5 activities to refresh vocabulary

In the beginning of a class, sometimes students need a mood booster to warm them up. They just want a few minutes to be highly motivated in learning English for certain topic. We sometimes know nothing what students feel every day when they are coming to school. So, here are some activities to refresh their vocabulary and to cheer them up as well before facing the main activities in the classroom.

1.   Head and Tail

We can play this game for small or big class and individual. Teacher tells to the students that they have to find and call out a new word begins with the last letter of the previous word mentioned by their friends, for example; head – dinner – rain – noodle – eagle. Each student has five seconds to think of the word, if they fail to find and call it out, they will be out of the circle. One student remain in a circle will be the winner. Students enjoy playing this game and they feel that it is challenging.

2.   Listening and Memorizing

Students learn listening skill and try to learn the correct spelling. We choose a topic that will be discussed, then we list some vocabularies or for about ten to fifteen words related to the topic. Students work in pair and teacher calls out those words three times in different speed. With his/her partner student listens to the teacher and memorize all the words called out without writing. After that, each pair will have two minutes to write down again what they listen. Students with the most words will be the winner.

3.   Magic Word

We call this game magic word because from one word will turn into ten or more words. Students work in pair and are given a big word on a piece of paper, for example F I S H. each pair in two or three minutes has to double the word F I S H to be more new words by making new words begins with each letter on the word F I S H. Students with the most words will be the winner.

4.   Battle Card

In this game, students work in pair. We need flashcard to play battle card. We choose a topic, such as animal. Before playing the game, show all the flashcard to the students to practice the pronunciation. Then, you give each student the same number of cards. Students sit face to face with cards on their hand. Then, each pair do a high five with one card on his/her hand. When the card drops to the floor and a picture faces up, students must call out the name of the animal. Student who can firstly call out will get the two cards and student with the most card will be the winner.

5.   Ping-Pong Game

Ping-pong game is such kind of playing table tennis, but student will throw a word and another student catch the word in different form. For example, the topic is animal - fruit or infinitive verb – past verb. Students are divided into two big teams. They stand in line and face to her opposite team (face to face). The first student will call out an animal and the opponent team has to call out a fruit. Member of team who cannot answer will be out of line and team with the most member is the winner team.