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The simplest no-preparation lesson in the world

Tell the class you are going to do a huge vocab quiz with 100 questions. You then, at some speed, read to them items of vocabulary they have covered in the last, say, four weeks. You pitch the vocab so that some is very easy, some is harder and a few are more obscure. Say each word twice and tell the class that if they cannot get any, not to worry, just wait for the next word. They write down the meanings in English. Top three scores get merits.

The task takes about 30 minutes with corrections.

Part of me feels guilty at even suggesting that this might be a good lesson. All I can say is that pupils concentrate very hard, are listening to French non-stop for nearly half an hour and are made to recall a wide range of vocab which you can adjust to their level. They say they like it too. It's interesting how results correlate well with general ability at MFL, showing how important memory is in second language learning.

I welcome comments. Tell me why this is not a good, very occasional lesson.

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