12 Fun Speaking Games for Language Learners

“Activities that will get students talking in a language they’re still learning.”

By Diane Gantenhammer

Getting MLs, even advanced students, to speak up in class can be a challenge. “A student may have a deep fear of making a mistake, or may be just plain shy, even in their native language.” Gantenhammer lists 12 activities that can help.

• Who’s Telling the Truth? Students write three facts about themselves and their name on a piece of paper. The teacher collects the papers and draws out one. Three students are called to the front of the room, the one whose name was drawn and two others. All three claim to be that student. Each member of the class asks a question to try to determine who is telling the truth. After everyone has asked a question, they guess who is telling the truth.
• Variations on the game Taboo: Gantenhammer provides three levels for this game. For beginners, one student cannot see the word while the others in the class offer hints. At the next level, cards are used and groups of four to five play together. Advanced students play on teams, have time limits, and words they cannot use in the descriptions.
• Comic strip descriptions: Each student in a group gets one part of a comic strip that they have to describe to the other students. Without looking at each others’ pictures, they try to figure out the correct order.
• Secret word: A student is given a random word to insert into a random speech. The speaker hides the word in the speech, and the other students try to guess the word.
• Desert island activity: Each student draws an item on paper, and the papers are collected. Then they are given another student’s drawing and told that they are stranded on an island and have to convince their classmates how they will survive with that item.
• Storytelling activity: Three students are storytellers and a fourth is the controller, who gives one storyteller a card with a noun on it. That student starts to tell a story based on that noun. After a while, the controller gives a noun card to the second student, who continues the story using the new noun.
• True/False storytelling: Each student is given a piece of paper with the word true or false on it. Depending on the word they get, they each have to tell a story while their classmates ask questions and try to guess if the story is true or false.

Other activities are descriptive drawing, debates, impromptu speaking, Two Truths – One Lie, and I Have Never.

Here is the list of all of the activities.