Smack the Word

Some of you might know this activity as "matamoscas" or "the fly swatter game," but it works like this:

For Category I and II Languages:

1. Have the vocabulary words written on the board in random order, and at different angles, when the students enter the room.
2. Ask the students to write definitions in the target language for five of the words and pass them to you.
3. Divide the class into two teams.
4. Have a representative from each team come to the board, each with a different color of marker.
5. Read a definition of a word (you might have to correct or add to the student's definition). The first student to find the word and mark it -or hit it with a fly swatter if you prefer- wins a point for their team.
6. A new student from each team comes to the board, and you read a new definition for a different word.

For Category III and IV Languages:

1. Have the vocabulary words written on the board in random order, and at different angles, when the students enter the room.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Have a representative from each team come to the board, each with a different color of marker.
4. Say the word. The first student to find the word and mark it -or hit it with a fly swatter if you prefer- wins a point for their team.
5. For an additional point, each student has the chance to use the word correctly in a sentence.
6. A new student from each team comes to the board, and you continue the game with a new word.