#CSCTFL15 Idea Share: Let’s bring BINGO back in vogue!

Bingo.  We all know what it is.  Most of us have probably thrown it out, thinking it mediocre at best.  After #csctfl15, I have realized I made a grave error throwing it out.  I simply needed to modify it.  Here are some ways that World Language teachers can effectively use bingo in a cool way:

1. Sentence Vocabulary:  The teacher will read aloud a sentence that describes (hints at) the object, and the student chooses the correct object or action.  This idea came from Mira Canion.  In her example she wanted students to identify “chair” and her description was “where one sits.”  Consider using a website like Bingo Baker to make the cards an easier process.

2. Story Vocabulary: The teacher retells a text/story sentence by sentence, and students choose the correct image that is being described.  This website from ESL Activities looks like a little more work than Bingo Baker, but would be sooooo worth it!  This would also take more work than the aforementioned bingo because you would probably want to draw your own images, get a digital file of them, and then upload them.

3. Movie Bingo:  Students mark off certain events as they occur in a film, or students mark off the themes as they appear.  Kim Lackey and Julie Weitzel shared this idea in the presentation that I blogged about yesterday.  They shared their cultural bingo card for the movie Valentín (which you can view here).  This is such a creative idea!  I would have never thought of.  Thanks ladies!

4. Strip Bingo:  The teacher slowly reads a text to students, and when the teacher pauses the students rip of the word if it’s at either end of their bingo slip (which the students already wrote in a line on a slip of paper).  I first heard about Strip Bingo from Martina Bex, who got it from Kristin Duncan, who in turn got it from a lady named Andrea.  Martina also has a free Día de los Muertos version of Strip Bingo on her Teachers Pay Teachers store that is helpful to reference.

5.  Bingo Writing: The teacher reads the vocabulary in English (so they have to translate) or in Spanish sentence (so that they listen for the word), and students mark it off as they go.  At the end, students then write a story using one of the rows.  Martina Bex wrote about she legitimizes playing bingo here.  She also includes a free editable version of the bingo form she uses.

* Disclaimer: I would like to credit Mira Canion as saying that bingo is currently not “in vogue.”  She used the phrase in a presentation and I absolutely loved it!