Sit Down (or Stand Up) for Your Word(s)

Purpose: To use beginning level listening skills to listen for key words.

Prep Time: 15-30 minutes

Materials: Word cards, and a script, song or video for students to listen to.

Prep: Find a basic song or video for students to listen to that relates to the lesson topic, or choose a basic script or dialog to read to the students. Keep it short. If a song is long, consider listening only to the chorus. Then choose a few key words from the lyrics or script. Create word cards for these key words. If appropriate, add a picture to illustrate each word card.

Procedure:

1. Review the vocabulary that is on the word cards as many times as is necessary.
2. Select a word card and show it to all students. Listen to the song or script. All students stand up. When they hear the word on the card they all sit down. If necessary, repeat with another word card or two.
3. Give each student a word card. If there are many students pass out duplicate word cards.
4. If the class is small, call on students to hold up their cards and read them. If the class is large, call on a few students to read their cards and then ask students to turn to a neighbor and read their cards.
5. All students stand up. Listen again and students sit down when they hear the words on their cards. If some students remain standing, listen again and pause right after they hear their words. If there is still interest listen again.

Variation: For more of a challenge, give students multiple word cards to listen for. Students begin by sitting and then stand up briefly when they hear their words.