Games and Activities to

Enhance Interpersonal Communication

Amanda Seewald, M.Ed.

Language Programs
www.maracas123.com
[email protected]

FLENJ
Summer Refresher
August 11, 2016
Rowan University
 Games in the Language Classroom
Games are an integral part of a constructive interactive language learning environment.
By incorporating games into your students’ learning experience, you not only encourage
engaged participation, but also awaken their competitive spirits as a means to building
stronger comprehension.

Games can be designed to reach many different goals. Some are created as a way to
review information already taught, some are designed to provide rehearsal for a new
linguistic skill, and still others provoke thought in the language and require students to
use what they know to apply their language learning to content area based games.

Sometimes simple classroom manipulatives or everyday materials can be used in a

number of ways to create games that will challenge, encourage, and excite learners.

Sample games using common:

BIG DICE – Use these fun and funky manipulatives many ways. Here are four
quick suggestions:
1. More and less – Students can practice the concepts and linguistic
patterns for more than and less than using the dice in pairs. Each time the dice
are rolled, partners must say in the target language, “ ____ is more than/less
than _______”
2. Who wins? – Using a bowl of beans, coins, prizes, or any other type of
manipulative, students take turns rolling and counting out the number of items
they roll. Total them once all items are gone to determine who wins.
3. Mathematics – Depending on the age and knowledge base your students
have, do a math race. Have the students work in teams to roll the dice and add to
see which team reaches 100 first. Each person to go must add their number on
out loud in the target language and announce the number they have reached.
4. Sentence/Story Rollers – Three dice can be used: one for subject, one
for verb, and one for location. Students can divide into teams or into groups. Roll
the dice and make a sentence or short story based on the words that correspond
to the numbers. You can vary this based on what concepts you are focusing on in
class.

Matching games – These are an extremely valuable old standby, however, it is

important to use these not only as vocabulary builders, but also as communicative
skill enhancers.
 4. Weather forecast – Challenge your students to put the weather forecast
together by matching the pictures with the proper days and weather words. This
can be done with younger students with the teacher facilitating by reading the
words for each day page. Once it is put together the students can act it out as
though they were doing a forecast for t.v. This activity can be extended to
create a whole newscast by also incorporating putting a story in order and even
including a sports report.

5. Questions and Answers – This is a review game that is based on the idea
that students need to be able to use the language to communicate ideas. By
putting questions on strips of paper and their corresponding answers on another,
literate learners can match them either individually on a table or in a more
kinesthetic way. Each student receives a question or an answer at random and has
to go around to classmates and read theirs back and forth until they find their
match. A variation on this game for younger learners would be to ask a question
and provide pictures that would correspond to answers. Students could take turns
figuring out which answer is correct. Another way to play with questions and
answers is by doing a conversation relay in which each student has a question and
their partners must respond before they can turn and ask the next student.

6. Survivor Spanish/French/German/Chinese…Students take part in three

activities as a team or individually to keep their “torches” lit and survive the
challenge. Each one can require a different skill (a puzzle or a game) that must be
completed correctly before moving on to the next part. This can include any one
of the games previously mentioned, but here are some suggestions:
1. matching thematic books to season names
2. creating a specific pattern of colors that needs to be read aloud to the guide
(teacher)
3. Listening to a description of clothing and dressing up a paper doll in the
correct combination. (This can be read live or provided with a listening device like
an ipod or cd.)

7. Scavenger Hunt – Depending on your location, create a group of items that

need to be found by each team (could be 2-4 per group). You may want to vary the
items to make it impossible to cheat. If your students can read, write the list,
otherwise it can be an audio list for younger learners. With younger learners you
may want to do this as a whole group activity.

8. Follow the Directions – This is a great way to get your students involved in
using language for a purpose. Prior to this activity, students should learn words
and phrases about right, left, turn, and straight. This can be extended for older
or more advanced learners to include cardinal directions and the idea of using a
compass. Teacher should hide stars or another item that can be discovered by
each student. Younger students should do this individually but in a whole group
setting. Older students can work in pairs or small groups. Directions for younger
students should be no longer than three steps.

9. Recycling race – Earth friendly lessons support social studies objectives and
are a great way to encourage ecological awareness in your students. Do this
activity in the target language with a recycling race. Each team has a pile of
materials (paper, plastic, cans, and cardboard). When you say go; a member from
each team must pick an item and say what it is. Then he/she must run to place it
in the correct box at the other end of the room which will have a picture and a
word to signify what its contents should be. After each student goes, they must
announce to their team members (in the target language), “I recycled; now you can
help.” The first team to finish correctly wins. This can be more challenging if you
place a picture of an item that has been made by recycling on the bins.

10. All About Me – This is a great singing game. You can do it with a bouncing
ball or just with a rhythm of clapping hands. Each student gets a chance to tell
about themselves. It can be silly if they know the words. Practice these ideas
individually prior to playing this so each student feels comfortable.
Hola me llamo Amanda y me gusta bailar
Yo tengo 8 años y un hermano. ¡Mucho gusto!
 Strategy: Find My Rule (Kagan Structure)
Definition: Items or words are presented in a frame.
Students discuss them and generate ideas.
When to use: to categorize items based on prior knowledge
or as review of vocabulary
Example(s): given a group of items, which ones have to do
with fall?

Strategy: Match Mine (Kagan Structure)

Definition: Each student has an identical set of items or
materials. They sit back to back and one must describe the
pattern they crate so the receiver can match it.
When to use: to assess comprehension, to encourage verbal
communication
Example(s): Make the monster. Describe the monster’s
appearance and draw a match.

Strategy: Line-ups (Kagan Structure)

Definition: Students line up according to characteristics,
estimates, values, or assigned items
When to use: to practice following directions in the
language, for opposites, and answering questions
Example(s): tallest to shortest, categorize by...
 Strategy: Think-Pair-Share
Definition: students think about and reflect on an issue or problem
then work with a classmate to share and compare ideas.
When to use: Vocabulary or concept review, Quiz review,
Reading discussion questions, Activate prior knowledge,
Brainstorming.
Example(s): consider why it is important to speak another
language and share ideas with a partner

Strategy: Who Am I? (Kagan Structure)

Definition: students wear signs of familiar people or ideas on
their back. Each asks yes or no questions to figure out who
or what they are.
When to use: to encourage inquiry and interpersonal
learning
Example(s): each student has a vocabulary word from a unit
on school on his or her back

Strategy: Mix Freeze Group (Kagan structure)

Definition: students walk around until the teacher says
freeze. Students group by 4 or 5 and have to discuss a
question posed by the teacher.
When to use: to encourage bodily kinesthetic learners,
reading discussion, experiment observation discussion
Example(s): After reading a story about winter, students
need to answer comprehension questions.
 Amanda Seewald, M.Ed. – www.maracas123.com
[email protected]

GAMESTORM!!!
Like a brainstorm, but different…

Title of the game: ___________________________________________________________

Object of the game: ___________________________________________________________

Content area and learning goals: ____________________________________

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________
NJEA Convention
Number of players: ______________ Time needed: _________________
November 11, 2011

You will need:

You will need:

Directions:

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

At the end of the game: ____________________________________________________________

 Describe It!
Beschrijf het! Décrivez-le! Beschreib das! 描述！ ¡Descríbemelo!
- Activity Sheet
Descriverlo! 説明して Menggambarkan!
by ANSWERS IN MOTION, LLC
Describe It!Thumball™
concept by Amanda Seewald M.Ed.

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