Authentic Activities for the World Language Classroom

Do you ever feel stuck in a rut while planning your language classes? Perhaps you spend a lot of time lecturing at the whiteboard, use the same activities with different vocabulary for every unit, or rely on teaching students grammar because that’s how you were taught. No matter what your go-to activity is, we’re all much more engaging when we vary our activities and make them relatable. If the speaker is engaging, a good lecture every now and then is enjoyable. However, when faced with daily lectures, students dread class, and hence learn less. So why not mix it up?

When dreaming up new activities, our main focus should always be authenticity. If we make activities genuine, our students will be much more inclined to participate, acquiring new knowledge in the process. Many language teachers think being authentic means decorating their classrooms with flags and other souvenirs collected in their travels. But true authenticity comes from the activities we use during class time and leaves an impact on the communication skills of our students.

In a previous Edutopia post, I outlined how to best shape a unit around communication. Below I outline some ideas within the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication.

Interpretive Mode

Interpersonal Mode

Presentational Mode

Five Rules for the Three Modes

In order to help students better master the units we teach, remember these rules when selecting activities: