While translation activities certainly have their place and can be useful in certain contexts, I still wherever possible try to design my lessons and activities so that the use of English is not needed. Feeling stuck on how to turn an English translation activity into a target language only activity? Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:
Draw a picture
There are so many ways you can incorporate illustrations, both teacher-generated and student-generated, into your lesson. Back in November, I wrote a post highlighting the ways I have students use drawing to show what they know.
Use a photo
Finding appropriate photos for an activity or lesson can be time consuming (and if you’re sharing them publicly you’ll want to be sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s copyright), but the trade off is worth it. If you’re looking for free images that are legal to use for just about any purpose, Unsplash is a great place to start, and I’ve even had my students use it for a project. Using your own photos, especially those from your travels to target language countries, can be a great way to build rapport. Click here and here to learn about how I’ve used my own photos in my classroom.
Act it out or use gestures
This can be applied to a game such as charades or Simon Says, or it could just be a way you show your students what you’re trying to say. Sometimes this requires a little extra time to establish what certain gestures mean. For instance, I teach my students that me shrugging my shoulders signifies “Je ne sais pas” (“I don’t know”) and me pretending to tear my hair out signifies “Je ne comprends pas” (“I don’t understand.”).
Use an emoji
Emojis are a simple and useful way to communicate meaning without using words, plus students are very familiar with them! Emojis can also be used in many text-based programs where other types of images are not allowed, and they are easier to find and use than traditional images. Click here to read a great blog post about how you can use emojis in your lessons.
State the opposite (e.g. “The opposite of tall” for “short”)
This comes in very handy with terms and expressions that cannot easily be acted out or represented visually, but which have an opposite term with which students are familiar. This works particularly well with adjectives and adverbs.
Draw the opposite (then put an X or a ∅ over it)
Sometimes it can be easier to draw the opposite than the word itself, so this provides an alternate option.
State the definition
This is more suitable for intermediate and advanced level classes, but defining the word or expression for students allows for even more language use. Teaching students to circumlocute, and define words on their own when they can’t think of the proper word in French, is a great skill.
State words related to it (e.g. “ice cream, hamburger, pizza” for “eat”)
This can be a great option if students haven’t acquired enough language to work with definitions but do know some related words. It can also be a great brainstorming activity for grouping and working with new and previously acquired vocabulary. For instance, students could name items they eat at various eateries, or clothes they buy at various stores.
State synonyms that are cognates or known vocabulary
Synonyms and cognates are our friend! This is just one more option when the others don’t work, or if you’re trying to spice things up and want to give students a variety of different ways to work with vocabulary.
For questions or exclamations, state possible answers or responses
When my students are learning how to ask information questions in French, I give them a series of questions and answers in French and have them read through them carefully to determine the meaning of the question words. Questions and exclamations can be really hard to act out or represent visually, but this option works if students have enough vocabulary to understand the responses.
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Love your ideas!! I will use them in my clas!!
Thanks Olympia!