Time: 5 minutes

50/50 Move

Description

Split the classroom (not STS but actual room) into two sections: A and B. You can place signs on each side of the class if you want to for clarity or you can just say it. Split the flashcards on the board into groups A and B. 

STS have a short amount of time to decide what section they want to be in. STS stand up and move to the side they decided on. Once STS have decided, ALT/JTE sets a timer and calls the target English. STS repeat. When the timer sounds, STS standing in the section of the last called flashcard get 1 point! Give STS a chance to change groups if they want to between each round. 

Notes

I played this with my JHS class and found they didn’t change groups between rounds. So to make it more interesting I kept secret what group of flashcards was A and what one was B. I also did round 1 as plus 1 point and round 2 as -1 point. The final round I made a ridiculous number like -100 points and +100 points, and found this got a good reaction out of the STS

Quick Sequence Game

Description

A timer is set, and the teacher picks a card from the first set, and says the appropriate target English. The students repeat, then a card from the second set is picked, with the teacher saying the target English and the students repeating again. If the two cards match (that is, they form a correct sentence like [Vietnam] is in [Asia]), the class gets one point and a card from the first set is picked again. This continues until time runs out.

Notes

  • The game (when the rules specifically as defined above) only works for units with more than one set of vocabularies.
  • The vocabulary sets need to generally make objective rather than subjective statements, for example countries and continents, animals and habitats, and so on.
  • Subjective statements could be used but vocabulary from both sets would need to be preemptively ‘connected’ by the teacher on the board, for example ‘she is [Hanako], she can [run].’

Similar Games

Unlucky Elimination

Description

STS are arranged into groups. Write each groups number on the blackboard and assign a flashcard to each group. On the blackboard next to the group numbers, shuffle and place separate number cards 1~9 face down (if doing 9 groups. Adjust the maximum number to the amount of groups you are playing with. E.g if there are 5 groups, do 1~5). 

ALT/JTE sets a timer and calls the target English. When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard indicates a group. This group can choose a number between 1~9. Once they have chosen the number, reveal the face down cards next to the group numbers on the blackboard. The group that has the number that was chosen is eliminated. Continue until one group remains!

Notes

  • When I played this, to make the game go faster I decreased the number range the students could choose from.
  • I had also 2 of each number so in some rounds, 2 groups were eliminated and in other rounds, no groups were eliminated.
  • If your class has less groups than flashcards you could also assign the JTE and yourself groups (if you want to practice all your vocab).

Similar Games

Maths Line

Description

Each flashcard is assigned a random multiplier, for example ‘x2’, ‘+10’, ‘/3’, ‘-20’. A ‘high score’ is written on the board, which is the number to beat (this can be an arbitrary number, the previous class’s score, etc). Students repeat the teacher until the timer goes off, and whichever multiplier that is under the card that’s called last becomes the first part of the ‘maths line’ sum. This continues until there are no more rounds. The result of the sum is written down, and if it beats the ‘high score’, the class wins.

Similar Games

Quick Crossfire

Description

Place the flashcards in an square grid (i.e. 2×2, 3×3, etc). Students repeat the teacher until the timer goes off, and whichever card is called last becomes the keyword. The dice is rolled. If it rolls a 1, the vertical line of cards the keyword card is on are turned to be face down. If it is a 2, the horizontal line is turned around. 3 is left diagonal, 4 is right diagonal, 5 is both horizontal and vertical and 6 is both diagonal directions, all centred from whichever card is the keyword. If a card is already face down when it is selected by the dice, it is turned back to face up.

Notes

If you don’t have enough magnets to turn the cards face down on the board, you can just remove them and put them back up as necessary.

Similar Games

Lucky Carousel

Description

Place six flashcards in a line and roll a dice. The flashcard that matches the number rolled is the lucky keyword. The students repeat the target English with the teacher, who calls out the target English in order from left to right in a loop until time runs out. If the last called target English is the lucky keyword, the class wins one point. Roll the dice again and pick a new keyword for the next round.

Quick Discard Game

Description

The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher then shuffles a deck of small flashcards cards and discards one card at a time until the keyword is found. The class gets one point per discarded card. The deck is then reshuffled and continues for the next round.

Tug of War

Description

Split the board into two halves, one half is the students’ side and one is the teacher’s side. Draw a horizontal line between these two sections, with 5 dots either side. Place a circle magnet in the centre of the line. The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher and one random student janken. Move the circle magnet one circle towards the winner’s side. When the rounds are finished, the winning team is whichever team has the circle magnet in their half of the board.

Card Collect Game

Description

The class is split into two groups. Number cards are placed under each vocabulary card (the value being hidden from the students).

The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher then picks one member from each group to janken each other. The winner gets that card for their group. This continues until the rounds are finished. Then, the secret numbers behind each groups’ cards are revealed. The winning group has the highest total points.

Notes

If the class is too boisterous to pick members to janken, the ALT and teacher could represent one team each and play against each other instead.

Castle Game

Description

STS are in groups and each groups gets a game board and a set of small cards. Each set of small cards should have 1x princess, 1x dragon and 4x nothing cards. On the blackboard, assign 6 target English flashcards a number 1~6. STS shuffle the cards and place them facedown on the game board. 

ALT/JTE sets a timer and calls the target English. STS repeat. When the timer sounds, the last card call indicates a number. Groups turn over the card on their game boards that corresponds to the number of the last called flashcard. If a group turns over the princess card, they get 1 point and shuffle and reset their cards. If a group turns over the dragon card, they do not get any points and must shuffle and reset their cards. If a group turns over the nothing card, nothing happens. No points and no shuffle. 

Similar Games