Top 15 fun and effective activities to boost language learning

Language learning activities and games illustration image

Tired of using the same old textbooks? Struggling to keep your language learners motivated and engaged? Here’s 15 of the best and most dynamic language activities that will inject fresh energy into your language lessons.

This blog post delves into the what, why, and how of each activity, offering practical classroom ideas and adaptations to suit the diverse learning preferences and skill levels in your classrooms. Whatever approach you take, these language learning activities will help create a classroom that’s full of the joy of language discovery!

 

1. Charades

Students dancing in a classroom

This is a fun, active game where teams act out words or phrases without speaking, relying on body language and gestures for their teammates to guess the correct answer. 

It promotes non-verbal communication, teamwork and vocabulary development. Charades also helps create a lighthearted and engaging study environment where students learn through collaboration and laughter.

Benefits:

  • Acting out words without speaking enhances non-verbal communication skills and understanding.
  • Describing and guessing words expands vocabulary knowledge in a fun and interactive way.
  • Teams work together to guess and act out words, fostering communication and collaboration.

Classroom ideas:

  • Don’t just use words or phrases from their L1. Challenge students to act out words from their L2 as well.
  • With more advanced learners, get teams to work together to act out complex concepts or multi-word phrases.

 

2. Flashcards

Image of a child using flashcards to memorize new words

In either printed or digital form, flashcards display vocabulary words, phrases or grammatical structures on one side, with their corresponding translations or definitions on the other of the “card”. They are a simple, yet highly effective learning tool that promotes active recall and spaced repetition.

By testing themselves and reviewing regularly, students build information in their long-term memory, making them ideal for memorising key points of information. They’re portable and adaptable, allowing students to practise anytime, anywhere.

Benefits:

  • Students actively retrieve information, not just passively read, thereby strengthening memory and knowledge retention.
  • Reviewing cards at spaced intervals reinforces memory and prevents forgetting.
  • Flashcards can be developed with images, sounds or mnemonics to cater to different learning abilities and topic areas.

Classroom ideas:

  • Encourage students to create their own cards, personalising the learning process and boosting engagement.
  • Use digital flashcards for spaced repetition reminders and gamified learning experiences. Check out also our other blog post which gives a good overview of how to use flashcards on Sanako Connect.

 

3. Gap-fill or Fill-in-the-blank exercises

In this instance, students are presented with sentences, paragraphs or dialogues with missing words or phrases. Their mission? To become linguistic detectives, using their knowledge of the target language to fill the gaps and complete the puzzle.

Ultimately these are controlled grammar and vocabulary tests, but they’re just much more engaging! When filling in the blanks, students can actively apply their understanding of specific language points, be that verb tenses, prepositions, or sentence structures. Importantly, educators can easily tailor the difficulty level and target specific learning objectives by choosing appropriate texts and gap types.

Benefits:

  • Try to focus each exercise on targeted language points such as specific grammar rules or vocabulary sets.
  • Always aim to provide instant feedback to enable immediate correction and reinforcement. Online language teaching platforms like Sanako Connect make this super easy and straightforward.

Classroom ideas:

  • Where possible, use authentic real-world texts like song lyrics, news articles or advertisements in the target language. This exposes students to authentic language use and makes the activity more relevant.
  • Incorporate visual cues or images to support understanding, especially for beginners or less able students.

 

4. Jigsaw activities

Students are initially divided into groups and then further divided into smaller “expert groups” to focus on specific parts of a topic (e.g., different sections of a text or aspects of a topical news story). Within their expert groups, students delve into their assigned role, researching, discussing, and building their understanding.

Students then return to their home groups and take turns sharing their expertise with their peers – creating a collaborative learning experience where everyone acquires a comprehensive understanding of the entire topic.

Benefits:

  • The requirement to teach their peers helps reinforce students’ own knowledge and develops communication skills.
  • Students actively engage with texts, videos, or other resources, honing their language skills.
  • Collaboration encourages clear communication and effective knowledge sharing within groups.

Classroom Ideas:

  • Try to conclude with a group reflection on the learning process, discussing challenges, effective strategies and key takeaways.
  • Divide a short story, poem, or play into sections for jigsaw groups. After their research, have each group present their part, then piece together the story as a class.
  • Assign each group a different famous person or event related to a topical issue. After their expert sessions, get each group to take turns in teaching the rest of the class and engaging in a discussion about the overall theme.

 

5. Journaling

Speaking diary

This is the increasingly popular practice of learners regularly writing down their thoughts, experiences and reflections in their target language. It’s a highly flexible approach that provides a personalised practice space for students to express themselves and develop writing skills.

Although self-directed, language educators should set parameters for this work and ensure that new vocabulary and grammatical structures are being used in a meaningful context. Used correctly, journaling can foster fluency, reflection, and a deeper, more personal connection to the language.

Benefits:

  • Journaling encourages critical thinking and self-exploration as students reflect on their experiences and emotions in the target language.
  • Looking back at past entries allows students to track their progress over time. This visual reminder can be incredibly motivating and helps them stay focused on their goals.
  • Students can also explore different writing styles, forms and topics making language learning more engaging and enjoyable.

Classroom ideas:

  • Provide journal prompts related to current learning topics or set open-ended questions to spark creativity.
  • Organise peer review sessions where students offer constructive feedback on each other’s journals, promoting collaboration and language analysis.
  • There’s a wide range of digital journaling platforms which can include images and audio recordings to enrich students’ entries.

Remember to also check out our dedicated blog post on how a speaking diary helps to build students’ fluency.

 

6. Listening comprehension

Illustration of audio recording for practicing speaking skills with self-recording and evaluation

Students actively listen to audio content including radio shows, songs, podcasts or videos extracting key information and meaning from the spoken language they hear. Such exercises really help to develop their ability to understand spoken language in different contexts. 

Benefits:

  • Students quickly learn to understand natural speech, not just scripted dialogues, preparing them for real-world interactions.
  • Exposure to diverse vocabulary and grammatical structures in context helps build overall language acquisition.
  • Active listening requires students’ focused attention, enhancing overall cognitive skills that benefit all aspects of language learning.

Classroom ideas:

  • Use audio materials related to current learning topics to spark interest and connect language to real-world contexts.
  • Mix up the audio content that students are exposed to. Try to ensure that it covers a variety of accents and speaking styles in their L2.
  • Provide pre-listening activities to introduce key vocabulary and grammar concepts. Follow-up discussions or quizzes also help to solidify understanding.

 

7. Matching games

In these simple activities, students pair related items, words, or pictures, to work their memory muscles and solidify their understanding of the target language. These visual games are also incredibly effective for reinforcing vocabulary and grammar structures.

The act of matching triggers active recall, forcing students to think and retrieve information from memory, making it stick much better than passive reading.

Benefits:

  • Students of all ages and abilities can participate, making them a truly inclusive learning experience.
  • Can be easily tailored to students’ individual needs by using images, words, sounds, or a combination of the above.

Classroom ideas:

  • Create vocabulary matches with pictures and definitions. For example, match images of fruits with their names in the target language.
  • Match verb tenses with sentence examples. This helps students solidify their understanding of how verb forms change depending on context.

 

8. Model imitation / Repeat after me

In the context of language learning, model imitation refers to the practice of replicating the speech, pronunciation, and grammar of native speakers or more advanced learners. It’s essentially mimicking how others use the language to improve a student’s own abilities.

In doing so, students subconsciously absorb pronunciation patterns, stress placement and natural speech flow. This kinesthetic and auditory experience reinforces correct pronunciation and intonation, laying the foundation for clear and confident communication.

Benefits:

  • Mimicking a model helps students train their ears and mouth to produce more natural-sounding language.
  • Careful listening is crucial for accurate imitation, further enhancing listening comprehension abilities.
  • Students can more easily pick up on slang, idioms, and other natural expressions that wouldn’t necessarily be found in traditional learning materials. This enriches their vocabulary and makes speech more authentic and engaging.

Classroom ideas:

  • Begin with short phrases or single words before progressing to longer sentences and dialogues.
  • Offer differentiated models with varying speeds and complexities to cater to individual needs and proficiency levels.
  • With the help of modern automated pronunciation activities (such as those available in Sanako Connect) you can take model imitation activities to a new level. Your students will get immediate automated feedback and these activities can be endlessly repeated and revisited.

 

9. Picture description

These activities do exactly what the name suggests. Students are presented with an image linked to a key learning objective and are tasked with describing it and bringing the image to life. Students paint a word picture using key vocabulary to describe key details, characters, emotions, and even create narratives, all fueled by their linguistic skills.

Benefits:

  • Students improve their skills by using a variety of adjectives, adverbs and descriptive phrases to broaden their expressive abilities.
  • Analysing the image and identifying key details encourages students to think and reason before speaking or writing.

Classroom ideas

  • Show pictures related to your current learning topic. This reinforces vocabulary and concepts learned in class.
  • Use contrasting images to encourage comparisons and contrasts. This helps students develop more nuanced understanding and descriptive skills.
  • Have students create their own pictures and have others describe them. This adds a collaborative element and promotes peer learning.

 

10. Role-play

Students engaged in role play activity

Students step into predefined roles and act out scenarios. They use the target language to communicate, improvise, and respond to situations just like they would in real life. This could involve practising specific language functions (e.g., ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, job interviews) or exploring broader themes.

Benefits:

  • Acting out scenarios encourages spontaneous language use and builds confidence in communication.
  • Navigating unexpected situations within the role-play hones critical thinking skills.
  • Exploring diverse characters and situations fosters empathy and intercultural awareness.

Classroom Ideas:

  • Encourage students to create their own role-play scenarios based on real-life experiences or cultural situations.
  • Always try to ensure that the role-play focuses on the use of specific grammar structures or vocabulary sets. It has to have a clear learning objective.
  • Throw in unexpected twists like a sudden change in setting or the arrival of a new character to test students’ thinking and communication skills on the fly.

 

11. Round-robin discussion

These are structured discussions where students respond in turn to a thought-provoking question or statement. Each response builds upon the previous one, creating a collaborative flow of ideas and perspectives. 

Students must actively listen, analyse and respond, developing their speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills. The round-robin format ensures everyone has a chance to participate and share their viewpoints, fostering respectful debate and diverse thinking.

Benefits:

  • Helps develop critical thinking skills and language fluency as students present opposing viewpoints on complex topics.
  • Connecting discussions to current events or local issues makes language learning meaningful and relevant.

Classroom Ideas:

  • Online polls or collaborative brainstorming tools can be helpful to gather initial ideas and anonymously gauge student opinions before the discussion.
  • Assigning roles like moderator, note-taker or provocateur to different students within the discussion promotes active participation and encourages conversation flow.
  • Consider using moral dilemmas and have students take turns arguing for different courses of action, developing complex arguments and considering diverse perspectives.

 

12. Scavenger hunt

In a scavenger hunt, students embark on a physical or virtual quest, deciphering riddles, searching for hidden objects and completing tasks – all while using the target language.

Collaboration is key as students work together to decipher clues and complete tasks, fostering communication and problem-solving skills. But the real magic lies in the educator-created context; a carefully crafted hunt forces students to apply their language skills in the “real world,” solidifying their learning and making it far more memorable than rote drills.

Benefits:

  • Collaborative problem-solving strengthens bonds and communication skills.
  • Learning goes beyond the textbook and the classroom, requiring students to use the language in authentic contexts.

Classroom ideas:

  • Design a hunt around your current vocabulary theme, be it food, clothing, or places in town. Hide clues in lunchboxes, lockers, or even online spaces.
  • For a tech-savvy twist, use QR codes embedded around the school or try geocaches for an outdoor adventure.

 

13. Scrabble

We’re guessing that most people have either played the game or understand what Scrabble involves! But if not, learners form words on a grid, maximising their score based on letter values and strategic placement.

Benefits

  • Students encounter new words and their meanings while trying to score points. This expands their vocabulary in a way that feels more like play than work. 
  • Scrabble also hones spelling skills as students carefully analyse letter combinations and construct valid words.
  • Playing in teams encourages collaboration and communication, fostering language skills in a social context.

Classroom ideas

  • Align word lists with current learning topics to reinforce vocabulary in context.
  • Adjust the complexity by using shorter words, providing hints, or allowing collaboration for beginners.
  • Use Scrabble tiles to create spelling activities, word searches, or anagrams based on new vocabulary.

 

14. Singing and songs

Image of a young student acting a scene using her second language

As outlined in this blog post, there’s a significant evidence base supporting the use of music and song to inspire language learners.

Ultimately, singing is fun, engaging, and memorable. So using melodies and rhymes to help embed vocabulary and grammatical structures in memory makes complete sense. Equally pronunciation practice just seems to come more naturally through singing lyrics.

Benefits:

  • Singing naturally focuses on intonation, rhythm, and stress, improving overall pronunciation and fluency.
  • Music brings joy and motivation to language practice, making it more enjoyable and sustainable.

Classroom ideas:

  • Discuss the meaning and themes of songs with students, encouraging vocabulary comprehension and critical thinking.
  • Get students to compose original songs or modify existing lyrics to personalise their learning experience and showcase their creativity and skills.
  • Incorporate movement activities or even small performances to add an interactive and kinesthetic element to the learning process.

 

15. Speaking practice

We’ve saved the most important thing to last! Of course, these activities are designed to encourage students to express themselves and practise speaking their target language in various formats. This could include open-ended discussions and debates, paired or group conversations, storytelling activities, presentations or games.

Whatever the format, the aim is for students to gain confidence in their speaking abilities, improve their fluency and pronunciation and develop a wider vocabulary.

Benefits:

  • Creative storytelling and presentation tasks allow students to express themselves freely and build confidence.
  • Engaging in quick conversations or impromptu presentations enhances fluency and spontaneous language use.

Classroom Ideas:

  • Run a storytelling relay where students take turns to add sentences or paragraphs.
  • Activities like “Two truths and a lie” and “Would you rather” can be powerful to promote self-expression and active listening.

The fifteen activities outlined above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to engaging your students and fostering their language skills. The key to success lies in trying to do something new, taking the learnings and adapting those that work to your classroom and students. 

Most of all, be sure to bring your own passion and enthusiasm to every lesson – even those that are outside your comfort zone. That’s the key for delivering language learning that’s both fun and effective. Good luck!

 

Sanako is the global-leader in teacher-led language instruction technology. Our software supports language teachers to deliver inspiring and effective lessons. If you’d like to find out more about how Sanako’s dedicated language teaching software could transform your approach to language teaching, click here or the banner below to learn more!

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