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A low prep listening game

 As you know, I'm keen on activities which involve a good deal of listening input, preferably as comprehensible as possible so as to maximise acquisition and student self-efficacy. This simple, low-preparation activity is a one-way listening task (listening without interacting) and allows you to revisit lots of previously used words and phrases.

This is the activity. Read a series of definitions of words. The first letters of each word form an anagram of a word the class should already know. You can scaffold the listening by using gesture, maybe the odd translated word, repetition and pausing. If a student cannot solve a particular word, this is not necessarily a problem, since they can still solve the anagram with the letters they have.

So here's an example of a nine letter word. The solution is the word RECYCLAGE. The definitions are at a level a very good Y9/Y10 class might cope well with. 

Possible definitions - remember that you would read this list in a different order to the spelling of the word. If you choose to do it without solving an anagram, students may guess the answer too soon so miss out on all the lovely listening. I am trying to pitch this at around Y10 level (low intermediate).

You should be able to make this up pretty much on the spot, so could use this as a convenient starter, filler or plenary. You can adapt the difficulty of the definitions to the class. You could easily turn it into a team competition, partner versus partner, or one half of the class versus the other, boys versus girls, etc.


R  C'est un verbe qui indique qu'on ne change pas de position. On garde la même position. On continue d'être dans la même position. C'est le contraire en quelque sorte de partir. C'est un des verbes qu'on trouve sur la liste des verbes qui prennent l'auxiliaire être au passé composé.

E  C'est un très gros animal qui vit en Afrique et en Inde. C'est un mammifère avec de grandes oreilles et une trompe. Malheureusement, c'est une espèce qui est chassée illégalement par des chasseurs. Les deux défenses de l'animal ont beaucoup de valeur.

C  C'est un vêtement qu'on porte sur la tête pour se protéger du froid ou simplement pour faire beau! C'est aussi la partie supérieur d'un champignon.

Y  C'est un mot qui est aussi une lettre. Le mot veut dire souvent "ici" ou "là" mais c'est un pronom qui a des traductions variées en anglais. Quelquefois on ne le traduit pas du tout.

C  C'est un objet technologique qui peut être numérique (digital) ou analogique. Il vous permet de filmer, mais ce n'est pas un appareil-photo. On l'utilise pour faire des films ou des émissions de télé.

L  C'est un liquide qu'on boit seul ou avec du café ou du thé, par exemple. Il est de couleur blanche et les bébés en boivent beaucoup. On s'en sert pour faire de la crème anglaise.

A  C'est un grand pays dans l'hémisphère sud du globe. On y parle anglais principalement, mais les Anglais n'étaient pas les premiers habitants du pays. On y trouve des kangourous et des koalas.

G  C'est un verbe qui est le contraire de perdre. C'est synonyme de triompher ou remporter une victoire. On utilise le verbe aussi pour l'argent qu'on reçoit pour un travail.

E  C'est un verbe qui veut dire le contraire de sortir. C'est un des verbes qu'on trouve sur la liste des verbes qui prennent l'auxiliaire être au passé composé.

Finally, the activity allows you to highlight some useful words and phrases, such as ça veut dire..., on s'en sert pour...  c'est le contraire de... c'est synonyme de... You might also like to highlight the use of the relative pronouns qui and que, which come up a lot in this context.



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