7 Fun Games for Learning a Second Language
Games are one of the tools for learning. And they work whether you are learning a second language of you’re learning math. People often say that whatever is learned through play is learned much faster than through any other method. In fact, research suggests that learning experiences based on play are a very effective way of developing skills that will “allow children to step into uncertainty, create opportunities for themselves and their communities, and learn throughout life.”* (https://www.legofoundation.com/media/1063/learning-through-play_web.pdf)
In the spirit of play, we have made a list of some really fun games that can be adapted for your bilingual child to learn and practice their target language.
Learn Vocabulary with Bingo
For this game, you give each player at least one cardboard with a 5×5 grid containing words or images. The caller draws a ball or a card randomly. When a player has a match they can put a chip on there image. When a person completes a pattern indicated at the beginning of the game, they can call out BINGO!
The great thing about this game is that you can easily adapt it to fit your needs, so there’s nothing basic about it. You can use it to practice any kind of vocabulary animals, shapes, colors, clothes, words, verbs, etc. You can purchase the game, find different versions of it on Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers, or you can simply make your own!
Recall What You’ve Learned with Memory
This family favorite consists of placing opaque cards face down and having players take turns in finding matching pairs. Just like bingo, you can adapt this game to suit your needs. You can play it in any language to practice a slew of different vocabulary. Anyone can play it alone or with a group of people. And you can literally play the game anywhere. Spanish Safari and Eglish Safari both include a fun electronic versión of this game.
Have Laughs While Learning with Stop (Scattegories)
You have probably played an official version of this game, but growing up we used to just use paper and pencil! Divide the paper into several rows and columns. Then you write the category (name, surname, color, fruit, animal, etc) at the top of each column. Finally, save the last column for point totals.
Each player takes a turn choosing a letter by picking pieces of papers from a container. The players should then write in the words that go with the category and begin with the chosen letter. The first player to fill out the whole sheet will yell stop. Players will then go around calling out their answers and each unique correct answer receives a point. In the end the player with the most accumulated points wins.
This fun game gives plenty of opportunities for you to practice when learning a second language, especially when introducing new vocabulary and grammar.
Learning a Second Language with Simon Says
Choose a leader (Simon) and the rest of the players must do what the person indicates using at the beginning of the phrase “Simon says …” You can choose a player who will be “Simon” or you as an adult can be it! The rest of the players must perform the actions indicated by the leader. However, they should only perform the actions if the leader says “Simons says” first. Any player who makes a mistake, is then out of the game until the next round.
Students learning a second language can have fun and learn while playing this game. Parents and teachers can asses the level of listening comprehension while guiding students and modeling proper language and grammar. With this game, you can practice verbs, body parts, and other vocabulary. Your children or students will improve their vocabulary, oral comprehension, pronunciation, oral expression and the formation of sentences.
Charades for the Win
Charades is a game suitable for all ages. It consists of acting out words or phrases written on a strip of paper, and the objective is to make the person or the team guess the answer using only gestures. That’s right, when a player acts a word or phrase, he is not allowed to speak.
These words or phrases are written before the game can be on a specific theme or simply words in the minority language that you know your children or students will recognize. The player must remove the word or phrase from a container and will have a limited time for their team to guess the word through mimes. They can set their own rules before playing, such as the categories of the words found in the container and allow the player who draws the word to name the category, or if it is a phrase to announce by hand how many words it contains, and thus, this game you can adapt it to your liking and even set your own rules.
SCRABBLE up Some Fun While Learning a Second Language
SCRABBLE is a crossword game for 2 – 4 players, but it can also be played in a group if you want to enjoy it with a group of students. Players can score points in by placing tiles onto a game board divided into a grid of 15x 15 squares. Each letter has a set number of points, some letters being worth more points than other.
This game can be played in many different languages and it can be adapted to suit your needs.
Picture Your Kiddos Learning a Second Language with Pictionary
This guessing word game is played in teams with players trying to identify specific words from the drawings made by teammates. You can think of it as “drawing charades.”
You can purchase the game, but it’s also really to recreate. All you need is a board and you can define the categories at the beginning of the game, write the words that the players will guess and place them in a container.
Games are a lot of fun to play and with just a few adaptations, you can make any game a great learning experience. Do you have any games that you use to practice the target language? Tell us about it in the comments!
About the Author
Keli Garcia Allen is a Spanish teacher and currently works as a Preschool teacher in a bilingual classroom. She also Homeschools her 3 bilingual children. She is the Head of Content for Learn Safari and is currently working on Spanish Safari, an app for learning Spanish for kids 3-9 years old. You can follow her and the rest of the team on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.