Back-to-School Icebreakers: Building Language From Day One

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The start of a new school year is a time of both excitement and nervousness (for both teachers and students!). As language educators, we know that creating a positive and engaging learning environment from day one is a big part of building language proficiency. One powerful tool we can use to start creating an environment where students feel safe to make mistakes and excited to learn language is icebreakers and games. In this blog post, we’ve shared a few of our favorites that are designed not only to help students get to know their peers but also to practice their language skills in a fun way. 

Language Bingo

Create bingo cards using key phrases or vocabulary from the previous year’s course. Students mingle and interact with each other to find someone who can complete each square. Not only does this game encourage active communication, but it can also serve as a diagnostic assessment or review of what students already know. 

Find Your Match

Prepare cards with matching pairs of images or words related to content students may have seen before or can figure out from context. Distribute the cards randomly among students, and watch them find their matching partner by communicating in the target language!

Sentence Starters Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of sentence-starters in the target language and hide them throughout the classroom. Students work together to find and complete sentences. I like to leave out vocabulary lists, dictionaries, and other resources around the room for students to find and use as well!

The key to successful icebreakers is making them fun and creating opportunities for students to engage in spontaneous communication! By integrating icebreakers like these into your back-to-school routine, you’ll not only start to build relationships among students, but also kickstart their language learning. How do you like to start off the year in your classroom?

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