Crush the Cockroach Interpretive Game

Communication is the interpretation, expression, and/or negotiation of meaning in a given context (Bill VanPatten). Especially in the early days of a new language class, interpretation is king. Yet, developing novel tasks and activities that students can complete without trying to produce or pronounce language that they haven’t yet acquired is a challenge! As we…

Read More

One’s Gotta Go discussion prompt for language classes

One’s gotta go is a popular discussion prompt that is perfect for communicative language classes. The basic premise is that students are looking at 3-4 images of different things and picking the one that they would eliminate from existence if one had to go away forever. How to play One’s gotta go This discussion activity…

Read More

Wacky Chat: 75 totally random questions to ask your students

It’s January– you’re tired, they’re tired. Routines have started feeling…routine…and the same old challenges that you’ve been dealing with since the fall are starting to feel really old. Now is a particularly great time of year to be predictable in expectations but unpredictable in planning. Instead of starting the next unit or chapter and working…

Read More

When you know, you know – A game of numbers

I have learned many of my favorite games from Nelly Hughes, author of Fluency Matters‘ Selena and the force behind Comprendes Méndez SpanishShop. As a teacher that has been using and training teachers in Comprehension-based™ methods for many years, Nelly has a knack for finding and adapting games for communicative language classes. ”El que sabe,…

Read More

Cataplún/Kaboom! – Small group game for language classes

Tomorrow is Friday, it’s the first week back from break, and you’re exhausted. What to do, what to do… “MovieTalk?” –you think– “No, too much standing and talking.” “Asking a story?” –but you dismiss it– “Too much standing and talking and energy used in general.” “Picture Talk?” –now there’s an idea!– “No, too much using…

Read More