"Hit the board"

We do this activity to practise with new vocabulary. As it's fun and motivating, it enhances the acquisition of new items without the students being aware of it.

Before doing this activity, you need to introduce the new vocabulary with the help of a presentation if you are provided with a digital board, or just with flashcards or realia.

To carry out this game you need two fly swatters and flashcards with the items you previously introduced.

Stick the flashcards on the blackboard and divide the class in two groups. Each team must form a line in front of the blackboard. Give a fly swatter to the first student of each group and call out an item of vocabulary. The students that carry the fly swatter must go to the blackboard and hit the correct flashcard with the fly swatter.

You can choose if you want to score points to do the game as a sort of competition or not, depending on the interests and motivation of your students.

Image: Fly swatter, by Melissa Eder