Revision Activities for the Language Classroom 
Teaching Tip of The Week
I know I promised that my language teaching tips of the week would be practical, low-prep teaching ideas that could be used in every language class. However, whilst this activity does fit that bill, it works best at the end of each topic to help students with revision, which I am sure is not too far away and still useful.
This teaching activity is pretty much no-prep for the teacher, apart from getting a few resources together. Try it out!
EDITION 10 – Teaching Tip Of The Week
Revision Activities for the Language Classroom
Title: Revision Activities for the Language Classroom
Aim: Students create their own revision activities at the end of each topic to help them revise for a test/exam, as well as create a resource that is useful for the future.
Level: Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 (Beginner, Lower intermediate, Intermediate and Advanced)
Prep Time: 10 minutes to get the ‘consumables’ and resources together
Resources Required: laptops (for those who wish to create a digital revision activity), A4 paper, A5 paper, coloured pens or pencils, card, for example.
Revision Activities for the Language Classroom Instructions:
- Advise students they are going to make a revision activity that must be suitable for anyone in the class to revise a particular topic.
You could show them some ideas of revision activities that have been created in the past OR guide them to revision ideas, such as board games or quiz shows that they could take inspiration from. This might include: word searches, what’s the question?, fill in the gaps, or Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? type board game, a ‘Pointless’ style quiz,Articulate, The Million Pound Drop etc. - Provide the students with success criteria, and perhaps get them to create their own in small groups?
i.e.:
– include easy, medium and difficult questions
– provide the answers
– ensure each ‘activity’ lasts at least 10-15 minutes or a maximum of 30 minutes
– create some instructions for the player/user
CHALLENGE: include the instructions in the target language
- When complete, ask the students to try out the other activities that have been created, following the instructions.
Things To Think About With The Revision Activities
a) Ensure the activity can be produced in a reasonable amount of time, set a time limit of one/two lessons and/or a homework.
b) If students want to create a big activity, such as a board game, they could work in small groups with each person being responsible for a part of the task.
c) Some students may finish quicker than others, so have some work handy for when they finish, especially if no-one else has completed their activities yet.
d) Perhaps ask students to bring in a file where they can keep the revision activity, so that they can be used in the future when it comes to revision for end of year exams or a round-up exam.
I love this revision activity idea, because it puts the students in the driving seat and allows the teacher to go around, listen, watch and help.
How would you adapt this revision activity idea for your language classroom? Let me know in the comments below!
I can’t quite believe that I have been writing my teaching tips of the week for ten weeks. If you’ve missed the previous teaching tip of the week posts, check out the link.
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