the answer is given. The score depends on how quickly the correct answer is found.
No penalty for incorrect answers.
Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard. When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to keep a record on the board of the the highest scores for a particular file, so that students can compete with one another.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to come to the board - best to have the next student ready to ensure a swift changeover.
- A Snake worksheet is also available to print. The worksheet includes a list of prompts and all of the answers hidden in snake form in the printed grid. (Maximum 16 matching pairs.)
Jumbled Words
Jumbled Words is only available if the teacher makes it available when they create their exercise. It is intended for situations where the left and right text items, as well as matching with eachother, are also a continuation of eachother. eg. where the left text item is the first part of a sentence and the right text item is the second part:
- Je vais à la /// piscine
- Tu vas à /// la plage
- Je vais /// au cinéma
NB. It is important here that the matches are exclusive. i.e. that there can only be one correct match for each left text item.
Jumbled words takes all of the text in each row above and jumbles it up:
- à la vais piscine Je
- plage à vas la Tu
- au vais Je cinéma
Jumbled words is excellent for practising sentence structure.
Up to 16 phrases are on display. Use the + and - buttons to change the number of phrases on display.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- Invite / select students to give answers.
- Invite / select students to come to the board.
- Students can write answers to specific questions (as suggested by the teacher) on mini-whiteboards; students can then be invited to the board to check their answer.
- Students can write answers to all questions as a written activity in their exercise books, before going through the exercise to check answers using the IWB.
- A Jumbled Words worksheet can also be printed. This contains all of the words for each line jumbled up, with a space for the student to write the correct answer. Students could complete the worksheet before checking answers in class using the IWB.
Jump!
Steer the man around the room jumping from platform to platform, avoiding monsters and other hazards.
Jump! is a 1-in-4 multiple choice activity.
There are multiple levels with different hazards on each level.
Time pressure - oxygen levels run out if you don't get a correct answer quickly enough.
Incorrect answers result in oxygen levels dropping drastically.
Items appear in random order.
Requires use of the keyboard - suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive whiteboard.
In terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the least challenging. However, students are likely to want to spend a lot of time on Jump! because of the game element.
Trainer
Trainer can be used in 2 ways: as a practice session or as a test.
Trainer as practice session:
- Trainer runs through the items in random order and students are required to try to type in the correct answer / matching item.
- Trainer provides feedback for incorrect answers - guidance intended to help the student arrive at a correct answer.
- "Hint" and "Skip" buttons are available.
- If an answer is incorrect the first time, or the Hint or Skip buttons are pressed, that question is repeated again later (and then again, as necessary for the student to answer the question without errors, hints etc.).
- Scores are given for the first answer typed in each round.
- Students can view their scores / progress at any time.
- Students can print a record of their practice session (name input required). Print-outs give details of answers given, scores, time taken etc.
- The practice session is designed to focus on accuracy and spelling, and on ensuring that the new vocabulary is truly learned.
Trainer as test:
- As a test, Trainer runs through the items in random order.
- No feedback is provided during the test.
- One answer is recorded per question.
- There is a choice of scoring formats, e.g. case-sensitivity, 100% score for whole answer, only correct words, only 100% correct answers.
- Students can choose the number of items to include in a test (the maximum being the number of items in a particular file).
- Feedback is given at the end of the test: total score, time taken, score per question etc.
- Students can print out their test result (name input required). Print-outs give details of answers given, scores, time taken etc.
Trainer is the most difficult activity in terms of linguistic demands, as the student has to answer each question without support in order to score full marks. Trainer is excellent for focusing on spelling and accuracy, and ensuring that the new vocabulary is truly learned.
IWB options:
- Invite students to the board to type in answers.
- At the end of a session (as a plenary) or to revise previously taught language as a lesson starter: run through the information in random order and invite / select students to provide an answer.
- Students could write the answer for each question in exercise books or on mini-whiteboards, before checking the answer and moving on to the next question