Language games

Activities to present and reinforce language should be fun but challenging and should follow a deliberate progression. Children listen to the new language, in association with music, touch, gesture, action or visual aids. They show understanding of the language through their response. They learn the language through repetition, practising it in chorus, songs and games. They progress to group or pair activities. When ready, they progress to speaking as a volunteer in front of the class.

Once children are thoroughly familiar with the language in its spoken form, teachers can present it in written form using large text cards, OHP or ICT. Children can then progress through familiarisation games and activities. Many of the activities suggested here are suitable for practising reading and writing.

Many daily classroom activities can also be used to reinforce the foreign language, including favourite counting games, e.g. ‘Fizz-buzz’, and other mental Maths; PE warm-ups; playing board games; making craft items such as a Victorian toy, greeting cards, masks or ‘Fortune teller’.

The games

‘Build-up’: Introduce a few new items – repeat the first flashcard or real item with the children, add one more, repeat from the beginning, continue in this way. Next ask the children to repeat the items out of order, in a whisper, a shout or silly voice, or building up to a crescendo; be happy, sad, angry, etc; ‘mouth’ or provide half phrases. When introducing sentences, start at the end of a sentence and build up backwards.
‘Indicate’: When you name an item, the children point to it. Children then progress to saying the item as you point to it.

‘La Hola’/’Mexican wave’: Children perform the wave around the room or group, each child saying one part of a short sequence of vocabulary, such as three or four numbers, or a question and answer, e.g. 13/14/13/14; janvier/février/mars; Qu’est-ce/que/c’est?/ C’est/un stylo (last child in this sequence chooses any item to hold up and say).

‘Fruit Salad’ (and other circle games): Children are seated in a circle on chairs, with one chair missing; each child is named after an item of vocabulary, e.g. numbers, colours or classroom items (use six to eight items). When the teacher or a child in the middle of the circle calls an item, all those named change places. When ‘Fruit salad’ is called, all change places. Progress to saying a sentence containing the relevant item.

‘Hide it’: Hide an item while a pupil is out of the room, the class then gives audio clues to help retrieval, e.g. sing a song or count softer or louder; chant chaud, froid.

‘Kim’s game’: Identify the one item removed from the room – facing away from the class, or stuck up a child’s jumper. Variation: all flashcards face away (they can be labelled A–F if on the board), the class can have only one chance to guess each card.

‘Guess’: Show a small corner of a flashcard, show it upside down, in an envelope or through a peephole or give only a quick flash. Children guess the item. Guess the card on top of a pile or held behind the teacher’s back.

‘Simon says’: You give an instruction, the children mime it; you could eventually progress through the following route:
• you hold up a picture or demonstrate a mime – the class must say it;
• you show a text card, children perform instructions or hold up a matching picture;
• you give instructions, children hold up matching text cards;
• a child gives an instruction;
• Children prepare and then conduct a sequence of actions.
‘By numbers’: Number off the children and have them respond to actions by their numbers, e.g. ‘Les numéros six – levez la main!’.

‘Aerobics’: Build up a routine of different actions numbered 1–10 (or 20). Progress to:
• showing the number out of order, the class performs the correct action and vice versa;
• volunteers perform the above;
• children test each other in teams;
• children test each other in pairs.
‘Guess the mime’: Show a card or whisper something secretly to a child, who mimes it for the class to guess – they must say it or point to the correct item or text card.
Variation 1: half the class mimes an action or item for the other half to guess.
Variation 2: working in groups of three, A chooses an item or phrase and whispers it to B who mimes it to C, who repeats the phrase to A. If C is successful it is then C’s turn to begin (this can be adapted to more players, e.g. D writes it for A)
Variation 3: working in pairs, one chooses a card to mime, using hands only.

‘Show me’: Groups have sets of items, first group to show the item specified by the teacher gets the point; progress to individuals using number fans or digit cards or sets of small cards – first they select and keep the item concealed, then all show them to the teacher on the command, at the same moment (good for informal assessment).
‘Bring me’: Volunteers from each group compete to bring the items specified by you.

‘Go and get’: A volunteer goes to get some items suggested by the teacher, but the class must guess how many the volunteer then conceals behind his or her back, e.g. ‘Go and get some pencils’ (‘Va chercher des crayons’ ) – the child holds some pencils behind his or her back – whoever successfully guesses the number of pencils takes the next turn.

‘Thumbs up’: Four children hold items, the rest shut their eyes with thumbs sticking up in the air, while these four circulate and each one quietly touches another pupil on the thumb before returning to the front. The class must then open their eyes and the four who have been touched stand up and, in turn, try to guess who touched them. If they guess successfully they change places with the person who touched them.

‘Catching’: If possible, arrange the class in a circle; the teacher may throw the beanbag from the middle to a child in the circle, or it may be passed around the circle.
Variation 1, Catch my name: throw up a ball and call a child’s name, e.g. ‘Je m’appelle Luc’ – Luc responds by catching the ball before it bounces; progress to children taking over.
Variation 2, Catch and say: throw a ball, beanbag or soft toy to initiate language – the child who catches it speaks (if wrong they might sit out or go down on one knee until they can give a correct response). The beanbag could be passed to a clapping rhythm. The following language can be used:
• continue a sequence of numbers or the alphabet;
• say items in random order;
• children pass on their names or other personal information, e.g. ‘J’ai dix ans, et toi?’;
• progress to answering a question as the ball is in the air, then pass the question on.

‘Popping the question’: Ways to ensure that children practise asking questions.
Variation 1, Yes or no: conceal an item and say what it is – the class must decide if you are telling the truth. If they guess correctly the class gains a point. When played with volunteers, if they guess successfully they can change places with the cardholders. Progress to the class first asking questions, e.g.
Class: ‘Qu’est-ce que c’est?’ Teacher: ‘C’est une gomme’.
Class: ‘Oui/Vrai!’ Teacher: ‘Non/C’est faux! C’est un stylo’.
Variation 2, Who is it?: Child A stands with his or her back to the class, eyes closed;
another child stands and says a greeting, or other phrase, in a disguised voice, the class call the question altogether ‘Qui est-ce?’ and child A tries to guess the identity of the caller, e.g. ‘C’est Claire’. If the guess is successful, the two children could change places.
Variation 3: Progression to use of the third person. Six volunteers stand at the back of the room. Choose one child to say a greeting or other item (you may wish to have the class close their eyes). The class can call out ‘Qui est-ce?’, as before. Tell the class the true or false name of the child, e.g. ‘Elle s’appelle Claire’. The class decide if you have told the truth: you could choose a volunteer to answer. If they agree with you they repeat your sentence; if they disagree they must provide the correct name, using the same structure, e.g. ‘Non, elle s’appelle Perrine’. The child that guesses correctly may take the speaker’s place.

‘Spycatcher’: Each child is given a card with a name or item; they must find their partner or form groups, using the FL to ask names and find their matching pair item, e.g. Tom and Jerry.
‘Beat the teacher’: also known as ‘Repeat if it’s true’ (‘Répétez si c’est vrai’) – to be played with familiar vocabulary. The teacher says an item and shows a card – to win a point the class must repeat the item, if the teacher has said it correctly; they must remain silent if it is said incorrectly. The teacher wins the points when the class is outwitted
Variation: ‘Jump if it’s true’ (‘Sautez si c’est vrai’).
‘Progression’: Perform or say an action and show a text card, the children repeat the action if the two match.

‘In my bag’: Children feel and say, or guess, an item in the bag to win a point, or replace items in the same order that the teacher has said them.
‘Memory game’: ‘I went to market’. Each child says what has been said by the previous child and adds his or her own item e.g. ‘Dans mon sac j’ai un crayon, un stylo et … une gomme!’ You could limit this to six to eight items, then re-start the sequence.

‘What next?’: Children ask for a set of cards or items in the same order that the teacher has said them.
‘Throw the dice’: Throw a large foam dice, the child who catches it must say the number on the top face, children take turns to throw to each other, answering correctly as they receive the dice; progress to mental Maths – the teacher specifies the function, the child rolls the dice twice, saying the numbers, e.g. 6 x 4 = ... [24]. The child who gives the correct answer to the sum created takes the next turn.

‘Stations’: Pupils circulate, on tiptoe, to music (a tape or singing of a favourite FL song), when the music stops they go to a corner containing a flashcard. A blindfolded pupil chooses one of the corners and all the children who have gone to that corner are out. Progress to using text cards – this is excellent for introducing reading.

‘Secret signal’: The ‘guesser’ leaves the room while you choose the ‘secret signaller’. The children chant a phrase, from a short list of phrases on the board, e.g. dates, changing to the next phrase down the list as the secret signal is given. The ‘guesser’ must guess the identity of the ‘secret signaller’ by watching the class.

‘Mix up’: Pictures and matching text cards are displayed; a child mixes them up while the class shut their eyes; other children can then volunteer to put them right.

‘I-spy’: Spy coloured objects, people, numbers, initial sounds then letters, e.g. ‘Je pense à un objet (quelquechose de) bleu/une personne habillée en rouge/un nombre entre 16 et 18/quelquechose qui commence par A’.
‘Sorting and matching’: Grammar rules. To sort language, use colour-coded boxes or hoops, or divide the board or OHT into two large boxes; children win points by placing words, phrases or real objects, or writing language, in the correct half, e.g. feminine and masculine nouns, questions and answers; FL and English; first and second person.

‘Big’ board games: Play large wall or class versions of board games e.g. ‘Blockbusters’, ‘Snakes and ladders’, etc. Also ‘Noughts and crosses’, ‘Class loto’, ‘Battleships’ and ‘Dominos’. These can be used to revise familiar language; children can progress to playing the games in pairs or groups. Pelmanism (matching pairs) can be used to match pictures to text; FL to English; questions to answers; two halves of words; two halves of sentences; progress to children playing individual matching pairs games, using small cards.

Role play: progress to using small cards from matching pairs games as cues for roleplays, progressing to more complex tasks such as a framework for a mini-play; telephone conversations can be made up, using real telephones; pupils can pretend to be a wacky character in a group dialogue, e.g. a robot; they can perform in a chosen mood, e.g. happy, naughty (practises adjectives), for the class to guess their mood.
Courtesy of Rosemary Bevis, NACELL best practice guide © CILT 2003