Lend me your ear

One of my colleagues has found a solution to the inaudible student problem. We all have at least one inaudible student, who find it absolutely impossible to speak in English in anything above a whisper. It's just too embarrassing, or something.

Anyway, my colleague recently found a giant floppy plastic ear in a joke shop. He hides it in the palm of his hand, and when the Inaudible Student whispers inaudibly in response to a question he holds his hand to his ear, leans forward seriously, and says, "Pardon?" Then he opens his hand and a giant ear materialises.

I can testify from personal experience that it gives you quite a shock when life suddenly turns into a cartoon, and my colleague says the Inaudible Student generally becomes audible after that. I imagine it's less embarrassing to speak loudly in English than to wet your pants laughing.

Added to my shopping list: One giant plastic ear.