Speaking Games!

Name 5! 

A quick game if you have only a few minutes, to warm-up or to practise vocabulary verbally.

You can use these flashcards or just tell them the topic. For example : ·Name 5 animas!   Students will take turns to tell their answers. At the moment that you get 5 words related to the topic, choose another topic.

To be sure that everybody participates, we have created a “system”.  Students that have participated cannot participate again, until the whole class is done!. We call it rounds, 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round...

To be honest, at the beginning it was crazy, some students want to participate a lot, others prefer to avoid playing.  Writing on the boards their names after answering was time-consuming. So, I created these flashcards. Students hold their class, showing to the teacher the green side. Once the student participates, he or she will turn the card. Students will need time and practice, but they get used to it quickly, and it is an amazing way (in my opinion) to check is the whole class is participating in the activity. They can keep their cards in their pencil cases, so they can use it any time.

Download Name 5 here

Find the impostors!

I like to create activities related to the likes of my students. 

I had an interview days ago, and I had to prepare a 20-minute activity for 4th grade students. Of course, a reading/writing activity was not an option. It must be a speaking activity… but I was so insecure about the type of activity, to motivate and engaged them in less than 20 minutes.

My first idea was… “Find someone how…”  If you are working on a specific vocabulary or structure, this game is perfect for your class. 

Students need to get specific information about their peers in order to complete the activity. They walk freely around the class, speaking exclusively in English. 

But… without knowing the kids, their likes or level…  I needed MOTIVATION since minute one… so I turned a regular “Find someone how…” into a “Find the impostor”. 

Each child receives an individual, TOP SECRET piece of paper, where they will know their roles in the game, impostor or honest people!

The impostor must lie all the time, the rest of the class needs to pay attention to the answers of others, to discover who the impostors are. 

The tricky part here are the questions, I thought about information that they already know about their peers, to be able to recognize if others were lying. 

The class loved the activity from minute one… they saw the characters of “Among Us” and I had them in my pocket. 

Students need to write the name of the peer that answer the question and his/her answer. Once they have all the evidence about who could be the impostor or impostors, they will share their speculation with the rest of the class, discovering together the impostors. 

Download all the resources to play "Find the impostors!" here.