Language+Games

A steady diet of memorization, mind-numbing drills, endless workbook exercises, and questions and answers can make language learning a tedious chore. The effectiveness of using games and activities to practice vocabulary and grammatical concepts has long been recognized by language teachers. You can revitalize and add fun to your class by making judicious use of instructional games. Organize them to fit your program, present them in an enthusiastic way, make them challenging, and utilize the motivating force of competition.

Click on any of the games listed below for explanation, preparation, rules and variations. || ** WHAT CAN BE PRACTICED ** || 
 * ** GAME **
 * BINGO || practice numbers, alphabet, days of the week, calendar, thematic or general vocabulary ||
 * CAR RACE || general vocabulary, verb conjugation ||
 * CATEGORIES || general vocabulary ||
 * CHARADES || professions, general vocabulary, verbs, adverbs ||
 * CONCENTRATION || general vocab, phrases, culture, sayings, numbers ||
 * FRUIT BASKET || food, animals, family, vocab themes ||
 * GO FISH! || days of the week, weather, thematic vocab, conversation ||
 * HANGMAN || spelling, alphabet, general vocab, body parts ||
 * HOT POTATO || pronouns, general vocabulary ||
 * I SPY || colors, shapes, prepositions, classroom vocab, ||
 * JEOPARDY || general language, culture, vocab, grammar ||
 * KNOWLEDGE BOWL || general language and cultural knowledge ||
 * MEMORY || following directions, sentence construction ||
 * MR. POLICEMAN || clothing, descriptions, colors, family, adjectives ||
 * PASSWORD || vocabulary themes, ||
 * PICTIONARY || general vocab, adjectives ||
 * RHYTHM || numbers, names ||
 * SIMON SAYS || body parts, colors, TPR, following directions, commands ||
 * SPARKLE || numbers, days of the week, calendar ||
 * TIC TAC TOE || general sentence construction, questions, culture ||
 * WHO HAS THE BUTTON? || questions, descriptions, general vocab ||
 * WHO AM I? || asking questions, descriptions, occupations, questions, verbs, ||
 * SHOPPING BASKET || food, groceries, ||
 * TPR || classroom phrases, commands, verbs ||

ALPHABET BINGO
- Prepare blank BINGO cards and index cards or slips of paper, one for each letter of the Arabic alphabet. Give each student a blank BINGO grid and a handful of beans, flat glass pebbles, or something else small to mark the squares (Cut-up pieces of paper work well and do not roll off desks onto the floor.) - - Have students write a letter of the alphabet in each square, using each letter only once. Students will only use 24 of the letters. The “caller” (can be a student or the teacher) draws a card and says the letter out loud. Students place a marker on the square of their board that contains that letter. The first student to complete a row straight across, up and down, or diagonally, is the winner. Students clear all of their markers, and play starts again. The caller can draw a letter, and then say a word that begins with that letter. Students mark the square for the beginning letter of the word.
 * Variations: **

WORD BINGO
- Prepare blank BINGO cards (click here for printable master), and a list of 24 - 30 current vocabulary words (either on the board or on a document that can be projected). Give each student a blank BINGO grid and a handful of beans, flat glass pebbles, or something else small to mark the squares Students write a word from the vocabulary list in each square. - The "caller" randomly selects words from the list and call the out loud. Students place a marker on the square of their board that contains that word. The first student to complete a row straight across, up and down, or diagonally, is the winner. Students clear all of their markers, and play starts again. Whenever a player gets five in a row, he then has to read back, in Arabic, of course, the words he has covered. If it is correct, he is given points, or can be the new leader, etc.
 * Follow up: **

Printable Bingo cards (5x5 grid) Printable Bingo cards (4x4 grid) Bingo Card Creator (free but requires a a sign-up) []
 * Resources**:

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CAR RACES
 (General Vocabulary, Professions, Proverbs)

-Teams are formed in rows, in "relay style." The first player in each row is given a toy car. The leader then asks the player who has the car in the first row a question, such as: "Qué día es hoy?" If he can answer the question correctly he passes the car down the row to the next player behind him. If he does not answer correctly, he retains the car. The leader then goes to the next row and asks another question of the first player who has the car, and the game proceeds in that manner until one row has passed the car to the end. They have won the race. **Variation:** Instead of asking questions, the leader can request examples of categories. For example; "Name a profession." "Give an example of a means of transportation." "Name a fruit." etc.

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CATEGORIES
(Gen. vocab. such as colors, places, fruits, foods, clothing, etc.)

- Preepare categories and list ten items for each one. - The class is divided into teams of 5 to 6 persons per team. Each team selects one person to be the scribe. Each team places their desks into a circle and gets ready with one piece of paper and a writing utensil. The whole class is given a category such as "Things you take on a trip" or "Places in town". Each team tries to come up with as many possibilities that they can think of that fit the given category and write them on their paper. A time limit of one minute (more for beginning classes) is given in which to complete the list. After the time limit is up the individual lists are compared to a master list that the teacher has that contains ten items. Only items that match the master list receive points (one point for each correct answer). After several rounds, the team with the most points wins.

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CHARADES
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">(General Vocabulary, Professions, Proverbs)

- Prepare a stack of vocabulary picture cards with or strips with words (if students are advanced enough to read the Arabic.) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Divide the group into two teams, and have them face opposite walls of the room. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">- One person from each team goes to the teacher to see the word or phrase he is to present. The return and face their groups and act out the word, competing against the opponent on the other side of the room. The side that guesses the word or phrase first gets the point. When all words have been presented, the team with the most points wins. - Divide class into 2 teams. One person from the first team comes to the front and acts out the first word. As soon as the team guesses the word, he moves onto the next word. The team tries to get as many words as possible in one minute. After one minute play switches to the other team and they have one minute to guess as many as possible. Continue until all words have been exhausted.
 * Variation: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">back to list

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">**CONCENTRATION**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(General Vocabulary, Fruit, Professions, Proverbs)


 * TPR PRACTICING CLASS DIRECTIONS**

This activity, similar to "Simon Says" can be used during the first week of class to develop listening comprehension of classroom commands and vocabulary. It can also be used to teach the phrases and expressions on the **COPING CARD**. The leader teaches the meaning of the vocabulary item by demonstrations, gestures, visuals, etc. To teach commands, he or she usually gives the command, then physically does it, or has an advanced student obey it. The command is then given again and the students do it. After practicing, the leader can then begin to link several commands together, to be performed one right after the other. For example: //"Stand up, take 3 steps forward, turn around, go back to your seat, sit down."// Some teachers take this activity to elaborate lengths, having the students do such things as climbing up on their desks, lying down on the floor, rolling over, sticking their finger in their cheek, etc. This can be fun for the students, since this allows them to do all sorts of weird things, but the practical value of such antics is very limited. We suggest that the activity focus on the kinds of commands a person might reasonably receive in normal situations, especially to the kinds of things a teacher might ask them to do in class. At first the students only physically obey, they do not respond orally, thus: Total **//PHYSICAL//** Response **(TPR)**.

This is a book. [Shows it.] What do we use a book for? For reading [Makes action of reading] Let's read the book! Oh, we can't. It's not open. Let's open the book [Opens it.] Now we can read it. [Makes action of reading] You have a book. Open it! Open it to page 3 [Write the number 3 on the board] Look for page 3 Read page 3 Now close your book [Closes book] Put your book on the table [Puts it on table]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Do's and Don'ts for Using Games

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Never use a game unless you have a definite learning objective in mind. Too often teachers play games just for the sake of playing, and little or no learning takes place. The games in this collection all have a learning objective and can guarantee that the activity is not a waste of time. Strangely enough, students usually participate in educational games and are convinced they are only playing, when in reality they are doing drills and using questions and answers in an enjoyable way. As you determine what grammatical concepts, language skills, or vocabulary words you need to practice, look them up in the index and choose the game that lends itself best to your objectives.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. Keep working with a variety of games. There will be, of course, class favorites which students may want to play time after time. That is fine, but try to add new ones each week to broaden the things they know. If you play the same games all the time the range of what they learn and practice is limited.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. Play the games totally in Spanish. If they are very complicated, explain the rules at first in English, practice all the new words and expressions, and then make an obvious switch back to Spanish. Of course, everyone wants to make comments during the game, so give them the "tools" for playing games. We have included some for you here. Sometimes it helps to have a penalty for anyone who uses English, or give some reward for using only Spanish.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Prepare your students with the vocabulary necessary to play the game. The lack of essential words can throw a monkey wrench into the process. Anticipate the words they are going to need to play the game and teach or review them before you start. A very effective technique to use with games is called "brainstorming" (lluvia de ideas). This is where the teacher and the students together generate the vocabulary or items that will be used in the game. For example, to prepare to play the game" Voy a España," the teacher might say: "Bueno, supongamos que vamos a hacer un viaje a España. Díganme algunas cosas que llevaríamos en el viaje." The students then call out such things as "mucho dinero, un pasaporte, un diccionario," etc., and the teacher writes them down on the chalkboard. The teacher could then say: "Bueno, no nos limitemos a cosas. Podríamos llevar a personas también. ¿Qué personas serían de ayuda en el viaje?" The students would call out persons such as "el profesor de español, un guía, el(la) novio(a), un compañero de clase ," etc. The teacher would write these on the board also. Then as the game is played, the players can use the words that they have personally "brainstormed" or that you have supplied them.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. Don't make a big fuss over them, but correct mistakes. Uncorrected mistakes become habits that are difficult to change. Correction must be done in a gentle, diplomatic way that will not inhibit nor dampen enthusiasm or participation. Everyone should realize that mistakes are a part of the process of learning a language, so laugh at them if they are funny but don't ridicule or embarrass anyone for making them. However, since you are still in a "practice" stage as you play games, help them to practice only correct forms.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6. Utilize the powerful, motivating force of competition. Whenever you can, divide the class into teams and give them an identity, such as "los leones," "los tigres," "los sabios," "los campeones," etc. If you can, and if it doesn't make it unfair, it is always stimulating to pit the boys against the girls. We are aware that some schools prohibit any competetive acivities. In those cases, try to use incentives. Offer rewards to the winners such as letting them choose the next game, permitting them to direct a game, excusing them from class early, giving them candy, paying them with class "money," etc.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">7. Never begin a class hour with a game. Plan them for the last half of class or whenever you see the students getting bored or tired. If you start out with a game, your students will not want to quit at the specified time, or it will be impossible for them to settle down to normal classroom activities. It is often wise to set a definite time limit and hold to it, declaring whichever team is ahead at that point to be the winner.