1. Divide students into groups of 3-4.
2. Each students are provided with a few vocabulary cards from the lesson. Everyone in the same group has different cards. Students are not allowed to show their cards to others.
3. One student circumlocutes a word in target language, and the others guess the word.
4. Next student does the same.
This was the first time that I did circumlocution in this class. Students seemed a little puzzled at first, but soon they started enjoying it, describing a word more creatively. When it was too difficult for a student to circumlocute, I allowed him/her to gesture. At the end of the activity, everyone said they enjoyed it.
I think circumlocution is a good way to practice the communication skill both in speaking and listening. Coming up with an explanation of a word is difficult but fun. The goal is clear. This can be applied to any levels of classes.