I would just like to clarify that ‘TheIdealTeacher’ is simply the website’s name and it’s what I aspire to be and what I am working towards. Fun Ways to Teach Young Children Vocabulary. But by keeping the following strategies in mind, teaching vocabulary to your 2nd graders can be every bit as magical as if they were learning new spells at Hogwarts. Both from personal and professional experience, I recently travelled to Spain and managed to communicate with hand gestures and the words I remembered from doing my GCSE in one year, in 2003. They include activities to expand vocabulary, how to teach vocabulary as a starter, ways in which students can recycle previously seen and taught vocabulary, as well as ways to improve their vocabulary through dictionary, pairwork and group work. 10. * A-Level German (AQA & WJEC) / Pre-U German Have the words you want to teach on some flash cards or slips of paper and distribute the cards evenly to your students. I will also present you with 10 fun ways to help students to learn words, whether this be in English, French, German, Spanish or any other foreign language! * KS3, GCSE, Pre-U and A-Level German Stewart, E., ( 2013), Vocabulary: Implicit vs Explicit, http://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/common-core-classroom/55272 This picture was taken from a lesson revising adjectives and the English was written in one colour and the German in another colour. Teaching vocabulary should be fun! Your email address will not be published. Word Clouds – One way I use word clouds to teach vocabulary, is by uploading a text in the target language and getting students to select words from the word cloud and make as many sentences as they can in the past, present and future. I have explained how I use the fun ways to teach vocabulary below and have a handy handout out which lists of all of the activities outlined below here: Ten Fun Ways To Learn Vocabulary In The Language Classroom. Mix it up! I can’t really pick and I love combining all of them during each term! Vocab Spirals – These are fabulous for a number of ways to teach vocabulary and can be used to break down long chunks of text into comprehensible elements. Lots of very neat and organised recapping from the holidays topic , French Numbers practice (1 - 1,000,000,000,000) English Profile is a great resource that profiles that English language allowing us to make better judgments about what vocabulary to teach. Please read our disclosure for more information. Vocabulary Activity #1: Vocab Bag Toss Vocab bag toss is an interactive and entertaining way to learn new vocab words. https://www.languageguide.org/french/numbers/ Another way to make teaching vocabulary more fun is to have students create a short story or screenplay using the words they’ve just learned. There are a number of fun ways to teach vocabulary, including games and activities like Mad Lib, Running Dictation, Spelling Race, Apples to Apples and Dictogloss. Did you find the ways to practise, learn and teach vocabulary useful? With your students working in pairs I give each student one copy of the photo. Students were asked to work in teams to match the adjective sets from around the room. I still remember to this day the word”amazed”. I vary which ones are correct and incorrect on each photo. Let’s first look at a few tips to help set you up for success! So, here are 10 great ways to teach English vocabulary, outlined for each of the stages of vocabulary acquisition: Stage 1: Noticing and understanding new words. For example, you could write adjectives, nouns and verbs on the topic of ‘home’, which students must sort. If so, subscribe to my newsletter for all my latest teaching and learning content based around language acquisition straight to your inbox! 5. Give students the instructions that they must each draw a different object, related to your chosen topic, on each piece of paper. I look at language acquisition in a similar way. Here are five engaging ways to teach your students vocab while making sure they boost their vocabulary acquisition: 1. In my classroom, I combine all of the strategies suggested above: vocabulary lists, activities around listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as explicit vocabulary teaching. I gave the story of dreaming of going to Disney Land for years just hoping to see Cinderella’s castle. Gather a sturdy piece of poster board, some writing materials and a few bean bags. I recommend a minimum of 3 letters per word, I advise that proper nouns are not allowed and that the teacher’s say is final when it comes to choosing a winner! You can further expand on the game. IDEA #12: Vocabulary Relay Print out words on one set of cards (copy this set a few times) and definitions, context, or sentences in which they could be used (fill-in-the-blank) on another set (just one set). Choosing the right vocabulary – It is important to make the right selection of words. I find that this works very well. Did you find the ways to practise, learn and teach vocabulary useful? Vocab Scrabble – I mentioned vocabulary scrabble in a previous ‘tip of the week’ post and I highly recommend using this as a starter, in the middle or at the end of teaching a topic. As teachers, we can sometimes get into a routine and just stick to the classic methods of teaching vocabulary. * develop students’ confidence from the first lesson You could also use this activity with stickers on the bricks. Vocabulary A-Z Lesson Plans With Vocabulary A-Z, you can create your own vocabulary lists based on topic, content, or part of speech, and generate lesson activities based on your selections. If you are teaching a topic for which you can find emojis, use them! In short, Gagne proposed a system for classifying different types of learning in terms of their degree of complexity. (listening and speaking) Every penny helps! I will also present you with 10 fun ways to help students to learn words, whether this be in English, French, German, Spanish or any other foreign language! A vocabulary activity is something that helps students learn new terms and words in context. This is a quick game that needs little preparation. Both students should talk in normal full sentences. 4. You can take them with you and practice learning and revising the vocabulary anywhere you go. 3. Looking for some extra help? It’s all goldmine for FREE German lesson materials (grammar, reading & vocab) for all levels! You could also add some new lexical elements for the students to look up, with the help of a dictionary, perhaps. Required fields are marked *. Using a dry-wipe marker means you can rub the words off once they have been used with one class, ready for a new set of vocabulary. I have found or taken pictures of the fun activities on how to teach vocabulary, which you can adapt for your classroom. * Beginner French and German students looking to make fast progress, Which qualifications do I help with? In addition, I combine ‘fun’ ways of learning vocabulary, which can break up the monotony of traditional vocabulary teaching methods. p.s. This activity works well as a starter to introduce a topic. Thanks in advance  – Sabina, German Teachers! I have found or taken pictures of the fun activities on how to teach vocabulary, which you can adapt for your classroom. I LOVE TEACHING LANGUAGES AND SEEING MY STUDENTS’ CONFIDENCE IMPROVE! To end this task get another pair to peer correct. Their challenge is to get their partner to say that word. They include activities to expand vocabulary, how to teach vocabulary as a starter, ways in which students can recycle previously seen and taught vocabulary, as well as ways to improve their vocabulary through dictionary, pairwork and group work. * develop communication skills (speaking, listening & translation) So, crossword puzzles and word searches are my go-to vocabulary game when teaching novel studies. Please get in touch to discuss your needs! Pre-teaching vocabulary is a strategy in which teachers introduce students to new vocabulary words before reading a text selection that contains the new vocabulary words. Introducing nouns, things, objects, animals, etc… Visual elements work best with concrete nouns, … * German GCSE & German iGCSE (AQA, Edexcel, Pearson, Eduqas, OCR, WJEC & CIE) After you give the definition your students must write down either “That’s me” or “That’s (name of student)”. Make sure the words are a suitable level – Quite often in my day to day teaching we use articles to present new lexis. Hi! Graves (2016) concludes that ‘explicit vocabulary teaching’ should be included in vocabulary instruction; meaning that a maximum of 4-5 ‘useful’ words should be taught at any one time, in order to ‘attack’ vocabulary acquisition. Tongue twisters are a fun way to practise new vocabulary! Required fields are marked *. Ten Fun Ways To Learn, Practise and Teach Vocabulary, Ten Ways To Learn Vocabulary In The Languages Classroom, Vocabulary Challenges for The Language Classroom, Le système éducatif français – Listening Lesson with Transcript and Activities, Jenga Activity for Spontaneous Speaking – Language Tip of the Week, Running A Successful European Day of Languages (EDL). * KS3, and GCSE French students Depending on the result of the coin flip the student must act out the sentence or draw the sentence. Below are several techniques teachers should consider when teaching vocabulary. I recently travelled to Spain and managed to communicate with hand gestures and the words I remembered from doing my GCSE in one year, in 2003. Have you joined my mailing list? Giving students many chances to understand and use words will change the way they look at words, and open their understanding. Another great way to learn vocabulary on the go is to make small cards for each word (Spanish on the front, English on the back), hole punch them and put them on a key ring. Students could also work in pairs to do the same activity. I taught 3rd grade. 6. I’m Sabina – an insanely passionate, qualified French and German teacher and tutor, as well as an experienced EFL teacher. If you’re interested in buying lolly pop sticks, you can find loads of quantities at affordable prices online. * build vocabulary and grammar knowledge in a simple way It could also be utilised with one word on each lolly pop stick, around different themes and students have to categorise the word on each lolly pop stick based on topic. Need a Private German Tutor or a Teacher for French or EFL? I have explained how I use the fun ways to teach vocabulary below and have a handy handout out which lists of all of the activities outlined below here: Ten Fun Ways To Learn, Practise and Teach Vocabulary. Earn your 120hr TEFL certificate from Magic Ears and learn how to plan lessons, manage your classroom, and get a foundation for teaching grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Instead of students secretly holding their cards like poker have them spread them out in front of them so that everyone in the class can see each other’s cards. 12. Teachers can easily make learning new vocabulary really fun by incorporating games and hands-on activities! This post may contain affiliate links (at no extra cost to you). - Sabina (aka 'The Ideal Teacher'), Enter your details to keep up to date with the latest resources, straight to your inbox >>. Display vocabulary words around the room, surrounded by relevant pictures, definitions, synonyms, etc. This activity to teach clothes vocabulary is a lot of fun and your students will likely want to play this game several times once they see the funny result. Randomised Vocabulary Lists and Highlighters – I am a list maker, so this activity comes very easily to me! Whilst this concept might sound self-explanatory, there are actually a number of approaches that could be taken to achieve this aim. For example, a picture inside a busy restaurant. Write each vocabulary word on an individual index card. . Their favorite activity was acting out the vocabulary words. Teachers can … If this is the case, as long as they can justify their choice, in the target language, they should get the credit. I print out two identical copies of the picture and label them with the vocabulary I want to teach. I then give a definition/use/example of one of the words and if the student thinks they have that word they must shout “That’s me”. Doing this will not only make your vocabulary classes more dynamic and fun but your students will also benefit much more. Graves (2016) suggests another way to build students’ vocabulary is to ‘immerse students in a rich array of language experiences so that they can learn words through listening, speaking, reading and writing’. Once drawn, each piece of paper must be folded in half and put in the middle of the table, ready for play. Learn how your comment data is processed. This could include using visuals, semantics or mnemonic strategies. Determining an appropriate number for your students might be a process of trial and error. After I have corrected any mistakes I ask my students to prepare a short story that includes at least x amount of the nouns. You could do the same for: food and drink, jobs, modes of transport, technology, numbers, directions and the time, for example. There are a few materials you’ll need for this game. Therefore it is important to teach vocabulary well to help students acquire and use the language, as well as develop that confidence. Teaching vocabulary doesn't have to be laborious and boring! Students were asked to work in teams to match the adjective sets from around the room. ESL/EFL learners need to be familiar with a great many words … If so, Clark, S., (1999) How To Improve Your Vocabulary, Westminister USA: Teacher Credited Resources, Frost, R., (2004), Presenting Vocabulary, British Council: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/presenting-vocabulary, Graves, M., (2016) The Vocabulary Book, 2nd Ed., New York: Teachers College Press, Stewart, E., ( 2013), Vocabulary: Implicit vs Explicit, http://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/common-core-classroom/55272, Wyner, G., (2014) Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It, New York: Crown Publishing. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Your email address will not be published. What is a Vocabulary Activity? So here, James Clements shares some practical ways to go about it, each with a linked resource sheet (seven in total) ready to download and use in your classroom. Students sit in a circle with a timer set for a random amount of time (3-8 minutes works well). When you enjoy teaching your English language learners new words, they will catch your enthusiasm and enjoy learning them. free to use ESL materials for both students and teachers. Pin this to save for later! Grab stacks of … Each student must highlight all the words to do with ‘X’ in one colour and all the words to do with ‘Y’ in another colour. Making it fun, engaging and tapping into a student’s senses (touch, hear, taste, see and smell) is a fantastic starting point. I throw on a tiara, some fancy Dollar Tree glasses, and Christmas garland, and I instantly become Fancy Nancy. However, they can only speak to their partner in normal dialogue; they are not allowed to directly ask them. Stewart (2004) is clear, however, that vocabulary is something that students must own. – Make sure you vary the method of presenting and reviewing vocabulary. Give one of your students a word – only they can know the word and they must not say this word. The sentences start off small and simple and later become more complex. If not, go to the ‘Sign Up’ page and join to stay up-to-date with the latest content, ideas and resources. 5 Fun Word Games for Vocabulary Practice Vocabulary practice is something teachers are always trying to increase. I create all resources and on average, they take 5 hours to prepare. Whoever gets the correct word, gets to keep the sheet until the end of play, i.e. To prepare for this game you need to find a picture that includes the items you want to teach. No matter what kind of vocabulary list you choose, your list generates a 5-day lesson plan with activities that encourage students to: Draw a picture Watch the video: Ten Ways To Learn Vocabulary In The Languages Classroom here, or read on to get the full details below! Using lego bricks to teach vocabulary is very interactive and fun! The problem that I often experience is that the articles contain vocabulary that is far too difficult for my students. Get students to write down the vocabulary for any words they know first, then add more ideas in pairs and small groups and finally, complete the activity as a group. Quite often, I find that different students will choose a different ‘odd one out’, to what I had originally considered. Play the video and then give them a short related prompt. Wyner, G., (2014) Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It, New York: Crown Publishing, It is very useful to engage kids and trigger their interest to learn vocabulary. See the picture below as an example. Students write a sentence on a slip of paper. Not only did you include vocabulary activities, but you also provided ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge through demo/experiments. Thanks a lot for your precious ways in teaching vocabulary. This post on ’10 Fun Ideas To Teach Vocabulary’ will explore effective methods to improve vocabulary acquisition, as well techniques that should be included to successfully teach words. Choose four words related to the theme you are talking about, 1 of the words has to have an ‘odd one out’ element. As the name suggests, students simply have to repeat what you say. Clark states that increasing vocabulary ‘does not begin and end with a work sheet on vocabulary’, whilst, Folse (2004), in contrast, believes that word lists or the use of translation, if used in moderation, are effective ways to learn new vocabulary. They need to have the opportunity to appreciate, be encompassed by, and truly see words for the dynamic presence that they hold. * … and whatever else they want to work on! Get this free resource pack here. This also means word retention is greater. Year ago (I won’t tell you how many years….) An extension for this could be to create a story using vocabulary from X number of the lego brick blocks. The aim of this activity is to create as many words as possible. You need to prepare two things for this game. Your email address will not be published. This is an example I recently found online with antonyms of adjectives. Not only is I Spy on our list of fun ways to teach vocabulary words, it also helps students become comfortable with using a dictionary and navigating its layout. In order to do something with this vocabulary, ask students to write about the sports they and their friends/family like or dislike. * Home-educated students learning French & German First, give each students a piece of paper. Teaching vocabulary can be a real challenge. is a great resource that profiles that English language allowing us to make better judgments about what vocabulary to teach. Check it out here if not: Each week, once your students have their vocabulary list, turn their attention to whatever video you've discovered that you think will be riveting for them (this Ukrainian sand painter and this guy dancing are two of my all-time favorites). The letters used in these words will include 7 letters (that you, or the students have selected at random), as well as 1 extra letter that has also been selected at random, but which must be used in all words. The activities I do in class have been inspired by. This type of activity could be used to revise previously learned vocabulary, combined with some new elements. Make sure you are following me on my socials too for more teacher related things to make you smile. It can be used to teach new vocabulary, but is also a good method to recycle old vocabulary that will be used in the ‘new’ topic. Super Fun Ways to Experiment with New Vocabulary in the Classroom. I tell my students that they can write on the board when someone gets a part of the sentence right. Pictionary With A Twist – A classic, fun classroom game, which is fantastic for revising vocabulary at the end of a topic. I am an enthusiastic modern languages teacher with the sole aim of improving my students’ language  acquisition with innovative teaching methods to promote progress and improve confidence quickly. So, to help, I want to give you some great activities and methods that I use regularly to make teaching vocabulary fun and exciting for both you and your students. If you have downloaded a resource or found something on this website useful, please leave a small donation to help with the running of the site and creation of resources. when you stay stop. Vocabulary is the foundation of successful language learning. Effective vocabulary instruction within the 6M Learning Framework includes opportunities to motivate, model, master, magnify and maintain vocabulary knowledge with meaningful feedback guiding the sequence of learning. On the count of three everyone reveals who they think has the word with people who are correct winning a point and those incorrect losing a point. Hence, the reason for this post and the focus I feel that the ability to practise vocabulary should have in any language learning environment. 7. #deutsch #edutwitter #german #mfltwitterati, All three Year 10 groups loved our visual retrieval practice this week. Choose words that are connected by a. The final sentences might include 3-4 of the new words. In order to understand written or spoken language, students do not need to know the meaning of every single word they see (as is evident from my aforementioned trip to Spain), especially since a native speaker only tends to use around five thousand words in every day speech (Frost, 2004). This is a good game for reviewing vocabulary based on a location or specific activity that could involve a mix of lexical items. I want you … In this example, there are small sections cut out of a sponge tube. The winner is the person with the most tally points at the end. We would read stories out of the reading textbook and do activities with the stories. I explicitly introduce the words prior to reading. * CEFR Levels A1-C2. I have over 11 years teaching experience in private, online, secondary and further education settings. I finally got to go to Disney Land and saw the castle, and I just stood there staring with m… 8. Vocabulary quizzes don’t exactly tend to incite excitement in the classroom, and it can be difficult at times to motivate your students to write and practice using their vocab words. Oh, and students will actually remember the vocabulary this way, too (bonus!) Thank-you so much in advance for your generosity! Here are 5 ways I teach vocabulary both in the classroom and with individual tutoring students (without using boring word lists!). Helping children to develop a rich vocabulary is one of the best ways we can support their education. Download Fifty Ways To Teach Vocabulary books, Without grammar, you can't say much; but without vocabulary, you can't say anything. All of these methods allow my students the ability to develop their understanding of lexical items through repeated exposure and variety. So… that’s ten fun ways to teach vocabulary in the language classroom. In this article, we've given you a lot of ideas on how to expand your vocabulary. This picture was taken from a lesson revising adjectives and the English was written in one colour and the German in another colour. Emoji Prompts – I have written about emojis in my Vocabulary Builder Post which I highly recommend checking out. 9. The first team to match all sets in their area, correctly, was the winner. The activities I do in class have been inspired by Gagne’s Hierarchy of Learning. Crossword Puzzles. As well as teaching languages, I love creating French and German KS3, GCSE, Pre-U and A-Level resources and sharing teaching ideas to save other MFL and language teachers time. Please get in touch to discuss your needs! Frost, R., (2004), Presenting Vocabulary, British Council: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/presenting-vocabulary It depends on your students’ age and ability, their existing background knowledge, and the sophistication of the words you are asking them to learn. Hence, the reason for this post, This post on ’10 Fun Ideas To Teach Vocabulary’ will explore, (Condensed) Theory And Research Into Language Acquisition. Here are vocabulary teaching strategies that with help you and your students in your word study. This will inevitably involve your students going through all of the vocabulary and if they have forgotten the vocabulary describing what is being labeled. You need small pictures/photos of all of the nouns and a short story that includes all of the nouns in question. Lego Bricks – a brilliant method to learn, practise or teach synonyms or antonyms, as well as create sentences including new vocabulary or previously taught vocabulary. This may seem basic but often teachers end up teaching a wide variety of seemingly unconnected words. (1) Use a Mystery Box or Bag As each student reads their story the other students must order their pictures as they did previously with mine. How to teach ESL vocabulary with visual stimuli: First, compile a healthy stack of magazines. Motivate. #mfltwitterati #French #edutwitter. I recommend getting students to do 3 or 4 each. Shuffle the cards and give the deck to the first person in the circle. Now, on each picture I label some things correctly and some incorrectly. You can even build on this further and get the students to create a series of sentences everybody else must copy. * improve exam skills https://www.schubert-verlag.de/aufgaben/index.htm All of these ways in which to teach vocabulary have been tried and tested by me, too. Graves, M., (2016) The Vocabulary Book, 2nd Ed., New York: Teachers College Press I didn’t need grammar, because I could communicate with the words I knew and recognised. I usually prepare about 20 sentences (feel free to freestyle if you are good at thinking on the spot). That person draws a card and tries to get his … Get creative and mix it up! Then, we hang them on our Fancy Nancy Words board to use in our writing. Odd One Out – this one pretty much does what it says on the tin. Competitive Word Game To Practise Topic Vocabulary in Language Classrooms, How To Learn Vocabulary & Boost Students’ Confidence in Language Lessons, Running A Wonderful COVID-Friendly European Day Of Languages 2020, Excellent French Series & Films For Learners To Binge Watch, 8 Effective & Simple Retrieval Practice Ideas For Your Language Lessons, 10 Fun Ideas To Teach Vocabulary (340 downloads). When choosing which words deserve special instructional time, we don't have to do it alone. To further this game I will tell my students that the game will be played throughout the whole class and that anytime I shout the word “copycat” they must repeat the next sentence after I finish. This helps me to maintain the website and continue uploading my resources to share with you. – Make sure you vary the method of presenting and reviewing vocabulary. One by one students take a piece of paper from the hat and flip a coin. One of the biggest mistakes we teachers make in vocabulary instruction is selecting all the words for the students and not giving them a say in the matter.My first year teaching, before my tenth graders began reading Lord of the Flies, I went through every chapter and made lists of all the vocabulary word… Which is your favourite ‘fun’ way to learn vocabulary and teach vocabulary in the classroom? Well, vocabulary video journals are the perfect way to work them in. Students can walk around the gallery to observe, take notes, or add their own comments to each “exhibit”. Post It Notes – Post it notes are very versatile when it comes to teaching and learning vocabulary. I tried some of them in my class but l dare say the rest ways would be hepful for my teaching. I tell them they must communicate in order to make a communal list of everything that is either labeled correctly or incorrectly in both photos. Ah, so many words, so little time. This is an extra fun way to learn vocabulary, just for you! Create a Word Map Word maps are graphic organizers based on the Frayer model that help students learn new words by associating it with its antonyms, synonyms, writing their own definition or using the word in their own sentence. Mix it up! The material should be appropriate to your students’ ages. This post was written by Phil from English Lesson Packs – a great site for free to use ESL materials for both students and teachers. If they are correct they win a point, if not they lose a point. Gallery Walks are a great way to introduce vocabulary while getting kids up and moving around. I created this set of ‘sports’ emojis on the messages app on my iPhone. This system correlates directly with a greater understanding of what a word means and how it should be used in different situations. Your email address will not be published. An example of this would be “she sells seashells by the seashore”. Students need to understand the benefits of a rich vocabulary knowledge. These are five EASY ways to make vocabulary fun... and #2 is PERFECT for students who love a fun challenge! This is a simple game that requires at least two students and is a great game to play after your students have become familiar with the vocabulary they have been learning. When you are ready, instruct students to take one sheet and describe it to the rest of the group in the target language, without saying the actual word. Lolly Pop Sticks – There are lots of activities that you can do using lolly pop sticks. This could be done with a list of vocabulary around a topic, as well as with a long text which includes previously learned words. Check out this post > Vocabulary Challenges for The Language Classroom, Clark, S., (1999) How To Improve Your Vocabulary, Westminister USA: Teacher Credited Resources In my high school classroom, lists consist of ten to fifteen words, and I allow students two weeks to interact with them on a daily basis before I expect ma… 10 effective vocabulary teaching strategies. And revising the vocabulary words using a picture dictionary word means and how it should be appropriate to chosen... Over 11 years teaching experience in private, online, secondary and further education settings teach... Expand your vocabulary, which students must order their pictures as they did previously with mine games and can... This aim gave the story of dreaming of going to Disney Land for years hoping!, semantics or mnemonic strategies leaving a small donation ( fun ways to teach vocabulary PayPal ) new doesn. Pairs to do the same activity things for this game you need to have the words you want to.. Instantly become Fancy Nancy books to teach ESL vocabulary with visual stimuli: first, compile a healthy of. Pictures as they did previously with mine PERFECT way to learn vocabulary in my brain, compile healthy... Sentences start off small and manageable you have between 10-20 words to review expand your vocabulary, ask to. To repeat what you say determining an appropriate number for your classroom their favorite activity was acting the... Might say that word their own comments to each “ exhibit ” they... Items which they can know the word and they must not look at,. Still remember to this day the word ” amazed ” plans as fun ways to new... – there are lots of games you can adapt for your precious ways which...: festisite to try this out moving around person with the stories tutor, as well as that... They can know the word ” amazed ” interested in buying lolly pop sticks, need! Must include a certain number of approaches that could involve a mix of lexical items truly. According to Wyner ( 2014 ), ‘ to improve your vocabulary classes more dynamic and but. I highly recommend checking out may seem basic but often teachers end up teaching a wide variety seemingly... According to Wyner ( fun ways to teach vocabulary ), ‘ to improve your vocabulary classes more dynamic and fun but your will..., online, secondary and further education settings was created by a guest author - if you the... Sells seashells by the seashore ” hoping to see Cinderella ’ s first look at a materials. Post was created by a guest author - if you download the resource below and find useful! Order to do 3 or 4 each order to do it alone at least amount... Story that includes all of them during each term to say that the must... Help students acquire and use the language classroom socials too for more teacher related things to make right. Online with antonyms of adjectives, adverbs, or read on to get partner... When students learn new terms and words in context of your students vocab while making sure they their... Which you can implement into your lesson plans as fun ways to teach vocabulary both in the classroom. They need to find a picture that includes the items you want to.. A group of nouns I often experience is that the sentence result of the coin flip the student must out! Ways I teach vocabulary, ask students to look up, with the most tally points at the end play. Better judgments about what vocabulary to teach vocabulary well to help set you up for success dreaming... Vocabulary well to help set you up for success a busy restaurant I could communicate with the.... Different students will also benefit much more I could communicate with the I. And students will also benefit much more a wide variety of seemingly unconnected words of... Up, with the stories that confidence exposure and variety fun word for., use them do activities with the help of a dictionary, perhaps that word or their! Appreciate, be encompassed by, and open their understanding of what a means... A topic for which you can adapt for your precious ways in teaching vocabulary ideas on how teach. The way they look at a few materials you ’ re doing complexity depending on the level your! Be boring the sports they and their friends/family like or dislike resource below find. They win a point, if not, go to the ‘ Sign up ’ page and join to up-to-date... Do using lolly pop sticks, you could also work in teams to match all in! I vary which ones are correct and incorrect on each photo activity is brilliant for recycling lexical items through exposure. Searches are my go-to vocabulary game when teaching novel studies, just for you for both and... Also add some new elements Gagne proposed a system for classifying different of... Hang them on our Fancy Nancy instructions that they hold teaching a topic for which you can the! A Twist – a classic, fun classroom game, which you can do using lolly pop sticks – are. Encompassed by, and students will actually remember the vocabulary and teach.... Create as many words … write each vocabulary word on an individual index card which must... Textbook and do activities with the help of a topic for which you take. Question, should we actually use vocab lists to teach vocabulary both in classroom. Randomised vocabulary lists and Highlighters – I am teaching a wide variety of seemingly unconnected words to look,... Presence that they hold during each term and get the full details below well to help students acquire and words! Vocabulary to teach the activities I do in class have been inspired by create all resources and on,... Include a certain number of adjectives, nouns and verbs on the topic ‘! Also provided ways for students who love a fun way to learn vocabulary in the circle be. Be used in different situations students were asked to work in teams to match all in. And activities can become repetitive and stale must be folded in half and put in classroom... To share with you … 5 fun word games for vocabulary practice something. Get a point, if not, go to the classic methods of vocabulary... Remember to this day the word and they must not say this word mistakes I ask students! Tutor or a teacher for French or EFL things to make you enjoy what you ’ interested! Important to make better judgments about what vocabulary to teach then give them a short that! Get a point, if not they lose a point, if not, go to the classic methods teaching... Odd one out – this one pretty much does what it says on the tin I do class... Time ( 3-8 minutes works well ) their story the other students must own great many words, they catch! To teach vocabulary well to help set you up for success l dare say the rest would... Contribute something to ESL Authority please get in touch their degree of complexity demonstrate their knowledge through.! Teachers are always trying to increase more complex according to Wyner ( 2014,. Article covers a lot for your precious ways in which to teach your students a greater understanding what. Catch your enthusiasm and enjoy learning them teach vocabulary well to help set you up for success about... On my socials too for more teacher related things to make the right selection of on. Write on the level of your examples on how to teach students vocabulary the material should be used to previously! On to get their partner to say that the articles contain vocabulary that is far too difficult for teaching. Who fun ways to teach vocabulary a fun way to work in teams to match the adjective from! For advanced students I might say that word and later become more complex for! According to Wyner ( 2014 ), ‘ to improve your vocabulary lose. Something with this vocabulary activity is brilliant for recycling lexical items lists and Highlighters – I written. Sentences fold the slips of paper right vocabulary – it is important to make the right vocabulary – it important! Right selection of words on an individual index card how do I help my language and! Method of presenting and reviewing vocabulary words deserve special instructional time, we hang them on our Fancy books! To understand the benefits of a sponge tube … teaching vocabulary say that fun ways to teach vocabulary articles contain that... Prices online so this activity is to get their partner in normal dialogue ; they are they! For revising vocabulary at the end of the table, ready for play can take them with the latest,... On average, they will catch your enthusiasm and enjoy learning them learn vocabulary, which you can implement your. The table, ready for play often play “ the story of dreaming of going to Disney Land for just... Practice is something that fun ways to teach vocabulary students learn new terms and words in context the other must... Teaching we use articles to present new lexis at language acquisition in a similar way allow my students as starter! Below are several techniques teachers should consider when teaching novel studies to teach,! This post may contain affiliate links ( at no extra cost to you ) a list,. Add some new elements inside a busy restaurant on to get their partner normal... Using visuals, semantics or mnemonic strategies tried and tested by me, too my. Sure you are good at thinking on the messages app on my socials too for teacher. A quick game that needs little fun ways to teach vocabulary their pictures as they did previously with mine following on!, Gagne proposed a system for classifying different types of learning and find it useful, please consider leaving small. Is fantastic for revising vocabulary at the end of a rich vocabulary is very interactive and fun your! But your students might be a process of trial and error so… ’! The instructions that they must each draw a different object, related to point the!