This idea came up in our two-weekly Friday seminar, nearly two weeks ago now (how time flies…). The seminar was about teaching teenagers, and at this point were were discussing the difference between games and adding game-like challenge, and sharing ideas for how to add game-like challenge. Our YL coordinator suggested Speaking Bingo.
Aim:
Encourage learners to incorporate target language into their speaking. Give learners additional motivation to speak.
Procedure:
- Prior to a speaking activity, have students make up a bingo card for themselves. In each square they choose a piece of vocabulary studied in that lesson (or from a set studied previously that you wanted to review).
- During the speaking activity, students tick off each bit of vocabulary as they use it.
- First student to tick off all the bits of vocabulary gets to call Bingo!
Variation:
Instead of ticking off the words they use themselves, you could get them to start a timer and tick off any target language their partner uses. Their partner should be trying to use as much target language as possible, and the winner would be the one who managed to use all the language on their partner’s card (which they wouldn’t have previously seen) in the fastest time.
An example I made for my Level 9s (Upper Intermediate)
It worked really well with my adult Level 9’s, gave them that added push to use the target language and they enjoyed it!
Lizzie Pinard 
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very good idea . Thanks!!!
Haven’t done this activity for such a long time! Will need to give it ago next class. Funnily enough, I’ve been practising discourse markers with my 1-1 student too. Any suggestions how to adopt this game to a 1-1 setting?
Using a similar grid I’ve also played naughts and crosses, or on a bigger grid, 5 in a row with my students. They’re usually quite engaging games too.
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This looks great. I sometimes use cards with the phrases printed on them and they put them down as they say them. This saves on paper though!
Great article.
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Hi Lizzie,
Just to let you know that we’ve shortlisted this blog post for this month’s TeachingEnglish blog award and I’ll be putting up a post about it on today’s TeachingEnglish Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TeachingEnglish.BritishCouncil, if you’d like to check there for likes and comments.
Best,
Ann
Thank you, Ann! 🙂 What lovely news. Lizzie.
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Remember playing something like this with french numbers! Engaged for the lesson i would imagine, great idea 🙂
I used to use bingo for teaching/revising vocabulary. I never knew that bingo can be very communicative until i joined a teacher training about 2 months ago. it’s almost similar to bingo variation above.
-After teaching the target language, teacher provides the bingo grid in which the target language are written on, example: expressing opinion.
-Then, teacher initiates the activity by giving an issue, example: “studying English in Elementary School is beneficial for the students’ life in the future”
-students compete giving opinions by using the expressions on the grid. Ss cross any expressions that have been used.
-Ss who have crossed all the boxes win n must stop participating.
-All Ss are required to use all the expressions.
i love this activity since my Ss love the competition. Additionally, all Ss have the opportunity to speak up since those who are brighter and dominant should stop talking when all the boxes crossed.
thanks for giving me idea to vary the activity that is by letting the Ss write the expressions along the lesson.
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