This exercise is a good one to use early in the semester because it helps to build a sense of group rapport through the establishment of an environment for self-disclosure.
Divide the class into pairs. Instruct the students to carry on a normal conversation for five minutes, each person telling the other as much as possible about himself. Ask the students to pick those things about themselves that they think are important to share. After five minutes ask the class to come back together again as one large group (preferably in a circle). Then ask each student to introduce his partner by stating his partner’s name and the one special thing that impressed him as most important about that person.
If you like, you can end the discussion by asking the group to talk about what it was like to talk to the other person and what it was like to be talked about in the group.