On the Relation between Form and Content: Telephone

Abstract

This class exercise was developed from the game telephone in which people whisper into their neighbor's ear around a circle and note how drastically the sentence changes due to cumulative misinterpretations. In this version, students formulate thesis statements and then paraphrase those of their neighbors, revealing how drastically these arguments change by the end. The emphasis is on clarity and accuracy of language. It also reveals how form influences content- the idea that language is never neutral.