Word Snap! There are many situations where it isn’t possible to use technology in the classroom.
Tekhnologic lite is dedicated to the activities and plan B’s that can be used when things go wrong or when there just isn’t the time or the resources. Click here to view the previous post in the series. Word Snap is what I call this activity, but it is not a new idea and I am not the first person to write about it. I stumbled across a great post back in May 2013 via the Teaching English – British council Facebook page. It was a post by another blogger¹ who wrote about an activity they thought could be the greatest ever icebreaker.
Unfortunately, the original post isn’t available for me to link to, but I remember that it linked to this video and the author wondered how students would respond to the game in EFL classes. The video introduces a word game from the band OK Go. So, I decided to use vocabulary sets. The first time I used it, I used the vocabulary presented in the coursebook I was teaching. Vocabulary exercises. Teaching Vocabulary: Two Dozen Tips and Techniques - Joseph Pettigrew. Connect Fours - Quiz Template from ClassTools.net. You will see a wall of 16 clues. You need to group them into 4 rows of 4 connected items. Simply click four cards to identify a group. You score 1 point for each group found within 2.5 minutes.
You have unlimited guesses for the first two groups. After completing 2 groups, you have 3 chances to create the final 2 groups. After arranging all 4 groups (or when time runs out) the correct groups are shown. This quiz is based on, but is not affiliated with, the 'connect wall' element in the BBC quiz show 'Only Connect' George Red White Apples +1 Point?
Blue John Bananas Ringo +1 Point? Pears Ireland Wales Oranges England Green Paul Scotland. The Best “I Spy” (Hidden Object) Games For Vocabulary Development. Online “I Spy” games, also known as “Hidden Object” games, are not the most methodical or effective ways for English Language Learners to develop vocabulary, but they sure are fun.
Playing these games can be a good time-filler if you have a few minutes left at the end of a computer lab session. Basically, these types of games give you a list of objects to find, and you have to search for them in a crowded area. Once you find one and click on it, the word typically disappears. I thought these games might make a good topic for a “The Best…” list. There are many more of these types of games out there, but I’ve only included ones that I thought might get through school district content filters. Since they all work in a similar way, I’ll just list them and not describe each one. Another option is for students to just draw on paper their own “Hidden Object” game where they take certain vocabulary words and create games they exchange with their classmates. I Spy The Wizard’s Lab. I SPY Online Games: Play Free Games. Seek and find games are fun, lots of surprises for everyone!
Click on a game below to find out more. I SPY BingoRace against the clock tofind the objects on your card! I SPY PuzzlerConnect these shapes tosolve the secret puzzle! I SPY Mystery MatchHow fast can you match 'em? Challenge yourself with threelevels of matching madness. You need Flash to play these games.Flash is available for free download from the Macromedia web site. Play along with Spyler and Cece in these exciting TV games! Rhyme Time Play with Spyler and CeCe inthese interactive games andactivities!
Make your own. The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn Vocabulary. Gaining vocabulary is obviously an essential part of a learning a language.
There are several important parts of this learning process, I think, including having visual support for the word meaning, seeing it used in context, hearing it spoken and, ideally, having the learner speak it and get feedback on the pronunciation (either by a listener or by having the learner hear him/herself via a recording). Of course, there are tons of other reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities that are not explicitly designed for learning vocabulary, but that ends up being one of their major results anyway. A number of studies state that you have to experience a new word between twelve-and-fifteen times in various ways before you really learn it, and experiencing these new words via a computer-based tool can be a good way to get some of those word “touches.”
However, I do want to make one important point about the sites on this list, and I’m not sure if I can do it clearly. Houghton Mifflin Spelling and Vocabulary > Word Builder. Online Etymology Dictionary. Find Similar or Opposite words at WordHippo. English Vocabulary Word List - Ogden's Basic English - Things - General Words. English vocabulary printables.