Vocab, Speaking and Writing Prompts – ‘Take Your Pick’
Useful Vocabulary, Speaking and Writing Prompts for Language Classrooms As a language teacher, I am always on the look out for interesting activities. Especially speaking and writing prompts. Mainly, because I use them to help my students with vocabulary recall, new vocabulary and develop grammar structures in the language classroom. Where Did The ‘Take Your Pick’ Vocabulary Prompts Come From? Last week, I found this ‘I Spy’ worksheet whilst browsing the web. I felt it was a brilliant starting point for revising vocabulary and learning new words and perfect inspiration for speaking and writing. What Is This Activity Useful For? Whilst it’s not quite the traditional guessing game of ‘I…
Fun Speaking Activity for First Lesson in Language Classrooms
Want to get some weird looks and questions from your family when packing for a new term of college? Get some toilet roll out…! Ready for a fun speaking activity during first lessons in any language classroom. The ‘Loo’ Roll Speaking Activity For First Lessons Today, I started back at college, teaching a speaking and listening course. This ‘loo’ roll activity for speaking was the first fun speaking activity that I learnt during my teacher training course in 2009. I often use it to get students to talk about themselves from the outset of a new course or class. It works for post beginners, intermediate and advanced speakers and allows them…
Great Speaking Ideas for First German or Language Lesson Back
Start As You Mean To Go On with Any Of These 5 Amazing Speaking Activities for the First German Lesson Back (or French, English, Spanish or any other language!) How I do enjoy the first German lesson back after a summer holiday! I also love my first French lessons back and my first English lessons back too at the start of a new term! It’s a great opportunity to show your passion for the language you teach and re-enthuse your students to feel the same way. Who has ever done a ‘find someone who’ speaking activity in their first German lesson back? Me. It meets the criteria of speaking task.…
The Essential List of Websites To Learn French Online for Students
Where To Find Self-Study Websites to Learn French Online? I started teaching French in 2012. Ever since then, I have always been on the lookout for great self-study websites to learn French to share with my students to help improve their French level. I use Twitter, Facebook and Instagram religiously (come and follow me: @theidealteacher), which makes that task really easy. #mfltwitterati and languages teachers all over the world share websites to learn French online on these social networks, and in turn, I share these with my followers, as well as any other useful links I find myself. Thank you to all of you who share the best French resources…
Spontaneous Speaking with Video Clips in Language Learning
How To Improve Your Speaking with Short Video Clips Short video clips are fantastic prompts for spontaneous speaking practice when it comes to learning any language. “Videos generate visual stimulants that wake up the brain cells and demand focused attention” which can be used to enhance the language learning process. This post on using video clips for spontaneous speaking practice in language learning comes mainly from personal experience. Although “most teachers regard video as useful input” (Warwick University – Video For All). So…read on to see how using short video clips helped me to overcome my fear of spontaneous speaking, and to see some great websites with excellent short video…
French GCSE Speaking and Writing Handout with 39 ‘Ingredients’, Examples and Translations
Useful French GCSE Speaking and Writing Phrases for Grades 4-9 Sometimes I wonder if we give students too many handouts. Especially when I consider how often they look at them. Or on the other side of the scale, how reliant students can become on using handouts to produce their ‘own’ work. For these reasons, I am reluctant to give out so many handouts in my lessons. Usually only sharing those which I feel my language learners will truly benefit from, or can learn from. This is were this 39 Ingredients to Access Higher Grades in French GCSE Writing and Speaking handout document comes in! It’s a brilliant revision resource as…
Useful Time Fillers for All Language Classes
Use Time Wisely with These Time Fillers for Every Language Classroom From my experience of teaching French and German GCSE and A Levels, I know there is not a lot of need for time fillers. Mainly, because there is so much content to get through! Nevertheless, I believe the time fillers below would be useful for any language classroom, either as a filler activity, or to use as a teaching activity to practise speaking, listening and writing, as well as revision of vocabulary, and translation skills, for example. 1. Chinese Whispers Aim: To communicate a word, sentence or chunk of speech from person to person and see how much of the…
Jenga Activity for Spontaneous Speaking – Language Tip of the Week
Jenga Activity for Spontaneous Speaking Language Classroom Teaching Tip of the Week This week’s language classroom teaching activity of the week is an add-on to my recent post, Low-Prep Spontanous Speaking Activities for the Language Classroom (go and check it out later if you haven’t seen it yet). Here, you will find a brilliant, fairly low-prep ‘Jenga’* activity for spontaneous speaking, perfect for your French, German, Spanish or English language teaching classroom. I bought some Jenga* sets from Tesco a few years ago for £7 each. I’ve managed to find this unbranded Jenga* Set on Amazon for £5.94 with free delivery for orders over £20. If you haven’t got any yet, I’d…
Spontaneous Speaking Activity – Tip of the Week – Edition 6
Who loves speaking in another languages? Me! However, when it comes to speaking in a different language, finding enough opportunity in the classroom can be quite tricky. This week’s Teaching Tip of The Week is a fun, low-prep and low-cost spontaneous speaking activity. It can be adapted for all levels, languages (I’ve used it with French, German and English) and groups. It has been tried and tested, but I have added my own spin to it. This particular spontaneous speaking resource was created for French and German GCSE level groups but it can, very easily, be adapted for other groups. COLOURFUL SPONTANEOUS SPEAKING CHALLENGE Teaching Tip Of The Week – Edition…
Progress in MFL Writing and Speaking GCSEs
Progress is a key factor for language teachers and students in Modern Foreign Language at KS3 and KS4. Looking to spruce up your Modern Languages display with useful resources to improve students’ speaking and writing for GCSE Modern Languages, including French, Spanish and German? Read about our excellent MFL GCSE Progress Ladder Display for getting students to think about what to include in their speaking and writing examinations for MFL to get those all important marks… Speaking and Writing GCSE Modern Language Examinations The writing and speaking examinations in GCSE Modern Languages count for 50% of the whole exam grade. This is, quite clearly, a significant percentage. However, I have…
