Game On 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective

Game On 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Game On: 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Before you begin to read this post, ask yourself these two questions:Do you love playing games?Do you love learning new languages?If you’ve answered yes to both of these questions, then definitely keep reading because this article is just for you!If you said no to one of the above questions, then youre in for a treat: Games make language learning extremely enjoyable, and language learning adds a whole new nuance to playing games.There are tons of awesome ways to learn a foreign language using media such as watching movies, listening to music or even reading foreign magazines. However, most people can agree that  playing games is definitely by far  one of the best ways to learn a new language.If youre trying to teach yourself a new language, learning through games is a solid method because not only are they usually appropriate for (and enjoyed by) learners of all ages, but many are also wonderful for get-togethers with friends and family. This can lead to multiple people learning fo reign words and phrases all at the same time without using those boring books and mind-numbing tests that typical classes come with.For those who prefer to learn solo, fear not! There are a few games mentioned that can be played alone as well.This post is also worth reading if you’re an ESL teacher looking for new activities to help teach your students foreign languages. Several of the games featured on this list would be perfect language learning tools in the classroom (especially the board games, card games and games that you can create on your own). Students will love these activities and most likely they’ll retain the information faster than ever.So, if you’ve never used games to boost your foreign language vocabulary before (or even if you have and are just looking for more options), prepare to be blown away by this list of thirteen games that can help you build your foreign language vocabulary fast! Game On: 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Board Card GamesBoard games (such as Chess) and card games (such as Poker) have been around for centuries, and are excellent ways to interact with others in person while working your cognitive skills.While activities that feature more modern technology such as video games have stolen some of the shine away from these type of games, both board games and card games have a certain old-school charm to them that can’t be beat and theyre still preferred by many as interactive tools to unite people around the world even to this day. Here are three great games to help you learn languagesâ€"no computer or Internet required.1.  KlooKloo is an award-winning educational card game that is loved by many including: children, adults, teachers and self learners. It can be played either alone or with others, and the game even comes with three sets of instructions on how to playâ€"based on the number of players.The Kloo game consists of two decks of cards and the goal is to create a sentence that m akes sense using only the cards that you have in your hand.According to their website, people who have used Kloo have built their vocabulary, on average, up to ten times faster than people who haven’t, so it definitely might be something worth checking out. This is something Ive personally had a great deal of success with.Languages You Can Learn: English, French, Italian, Spanish2.  Scrabble (Foreign Language Edition)Scrabble is a highly popular word finder board game developed by Hasbro that has players earn points by creating words using four to twelve letter tiles in a crossword style. There are usually only about 100 tiles that can be used in gameplay, so players will need to use creativity to cook up new words each turn as the letter tiles begin to dwindle.Each tile is worth a certain number of points and the person who has the most points on their board after all of the tiles have been used up wins. Any words are okay as long as theyre defined in a standard dictionary and th e longer the word, the more points the player receives.Most people play Scrabble in English, but with some slight modifications, you can play in various languages. Want  to learn how? Click on this title for more information on how to play in the language of your choosing.Languages You Can Learn: Numerous languages (30+)3.  Spot It! Basic English/French/Spanish  GameWhat this game lacks in quantity (in terms of how many languages you can learn with it), it makes up for in quality. Spot It! Basic English Game (or French or Spanish, depending on the version you choose) is a fast-paced card game created by Rainbow Resource and is great for teaching learners basic vocabulary words related to a variety of subjects such as animals, clothing, family, foods, transportation and even the weather using both words and pictures.To play, take two cards from the deck and try to match a picture to its word. This is easy to do since theres always one matching symbol between any two cards. Spot It! i s great for young learners, and players can use it to strengthen their vocabulary skills with repetition and reading comprehension.Each set comes with 55 cards in a colorful tin.Languages You Can Learn:  English, French, SpanishApp GamesThese days almost everyone has access to some sort of mobile device, whether it’s a smartphone, an iPod or a tablet. If you own one of these devices and you use it regularly, then try to strengthen your vocabulary in a foreign language with a few of these games designed to be mobile-friendly. Some of the app games listed can even be played while offline, so keep that in mind.Please be aware that the games listed here are for Apple iOS devices only. Click here for foreign language app games that can be accessed on other smartphones such as Androids and Windows.4. FluentUFluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. All the video content here is made by native speakers of your target language  for  native speakers. This is stuff that natives actually watch and enjoy on the regular, so youll get exposed to real, authentic language the way its used every day in the modern world.After choosing an individual video based on your skill level and personal interests, youll be prompted to choose between watch and learn modes. If you opt for watch, youll watch your videos as normal with interactive subtitles that are translated both by word and by sentence.If you click on learn, then youll go straight to the personalized flashcard content using  key vocabulary from  the video, giving you a chance to practice either ahead of time or after watching the clip. This learn mode actually integrates pictures, video clips and example sentences into the flashcards, making for truly memorable in-context learning experiences.You can also access FluentU on the main website,  but thanks to the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  st ore,  you can now take all this entertaining learning with you wherever  you go!Languages You Can Learn:  French, Spanish, German, English, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese5.  MindSnacksThe MindSnacks gaming app series makes learning foreign languages easy while on the go with gaming apps that help you to not only build your vocabulary, but also aid you in strengthening your conversational skills.Each app usually offers around eight colorful games to help you master over a thousand words and phrases and harbors over fifty language lessons available, all of which are designed by Ivy League instructors. (Only the first couple of lessons are free however. To have access to all fifty lessons you have to upgrade which does require money.)They also have game apps related to other educational subjects like U.S. Geography and Math and on their website, there is a blog that is updated regularly. The MindSnacks series is adored by millions of language learners all over the world and was ranked as o ne of the Best Education Apps of the Year by Apples App Store in 2011.Languages You Can Learn: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese6.  Learn with Lingo ArcadeAnother terrific language gaming app series for Apple users is Lingo Arcade by Innovative Mobile Apps. While the Spanish version of this app is the most popular among learners, Lingo Arcade has versions in  Spanish,  English, French  and German. The app has been praised by many for how user friendly it is and its arcade style format.Each app comes with four different games with five difficulty settings to help players learn more than just basic vocabulary. With LingoArcade, users can practice word mastery, understand complex phrases and work on sentence building all at an affordable price.Languages You Can Learn: Spanish, English, French, German7.  Count to TenCount to Ten International Numbers Game is the app game by BidBox which teaches users how to count from one to ten in whichever language they choose within minutes. Although the only vocabulary words that can be learned revolve around numbers, this is still a very useful app to use. The game is simple yet challenging and players can even compete against others in duels to get the highest score possible.Languages You Can Learn: Multiple (23+)Online GamesWhether you’re a serious online gamer or you just play online games every now and then, these three games are sure to please the inner gamer in you while helping you build your vocabulary.8.  InfluentLooking for an educational game that almost doesn’t feel like youre actually learning anything? Youll definitely want to check out Influent, a 3D free-form game developed by the indie game company Three Flip Studios, and hosted on digital gaming platform sites like Steam and Humble.This awesome game is about a fictional inventor named Andrew Cross who after having his language learning deviceâ€"the SanjigenJitenâ€"stolen, decides to prove to the world that he is the rightfu l owner by learning over 300 words in any language that he chooses to help raise money via the fictional crowdfunding site, FireStarter.Players can learn new words by using Andrews device to scan items that are scattered throughout the game and create their own customized vocabulary lists comprised of nouns, verbs, adjectives and more. So far the game can be played in over sixteen different languages, but each version is sold individually for around $10.Languages You Can Learn: Multiple (16+)9.  Digital DialectsIf you want to use a website to play some online language learning games that involve more than just simply learning vocabulary, then DigitalDialects is the site for you! The website is free to play and you can learn phrases, vocabulary words, numbers, spelling, the alphabet and even verb conjugation in over 70 different languages. While the graphics on the website aren’t the most spectacular, DigitalDialects offers great value for its usersâ€"especially considering that it ’s completely free.Languages You Can Learn: 70+ languages10.  LanguageGainThis is another helpful language learning website with a simple design layout, making it easy to navigate. LanguageGain offers several unique matching games to help players learn words relating to greetings, food, animals, clothing and other topics.LanguageGain also has flashcard options so that users can get some serious practicing in before they play, though note that Java must be enabled to play these games. While they have over ten available languages, some of them don’t have any games listed yet (although the site owners claim that they’ll add more in the future), so please keep that in mind while browsing through the website.Languages You Can Learn: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, SpanishGames You Can Create on Your OwnHere are a few games to try for those of you who love to put your creativity skills to good use. The best part of creating games on yo ur own is that the only limit you have is your imagination! These games can be used to learn any language (even Pig Latin).Most of the games require more than one player, so it’s encouraged to get as people involved and have a blast!11. The Matching Game (Home Edition)Tools That You’ll Need: Sticky notes or flashcards, a vocabulary listWhen you’ve got some down time at home, why not use the free time to boost your vocabulary skills with fun home activities such as playing the matching game? It’s simple to play and doesnt require much to get started.All you need are sticky notes, a vocabulary list and something to write with (or you can get fancy and print out flashcards  that you made).How to Play:  Pick any category in the language you would like to practice and create a vocabulary list of the items in your home that match the category.  This can be food, clothing items, rooms, the options are endless.For example, say that you’re trying to learn Spanish and you’re inter ested in learning clothing items in Spanish.First, create a list of vocabulary words.  Heres an example of a Spanish vocabulary list involving clothing items.hat = el sombreroshirt = la camisapajamas = el pijamapants = los pantalonesshoes = los zapatossocks = los  calcetinesunderwear = la ropa interiorjacket = la chaquetashorts = el pantalón cortoOnce youve created your vocabulary list, write the Spanish words on sticky notes in the sequence of one word per sticky note.Lastly, here comes the most exciting part: Try to label the items with the correct sticky note within a certain amount of time without using your vocabulary list or other notes (after studying, of course). Try to get the highest score possible and then play again to try to beat that score!To make sure you cover the most important words with this game, you can use a Vocabulary Stickers set, which gives you color-coded labels in your target language for common household items. You can even leave the labels on when your e not playing, allowing yourself to learn words just by seeing them on the items you use every day.12. BingoTools That You Need: Vocabulary list, construction paper (or any kind of paper), scissors, a ruler, pictures of the objects that will be on the cards (optional), some method to choose and  call out the words in a random order individuallyAlmost everyone has heard of Bingo. It’s a fun game that lets you gamble and is based purely on luck (and your language skills). While it might take a little time to gather your list and prepare the game cards, the game can be played repeatedly, so the effort is worth it.To successfully create your own version of this classic game, you’ll want the cards to be randomized but still have the same group of words used repeatedly.  Say you’re interested in learning French words related to foodâ€"specifically fruits and vegetables.  First you’d create a vocabulary list of common French fruits and vegetables and their English meanings, like th is:zucchini = la courgetteeggplant =  l’aubergineapples =  le pommesgrapes =  les raisinsonions =  les oignonscarrots =  les carottescherries =  les cerisescelery =  le céleri  tomatoes =  les tomatesbeans = les haricotscorn =  le maïsspinach =  les épinardslettuce =  la laituebananas =  les bananeswalnuts =  les noixpineapple =  les ananasvegetables =  les légumesfruits =  les fruitscucumber = le concombresalad, leafy greens =  la salade  watermelon =  la pastèquetomato  =  la tomateradish  =  le radiscorn  =  le maïsstrawberries =  les fraisesThen, you would arrange the words randomly and write them on the 55 card. Specifically, you would write five of the words under each letter: B, I, N, G, O. The BINGO card would then look something like this:         B                      I                       N                      G                      Ola courgette      les carottes    le maïs              les ananas          la pastèque l’aubergine      les cerises      les épinards    les légumes          la tomatele pommes        le radis            les bananes      les fruits              le céleri les raisins        les tomates      la laitue          le concombre      le maïs les oignons      les haricots      les noix            la salade              les fraisesThe example shown above can be one Bingo card. Mix up the words to create as many different cards as you like.Once you’ve created your Bingo cards, congratulations! You’ve completed the hard part. Next is the fun part: actually playing Bingo!How to Play:  To play, first assign someone the role of Bingo host, which is the person who calls out the words. Next divide the group of people who are participating into a small number of teams (the smaller the team, the better so two to four teams is ideal).Just like with regular Bingo, in order to win, you have to be the first to get fi ve in a row in the assigned direction. This can be in an direction, vertically, horizontally, diagonally, even the whole card as long as its what is agreed upon before gameplay.13. Guess That Language (Vocabulary Word Edition)Tools That You’ll Need: Blank flashcards, something to write with, a vocabulary listIn a way, this game is plays a lot like Bingo except you don’t need Bingo cards to play, and its based purely on knowledge and skill rather than luck. Also, similar to other games on this list, the Guess That Language Game can be played by yourself  or with others.How to Play:  If you want to just practice alone, Guess That Language can be used like  flashcards (but then it wouldn’t really be a game now would it?)For two people, the name of the game is simple: One  person says a word to you from the list (or card if youre using flashcards), and you have to guess what it means on the first try. You dont need to  worry about getting words in a specific order to win here! For beginners or young learners, it might be a good idea to give a couple of hints to help them figure out its meaning. If youre the one giving hints,  dont give away the word, but you want to encourage them to really use their critical thinking skills to find the correct answer.For a group, this game plays out a lot more  like Bingo. First divide the entire group into teams. Then pick one person who reads the words aloud from the vocabulary list, one by one in a random order. All of the words from the list  must be said and each word can be worth one point.In order to win points, a team has to be the first to say the correct meaning. To make sure everyone playing gets a fair chance, have one person per team compete against the other person on the other team(s). After every round, new people from each team need to be chosen to play against each other. This will ensure that the active players on each team are rotated properly, allowing every person to have at least one turn to answer.To answer, players either have to raise their hand first or (if dry erase boards or chalk boards are involved) write the answer first. Buzzers are also a fun idea to use as answering tools. By the end of the game, once all of the words on the list have been called, whichever team has the most points wins!The thirteen games listed here are only a handful of the language learning games out there. There are plenty of other amazing games you can play that are just as fun and as the ones listed here. Check out FluentU  for even more creative ideas on how to learn a new language by doing fun games and other activities.Good luck with learning a new language!