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Vocabulary Activity To Assess Prior Knowledge – 5 Words

5 words vocabulary activity no prepQuick Vocabulary Activity To Assess Prior Knowledge for All Language Classrooms!

Oh, how I do enjoy a quick and easy no-prep vocabulary activity to assess prior knowledge, whilst simultaneously practising spelling and pronunciation. Making it into a competition is an added bonus! Using it as a vocabulary starter might be even better.

This 5 words vocabulary activity can be used in all language classrooms and it is suitable for all levels (elementary A1 to advanced learners C1) too. I’ll explain how to use it in your language classroom below. Please excuse the ‘about killing’ example, I’m not a psycho… I just saw it online at Logophilia and liked the complexity of the words!

vocabulary to assess prior knowledge - 5 words5 WORDS VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: Paper, pens, whiteboard (of some description to share answers)
When To Use: Anytime. However, it works well at the beginning of a topic to assess prior knowledge, as well as at the end as a revision activity.
Instructions:
1. Provide a broad topic, i.e. clothes, school or travel
2. Explain you have 5 brilliant topic-related words on your paper and they must try to guess what you have and write them on their paper.
3. Read out your words and students cross out if they have them. 1 point for each.
4. Students share ideas and you can add these to the board under their lexical category for students to note down to add to their topic-related vocabulary.

EXTENSION: They can put them into a sentence underneath, once they have got 5 words they are happy with.

It’s a virtually no-prep vocabulary practice activity and extremely effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas! It’s also a good method to check pronunciation and spelling too. Use it as a starter, or as a revision aid.

After you’ve read how to play this vocabulary game, then head on over to my vocabulary activities for the language classroom post, which has lots more ideas for quick wins when it comes to checking prior knowledge in terms of vocabulary. As well as ideas to get words flowing in the classroom. Please note: whilst I realise that teaching words separately from connected speech isn’t always the best pedagogical move, it is still useful for pair-work, team-work, as well as to develop spelling and pronunciation. So, I do recommend them.

Did you like this vocabulary builder? Read some more vocabulary learning related posts below:

How to learn vocabulary for modern languages
Emoji builder to learn and revise verbs

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