Games and Activities for Primary Languages
Repetition
Repetition is important to the process of language learning as it enables
the learner to copy sound patterns and structures correctly and ‘safely’.
It enables the learner to develop confidence and to try language out
without being vulnerable.
1. Fast / Slow
Using visual prompts such as a picture of a tortoise for slow, a
runner for fast etc., engage the children in repetition of key words
or phrases. Varying the pace adds interest to the activity. Can
also be achieved through mime etc.
2. Different Voices
Pretending to be people of note (TV personalities, a character in
school, an animal etc.) also adds another dimension to the simple
act of repeating language.
3. Missed One Out
a) Stick a series of pictures (flashcards) onto the board with
Blutack. Repeat them all one after the other very quickly
but miss one or two out. Children identify which ones have
been ‘forgotten’. This supports listening skills.
b) Select a child to repeat the names in place of teacher.
4. Chef d’Orchestre
Send a child out of the classroom. Select a ‘leader’ from the class
who will ‘conduct’ by means of operating a secret ‘sign’ such as
pulling his ear or quietly tapping his thumb. The child outside
returns and the teacher engages the class in vigorous repetition of
a single noun/phrase until s/he sees the chef’s signal whereupon
s/he moves on to the next word/phrase. The child has three goes
to discover the ‘chef’.
5. Syllables
Break words down in to syllables for repetition. E.g. ‘chocolat’ =
cho – co - choco – lat - chocolat / at – lat – olat – colat – ocolat –
chocolat! This is fun and enables the children to develop correct
pronunciation and also an awareness of the ‘rhythm’ of the
language.
6. Back to Back
Children sit back to back and call words or phrases out to their
partner who repeats them back.
Using Flashcards
Flashcards are simple and yet very versatile – even in this day and age of
ICT-led curricular delivery. They are easy to make from clipart or
magazine cut outs and can be used in a range of activities either teacherled or pupil-centred/VAK.
1. Repetition
Using notes on repetition for guidance, the following activities are
fun to try.
a) Backwards and forwards: pupils repeat in sequence until
teacher begins to go backwards or forwards without warning.
b) Guessing: pupils guess which card is next. The one who
guesses correctly is given the card. Play ‘beat the teacher’
i.e. must guess all cards within a certain time limit to score a
point.
c) Flipping: Teacher flips card over quickly giving the class a
mere glimpse of the picture.
2. Against the clock
a) Having distributed the flashcards on a given topic in a
previous activity, divide the group into two teams. Select a
runner from the first team. Those children with the
flashcards hold them up. Teacher calls out the vocabulary
and times the child as s/he runs around collecting them. Play
against second team who also has a go.
b) This time, the child runs around collecting them himself. He
must approach a peer holding a card and say the name of the
card correctly before he may take it. Again, the teacher
times the child – how many can they collect in one minute?
3. Vrai / Faux
a) Part of ‘layering’. Enables the children to make a response
with 50% chance of getting it right. Teacher gives a
word/phrase and shows a picture. Children say, ‘vrai’ if they
think it is correct and ‘faux’ if they think it is wrong.
b) Choices : Teacher gives two possible words / phrases and
children select the one they think is correct.
4. Reading Dominos
A way of introducing reading in a simple way. A series of
flashcards with a short text (could be a word, a phrase or a
sentence) on the back. The only thing is, the text relates to one of
the other cards. One child begins by reading his text. The others
listen and the one holding the picture referred to in the previous
5.
6.
7.
8.
child’s read text shouts: ‘C’est moi!’ and reads his text. This can be
timed and the group encouraged to improve a second time round.
Mini Flashcards
Excellent for TPS (total physical Response)! Takes a while to
prepare but very effective. Each child has a set of mini versions of
the teacher’s flashcards. Teacher calls out words or phrases and
children hold them up.
Children can also work in pairs for maximum effect.
Corners
A good warm-up activity for PE. Place pictures in different corners
of the hall and children run to whichever picture the teacher calls
out. First ten there get a point!
Building bricks
Can build sentences through use of flashcards. E.g. 1 x picture of a
heart + 1 x picture of a pear = I like pears. Can be extended by
adding more cards to stretch the learner and develop the language.
This can also be achieved in pairs with mini flashcards.
Kim’s Game
See *1 below (OHP)
Using the OHP
1. Kim’s Game
Place replicas of flashcards or other mini pictures in grid format on
the OHP. a) Practice vocabulary and structures by reference to a
number or a letter. b) Cover the OHP, remove one or two pictures
and the children work out which one is missing. This can also be
played with flashcards using blutack and the board.
2. Dumping
Place all pictures on top of each other and the children work out
which picture is at the top of the pile. Lots of fun.
3. Flashing
Whiz the picture across the OHP screen and the children must
state which one it is.
4. Pairing
One way of introducing reading. Pair the pictures with the written
text – just word level or simple phrases.
5. Key Hole
A piece of paper with a keyhole or circle cut out of it. Children see
part of a picture and state which one they think it is.
Using the Board
1. Dessinez
Draw a minute part of a picture. The children guess what it is. If
they guess incorrectly, draw another bit of the picture until they
get it.
2. Slap / Frappez
Draw or write words / phrases at random over the board. Can also
use flashcards. Two children with fly swats (or similar) stand in
front of the board facing the class. Teacher calls out a word /
phrase and children try to slap the correct one. First one to slap
the correct one gets the point.
3. Match Them Up
As in ‘Pairing’ (previous section), children can match text and
pictures together.
4. Plouf!
Draw a picture of a shark infested river and stepping stones. Aim
is to cross to the other side without falling in. Stick pictures or
write words in the stepping stones. Children volunteer to cross
over by naming each item correctly.
5. Noughts and Crosses
Familiar game. Draw or stick pictures in each box.
6. Noughts and Crosses with a twist
Select nine words or phrases and list them / stick pictures in a line
at the edge of the board. Letter them a – i. Teacher draws secret
grid on separate piece of paper and places the letters a – i in at
random. Teacher then draws a large noughts and crosses grid on
whiteboard and numbers the boxes 1 – 9.
Divide the class into two groups – noughts and crosses. Children
select a box by saying the number and then select one of the items
labelled a – i. Teacher elicits correct pronunciation / structure and
then informs the class whether that item goes into the box
selected or not.
Rapping, clapping and whopping!
1. Songs
There are many songs which are fun to learn and which fit with
many of the topics covered in PL. Songs are an ideal way to learn
and reinforce language. Fitting mime and / or actions to them
enhance learning possibilities.
2. Raps
Raps are easy to create as well as using commercially available ones.
A few well-known phrases and a beat do the trick.
3. Beating / Clapping
a) Drums are fun to use – e.g. in counting out numbers or
calculating short mathematical problems. This can also be
achieved by clapping - get the children to do it in pairs.
b) Use drums to beat out syllables or to add ‘tone’ to certain
words or phrases.
c) Clapping / drumming out the number of syllables is a fun way
to work on rhythm and structure.
4. Miming
Mime an action and ask children to do the same.
5. Group mimes
Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word or a
phrase to mime and then shout ‘Go!’ in whichever language you are
teaching. The groups all begin miming their word. After a few
seconds, shout ‘Stop!’ and they all freeze. The other groups must
guess which words / phrases were being mimed.
6. Actions
Wherever possible, try to link words with actions as this engages
the learner and suits particular learning styles e.g. thumbs up for
‘yes’ thumbs down for, ‘no’; hands high in the air for, ‘ I love ‘ ,
stamping feet for, ‘ I hate ‘ .
Games
1. Le Morpion
Noughts and crosses – see Using the Board number 6.
2. La Chasse au Trésor
Treasure Hunt: Good to practise a single item of vocabulary that
children may find difficult. Send a child out of the room. Hide the
item or flashcard. Child returns and class chants the word /
phrase getting louder the nearer the seeker moves to the hidden
object and quieter the farther away s/he is. Seeker must find it!
3. Chef d’Orchestre
See Section 1 (Repetition) number 4
4. Dice
Dice are very useful. Often found in the primary classroom, they
can be used for pairwork on numbers for example. Dice can be
made out of card and various pictures drawn or stick on them.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Similarly, large dice for use with a full group are easily available
some with plastic pockets to slip in relevant pictures.
Fruit Salad
Distribute sets of cards at random. Children sit in a circle with
teacher in middle. Teacher calls out a word or phrase i.e. ‘oranges’
and all children with the oranges must change seats with each
other.
Board Games
Many well-known board games can be adapted for use in languages.
For example, Snakes and Ladders. Templates are easily available or
they can be produced relatively easily. Upon arrival at the base of
a ladder or the head of a snake, the player may not ascend or
descend until he / she has answered a question. The questions may
be simply Word level (vocabulary) or more taxing such as a
response to an open-ended question. Questions may be on small
playing cards or on the board – flexible according to need.
If the player answers correctly, he / she either goes up the ladder
or escapes having to slide down the snake. If the answer is not
correct, the player either does not go up the ladder or must slide
down the snake.
Another board game to be adapted is Monopoly. This requires
some time to prepare but is a wonderful resource once complete.
Prepare a board with colour-coded squares around it. Each square
represents a theme or a topic or tells the player to move forward
or back and has its own set of questions or tasks. There is a jail in
one corner, a Go in another and there should be a set of questions.
Blockbusters
Templates are available. Divide the group into two teams. The
teams must try to make it across the board without being blocked
by their opponents. Each hexagon has its own question which the
team or player must answer correctly in order to be able to claim
the move. The first team to make it to the other side without
being blocked or challenged wins.
Running Dictation
A simple way to practise writing. Pin several copies of a short text
(could be a list of words) on the walls. Divide the class into teams
which include a scribe, a reader and runners. Each team must be
stationed at different points between the text and the scribe.
The reader reads some of the text and runs to recite it to the
next person who runs to recite to the next person who runs to tell
the scribe who writes it down. The winning team is the team which
transcribes the most correct text. It is a good idea to set a time
limit for the activity.
9. Paired dictation
Two texts. Work in pairs. The scribe turns his/her back to the
reader and writes down what he hears and vice versa. This helps
both pronunciation and writing skills.
10. Chinese Whispers
A quick game to practise a structure or simply vocabulary. The
teacher whispers it to a child at one end of the row / classroom
and whispers another one to the child at the other end. The
children then whisper to one another in turn, the last child
repeating out loud what he/she heard.
11. Mini Whiteboards
A useful resource. This involves all children at once. The listen,
write, hide, show sequence helps turn this activity into a game.
12. Pass the Parcel
Just like the party game. Play music and the children pass the
parcel around. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel
answers a question. Questions can range from naming
objects/flashcards to responding to a spoken stimulus.
13. Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Template available. This can be adapted to any level and is a lot of
fun. Divide the class into four teams (blue, green, red and yellow).
Each team selects a) a representative to sit at the front b) the
‘friend’ for ‘phone a friend’.
The representatives sit at the front and are handed: a set each of
coloured cards (blue, green, red and yellow), a phone a friend card,
a 50:50 card as well as an ask the audience card.
Each slide of the game has multiple-choice answers which are also
colour-coded. Allow the representatives time to see all choices,
pause a moment for them to select their card and then ask them to
hold their coloured answer up at the same time. Each correct
answer earns that team a point.
Before asking them to reveal their answers, ask them if they wish
to use one of the three ‘chance’ cards. These work in the following
way:
a) Phone a friend: the representative wishing to use this one
gives it to the teacher and his selected ‘friend’ is allowed to
come forward to confer with him / her.
b) 50:50: the representative wishing to use this one gives it to
the teacher who whispers two of the four optional answers
to him / her (one of which is the correct answer).
c) Ask the Audience: the representative wishing to use this
one gives it to the teacher and is then allowed to speak ti his
/ her team.
Allow only a minute for all conversations. Once over, the
representatives sit back in place ready to show their coloured
choice. Any representative slow to hold his / her choice up
cannot have a point as it is possible they may have waited to see
what others have chosen.
The team with the most points wins.
Role Play
1. Finger Puppets
Puppets of all descriptions are fun and useful to use. They allow
the learner to hide behind the ‘character’ and try out his / her
language. Conversations can be as short as a few simple
exchanges or as long as a full conversation. It is often
worthwhile asking the class to move around the room and ask as
many others the questions as possible. Finger puppets are easily
found in primary language photocopiable books or toy puppets
can be purchased from different outlets.
2. Miming
Vocabulary is easily practised through mime e.g. mime playing
football to elicit ‘il joue au football’.
3. Musical Statues
Divide the class into groups. Give each group a word or a phrase
to mime. Start them off and they all mime their word or phrase
as a group. When the music stops, they freeze and the other
groups must guess the correct word / phrase.
4. Information Gap
Paired exercise. Give each player a grid containing information
about two or more characters i.e. name, age, favourite colour
etc. The players must ask questions to elicit the information
about the characters on their list for whom they do not have
information.
5. Dialogue
Short dialogues can be built up by using flashcards, symbols etc.
Fun to practise and the children have a sense of achievement.
Big Books
Big books are available commercially or can be made by adapting wellknown stories into the target language.
I usually spend a long time building up the key vocabulary contained in the
big book with the aim of getting the class to role play or perform the
story at the end.
The key vocabulary can be built up using repetition and game techniques
outlined above moving from passive recognition to active production.
The story can then be read aloud with the group looking at the pictures
and joining in when language is recognisable.
Other activities designed to familiarise the children with the text and
the story include: reading text aloud and children sequence small
pictures related to the text (ask them to read aloud their structures and
words before moving on) and sequencing (text cut into strips and children
sequence as they hear the text read aloud).
Once children are familiar with the text and are confident using the
structures, it is possible to mime it i.e. teacher reads the story aloud and
children mime the story out.
A more challenging version is to construct a little play out of the story
and children enact it.
This process can take several weeks.