Tag: A2

vocabulary

Vocabulary: Dictionary race

Astrid van Houwelingen

Nowadays many of us resort to an app or the internet when we want to know the meaning of a word. This is all fine as long as you are not in an exam setting. Because my students are sitting exams in a few months I would like to make sure that they know how to use a dictionary quickly and correctly. And what better way than to make a race out of it?

The Basics

Level: A1-C2 (Elementary, Pre- Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-intermediate, Advanced)
Focus: Learning new vocabulary, using a dictionary
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Cards with words (2 or 3 sets), markers (2 or 3), whiteboard, dictionaries (2 or 3)

Aim

Students learn to use a dictionary with speed. Students learn some new vocabulary items or revise words from their vocabulary lists.

The task

Before you start you need to make sure students know how to find words in a dictionary quickly. You could do a practice round by giving the class a word to look up and to let the student who knows first raise their hand and read the right definition to you.

  1. Prepare two or three similar stacks of cards with words from the dictionary on them.
  2. Divide the class in two or three groups.
  3. Put two (or three) tables in front of the room a couple of metres from the whiteboard. On the tables you should have: one stack of cards, one dictionary and one whiteboard marker.
  4. Let the groups of students line up behind a desk.
  5. Explain that they are to take one card from the top of the stack and look up the word as quickly as they can. Once they have found the definition they race towards the board and write down word and definition as quick as they can. When finished, they return their marker to the desk to pass on to another student and join the back of the line.
  6. Set the timer to the required amount of minutes and yell ‘GO!’.
  7. The group with the most correct answers in a limited amount of time wins.

Additional ideas

If you do not want the bustle of the race but do want to make a game out of it you could have the students sit at a group of tables with the stack of words and a couple of dictionaries and have them write down their answers on a piece of paper. Once they have gone through their stack they raise their hands and wait for your approval. First group that is done wins.

If you have a larger group I would advise to use the grouped table method described in the previous paragraph.

If you want the students to have their spelling on point you could decide to only give the point if their spelling is correct.

An alternative way of playing this is to not set a timer, but to allow all groups to work through the same amount of words. The fastest group wins.

If you want students to revise their vocabulary you could use words from their wordlists for this race.

Over to you: Do you ever let students race each other? How does that work in your classroom?

Have fun teaching! ^_^

Love,

Astrid

Geen categorie, vocabulary

Vocabulary: Revision Bingo

Astrid van Houwelingen

Getting students to revise their vocabulary often enough so it sticks can be a tough one. Students find it tedious. They feel like they know it all after having read through the list a couple of times. Getting them to be active and work with the vocabulary can be a challenge. But there is no better way to get students’ interest than the words let’s play a game. In this case: BINGO!

The Basics

Level: A1-C2 (Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-intermediate, Advanced)
Focus: Revising vocabulary, listening
Time: 20-30 minutes
Materials: Vocabulary list, empty bingo cards (or let your students make a grid in their notebooks)

Aim

Students revise their vocabulary. This can be done either before a test or after you have set some vocabulary revision homework.

The task

So if you have never heard of BINGO, it is a fairly simple game in which you listen out for the information in your grid and cross it out once your number, or in this case word, has been called.

If you want to get started quickly you can make the cards yourself beforehand and skip to step 3 or even four. However, if you’re more like me, you make your students do the hard work.

  1. Explain the game to students that have never done the game before. You might want to model it the first time.
  2. Give your students an empty card or let them make a grid in their notebook (3×3 or 4×4 or 5×5). The larger the grid the longer the game will take.
  3. Instruct them to fill their grid with words from the vocabulary list you are going to call out from. You can let them write down the word in their native language or the word in the target language.
  4. Once students have their bingo cards ready you will tell them when they have bingo. Is it one vertical/diagonal/horizontal row or the whole card. Agree with students what the ‘penalty’ will be for a false bingo. My class opted for singing a song in front of the other students.
  5. One by one, call the translation or definition of the words. The students will have to mark off the word that has the same meaning. Keep tabs on which words you have called to be able to check for false bingo.
  6. When a student calls BINGO! they will have to show their card to you to verify they were correct. If so, congratulate them or give them a small prize. If not, let them perform the previously agreed on penalty.
  7. You can choose to give other students a chance at bingo or let them have a go at filling up their cards.

Additional ideas

If you do not work with translations in your wordlist but words and definitions then this would work just as well. Let the students fill in the word and you read out the definitions. You could do it the other way around but that would take up some time when creating the bingo card. Nice homework task though!

If you do not have a vocabulary list per se but you do want to expand your students’ vocabulary you could let them play bingo with synonyms or even antonyms. You would need to agree on a set of words that are part of the game. A selection of words from a reading text could work well here.

Over to you: Do you have any other ways in which a game like BINGO could be used in the classroom?

Have fun teaching! ^_^

Love,

Astrid

vocabulary

Vocabulary: Revision Games

Astrid van Houwelingen

When it comes to making things ‘stick’ revision is the key word. Although repeating words until a student remembers them can be an arduous task, it is essential to learning a language. Of course revising by repeating the words with flash cards or using a vocabulary revision app can be useful. But if you want to liven things up a bit there are many activities and games you can play with your students that will have them begging for some more revision please…

And of course we aim to please. That is why I have designed a slideshow with six no-prep games that you can use in your lessons when you want them to repeat those words and still have some fun!

The Basics

Level: A2-C2 (Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-intermediate, Advanced)
Focus: Revising vocabulary, writing, speaking
Time: 15-60 minutes depending on the activity you choose
Materials: Vocabulary list, sheets of paper

Aim

Students revise their vocabulary. This can be done either before a test or after you have set some vocabulary revision homework.

The task

In the presentation below you can find six different ways of revising vocabulary. There are instructions on making your own gapfill, writing a short story, making a quiz, playing forbidden word, playing ‘Who is it’ and describing and guessing someone’s character. Because students do more than matching the word and definition or translation it also builds their confidence about writing and speaking in the target language.

Additional ideas

There are many other game forms that lend themselves well to be used in the language class. How about bingo with irregular verbs or playing charades with the words on the vocabulary list? Fun is guaranteed.

Over to you: Do you have fun ideas for revising vocabulary? Let us know in the comment section below.

Have fun teaching! ^_^

Love,

Astrid

vocabulary

Linking words: Who am I?

Astrid van Houwelingen

Students are often asked to study new words from vocabulary lists. If they are lucky, these words have been presented to them in a reading or listening task. More often than not, these words are studied in isolation and are produced only in translation or gap-fill activities. Yet, we want students to be able to reproduce them in their own speaking and writing.

This activity invites students to consider when and how words are used. It also invites them to create new contexts in which they can incorporate these newly learnt vocabulary items.

The Basics

Level: A2-C2 (Elementary – Advanced)
Focus: Learning new linking words, using linking words, speaking, writing
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Post-its, overview of linking words, white board, several markers

Aim

Adding to student’s knowledge of linking words. Knowing a variety of linking words will allow students to become more proficient readers, writers, speakers and listeners. It will become easier for them to make and follow an argument.

The Task

1. Before starting on the assignment, ask students what they already know about linking words. Let your students complete a mindmap, focussing on what linking words are and why the students should become more familiar with them. This should give both you and your students a chance to reflect on what they know and why the upcoming assignment is important.

When everyone is up to speed on the what and why, it is time to dive a little deeper into the material.

2. Provide students with an overview of the linking words you would like them to become more familiar with. This can be taken from the course book or an online list of words such as this one.

3. Hand out sticky notes and invite students to choose a linking word from the list. They should keep this word secret and stick it on their fellow student’s back or forehead.

4. Now the fun starts. Students walk around and ask their fellow students questions such as: ‘Can you use my linking word when you want to connect ideas?’ or ‘Would you use my linking word if you want to give a reason for your argument?’ The fellow student can only answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

Note: Because you would like students to be confronted with as many linking words as possible, you should stimulate your students to ask only one question to one student. This requires them to think about the function of multiple linking words. It also allows them to move around, which energizes them and lets them blow off some steam (if necessary). Feel free to explain the reason for this rule with students who are hesitant to move around.

5. Once a student knows their category, they can start to find out which specific linking word they have on their sticky note. Students should request a gapped sentence from their classmates: ‘Could you create a sencence where my linking word could be used?’ This forces both students to consider the function of the linking word in context. Struggling students could enlist the help of a dictionary to find an example sentence.

6. Once a student knows which linking word they have, invite them to the whiteboard and let them create a sentence with the linking word underlined. Ask them to go back to their seats when finished.

7. When everyone has written down their sentences, review the most remarkable or difficult ones with the class. Does the class feel the linking word has been used correctly? If not, how can the sentence be improved?

Note: With larger classes you could ask students to share their sentences in small groups and give each other feedback on them. The students could provide you with their most remarkable sentence or a sentence they were unsure about. These could be discussed with the whole class.

8. If present, you could ask students to do the assignments from the coursebook to check their understanding. Alternatively, let them write a paragraph including some of the linking words that they have learnt that lesson.

Additional ideas

Who am I? works well with linking words but could also be applied to reviewing vocabulary. Students pick a word from the words they studied previously and go about asking ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions as well as gapped sentences to figure out which word is on their sticky note. Asking them to create their own sentence with the word allows them to consider when and how a word could be used.

Over to you: Do you have fun ways of teaching linking words or other cohesive devices? I’m always up for a great new idea to try out with my students.

Have fun teaching! ^_^

Love,

Astrid