Qatari Board Game

WORKSHEET

1. Suggested Use

Culture and leisure focus, followed by A1-level vocabulary and grammar activities.

2. Suggested Activities 

A. Project-based learning 
Students create a short article or poster about a traditional or popular game from their country. They include what the game is called, who plays it, and when or where people play it. Encourage them to use the video as a model and present their articles or posters in groups. In a multilingual and multicultural class, you could get students to teach each other how to play the games. 

B. Mediation task: Note taking + relaying specific information
Tell students to imagine they have visited the market from the video and want to share what they learnt about the game with their friends when they get home. Have them watch the video again and make notes of the main points, then work in pairs to reconstruct what they learnt to ensure they have all the correct and relevant information. 

C. Pronunciation task: /d/ and /ð/ sounds 
Elicit, practise and drill difference between the voiced /d/ (as in Doha, Dama, drink) and voiced /ð/ (as in the, this, together). Have students find examples in the video and write sentences to give to another pair to say aloud and practise the sounds. 

3. Vocabulary 

Culture and leisure 

• city

• buildings

• lights

• streets

• market

• Souq

• tourists

• shop

• culture

• traditional

Games 

• game

• players

• rules

• play

Adjectives 

• modern

• traditional

• busy

• small

• important

4. Grammar

is vs are:
Doha is a modern city in Qatar; It is open to everyone; Dama is a traditional game from Qatar; It is a little like checkers.

Present simple:
Tourists come here to shop…; People find a place to sit and play a game; It is open to everyone; People come in to drink tea or coffee and to learn a board game

Conjunctions (and / but):
There are tall buildings and busy streets; Doha is modern, but it also has a traditional market.

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TRANSCRIPT
Qatari Board Game

NARRATOR:
Doha is a modern city in Qatar. There are tall buildings, bright lights, and busy streets. But in the middle of the city, there is also a traditional market called Souq Waqif. Tourists come here to shop and see things. Some people find a place to sit and play a game. 

This place is called Majles al-Dama. It is open to everyone. People come in to drink tea or coffee—and to learn a board game called Dama. Dama is a traditional game from Qatar. It is a little like checkers. A long time ago, men played Dama every day. When oil was found in Qatar, people played less and less. The game almost disappeared.

Mohamed Saad al-Soleti wanted to keep the game alive. So, he opened Majles al-Dama to teach new players.

SOUNDBITE – Mohamed Saad al-Soleti:
"Young people and some foreigners gathered around to learn about the game. They had no idea about it. We tried to teach them the rules."

NARRATOR:
This small space inside the market helps people remember an important part of Qatari culture. And it gives everyone a chance to learn, relax, and play together.