Most language teachers find that there is a bit of dead time during class. This may occur at the beginning of class, as the students are arriving; at the end of class, as they are thinking about leaving; and right in the middle of class, when transitioning from one lesson to another. During this dead time, the best option is to spend five or ten minutes on a short, interesting activity, like Categories.

Set up

Pick a category, such as jobs.

Activity

Each pupil has to name a job until nobody can think of any more. The one who got the last job gets to choose the next category.

Variations

You can go in order around the classroom, have students call out the answers whenever they think of one, or toss a foam ball around - whoever catches it has to come up with the next answer.

Useful for

• Vocabulary groups
  • languages
  • professions
  • colors
  • calendar
  • body
  • clothing
  • food
• Adjectives
• Verbs (-ER verbs, moods, tenses)

What kind of warm-up activities work best in your language classes? Let us know!

More warm-up activities