The ESL Card Game That Actually Makes Class Fun
Win over your students with the funny and sometimes surprisingly poetic sentences created by combining particular verbs and nouns. Reading them out loud is where the magic happens.
Printable PDF + online room file · 50% off the full deck at launch · Love it or get your money back.
A quiet class is a boring class.
You’ve planned the lesson, you’re hoping for willing participation, and then…
Every question is met with dead air.
Students know the answer. You know they know it, too. But saying it out loud means potential embarrassment.
It has to be done, but it’s a grind.
Stringing a story in order from random images can be kinda fun, sure...
Being a good teacher means the class is taught. Being a GREAT teacher means your students actually enjoy being there.
Nobody remembers the worksheet. Everyone remembers the first time they made a room laugh in their second language.
We know, because we lived it.
We're Joe and Julia. We started completely from scratch when we moved from Canada to Italy with a 2 year old in tow. Let’s just say, we’ve spent a lot of time in language classes.
Julia had a vibrant career with over a decade of experience as an actor, writer and spoken word poet. Joe had spent years writing and presenting for top brands at some of Canada’s top advertising agencies.
You’d think we’d be confident stepping into language class with other nervous people. It was actually terrifying. We were shy, hesitant to make a mistake, and terrified of letting go. As you can imagine, those classes weren’t particularly enjoyable.
So, we created what we needed, a game that lets people feel funny in a new language, and as a result, be more willing to speak out loud.
We’ll never forget the first time we actually made someone laugh in our second language. It was like that feeling when you discover your crush actually finds you attractive too. Like the sun popping out of the clouds after a long rainy November. Like suddenly finding a 5-dollar bill on the ground.
This game is what we believe to be the quickest way to get everyone being funny in a new language, getting a laugh, or getting an “ahhh!”, to build confidence that sticks.
— Joe & Julia
The founders have spent over 10 years creating content for some of the biggest brands in the world.
Two moves. Lay it. Say it.
Learn to play in seconds, play on repeat.
One card. A sentence with two words missing and a disaster waiting to happen.
Everyone chooses their most appropriate verb and noun cards from their hand to fill in the blanks and lays them face down.
The judge reads each sentence out loud. The winning hand could be the funniest, the quirkiest, or even the most poetic. Judges' choice.
While they’re finding ways to get a laugh, your students are practicing: building complete sentences, matching the right kind of word to every blank, and using past-tense verbs appropriately (verb cards are already in the past tense, so nobody freezes on conjugation).
Getting a laugh in a new language is the best feeling.
Get them out of their head and into the fun
No wrong answers. Each hand has potential so nobody's afraid to try.
Watch them use verbs and nouns in creative and expressive ways, building their skills and confidence.
Use it for a quick warm up, or keep it going round after round after round
We give you a private a .PCIO file to get it set up with students instantaneously.
But there’s something in it for every level.
Safe for ages 12+
If You Like A Boring Class, Keep Using Worksheets
Ok, sorry we’re not bashing your worksheets. They have their place. But let's have some fun alongside them, shall we?
| WHAT YOU GET | Lay It and Say It | Worksheets | Textbook dialogues & role-plays | Typical classroom games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Real creativity Students create whole stories instantly |
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Shows off their personality They explore their quirkiness, in English |
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Builds sentence structure Whole sentences are crafted easily |
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Deepens grammar tools Different word types in action. |
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Everyone talks out loud And everyone gets to show off |
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Brings the class together Shared laughter brings everyone closer |
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Safe to be wrong Because it all works in its weird way |
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Makes you the cool teacher You’re the one they sign up for again |
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Different every round Same deck, always new options |
In a 15 minute game, your helping them build skills that would otherwise take weeks.
Try it for $4.99.
Only available until the full deck is released.
Love it or get your money back.
A fun time or your money back
Play it during one class. If you and your students don't enjoy it, tell us and we'll refund you. Just email layitandsayit@gmail.com.
More decks are coming.
Get the tester before the price goes up for good.
150 prompts, with your 50% off.
Prepare for your trip without the extra anxiety
Being professional doesn’t have to be boring.
Quick questions.
2+ players
Teens (12+) and adults, A2 and above. The words are simple and concrete. The humor comes from the combinations.
For the classroom, print the PDF and cut it out. For online lessons, import the room file and send your students the link.
The prompts are fun, and sometimes quirky, and should still be class-appropriate. But you know your students best, so feel free to pull any card that feels out of place for your group.
Your code is inside the download. Use it on the full 150-prompt deck any time before [LAUNCH DATE].
Then you get your money back.
Teach the class they’ll actually remember.
Watch their walls crumble instantly.